Despicable Me

Despicable Me is one of those movies that leave you satisfied. The story was original and the humor was for children and adults alike. I usually hate Steve Carrell in anything he does but he made a wise choice in picking this role because I didn't have to see him. It was a cute story. I have nothing much to say about the film except that it was pleasing and didn't leave me feeling awkward. The minions were very funny and contributed a lot of humor in the film. 3 out of 4 stars.

Inception

The film was one of a kind and will probably never be matched again. Christopher Nolan created a gem by making a movie so unpredictable. Also, the acting of all the stars and especislly DiCaprio anhd Cotillard made it seem authentic even though in reality the story is the farthest thing from that. I enjoyed the special effects and the attention paid to every minute detail. Inception is one of the greatest and most original films I have ever seen. I have not one single critique of the film. The ending will invalidate any ideas you may have about the reality aspect. Easily the best film of the summer. 4 out of 4 stars.

Grown Ups

The death of their childhood basketball coach leads to a reunion for old friends (Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, etc.), who gather at the site of a championship celebration from years ago. Picking up right where they left off, with their wives and children present, the buddies discover why age does not necessarily equal maturity.

My Review: The film was hilarious. It was great to see Adam Sandler, one of my favorite actors making pure comedy. After watching the "Funny People" mess, I was looking for something worth while. There isn't a single piece of Happy Madison film that I did not enjoy watching, aside from "Funny People", of course. "Grown Ups" included many long time friends of Sandler's and the chemistry between the guys was magical. It made for a comedy that in my eyes will never get old. The jokes were fresh, the on-screen chemistry of all of the actors was authentic and there were some major surprises that had me rolling. They couldn't have more diverse people in the film that knew how to have fun. Adam Sandler has done it again! 3 out of 4 stars.

Sex and the City 2

The continuing story of Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha as they struggle to manage their love lives, friendships and careers in New York City.

My Review: The story has been sucked dry out of the franchise. The story wasn't there at all and the one-liners were not funny for the most part. The first film is a lot better because there was substance and humor. Even though the sequel is about ten minutes shorter than the original, it felt a half-hour longer. The part of the film that took place in the middle east was boring and drawn out. It is called "Sex and the City" because the story takes place in the city. All in all, do not go in expecting a great sequel because it was not. However, it still did not fail to get the theater full of fans laughing and feeling satisfied that their favorite girls were back. 1 and a half out of 4 stars.

Letters to Juliet

When a young American (Amanda Seyfried) travels to the city of Verona, she joins a group of volunteers who respond to letters to Juliet seeking advice about love. After answering one letter from 1957, she inspires the woman who wrote the letter (Vanessa Redgrave) to travel to Italy in search of her long-lost love.

My Review: "Letters to Juliet" is a typical romantic comedy that caters to the female population looking to watch something fluffy. The film had no real substance and an unrealistic story but once again, it is almost required to get large female audiences because of the fairy tale story. If stories like this existed in real life, my review blog would have been published a year and a half ago. That would be a fairy tale for me. Amanda Seyfried is a decent actress that is typecast into playing the cute and innocent twenty-something girl that has it all. The silky blonde hair blowing through the wind can only satisfy us for a short time until people realize that the "Mamma Mia" star stars in films with no substance. She has the chops but has not been able to show them. I predict that at some point she will become the next Anne Hathaway who also started as a Disney actress and eventually got her career going with "Rachel Getting Married". 1 and a half out of 4 stars.

Iron Man 2

The world is aware that billionaire inventor Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is the super hero Iron Man. Under pressure from the government, the press and the public to share his technology with the military, Tony is unwilling to divulge the secrets behind the Iron Man armor because he fears the information will slip into the wrong hands. With Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), and James Rhodes (Don Cheadle), Tony forms new alliances and confronts powerful new forces.

My Review: "Iron Man 2" was without a doubt of the most astonishing superhero action films that I have seen in my life and it was arguably better than the 2008 Iron Man. What made it better was the action and new alliances that Stark forms to take on Whiplash (Mickey Rourke). The humor in the sequel was funnier and the story was more together. Also, it lets us in on something that Marvel is doing with all of its superhero films. They are making it look like their movies take place at the same times but in different parts of the country. Now, I am no Marvel or DC nerd, but this piece of film was intriguing enough to keep my attention for two hours. Moving forward, the acting of everyone in the film was superb and made the story and vigilantes seem no less than authentic. 3 and a half out of 4 stars.

The Last Song

Estranged father (Greg Kinnear) gets a chance to spend the summer with his reluctant and rebellious teenaged daughter (Miley Cyrus), who’d rather be home in New York. He tries to reconnect with her through music.

My Review: The Last Song had as many flaws as is did successes. Nicholas Sparks' films always include a fair share of tears. The sad aspect of the film is as predictable as Cyrus' attempt to be an emo teenager. Kinnear plays the most touching role in the Sparks tearjerker which once more solidifies his range of acting chops given the circumstances. Miley Cyrus has a ways to go before she sets her place as a big-time actress, but this film is a start for her as she quite convincingly (later in the film) goes through the various emotions that makes her performance more believable. Except for the beginning, the movie is not a bad piece of work but it is immature.  2 and a half out of 4 stars.

Diary of A Wimpy Kid

The family flick follows the travails of wise-cracking middle school student Greg Heffley over the course of an academic year.

My Review: "Wimpy Kid" is one of those movies that I originally have no intention of seeing but ends up being charming and fun. The characters made the film enjoyable and the acting of the child stars makes the film charming. The wit that some of the children are able to display makes me think twice about today's young actors turning into wash-ups by 20 years old. Cute story accompanied by convincing acting by all. 3 out of 4 stars.

Lack of Updates

I apologize for not updating in some time. March and April are generally months that I don't watch many new films in simply because they are usually not worth watching. Also, with mountains of school work I don't get a lot of time to see the films that look bad but I still want to see. I will be preoccupied with work and school-work until late April at which point, I will begin to watch movies again. Thank you to those of you who read my reviews. Bear with me as a focus my time on important assignments for school and such. I am looking forward to reviving this blog in May for all the highly anticipated films of the summer!!

MikeTheMovieFanatic

Alice in Wonderland in Disney Digital 3D

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.

My Review: Alice in Wonderland was an overall catastrophe. The story was nothing more than snippets of the original mixed with Tim Burton. Lately his films have been less than pleasing. With Johnny Depp being such a unique actor, I was expecting him to bring something to the table. I was extremely disappointed. I usually praise acting in many of the films I review but sadly, this was just $150 million thrown down the rabbit hole-literally. Johnny Depp in this role reminded me of his work in the Willy Wonka remake. He was awkward and pale. Anne Hathaway was pathetic at attempting an English accent. It is very unlike her to take a role that doesn't show her as the vulnerable girl that finds her way. The one thing this film had plenty of was graphics! The scenery and tone of the film fit to the characters stories. Much like Avatar, Alice in Wonderland was a hyped film that turned out to be a disappointment. It still won't stop it from grossing hundreds of millions. 1 and a half out of 4 stars.