The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Before I say anything, I have to say, I loved this movie. I didn't realize until we got there that it was going to be 3 hours long, but I thought it was great the entire time. I didn't realize until it was over that it was adapted from the short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I'll have to read it.

If you've seen the previews, then I'm not giving anything away (especially since this is in theaters right now). The film is a love story, which by itself is pretty darn good. The twist, is that Benjamin Button ages backwards, or grows younger with time. That complicates things. This movie had so many thought provoking moments. The whole time I was thinking about how lucky I am to be able to grow old with the person I love. I guess that shows how into the movie I was.

The story, the emotion, the hint of magic, it was all spectacular to me, and I don't think there could have been better actors for the main roles–Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. Wow.

That being said, I wouldn't recommend this for kids. Not only because it might be confusing to them, but also the inevitable shirtless Brad Pitt makes some appearances (no complaints). There's sexy scenes in this movie, but in my opinion they were in good taste. There's some creepy parts and a little violence too. Also, even though there was romance, I wouldn't leave your husband at home.

Fred Claus

This was a pretty cute show that was in theaters last year, and just came out on video. It tells the story of how Nicholas became a saint (when you become a saint you and your family stop aging--did you know that?). St. Nick's brother Fred doesn't like him, and thus hates Christmas. He gets in a bind and ends up working at the North Pole for a few days to earn money.

Anyway, it was pretty good. The kids seemed to like it. One of the characters that worked at the North Pole was way too scantily clad. Other than that, it was a pretty happy movie with a good ending.

Twilight

I really enjoyed the Twilight novel, and the movie was pretty good. My friend and I wondered if we'd like the movie if we hadn't read the book, and I don't think I would have. Having read it, we could understand certain things that weren't said in the show. Many details were left out, but I couldn't think of anything major that wasn't there. I would see it again.

Many of the special effects were lacking, and the effect of sunlight on a vampire just made said vampire look sweaty. One may have thought the movie was a comedy with all the laughing that was going on (in the theater). There wasn't much character development. I think Jacob had three or four lines, and Jasper had one (well, maybe two) and several funny facial expressions. Oh, the scene where Edward saves Bella from the guys in Port Angeles was pretty good, at least how the car was driven. Not sure that I loved Robert Pattinson as Edward. He seemed like he was going to cry through most of the show, and the way he was talking (at least in the beginning) made him sound slow. The makeup was a little distracting too--not so much the white faces, but the red lips. Edward's were darker than Bella's, and it was very obvious that it was lipstick.

I'm really not trying to rag on it though. Condensing the long book to a two hour movie would be a challenge, and overall they did a pretty good job with the story.

I'd love to hear what anyone else thought about it.

Ray

This was an interesting movie about the life of Ray Charles. I didn't know much of anything about him, aside from the fact that he was blind and sang "I Just Called to Say I Love You.) -I think he sang that. Did he?-
Anyway, halfway through the movie, Nate and I looked at each other and said "Boy, I'm not really liking Ray right now." He was a junkie and a womanizer, cheating on his wife and cheating on his mistress (although, if you're the mistress, how could you actually think he wouldn't cheat on you when he's already cheated on someone else to be with you?) Sorry. Tangent.
The part about his brother just broke my heart.
I was surprised at how many songs of his I recognized. I had no idea he sang "Hit the Road, Jack."
It was interesting to see all that he did with his music, and that he never let his blindness hold him back.
All-in-all, a good movie.

Top Gear

This isn't your typical movie post, but my husband got a few seasons of a show called Top Gear from a co-worker. I'd never heard of it, but we've been enjoying watching episodes together. It is a car show, and a lot of the time the three presenters are talking about or driving super cars (I think that means expensive and fast). That's not really my thing. But, they also have these crazy challenges, and they are hilarious. One challenge was making amphibious vehicles. One of the guys used a Toyota pickup, one used some type of van, and the other made a sailboat out of a convertible. It was so funny, especially watching the one with the huge sails trying to get to the lake. The van ended up sinking, and the truck ended up on it's roof. Another challenge was buying cars in Miami for under $1,000 and driving across two or three states. They had several challenges along the way. One challenge was in Africa. One was racing motor-homes--that was pretty funny. Oh, the one making stretch limos out of regular cars was pretty entertaining too.

Anyway, I don't think I'm doing it justice, but I think it'd be worth a few minutes to see some of the challenges on YouTube. I have no idea what seasons we've been watching, and I'll admit that some of the things said by the British are quite shocking. But, if you are bored, check it out.

The Aviator

Interesting movie. The first half of it Nate and I kept looking at each other like "What is going on? Is there a plot to this movie at all?" The second half got better, but I was really close to just leaving the room.
This movie is about the life of Howard Hughes (not to be mistaken for Hugh Hefner, which I always seem to do for some reason.)
Howard is a very interesting character. Very smart. From what I understood through the movie, he had a whole lot to do with the airline business as we know it today (OK, as we knew it before they all went bankrupt...) He was also mentally ill.
Would I recommend the movie? Eh...probably not. It was very long - like about 3 hours long - and like I said earlier, the first half of the movie was just weird. Plus, there was an overabundance of swearing. Not cool.

Prince Caspian and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader

I couldn't find an image for this one. We were in a bit of a shock when the show started though. A new Red Box opened up not too far from our house (it's on the way home from work for Matt), and we heard it had Prince Caspian. We thought it was one of the new versions. Turns out it was a BBC version (from the 80's I think). The costumes were hilarious, and I laughed for quite awhile watching Aslan walk (you know, with the two guys wearing his costume).

Good reminder to make sure you have the version you want.

Be Kind Rewind

We found this on iTunes last week, and thought we'd give it a try even though we'd never heard of it (mostly because it has Jack Black). It was pretty dumb. A couple of friends find themselves in trouble when the one erases all of the VHS tapes in the video store the other is in charge of while the boss is away. Jack Black is the trouble maker. He became magnetically charged after a failed attempt to destroy a power plant (or some such place). They made their own versions of the movies to cover themselves, and these "sweded" versions became very popular and the store was doing much better business.

It was a pretty lame show. Just not much to it, and the ending was one of those where it ended and I though, that was it?

Baby Mama

My neighbor lent this to me last night. I had seen a few previews for it quite awhile back, and didn't think it looked great. But, having recently become a Tina Fey fan for her "political" work, I decided to give it a try.

The show is about a 37-year-old career woman who has never married. She has come to realize that she wants to be married and have a child, but the marriage prospect isn't looking promising. So, she looks into adoption, but that doesn't seem to be an option (at least not very soon), and she tries artificial insemination. When that doesn't work a doctor tells her she'd have a one in a million chance of getting pregnant. She looks in a surrogate mother, and decides to go that route. The agency she uses guarantees the surrogate will be thoroughly checked out for the small fee of $100,000.00. The surrogate she gets ends up being anything but the type of person she'd want, but they move forward with it.

Anyway, it was better than I thought it would be, and parts were even touching (I'll admit I cried a little). I asked Matt what he thought when it was over, and his response was, "eh".

Nim's Island

I had heard about this movie quite awhile ago, and saw that it was available at Red Box tonight. It is based on a book, and is about a young girl who lives on an island with her scientist father. He leaves on an expedition (I guess that might be the right word), and she (Nim) doesn't want to go with him for the two days because she's certain that her sea turtle's eggs are going to hatch. A huge storm comes up while he's away, and she's left alone to defend their island. She gets some courage from email correspondence from her hero, Alex Rover. He is the brave character of many of her favorite books. He is actually a fictitious character made up by author Alexandra Rover (who happens to not be brave or courageous--she's really agoraphobic).

Anyway, it was a cute story. Some parts were a little intense for my five-year-old, but she wanted to keep watching.

The Dance

This was in the (small) movie section at our library. I hadn't heard about it, but when I picked it up I noticed it was by the people who did The Best Two Years. I thought that was a great show, so I figured this one must also be very good.

Unfortunately, it did not live up to my expectations. The cinematography was very good, but the story wasn't. The main guy in The Best Two Years is home from his mission and going to Harvard (I think that was the school). He's been home a few months, and is sort of struggling. One of his professors (who I'm pretty sure was his mission president in the last movie--but not sure if he's supposed to be the same guy) talks him into going to a single adult dance. He doesn't have a date, but finds an old girlfriend of his brother, and talks her into going. She's not a member, and wears a dress to the dance that isn't within the standards. The professor and his wife are the chaperons (or something--they're there), and apparently they've been married for years and just sort of ignore each other most of the time. There's another single guy there that has a divorcee come to the dance with him.

Anyway, I just didn't think there was much to the story.

Kung Fu Panda

We watch this last night for FHE. Zoie had a blast watching it, and I'll admit I enjoyed it too. Jack Black is hilarious. I love the opening part where he says, "There's no charge for awesomeness."

It had several good messages. After the show I asked Zoie what she learned, and she told me she learned that if there's a bad guy, you need to fight him. Hm, not exactly what I was hoping she'd get from it.

Get Smart

Matt's co-worker lent us this show. I had only heard about it, and didn't really know what to expect. I guess it's a remake of either an old TV show or old movie. It's a bunch of spies in Control (something other than the FBI or CIA). Steve Carell is an analyst or something, but really wants to be an agent. He gets his chance when all the other agents covers are known. He's a really unlikely, inexperience spy.

Overall it was pretty funny, even though a little predictable.

Jumper

I actually watched a movie that nobody here has reviewed yet!

I thought it looked stupid, but I ended up really liking it. Hayden Christensen plays a guy who has a genetic mutation that allows him to "jump" from one place to another, no matter how far away. So, he could be in his living room and decide he wanted to go on top of the Eiffel tower and be there instantaneously. He ends up finding another guy like himself, and learns there are lots of them out there, but there are people called the Palladins who hunt them and kill them.

Very interesting concept, and I was happy to see that Hayden C. is a much better actor than he ever showed as Darth Vader. There were a couple spots we forwarded through, but it looked like it didn't show much and happened really quickly.

Clue

Nothing like a movie from 1985.

I saw this at the store for $5, and decided to buy it. My family had watched it several times growing up, and I remembered it being really good. It was still funny, but I am bothered when movies make light of death and murder (which this definitely does).

The opening credits say that the movie is based on the board game. I can't think of any other movies based on games. That's quite creative.

I think my favorite part is the ending when Tim Curry is telling everyone "who done it".

Some of my favorite lines/parts:

"Is that what we ate?" followed by a "I'm going to puke" sound.

"I'm going to go home and sleep with my wife."

"But it is dark upstairs, and I am frightened of the dark. Will anyone go with me?" "I will." "I will." "No thank you."

When Tim Curry throws Mr. Green into the "toilet", and you see him come out a minute later drying his hands and a flushing sound in the background.

The actor who plays Mr. Body is named Lee Ving.

The Bucket List

We watched this last night (thanks to part of an iTunes gift certificate). I hadn't wanted to see it for some reason, but I think it might have been because I heard someone throws up. Anyway, the last show we iTuned was more my choice than Matt's, so it was his turn.

Anyway, it is a story about two unlikely hospital roommates that are both told they have six months to a year to live. One of them (Jack Nicholson) is extremely wealthy, and he talks Morgan Freeman into joining him to fulfill their bucket list (a list of things to do before they kick the bucket).

It ended up being a much better show than I thought. I cried (but that's not saying much). It does have a least one vomiting scene. I think if I remember correctly that the reason for the rating was some language. If you have TV Guardian or some other such thing, it'd be great.

Definitely, Maybe

This movie is a story told by a father to his daughter about how he and her mom met (the show opens with him being given divorce papers). He told her he had two serious girl friends, and that he's changing the names of people so she has to guess which one ends up being her mom.

The MPAA gave it the following rating: "PG-13 for sexual content, including some frank dialogue, language and smoking." I had no idea that a movie would be rated PG-13 for having smoking in it. Interesting.

There was definitely stuff I didn't like, but I'm not sure I really liked the story line either. It basically seemed to be about how this guy couldn't get a relationship to work out, over, and over, and over. I'm not even sure why he and his wife ended up calling it quits (since the majority of the movie is before he even got together with her).

Mamma Mia

I have to say, I went to this movie knowing nothing about it, other than they sang Abba songs. And since I love Abba songs, I was all for it.
This movie is cheesy. Totally cheesy. Funny, but cheesy. And Pierce Brosnan should not sing. Ever.
On the little rating thing it says that there are some sex-related comments. I'd say a little bit more than some. Lots of innuendo in this movie.
I felt like bursting out into song several times during the movie though. I love Abba, did I mention that? Meryl Streep is a good singer. Pierce Brosnan is not. (Did I say that already?)

The Dark Knight

I went to see this with Nate and his family (yes, an actual date, woo-hoo! Sorry, off-topic...) It was a pretty decent movie, but definitely one that kids should not see. Way too violent. Like Tarah, I was looking down/away for quite a bit of the movie. Even though they didn't actually show any gory stuff, it was still too violent for my tastes.
The Joker was a very disturbing character. I didn't even realize til half-way through the movie that he was played by Heath Ledger.
If you haven't seen the previous Batman movie (I don't remember what it's called, I haven't seen it yet) then some scenes will be a bit confusing to you.

High School Musical (1 & 2)

After learning that several friends/family members have also seen High School Musical, I decided not to be embarrassed, and to write a review. We borrowed HSM 1&2 from a neighbor, and I had very low expectations.

Anyway, the first one is about a really popular athlete that realizes he can sing when forced to do karaoke with a stranger at a New Year's Eve party. The stranger ends up being a new student in his school. When he and this new girl meet up again in one of their classes they talk about how great singing together was, even though neither of them ever did anything like that before. They end up auditioning for the high school musical, against all odds, because he's this athlete (and athletes don't sing and dance) and she's a brain (and brains don't sing and dance). The bad guys are the brother and sister that have been the leads in every school production.

Overall, cheesy, but I liked it. It was strange to me that they didn't actually do the musical though. Guess from the title I thought that would be part of the show.

HSM2 was definitely not as good as the first. Very cheesy, and had nothing to do with a school musical. I know I'm getting hung up on the name. It was all about school being out for the summer and having summer jobs. The whole gang gets jobs at this country club. There's a talent show. Actually reminded me a bit of Saved By the Bell (which I LOVED-I was a total Saved By the Bell junkie). Unfortunately, this wasn't as good. Seemed like the whole show was about Troy trying to kiss Gabriella (ok, that's an exaggeration).

Both shows had a good lesson, and Zoie really enjoyed them. She's been singing parts of some of the songs. I am really not the target audience for these shows. And, in spite of my not loving the 2nd one, I'm sure I'll see the 3rd at some point.

Iron Man

Jeff and I haven't been to see a movie in the theater for ages, so we decided to go yesterday for a date, and the decision was between "Iron Man" and "Indiana Jones." We decided on Iron Man... and we were so glad that we did. The movie was incredible. The special effects weren't over done (as they have been in other comic book movies). And the story was actually believeable--a little over the top, but still believeable. The acting was great, and the stuff he comes up with is pretty amazing. If you do go, there is one final scene after the credits that opens it up for #2...which Jeff was pretty excited about. Jeff loved the movie, and I really liked it too. So if you have the opportunity to go, go. It is definitely a great one to see on the big screen.

The Kite Runner

We watched this movie last night. I had heard the title, and knew that it was a book and a movie, but didn't know the details. It is the story of a Afghani boy who flees with his father to Pakistan during the Soviet invasion, and eventually to the US. Most of the story is of his childhood in Kabul. He is best friends with the son of a servant in his home, but he is bullied about this relationship. He turns on his friend prior to fleeing the country because of the attitudes of others. He returns as an adult.

I don't want to give away any important details to anyone who is planning on seeing the film, but I have to say that it was very disturbing. I actually wish I hadn't seen it. Matt seemed to appreciate it, but I have a very difficult time getting images (or just insinuated ideas) out of my head. I suppose it could have been extremely graphic with the war and terrible atrocities that took place by those in power, and I'm grateful that it wasn't. The insinuated ideas are with me though.

The film definitely made me think, but it was the kind of show that I couldn't just go straight to bed afterwards. I had to read something happy and upbeat to get my mind to clear enough for sleep.

Oceans 12

I have a new favorite movie. I borrowed a few DVDs from our next door neighbor to stave off some boredom last week, and since then I have watched Oceans 12 four times. I LOVE IT! It came out four years ago, or something like that, and I had never seen it. Part of the reason for not seeing it was remembering that both of my sisters didn't like it. The reason I remembered them saying was due to the "crazy camera angles". Well, the couple of shots that are sideways last for a few seconds and didn't bother me. I love the humor in this. It seems so every day. I love the funny looks of people's faces (ie Brad Pitt's when he realizes his cell phone is gone). I love how Matt Damon is so . . . um, what's the word? Young or unsure of himself? I love his reaction to finding out their first job is being done on a agoraphobic person.

Perhaps if you didn't like it when you saw it, you should watch it a second time--just to be sure. :)

I will say that I didn't care for the French guy's laser dance, and the Julia Roberts thing was a tad over the top. I mean, they could have done the same thing for most of the characters. Oh, and I suppose the whole situation is morally wrong--you know, being thieves and all. It's just so funny though.

Next

I had never heard of this movie before, so I was a little apprehensive about seeing it, but it was pretty good. The story line is that Nicholas Cage's character can see 2 minutes into his future, so he uses that to win at gambling and stuff like that. He catches the attention of an FBI agent (Julianne Moore) who needs his help to find a nuclear device that is somewhere in the LA area. The bad guys who have the nuclear device somehow know about him too, so they're trying to get him before the FBI does.

The Ultimate Gift

We got this movie from the library this weekend. Mike was not excited to watch it with me because he figured it was a chick flick. We both ended up really enjoying it. The acting is really good and the message is very refreshing. It is nice because there is not really anything offensive in the movie. It is the story about a young man who receives 12 tasks to be completed from his grandfather after his grandfather's passing. He is very reluctant to even start doing them but after each task, he becomes a little more curious. He meets many people along the way that influence the direction of his life and how he handles the tasks. It totally made me cry but in a good way.

Made of Honor

I saw this with some friends last night. I really liked Patrick Dempsey in Enchanted. His character was such a good guy. This show sort of blew that image out of my mind (unfortunately).

The story is about a guy who doesn't realize his true feelings for his best friend until she gets engaged. It is similar to My Best Friend's Wedding. Anyway, there were some funny parts, but I was disappointed in the lose morals depicted. I liked how things ended up, but wish they had gone about it a bit better.

Thanksgiving point Gardens

I'm a little late adding this post, but thought I'd do it anyway, just so you have an idea what is out there.

On Monday, 14 April, my sister, Tari and I went to the Thanksgiving Point gardens, expecting to see them ablaze in colorful tulips and other spring flowers. Apparently they were a bit late this season or we were a bit early, but we had a nice day together.

Pic. 1 - inside the secret garden








Pic. 2 Door in the secret garden wall. I believe that on a better day or later in the season this vine at the side of the door is probably green and living.

















Pic. 3 Tari in Garden, (sorry there are almost no flowers open in there during our visit.)













Loni at the carousel. Again few flowers. I imagine it is very pretty when the flowers are in bloom, but not to dispair. It was a beautiful day. There were even quite a few people wandering around. I'd like to visit when the plants and flowers are growing. They probably are now, two weeks after our premature visit.





Pic. 5 One of the falls located in the country's largest manmade mountain garden. That was very impressive.

The water is recirculated from a large pond, or maybe I should call it a lake because of the size of it.

I think the gardens are worth attending. Doors open at ten in case you are wondering. Oh Yeah, there is a charge.

August Rush

I rented this on Saturday using a free Red Box promotion. :) Anyway, I'd heard good things about it, but couldn't remember what it was about. I was very pleased with it, and managed to not let any tears grace my cheeks (though Matt did ask once or twice if I was crying).

The story is about an 11 year old boy that is at a boy's home in New York. The other boys make fun of him for saying that he hears music (that no one else hears) and that he can hear his parents. The main premise of the show is about him trying to find his parents.

The actor that played the main character is Freddie Highmore (very cute kid that played Charlie in the Johnny Depp Charlie and the Chocolate Factory). He did a GREAT job. I recognized many of the other actors (which I find to be fun in a movie--makes me think hard about where I've seen them before, or I Google them to find out later). Robin Williams was in here too.

Overall, I really enjoyed the show, and I'd watch it again. I wouldn't have minded if the ending had gone a bit further though. Sometimes I don't like using my imagination.

Martian Child

When Dan had this from Blockbuster I thought it was going to be a really low-rate cheesy sci-fi flim. I was really surprised...pleasantly surprised. This was a really cute, feel good, clean movie. John Cusack plays a widower who adopts this little boy who thinks he's from Mars. The whole movie is about their relationship and trying to figure things out and fitting in, but being okay with who you are, and knowing that the dad won't leave the little boy. Anyway, if you're looking for a feel good family film, I'd recommend it.

The Great Debaters

Why are all the really good, uplifting movies the ones you never hear about? This was a great movie. It sounds like a movie theme we've seen a million times--a teacher/coach takes the underdog kids and makes them into champions.... And you're right--that was the basic premise. But there was so much more. A teacher (Denzel Washington) at a small college in Marshal, Texas builds up an award-winning debate team that goes on to compete against Harvard's aces. The movie also explores the social climate of Texas during the depression, including day-to-day insults, slights, and persecution African Americans and the working poor had to endure in the 1930s. The acting was incredible by some unknowns but Denzel Washington makes almost any movie worth seeing. This is not a movie for kids. There is some racial violence and it makes you face some unpleasant moments in American history. Have kleenex available.
(This is Gayle's review, but Jessica concurs.)

Dan in Real Life

I'm probably going to be the only person to say that I really did not like this movie. Dan in Real Life is about a newspaper columnist who writes about family. His wife has been dead for four years and he's raising 3 girls on his own. While on a family vacation with his whole extended family he meets someone and falls in love with her, only to find out that it's his brothers girlfriend. So, the whole movie is his struggle with that during this reunion. It's just awkward and I hate awkard movies. I enjoyed the relationship that he had with his three girls and I loved his big family, but there were too many awkward situations for me to enjoy the movie.

Enchanted

Zoie got this for Easter. She had seen it in the theater with her aunts, but I hadn't seen it. We watched it Monday (and Tuesday). It was cute and cheesy. There were a couple of things in the show that would have been better for my four year old not to see (Giselle getting out of the shower, and then falling onto the guy while she's wearing only a towel). That stuff doesn't go any further, but I thought it would have been better to leave that out of a kid's show. They could have come up with something else to make the guy's girlfriend upset with him.

Anyway, overall it was cute, and Zoie really liked it. She was kind of scared of the witch though.

The Jane Austen Book Club

Has anyone seen this movie? I just saw a trailer for it and I thought it looked really cute. If no one else has seen it, I say we all get together and watch it! Well it looks like you'd have to find a bunch of girls to watch it with, anyway. Hehe.

27 Dresses

I went and saw this movie the other night with a couple of friends. I'd heard some good reviews (from friends/family) on the show, but was skeptical since the one preview that I saw seemed a bit racy. It is a story about a girl who is always a bridesmaid, never a bride. And then her boss (who she's in love with) and her sister get together and it's just killing her.

I really enjoyed the movie, and have wanted to see it again. Part of this feeling could be due to being with friends, and we had the theater to ourselves. It was fun to laugh and talk during the show, without worrying about other patrons. It'd be better if you could get it edited (for some language and "adult situations").

North and South

When my mom told me the title for this movie, I assumed it was based on the Civil War, but it is not. North and South is based on the book by Elizabeth Gaskell that is set in 19th Century England. Produced as a TV production by BBC (I love BBC productions, so I was won over almost immediately), the movie has 4 segments. It is the story of a middle class southerner who is forced to move to the industrial north. It shows the harshness of the industrial revolution, juxtiposed with the goodness of people. If you loved the BBC production of Pride and Prejudice, you will love this. My mom bought it, but I think it is available from Netflix.

Let me know what you think of it if you find time to watch it. I LOVED it.

(On a side note, BBC also produced Wives and Daughters, also by Elizabeth Gaskell, so if you have lots of time, it is worth watching as well. However, North and South was my absolute favorite!) I want to read both books now, but with a one-year-old, that hasn't quite happened yet.

Ratatouille

So I know Ratatouille has been out for a while, but we just watched it again, and I remembered why we loved it so much. The animation is so fun, and the story is incredibly original. (Although when I actually think about having rats in the kitchen, it does sort of gross me out.) My niece and nephew LOVE the movie (although the part where he gets washed down the sewer sort of scares them). We bought this one for Connor, anticipating that he will love it in a few years.

Any other opinions?

License to Wed

Matt picked this up the other night too. I'd been a little curious about it when I saw the previews a long time ago, but you have to be so careful with Robin Williams (he can be quite dirty). I will say it was better than I expected it to be, but that doesn't mean it's free from some language and ideas. Matt seemed to like how lots of characters from the TV show The Office are in it. That doesn't do anything for me, but there you go.

Sydney White

A lady at the grocery store was returning this at Red Box and told me it was really good. So, Matt picked it up, and, well, it wasn't great. It's not a high school movie (you know the type), but not far off since it's about college and sororities. Beautiful blondes are the mean ones. It's supposed to be like a modern day Snow White. There were funny parts, but it was kind of stupid funny. Sort of like a Legally Blonde type show. Anyway, I mentioned it to Tarah, and Tarah--take it off Netflix if it's not too late. It wasn't a total waste of time, but there are so many better options.

The Kingdom

I got this from the library because my husband wanted to see it. I didn't realize it was rated R until Mike told me but I have to admit that it seemed less offensive than Juno which was rated PG-13. I think that violence gets a harsher rater for some reason over raciness. Anyway, there is a lot of violence but it was a really interesting story. It's not action all the time, just a real interesting look into the Middle East.

Bourne Ultimatum

We've had this from Netflix for about a month (we don't watch movies very often anymore!) and finally got around to watching it last night.
I've enjoyed each of the movies in this trilogy, and this one was no exception. Although I have to admit I fell asleep through part of it. But that didn't have anything to do with the movie, and everything to do with having a newborn.
I won't spoil the ending, but it was a good one. Finally answered some questions. I like what the blond-haired lady did for Jason.
So, I'm a pretty lame review-writer, but it really was a good movie. :)

Transformers

I may get bashed for my thoughts on this one, but gotta say I did NOT love this show. Maybe it was all the hype, but it was a let down. Honestly though, I don't handle main characters being ugly very well. This sounds very shallow, and maybe it is, but when I'm looking at someone for two hours (or whatever), if they're not pleasant to look at, it really takes away from the show. Shia LeBeouf fit his non-cool high school kid role well, but . . . . ugh. The main girl character was quite pretty, but very skankily dressed! The acting was ok, but the story just wasn't that great. The special effects were very good. All in all, I would rate the cartoon transformers of my youth five stars (out of five) and this movie 2.5.

Bring on the opposition!

Becoming Jane

Dan brought this home the other night, which really surprised me. It's a story about Jane Austin. I'm not sure how accurate it is, but I was entertained. It's definitely a chick flick and if you didn't like Pride and Prejudice you most likely won't like this one (since really, it's basically the same movie). I loved it. There are two parts that need skipping. Some behind is shown when two guys swim in the lake (Dan wouldn't let me look for some time, so I'm assuming a lot of bum was shown) and when Tom tells Jane to read a book, she does, but the book is on sex, and not something I really wanted to hear.

Anyway, it's rated PG, and I liked it so much I watched it twice. I cried too (which really doesn't say much). It's fun to see where Jane Austin got a lot of her inspiration (if the movie portrays her correctly). It's cute and besides those two parts I'd recommend it.

Stardust

Maybe everyone else saw this in the theaters, but I just got this from Netflix and loved it! I thought it would be kinda lame and cliche with some big acting names thrown in it, but it really wasn't at all! The story was marvelous. I thought it had great action scenes, but written well too. I wanted to write down several quotes. I loved this: "Eternity sounds awfully lonely. Unless perhaps I had someone to share it with. Someone I loved." (something to that affect) There's some pretty good laughs in it too. It just makes you feel good.

The director says this is a fairy-tale for grown ups, but there wasn't anything too "adult" in it. Lots of killing actually, but they leave out the sound effects and most of the gore. One guy even has bright blue blood instead.

I'm curious to see if other normal people liked this too, or if I'm just turning into a fantasy-lover. (darn those vampire books)

The Wendell Baker Story

Matt picked out a movie last night. He got it at Red Box, and wouldn't tell me what it was, because it was a surprise. If he had told me the name, I would have been clueless. I'd never heard of it.

Owen and Luke Wilson are in the show (along with several other familiar faces), but that's about where my interest ended. Matt has a great ability to pick out movies that I dislike. :) He does get some that I like, but I would say most of the movies he picks out don't do it for me. Let's just say that I was reading and doing other things during most of the movie.

Anyone else out there ever seen it (or heard of it)?

Question

So what movies do your men (or guy friends) like that surprised you? A lot of times I'll just assume he won't like a "chick flick" or other sappy movie, and then it just happens to be one of those magical movies you both end up liking! They don't come along very often, so I'm wondering if you all have any suggestions.

AJ loves the Count of Monte Cristo. Maybe it was the sword fighting though. We both LOVED the World's Fastest Indian. It's not really a romantic chick flick I think, but it's, you know, "heartwarming". Anyway, I can't think of very many right now, but every once in a while it happens!

No Reservations

I rented No Reservations today. It's about a chef who's life gets shaken up by the death of her sister and the responsibility of taking care of her niece. Her job is her life, and her personal situation makes for changes at work too. I cried several times, and saw that Matt was right for not wanting to see it. I liked it, but it wasn't his kind of show. Definitely a "chick flick". It also seemed pretty predictable, but if you're not really looking for a show that makes you think, you shouldn't be disappointed. The trailer and other show info can be found here.

Did I mess this up?

Ok, so with this template, can you easily post new movies? I have to go in from my other blog and do it from that dashboard. If I've messed it up for everyone let me know and I'll choose a different template.

Two of my favorites

Shadowlands is my all-time favorite movie. It's a tear-jerker, but so good. It's the story of C.S. Lewis and his marriage late in life. He marries his wife while she is in the hospital with bone cancer. It's a beautifully told story. Anthony Hopkins is incredible, and the other actors are great too.


Secondhand Lions is a feel-good movie. A boy goes to spend the summer with his two uncles, who are the subjects of many intimidating rumors. It's funny, touching, and a good story. If you want something to make you smile, I recommend checking it out.

Waitress

This movie was recommended to me by a lot of people, so we rented it last week.

I haven't yet decided if I loved it or hated it, to be honest. The cinematography is somewhat bizzare, and it seems cartoonish at times. The characters and their actions often seem like something out of the Loony Toons, but I think it brings the point home well.

There is one scene that we felt we needed to fast forward through, although, I'm not sure how bad it really ended up being. Also, some of the morals, or lack thereof, in the storyline made me a bit uncomfortable, but I see how it was necessary for the main character to figure out what she needed to do in order to make a better life for herself.

I liked the way it ended, but I'm not sure I liked the way we got there. It's a cute movie...your husbands will most likely hate it, though. Definitely a "chick flick"