True Grit

The Pitch

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The View

Before I give you my review I must preface warnings...  I don't usually watch westerns. When I do watch them, I unfairly weigh them to the best western I've ever seen, Tombstone. Now,knowing this I will say that I was unimpressed with this flick but I cannot dog it because the dialogue was worth the price of admission.... what else would one expect from a Coen Brothers movie though? From The Big Lebowski to The Ladykillers to O' Brother Where Art Thou to No Country for Old Men which reminds me how conflicted I was when I walked out the theater viewing that one(NCFOM)!...  Conflicted, impoverished, spent, and confused, not because I wondered about the movie but more of : did I like what I had just seen?  The answer was an emphatic yes but it took a while for me to come to that result... same here.

 I guess I was expecting more action to compliment the beautiful silence in most parts of this movie. A certain measure of blood [in a payback movie] to go with the gorgeous cinematography.

One of the problem(s) this 'revenge' movie had was the audience never saw the act that the young girl was trying to avenge. All we know is that her father was betrayed.  Throughout the film it would have seemed that she'd done enough but she was incredibly insatiable. So much so that her commitment morphed into down right stubbornness.

This movie is definitely worth a gander.  All though I didn't see the John Wayne original, I heard that the book by Charles Portis was like a modern Shakespeare... a must read.

I give True Grit a B-.  

The Worth

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The Fighter

The Pitch

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The View

Mark Wahlberg's acting career was very promising pre- Max Payne and pre- The Happening debacle.  I like what I'm seeing out of him once again. You add him plus a Hall of Famer like Christian Bale and it's very hard to fail at making a pretty good movie.

 By now you should know that this movie is based on a true story.  I love it when movies like that show the actual people that they where depicting either at the end or during the credits.  When they showed the actual Micky Ward and Dicky I was further astonished at how accurately the two actors displayed them.

Movies like this are most times obviously predictable but it's not about the championship fight this time... It's about family and this film did a good job of showing the ups and downs of family decisions and commitments.

The Fighter was a pretty good movie.  I would suggest that you see it after you scratch all your "have-to-sees" off the list.

Worth watching, I give it a B-

The Worth

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Tron : Legacy

The Pitch

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The View

I saw this film and 3D and was blown away!!!  Never saw the first one [for some odd/dumb reason] and really had no intentions on seeing this one; I'm so glad I did.

 First, the film is going to let you know that it was made without the 3D in mind yet, I couldn't imagine seeing this without the 3D! Trust me! It's worth the extra $2!!

No reason for me to go into all the reasons why people including myself devoured this film. Just know that Walt Disney is amazing, just when you thought you where desensitized to technology and eye candy, they show you that you haven't even been around the block yet.

This film gets a solid A out of me.  Even though Sam Flynn walks like a 'Jim  Carrey' superhero once the electron suit goes on... sorry folks I just had to address that, did anybody else notice that? lol

The Worth

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'Due Date' Trailer 2 HD

The Pitch

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The View

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles 2010.  Due Date was just as charming, just as funny, and the two characters were just as intriguing as John Candy and Steve Martin. 

      It was fun seeing Robert Downey vulnerable and it's always a pleasure to see Zach Galifianakis in just about anything.  The laughs were there albeit mostly mild. Jamie Fox made an appearance in this movie which was another pleasantry. 

I was thoroughly entertained and I would suggest this film to your queue, put it somewhere in the middle :)

Definitely worth watching.
I'll grade it about a B-

The Worth

$$$ 1/2

Megamind Trailer 3 (HD)

The Pitch

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The View

      I remember having a little debate a while ago: Dreamworks vs. Pixar. Even in this blog when I wrote about my experience viewing Toy Story 3 in which I specifically said that it's Pixar because they just know how to tug at those heart strings. I still feel that way. Megamind has all the action and comedy and twists and predictable but not-so-predictable twists that I would expect from a well made animated feature and a smidgen more. Score one for Dreamworks but they are still light on the comparison scale.

Will Ferrell, Brad Pitt, Tina Fey all shined exceptionally!  I am becoming a bigger Tina Fey fan by each release.  Brad Pitt is becoming Hall of Fame status for his skill, and Will Ferrell continues to be Will Ferrell [that's a good thing]

This movie is definitely Worth Watching, so much so that I'll give it a B- :)

The Worth

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FOR COLORED GIRLS

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The View

     Anika Noni Rose, Anika Noni Rose, and Anika Noni Rose...smh, when will she EVER get the credit that is due her? I will admit, I hadn't totally fell in love with her works as I am now previous to the viewing of this movie. I have heard all the hoopla surrounding this film, the war of words between men and women, the Tyler Perry debate(s) but lets talk about the extraordinary performances by ALL the actors and actresses in this film.  I can not remember ever seeing a film when I thought everyone on screen deserved some sort of recognition; So, since I try to keep these reviews brief, I'll only mention the first few that made me shake my head in disbelief at how good they were: 

ANIKA NONI ROSE, maybe I mentioned her before lol... Not only was her performance believable and unbelievably good at the same time, but engaging and consuming, she pulled it all off seemingly effortlessly. Of all the characters in this movie her's stayed in my heart the most.

MICHAEL EALY, not sure if he benefited from a wonderfully written script but he knocked this role out the park! 

PHYLICIA  RASHAD, she always brings excellence to every role she partakes also an assortment of warmness... Now, I'm not sure if it was her or her character but Gilda [Phylica Rashad] is what EVERY community needs. If you call it being nosy, I call it getting involved. Every society, neighborhood, populace benefits from the wisdom of it's elders. 

Kimberly Elise and Thandie Newton tends to continually be type casted for the exact roles that they've played in this movie. Reasoning is that they continue to knock these kinds of roles out the flipping park!  I wonder if I've seen a film without Kimberly in tears? I dunno... that's neither here nor there, moving right along. Kimberly Elise's character is the most powerful in this movie according to most of the people I talked to .  I definitely can see why but Anika Noni just grabbed me more so.   Janet Jackson really put out a wonderful performance despite what you may have heard.  I don't know why folks are always so pessimistic when it comes to high profile celebrities embarking on new or different avenues then what they are known for?  What makes it so bad is Janet was better known for her acting before she was a pop chart destroyer.

Apparently you have to go in viewing this movie knowing that it was a play in order to fully appreciate it.  I liken it to a musical without music but poetry, I call it a 'Poetical'. 

Everything about this movie was mesmerizing until 15 mins left in the film... Loretta Devine's character broad stroked ALL men in a monologue she was giving on top of a roof.  Up until that point the movie earned an A+, after that I have to drop it one letter grade. Not because I'm sore at her but now that lowers the movie.  It permits narrow mindedness, shallowness... You would have to be a complete moron to think that all, or even most men will subject you to the harsh predicaments that these women faced in this movie.

So this film earns a B+ but I would most definitely get the DVD when it comes out! 

Worth

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Unstoppable Trailer (HD)

The Pitch

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The Viewing

This movie was pretty good.

Not a whole lot I can say more about this film, heck, you pretty much have seen this movie if you've looked at the trailer.  How much fun can you have with a run-a-way train? Whatever you come up with, take that then add Chris pines and Denzel and you get... 'Unstoppable'

 Good movie not great, I am however, glad that I've seen it.  Definitely worth a watch especially if your caught up with all the movies that you've wanted to see.
This movie earns a B from me.

The Worth

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Skyline

The Pitch - The Viewing Everything that was pitched in the trailer is a small indication of what you're going to get when viewing this movie. Man!!!...  Before getting into this beautiful symphony of sci-fi meets unsuspecting real world, I  have to ask my audience if they've seen Watch the trailer for Battle: Los Angeles (2011) ? If not go right ahead[click the link above]. After you've finish bucking your eyes tell me, what is the technical term used for movies that beat the 'Blockbusters' to the punch with their own rendition of the same movie?  Deep Impact did it to Armageddon, Killers[which was no where NEAR as good to the blockbuster] did it to Knight and Day and now Skyline beating Battle: Los Angeles to the punch... feel free to leave a comment if you know the answer or you think you know the answer :) thanks! There have been so many conflicting arguments about this film, namely the ending.  I respect both sides of the argument but one thing that no one can sell me or lie to me on is the intrigue; ESPECIALLY when the true plot jumps off.  No matter what you've been told NO ONE could predict what was going to happen next unless they had read/saw a spoiler.   I personally LOVE decision based movies ie: The MIST where no decision is necessarily the wrong one but still you must choose. Most times the ultimate decision that is made is based on the character's makeup morality, upbringing, training, ect. This movie had all the things that I thought I would get out of this film plus more..The direct opposite of my District 9 experience, in fact those these two films should swap names.  District 9 belongs tagged to a masterpiece not a piece of mass...  I know, corny but there it is :) This film gets an A. The Worth $$$$$

Let Me In

The Pitch

The View

 One of the better horror films that you'll ever see.  I love the pleasant surprise of greatness when your expecting mediocrity. Let Me In was everything I suspected from Interview with the Vampire but without the lengthy feel and a measure of more intensity; and dare I say darker?

I loved this film so much that I rented the original Dutch film 'Let the Right One In'.  After viewing that film it became apparent that this is one of the few cases where the remake succeeds the first film. The latter film took everything that was great about the rudimentary piece and enhanced it. Plus the two child stars in Let Me In were leaps and bounds better than the two in the first film... Chloe Moretz and Kodi Smit-McPhee.  I wouldn't be surprised if these two become type-casted for the horror genre.

Lastly, kudos to now&laters [one of my childhood treats] to close a deal for this movie. Not only was it fun to see them all over the big screen but the manner in which they were used [eerie].  Again, Kodi knocks me out whenever I think back to this film and picture him singing the now & later jingle so innocently, so softly. Which then reminds me of Vito Corleone in that quarantine room at the beginning of Godfather II .  Swinging his little legs in that big chair in that 'big' situation singing some Italian song while gazing out the window at the new land. Stuff like that is like a tattoo on the brain.  You can't erase them away and most times you wouldn't want to anyway.

 Gotta give it an A+!

The Worth
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Red - Official Trailer 2 [HD]

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The Viewing

Okay so I fell asleep in the movie theater, not because of the movie but because it was a long day @ work.

So! Needless to say I can not rate this movie till I view the remainder of the film on DVD.  

Quick heads up, the parts that I saw were pretty good and way different then what I was suspecting so I'm looking forward to good things from this film :)

The Worth

pending