Ace Ventura: Pet Detective Movie Review

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Dillehay]Kevin Dillehay
The 1994 comedy Ace Ventura: Pet Detective is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Its stars include Jim Carrey as Ace Ventura, Courteney Cox as Melissa Robinson, Sean Young as Lt. Lois Einhorn, Tone Loc as Emilio, and Dan Marino as himself. The producers are Gary Barber (The Love Guru), Peter Bogart (Con Air), Bob Israel (Bachelor Party), and James G. Robinson (Major League II). This film is directed by Tom Shadyac (Liar, Liar).

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective takes place in Miami, Florida. The story focuses on a wacky pet detective named Ace Ventura. He finds and reunites lost pets with their owners. Two weeks before the Miami Dolphins are to play in the Super Bowl, their dolphin mascot Snowflake is stolen. The Head of Operations Roger Podacter and Chief Publicist Melissa Robinson are told to find Snowflake by Super Bowl Sunday or find new jobs. Melissa decides to call on the services of Ace Ventura. While inspecting the tank, Ace finds a small amber stone in the filter. He concludes that it is from a ring. After clearing local billionaire and fish collector Ronald Kamp, the pet detective discovers that the stone is, in fact, from the 1984 AFC Championship ring. Ace hunts down and clears seemingly everyone who was a part of that team and finds himself at a deadend until he and Melissa learn that Roger Podacter has died of an apparent suicide attempt. The two of them go to visit the crime scene and the pet detective proves that Podacter was actually murdered. He and Melissa head to the stadium to check out the rings' receipts. While in the office, Ace discovers a team photo from 1984 that is different from the one he had been using to track the other players and coaches. He notices the kicker Ray Finkle. Melissa informs him that it was Finkle who missed the field goal that would have won the Super Bowl for the Dolphins that year. The following day Ace heads down to the kicker's hometown in Collier County where he finds his parents. The kicker's senile mother shows him the clip of the missed field goal and the pet detective discovers that quarterback Dan Marino was the holder on that kick. Ray Finkle blames Marino for the missed kick and what happened to him afterwards. Ace immediately calls Melissa and warns her that Dan Marino may soon join Snowflake.

When I first saw this film, I noticed a parallel between it and what happened in Super Bowl XXV when kicker Scott Norwood missed the final field goal that would have won the Super Bowl for the Buffalo Bills over the New York Giants. Like Norwood, Finkle's kick missed wide right. I soon discovered that the film was, in fact, loosely based on what happened in that game. Of course, there are a few differences. For instance, the clip of the miss said it was from Super Bowl XVII. In the real Super Bowl XVII, the Miami Dolphins did actually lose the game but it was against the Washington Redskins and not the San Francisco 49ers, as the film indicates. The final score shows the game was decided by 10 points, 27-17, and not by one point.

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective was the film that really got Jim Carrey's acting career going. Film viewers got a taste of his comedic acting style. Jim Carrey was seen as someone who was not afraid to make a complete fool out of himself in order to get some laughs. Scenes like the one where he bends over and talks from his rear and his phrase "Alrighty, then!" became synonymous with him. Similar films, like Dumb & Dumber and The Mask, helped Carrey win the 1994 MTV Award for Best Comedic Performance.

To wrap, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective is a true Jim Carrey film so if you're a fan, you should see it!
Kevin T. Dillehay has written nearly a hundred movie reviews from all genres. He provides a unique perspective on the movies you see all the time but may not stop and think about in depth. You are invited to check out his work at [http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10]http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Ace-Ventura:-Pet-Detective-Movie-Review&id=6558507] Ace Ventura: Pet Detective Movie Review

Home Alone Movie Review

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Dillehay]Kevin Dillehay
The 1990 comedy Home Alone is distributed by 20th Century Fox. Some of its stars include Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister, Joe Pesci as Harry, Daniel Stern as Marv, Roberts Blossom as Marley, Catherine O'Hara as Kate McCallister, and John Heard as Peter McCallister. The film's memorable score is composed by John Williams (Star Wars). The director is Chris Columbus (Mrs. Doubtfire).

The story takes place primarily in Chicago, Illinois. Kevin McCallister is the youngest of five children. His Aunt Leslie and Uncle Frank and their five kids are staying with them for the night. In the morning they are to board a plane to Paris where they will spend the holidays with Frank and Peter's brother Rob. After Kevin's older brother Buzz deliberately eats up all of the cheese pizza, which is his little brother's favorite, he pushes him against the counter, causing the milk to spill all over. Everyone automatically blames Kevin and he is sent to bed early. Before he goes up for the night, he wishes he would never see his family again. The next morning after the power had gone out overnight, everyone wakes up late and there is a mad rush to get everything ready. Kevin, asleep in the attic and unaware of the chaos below, doesn't hear them. The family mistakes a neighbor boy for Kevin and takes off for the airport. When he finally wakes up and finds the house deserted, he thinks it is all a joke until he remembers what happened the previous night. The young boy realizes his freedom and does whatever he wants. Little does he know that two bandits are looking to rob his house, believing the family to be gone for the holidays. On the plane, Kate finally realizes what is missing but cannot go back until they reach Paris.

Catherine O'Hara's portrayal of Kate McCallister, Kevin's mother, is remarkable. Kate was the last person to see Kevin before they left for Paris and, as a mother, worries the most about the safety of her son. After the family arrives in Paris, Kate decides to go back to the states alone to check on Kevin. She runs into one obstacle after another when she tries to find an available flight back to Chicago because it's the holidays when everyone is travelling. The concerned mother goes on every flight she can hoping that the airport she arrives at will have a place to Chicago. You can clearly see the exhaustion and frustration on Kate's face as she tries to persevere, hoping for a Christmas miracle of some kind. Brilliant acting by a truly gifted actress.

Another feature of the film, and probably it's most well-known feature, is the traps for the bandits. Only a child could think up such elaborate schemes to keep thieves from stealing his family's valuables. We can all appreciate the creative imagination that a child has. As an adult, we tend to lose some of that as we find out more about the world of reality. I believe that this trait is the most powerful one in Home Alone. If an adult were faced with a similar situation, he or she would most likely just call the police and have them handle it. But being a child and, therefore, having a child's imagination, Kevin decides to deal with the robbers in his own way before calling the cops.

To wrap, Home Alone is a heart-warming Christmas comedy that is a true classic and, in my opinion, is well worth your time!
Kevin T. Dillehay has written nearly a hundred movie reviews from all genres. He provides a unique perspective on the movies you see all the time but may not stop and think about in depth. You are invited to check out his work at [http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10]http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Home-Alone-Movie-Review&id=6558519] Home Alone Movie Review

Batman (1989) Movie Review

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Dillehay]Kevin Dillehay
The 1989 smash hit Batman is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Some of its stars include Michael Keaton as Batman/Bruce Wayne, Jack Nicholson as the Joker, Kim Basinger as Vicki Vale, Michael Gough as Alfred Pennyworth, and Pat Hingle as Commissioner Gordon. The original music is composed by Danny Elfman (Spider-Man). The director is Tim Burton (Beetlejuice).

The story focuses in on a man named Bruce Wayne, who witnessed his parents' murder at a young age. His alterego, Batman, attempts to avenge their deaths by intimidating and sometimes killing criminals like the ones who killed his parents. He lives in a major city known as Gotham City. It is ruled by a crime boss Carl Grissom and his right-hand man Jack Napier. District attorney Harvey Dent is closing in on one of the gang's businesses, Axis Chemicals. Napier suggests they break in and steal all the records and claim industrial espionage. Grissom, who knows that Napier is secretly seeing his girlfriend Alicia, calls the police after Jack leaves and tips them off to Napier's Axis Chemicals break-in. A dirty cop named Lt. Eckhardt leads the force and tells his men to shoot to kill. Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne is having a benefit party at Wayne Manor that same night. But he is alerted to the events at Axis after overhearing the police commissioner talking about it and heads over there as Batman. Commissioner Gordon arrives and seizes control over Eckhardt, warning his forces to take Jack Napier alive. Batman has Napier cornered as he tries to shoot but the bullet is deflected back in his face, causing him to fall. Napier catches a bar hanging on the wall to keep him from falling into a vat of chemicals. Batman has his other hand. Napier, thinking Batman will lift him to safety, lets go of the bar. The dark knight then releases the thief's hand and he falls into the vat, much to the chagrin of Commissioner Gordon who had witnessed the whole thing. But it's not over as Napier survived the fall but was severely scarred on his face. The chemicals had caused his skin to turn white and his hair green and, thus, creating the Joker. He kills Grissom and his men and takes over his gang.

In the beginning of the film, we see Batman as a form of vigilante justice at work. Our first example is at the very beginning after two thieves rob an unsuspecting family. One of them believes in "the Bat" and claims that someone he knew, Johnny Gobbs, was forced off the roof of a building by a mysterious figure resembling a bat. The other one doesn't believe him and scoffs at the story. Then, Batman busts both of them on the roof of a building, kicking one in the groin and sending the other into a frightened shock.

The other instance was when Batman dropped Jack Napier into the vat of chemicals at Axis. It is clear here that, at that time, Batman was only thinking about personal revenge rather than true justice because, as we all know, vigilante justice is really not justice at all. The dark knight wanted revenge for the death of his parents at the hands of a remorseless thief.

Another fascinating characteristic of Batman is the portrayal of the Joker as the devil. Before every kill Jack Napier, and later the Joker, asks his victims if they've ever "danced with the devil by the pale moonlight?" Later in the film, this is literally what's happening as the "damsel in distress", Vicki Vale, is dancing with the Joker in the pale moonlight. But there is a scene before this that more accurately shows the Joker under this light (no pun intended). The scene is when the Joker throws out $20 million in cash at the people of Gotham. Then, after all the cash is gone, he tries to kill everyone with Smylex gas. Many could see this as giving into the temptations of evil and facing punishment. It could also be said that the people of Gotham had sold their souls to the devil, which is the Joker in this case.

To wrap, Batman was a huge hit when it first came out and, for many reasons, remains one today.
Kevin T. Dillehay has written nearly a hundred movie reviews from all genres. He provides a unique perspective on the movies you see all the time but may not stop and think about in depth. You are invited to check out his work at [http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10]http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Batman-(1989)-Movie-Review&id=6558531] Batman (1989) Movie Review

Alien 3 Movie Review

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Dillehay]Kevin Dillehay
The 1992 science fiction horror film Alien 3 is distributed by 20th Century Fox. Its stars include Sigourney Weaver as Lt. Ellen Ripley, Charles S. Dutton as Dillon, Charles Dance as Clemens, Brian Glover as Superintendent Andrews, and Ralph Brown as Aaron. The producers are Gordon Carroll (Red Heat), David Giler (AVP: Alien vs. Predator), Walter Hill (AVP: Alien vs. Predator Requiem), Ezra Swerdlow (The Good Son), and Sigourney Weaver (Alien: Resurrection). The director is David Fincher (Se7en).

The film's storyline picks up not long after the events of Aliens. Due to a fire aboard the starship Sulaco, Ripley and her companions are put into an escape pod and ejected from the ship while still in hypersleep. The pod crash lands on a remote prison planet known as Fiorina "Fury" 161 where the entire population is male. The lone survivor of the crash is Ripley. She quickly befriends the chief medical officer Clemens and he shows her what's left of the escape pod. The lieutenant spots a burn mark on one of the cryotubes and demands that the doctor show her the bodies. After examining Newt's corpse, she asks the medical officer to perform an autopsy. He reluctantly performs the autopsy and reveals nothing out of the ordinary. After Superintendent Andrews catches them doing this unauthorized action, Ripley tells him that the bodies must be cremated. During the cremation ceremony, the prison dog Spike begins to give birth to another alien, oblivious to everyone else. It is later revealed that the prison has no weapons with which to fight the newborn alien. All the men and Ripley are now trapped on the planet with no way to defend themselves. In addition to all that, Ripley is beginning to show signs that she may herself be pregnant with an alien.

This entry into the Alien franchise is somewhat different from its predecessors. To begin with, we learn that a facehugger, the spider-like being that impregnates its host with the alien embryo, does not have to have a human victim in order to do it. The alien that the characters fight in this film was, in fact, born from a dog. As a result, it moves and acts somewhat differently than any of the previous ones Ripley has encountered. When an alien is born, it inherits many of the traits of its host which, up until now, have all been human.

Another difference is the amount of gore shown on-screen. In the previous two films, there had been relatively little gore visible. In this entry, the deaths are much more graphic. In Alien 3, there is a somewhat gruesome autopsy where we can hear the cutting tool tearing the skin and flesh off the bones. Next, we see a man sliced to bits after catching sight of the alien and also see his body parts all over that area. A man getting his head literally ripped off his body leaves a lot of blood and stunned viewers. Finally, we are treated to a man getting his brain eaten right out of the top of his head. It is pretty safe to say that if you are not a fan of gore, then you shouldn't see this movie.

Throughout the late seventies and eighties, feminists hailed Ripley as one of the first female heroes in a successful film franchise. In this film, she actually shaves her head and, thus, looks more masculine than she had previously. Ripley has to because of a lice problem that Clemens had warned her about. But the script writers may have put this in to make the lieutenant seem tougher and more intimidating to viewers, which was the initial impression I had.

To wrap, Alien 3 is, in my personal opinion, more of a gorey horror film than a classic science fiction flick. But if you are a die-hard fan of the Alien franchise, then this entry you may enjoy!
Kevin T. Dillehay has written nearly a hundred movie reviews from all genres. He provides a unique perspective on the movies you see all the time but may not stop and think about in depth. You are invited to check out his work at [http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10]http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Alien-3-Movie-Review&id=6558546] Alien 3 Movie Review

Contagion Review

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jaskee_Hickman]Jaskee Hickman
Warner Bros. Pictures: Contagion
When speaking about movies with plagues and viruses, I think about zombies chasing people down and eating their brains. "Contagion" is obviously nothing like that. This is closer to something like "Outbreak". This was a movie that I was interested in seeing. It features a pretty good cast of credible actors and looked good on the trailers, even though that doesn't mean anything.
"Contagion" follows a group of people through a virus outbreak that threatens mankind and could kill millions. The virus is unknown and anyone who carries it will die within a few days of being infected. Doctors from the world over attempt to find a cure for the lethal disease as people lose control and become more and more desperate.
The movie was alright, but it was nothing spectacular. Although this does contain some drama, it wasn't as dramatic as I would've expected. It was very subdued and didn't get to where I thought it might go. These types of movies are supposed to show us the fear and widespread panic that's going on. It shows a little violence and even less of the fear that would be going around if this actually happened. The lack of drama and fear takes away from a movie that had the space to improve by a good margin. It could have been smarter and delved deeper into what was going on across the multiple storylines. Instead, it focused on a few people and never showed their feelings during most of the events that take place.
"Contagion" never felt like a true disaster movie. The film tells you about the many people that are dying and the amount of people who could die. With the exception of some of the main characters dying off, it doesn't really show any of it. You hear about it from the news broadcast in the background or one of the characters telling another about something, but that's about it. It never allows you to get involved with the characters or the situations they were faced with. It felt like the movie was just a bunch of clips that were put together soap opera style and that hurt the film's continuity. Because of these things that I mentioned, it just felt incomplete and even the ending kind of pops up out of nowhere.
The acting overall was good, with Jude Law and Kate Winslet maybe having the best performances. The acting was easily the strong point of "Contagion", even though the focus shifted continuously from person to person and didn't let you get engaged with them or the stories too much. I also have to wonder why Marion Cotillard's name gets top billing when she's barely in the movie and doesn't do very much when she's on-screen. Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburne, Jennifer Ehle, and Jude Law had more face time with far more important roles than she did. It might not mean much, but I just found that odd.
The movie was okay. I just wish it had more structure and character development. It also would've been much better had they shown the destruction that was being caused by this situation. It would have been nice for Steven Soderbergh to really explore a lot of the events that were supposed to be happening in that world, but that didn't happen. Although solid, it lacked depth, tension, structure, and seemingly most of the disaster. I don't know how that happened, but it did.
Score: 6/10
Rating: PG-13
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Cast:
Matt Damon
Laurence Fishburne
Kate Winslet
Jude Law
Jennifer Ehle
Marion Cotillard
Gwyneth Paltrow
Film Length: 106 minutes
Release Date: September 9, 2011
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Jaskee Hickman http://www.themoviepictureshow.com/
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Contagion-Review&id=6553489] Contagion Review

Jack Frost (1996) - Movie Review

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Dillehay]Kevin Dillehay
Jack Frost is a 1996 horror comedy released by A-Pix Entertainment Inc. It stars Scott MacDonald as Jack Frost, Christopher Allport as Sheriff Sam Tiler, Stephen Mendel as Agent Manners, F. William Parker as Paul Davrow, and Eileen Seeley as Anne Tiler. The producers are Barry L. Collier (Decoy), Barbara Javitz (Profile for Murder), Jeremy Paige (Murder in Mind), and Vicki Slotnick (Tracks of a Killer). The director is Michael Cooney (Jack Frost 2: Revenge of the Mutant Killer Snowman).
The story takes place in the fictional small town of Snomonton. Serial killer Jack Frost is being transported to his execution when the van he's riding in crashes head first into an oncoming truck carrying new genetic material. The crash frees Jack, but before he can do anything the genetic material splashes all over his body. It melts him into the snow, causing it to take on his personality and store his DNA. Nearby Sheriff Sam Tiler, the one who busted Jack Frost, is still having nightmares about him. His vows to return and kill him and his family still haunt him, as well. The next day, a fellow Snomonton citizen is mysteriously murdered. Tiler and his deputies cannot find anything to indicate what could have happened. Later that day, Billy Metzner is bullying Sam's son Ryan in front of a snowman, who we discover is the supposedly deceased Jack Frost. The snowman pushes Billy into the path of a sledder and the sled's blades decapitate him. After Jake Metzner, Billy's father, angrily chews out Sam for believing such an incredible story, he and his family go home. Jake goes out back to smoke a pipe when the killer snowman forces the handle of an ax down his throat. Then, Jack goes inside the house and strings up Metzner's wife to the Christmas tree after smashing her face in a box of ornaments. Again, law enforcement is baffled until an Agent Manners and Stone show up in town in search of a murderer, which we find out later is Jack. Frost takes out one of the deputies and drives his car back to police headquarters. There he finally meets Sam Tiler again, face-to-face.
If the first thought you have about this film is that it is just another small town horror story, you would be partially right. The small town setting is certainly a huge part of it, but only a part. Snomonton is a secluded town where everybody in town knows everybody else by first name and all are quite close, which makes it seemingly unlikely that a serial killer would target the town. At first glance, a viewer might think it is a film that follows a similar formula to the seventies horror flick The Town That Dreaded Sundown, which is about another secluded small town terrorized by a mysterious killer. But, as you will discover, Jack Frost is no ordinary serial killer. While still human, he was caught just outside of Snomonton by Sheriff Sam Tiler. Later on, a freak accident allows him to return to the town as a snowman. In the aforementioned seventies horror movie, the killer is seemingly human. In Jack Frost, the killer is a mutant snowman.
Another feature of this movie that makes it a somewhat lighter kind of horror is the frequent wise-cracks by the snowman killer Jack Frost. For example upon killing Jake Metzner by forcing an ax down his throat he says, "Gosh, I only axed ya for a smoke!" Later on he kills a man by biting off part of his face, calling it a "frost bite". A few minutes later, he tries to sneak out using another person's body but gives up and throws himself up. Afterward, he looks at the body and remarks, "Don't eat yellow snow!"
To wrap, Jack Frost will never be known as a classic horror movie but the originality of having a snowman as the killer is, I believe, one of its greatest strengths.
Kevin T. Dillehay has written nearly a hundred movie reviews from all genres. He provides a unique perspective on the movies you see all the time but may not stop and think about in depth. You are invited to check out his work at [http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10]http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Jack-Frost-(1996)---Movie-Review&id=6558558] Jack Frost (1996) - Movie Review

Halloween III: Season of the Witch Movie Review

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Dillehay]Kevin Dillehay
Halloween III: Season of the Witch is a 1982 science fiction horror movie distributed by Universal. It stars Tom Atkins as Dr. Dan Challis, Stacey Nelkin as Ellie Grimbridge, Dan O'Herlihy as Conal Cochran, Michael Currie as Rafferty, and Ralph Strait as Buddy Kupfer. The producers are Debra Hill (Clue) and John Carpenter (TV movie Body Bags). The director is Tommy Lee Wallace (Fright Night Part 2).
The film opens with a man named Harry Grimbridge being chased by mysterious men wearing business suits and black gloves. He reaches a filling station attendent who takes him to the hospital. At the hospital, he is placed under the care of Dr. Dan Challis who hears him ranting, "They're gonna kill us all!" He is given thorazine and sent to bed. Another strange man wearing a suit and gloves enters the hospital and kills Grimbridge. But before Dr. Challis can stop him, he enters his car and dumps gasoline all over himself. Then, he lights himself on fire. The only clue as to why the man may have been there is a Halloween mask. He and Grimbridge's daughter Ellie head to a small town called Santa Mira, California, the home of the company that made the mask, Silver Shamrock. The company is owned by Conal Cochran. Ellie and Challis stay at the same motel that Ellie's father had stayed in. The next day, the two of them take a tour of the Silver Shamrock factory. After the tour, Ellie spots her father's car being guarded by more men in business suits. She tries to get to it but is stopped. Later on, she is kidnapped, so Challis breaks into the factory to find her. Eventually, he is captured by Cochran's men and shown the whole plan behind the mysterious Halloween masks. Cochran ties the doctor up and locks him in a room with one of the masks on. A television is turned on, waiting for Silver Shamrock's big giveaway which will cause something bad to happen to anyone wearing the masks.
Actor Dan O'Herlihy's role as the Irish owner Conal Cochran is remarkably similar to a role he played five years later, which was the role of the Old Man in Robocop. The Old Man was the owner of another company trying to turn a place into something he viewed as better than it actually was, OCP. In Halloween III, Cochran pretty much owns the town of Santa Mira as all of its prosperity comes from his company. Cochran has video cameras everywhere in the town so he can spy on its inhabitants or any stranger who passes through. Put simply, Cochran's company runs the town and everything in it. In Robocop, the Old Man has a plan to tear down Old Detroit and build a corporate-owned city known as Delta City. The main difference between the two situations is that in Halloween III, Santa Mira has already become corporate-owned whereas in Robocop, Old Detroit is planning to become corporate-owned if the Old Man gets his way.
Upon retrospect, the idea to discontinue the Michael Myers saga from the first two Halloween films was not a very smart one. The original plan for the creators of the films was to kill off Michael Myers at the end of Halloween II and go to a different story for the second sequel. What is the obvious reason to deviate from a successful slasher film series to more of a "mad scientist" storyline is a mystery. The first two films were quite successful, so one has to say, "If it's not broke, don't fix it!" Plus, Halloween III is quite out of place in the series, considering the lack of success led to the return of slasher killer Michael Myers in Halloween 4.
To wrap, Halloween III is the "black sheep" of the Halloween franchise and may have been better off being a separate film from the series.
Kevin T. Dillehay has written nearly a hundred movie reviews from all genres. He provides a unique perspective on the movies you see all the time but may not stop and think about in depth. You are invited to check out his work at [http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10]http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Halloween-III:-Season-of-the-Witch-Movie-Review&id=6558575] Halloween III: Season of the Witch Movie Review

Catch Me If You Can Review

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jaskee_Hickman]Jaskee Hickman
Over their long careers, Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks have been in a number of high quality movies. While DiCaprio hasn't won too many significant awards, he has won a Golden Globe and Hanks has won a couple of Oscars in his career for Best Actor. For whatever reason, Hanks has seen a noticeable dip in the movies he's been appearing in over the past several years, while DiCaprio has continued to receive good roles in popular and well received films. With that being said, "Catch Me If You Can" is a film that features both Hanks and DiCaprio at the top of their games and shows why these two are viewed as more than credible actors.
"Catch Me If You Can" is a film based on the life of Frank Abignale Jr. (DiCaprio) in the 1960′s. Frank is a teenager who runs away from home after not being able to choose which parent he was going to live with as they planned their divorce. He spends the years after that on the move around the world. Using some of the techniques that he learned from his father Frank Sr. (Christopher Walken), he travels around conning people out of millions as he writes fraudulent checks and pretends to have various professions in order to make his money. During this time, he poses as an airline pilot, a doctor, a lawyer, and even a high school student. As he becomes more and more successful, his antics eventually catch the eye of the FBI. Led by FBI agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks), the FBI goes on a long and eventful quest to find this intelligent master of disguise.
This is a movie that heavily relies on its clever and intelligent story. It doesn't hurt to have someone like Steven Spielberg behind the camera handling the duties of director. The film is well crafted, stylish, and fast paced. It feels as if there are very little plot holes or issues that can get in the way of this smooth and well constructed film based on actual events.
Tom Hanks fits the character that he portrays and shows his ability to adjust as an actor in this film. He seemed to be perfect for the part in terms of the look and attitude that he is able to project onto the screen. I also have to take note of DiCaprio's acting job which also sees him in a very comfortable role that seemed to be suited for his abilities.
The character that we see DiCaprio play is a kid. While we see the adventurous lifestyle, the women, and the cat and mouse chase between Abignale and the FBI, we also get to see the constant dreams of an idealistic kid as we witness the interactions between him and his father throughout a good portion of the film. Abignale is simply a youngster who is constantly trying to please his father no matter what. He also dreams of his family being back together again one day, but doesn't completely know what's going on in the lives of his parents or the trouble that he's gotten himself into with law enforcement.
"Catch Me If You Can" is a light and fun film that is part drama and part comedy. It shows the life of a young man who's best asset was being able to live a lie which allowed him to get away with a lot of things for about five years. In both reality and in the film, Frank Jr. seemed to be pretty smart. This movie shows you that and some as we are introduced to several different people and the many adventures that he had during his run on the opposite side of the law. "Catch Me If You Can" deserves to be included along with the other high quality films that DiCaprio and Hanks (and Spielberg) have been involved in. If you haven't seen it, you should. This is something that anyone of just about any age can watch and find entertaining.
Score: 8/10
Rating: PG-13
Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast:
Leonardo DiCaprio
Tom Hanks
Christopher Walken
Amy Adams
Martin Sheen
Nathalie Baye
Film Length: 141 minutes
Release Date: December 25, 2002
Distributor: Dreamworks
Jaskee Hickman http://www.themoviepictureshow.com/
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Catch-Me-If-You-Can-Review&id=6556846] Catch Me If You Can Review

Sleepaway Camp Movie Review

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Dillehay]Kevin Dillehay
Sleepaway Camp is a 1983 horror movie released by American Eagle Films and United Film Distribution. It stars Felissa Rose as Angela, Jonathan Tiersten as Ricky, Karen Fields as Judy, Christopher Collet as Paul, and Mike Kellin as Mel. The producers are Jerry Silva (Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers) and Michele Tatosian (Return to Sleepaway Camp). The director is Robert Hilzik (Sleepaway Camp Reunion).
The film opens with Angela Baker, her brother Peter, and their father John out on a lake. After their boat accidentally capsizes and they fall into the water, some careless teenagers driving a motorboat run right over Peter and John, killing them both. Angela is sent to live with her Aunt Martha Thomas and her son Ricky. Eight years later, Angela and Ricky are sent to Camp Arawak. The teen campers there constantly harass Angela because of her shyness. During lunch one day, Angela is taken to the kitchen after the head counselor discovers that she doesn't like the prepared food so she can find something she likes. Artie the cook is left alone in the store room with her and attempts to molest Angela just as cousin Ricky enters. The cook warns them to keep quiet about what happened. Later on as Artie is tending to a large pot full of boiling water, a figure out of camera view knocks out the stool he had been standing on. As a result, he accidentally spills boiling water all over himself. Camp owner Mel Costic pays off the kitchen staff to keep the incident from the campers. Ricky beats fellow campers Billy, Mike, and Kenny in a baseball game and they vow to get even. Mike and Kenny later accost Angela. Ricky and his friend Paul intervene. A fight ensues, resulting in Ricky and the rest of the boys leaving while Paul stays behind to befriend Angela who finally speaks for the first time since arriving at the camp. Later that night, Kenny mysteriously drowns. His body turns up the next morning. Again, Mel attempts to cover it up. Billy dies when he is trapped in a bathroom stall with a beehive. The camp owner suspects cousin Ricky is the culprit as many of Angela's bullies were the ones killed.
Despite many differences, Sleepaway Camp appears to be very heavily inspired by Friday the 13th and the horror slasher genre that was popular in the 1980's. One could argue that some scenes in the film were almost complete replicas of those seen in Friday the 13th. One particular part immediately comes to mind, which is the scene where Judy and Meg throw Angela into the water. In the 1980 horror classic, future slasher icon Jason Voorhees drowns in the lake after being forced in by some cruel campers. Jason couldn't swim. Another similarity is the unseen killer feature. In this film, we notice only the victims' reactions to the presence of the killer and not the killer himself/herself. Friday the 13th brings a similar idea as we only see the killer's shadow until the end.
In Sleepaway Camp, there may have been a less obvious motive for the killer to kill. In the opening scene of the movie, Angela's brother and father get killed when a motor boat runs over them as they swim in the lake. As she is calling for someone to help, all the people there were too shocked to do anything about it. It could be perhaps that he/she started killing because he/she assumed a similar reaction would be had by the campers and camp staff. Once they discovered the bodies, they would be too stunned to do anything to stop the killer.
To wrap, Sleepaway Camp is a cult classic. While not nearly as successful as Friday the 13th, it carries many of the same characteristics and I believe that if you enjoyed Friday the 13th you will get a kick out of Sleepaway Camp!
Kevin T. Dillehay has written nearly a hundred movie reviews from all genres. He provides a unique perspective on the movies you see all the time but may not stop and think about in depth. You are invited to check out his work at [http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10]http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Sleepaway-Camp-Movie-Review&id=6558844] Sleepaway Camp Movie Review

Bride of Chucky Movie Review

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Dillehay]Kevin Dillehay
The 1998 horror comedy Bride of Chucky is distributed by Universal Studios. Some of its stars include Jennifer Tilly as Tiffany, Brad Dourif as the voice of Chucky, Katherine Heigl as Jade, Nick Stable as Jesse, and Gordon Michael Woolvett as David. The producers are Grace Gilroy (Scary Movie 3), David Kirschner (The Pagemaster), and Laura Moskowitz (TV movie The Dreamer of Oz). The director is Ronny Yu (Freddy vs. Jason).
The story takes place some time after the events of Child's Play 3. Charles Lee Ray's former girlfriend Tiffany bribes a security guard into stealing Chucky's remains from an evidence locker. After killing the guard, she brings the doll back to her trailer where she sews him back together. Then she tries to resurrect him by chanting some voodoo words. She assumes that she has failed since Chucky still appears to be dead. She answers the door to find her admirer Damien and, after she realizes that the doll is gone, invites him in. When Tiffany restrains Damien by handcuffing his hands and feet to bedposts, she places the inanimate doll on top of him. Chucky comes alive, rips out Damien's lip ring, and smothers him with a pillow as Tiffany looks on. She finally confesses to Chucky why she brought him back to life: when Charles Lee Ray died, he had a ring that his she presumed was for her and she wanted to get married. The doll reveals to her that he had the ring with the intention of pawning it off, not using it to propose. Tiffany gets angry and locks Chucky in a playpen. As his ex-girlfriend is taking a bath, Chucky breaks out of the pen and electrocutes her by throwing a television into the tub. Then he recites his voodoo spell to bring her soul back in a female doll's body. The killer doll's plan is to force Tiffany to help him get "The Heart of Damballa", which is the amulet hanging around Charles Lee Ray's dead body that he used to transfer his soul into the Good Guy doll's body. His body is buried in Hackensack, New Jersey and they need humans to drive them there. She employs her neighbor Jesse to take the two dolls there for $1,000. However, Jesse is in love with Jade, a local girl whose overbearing uncle tries his best to keep them apart. They plan to run away together and get married. Jade goes along with Jesse to deliver the dolls to the cemetery in New Jersey. Of course, they are completely unaware that Chucky and Tiffany are alive inside the dolls' bodies and plan to transfer their souls into Jesse and Jade's bodies, respectively, after they arrive in the cemetery.
Obviously, the main difference between this film and its predecessors is the absence of the Andy Barclay character. But there is another unique characteristic about Bride of Chucky that makes it an atypical Chucky movie and that is the comedic approach to the storyline. The first three Child's Play movies were straight hardcore horror films with little or no humor involved. This one has many funny moments that keep it from becoming too dark. One such example is Tiffany's repeated references to Martha Stewart, whom she claims is her idol. As the film wears on, Chucky grows tired of it and mocks her by saying, "I don't know. What would Martha Stewart do?" He and Tiffany frequently get into arguments over small things, like cooking and washing the dishes afterward. They begin to resemble the stereotypical unhappy couple that we see all over on sitcoms.
There is also something that is unusual in this slasher movie and that is the use of a gun by a killer. As we all know, slasher movie killers use almost anything except guns to kill their victims. Tiffany and Chucky frequently use them in this film to harm their victims, especially later on. They use guns to kill the elderly couple that they stole the mobile home from as well as the gravedigger near Charles Lee Ray's grave. Although Bride of Chucky does have its share of creative death scenes, like Uncle Warren's death or the deaths of the newlywed couple, many of the killings are the result of using these kinds of weapons and are, therefore, relatively unoriginal.
We can also see that Bride of Chucky may have taken some cues from Scream in regards to the horror movie genre recognizing its own notoriety, specifically through references to such classic killers as Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, Leatherface, and Pinhead. In the beginning of the film at the evidence locker, we see Freddy's glove, Michael's mask, Jason's mask, and Leatherface's mask. Later on after Tiffany kills Uncle Warren by launching nails into his face, Chucky says that that face looked so familiar to him as if he'd seen it in Hell. He was referring to Pinhead, the main antagonist in the Hellraiser series, who is often seen with many nails sticking out of the top of his head, hence his name.
To wrap, Bride of Chucky is not your average slasher horror movie. It has funny moments to keep it from becoming too scary, so if you're looking for a good scare, this film is not for you. But if it's a horror comedy hybrid that you want, Bride of Chucky would certainly be of some interest to you.
Written by Kevin Dillehay
Kevin T. Dillehay has written nearly a hundred movie reviews from all genres. He provides a unique perspective on the movies you see all the time but may not stop and think about in depth. You are invited to check out his work at [http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10]http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Bride-of-Chucky-Movie-Review&id=6558854] Bride of Chucky Movie Review

April Fool's Day (2008) Movie Review

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Dillehay]Kevin Dillehay
The 2008 horror thriller April Fool's Day is distributed by Stage 6 Films. Some of its stars include Taylor Cole as Desiree Cartier, Josh Henderson as Blaine Cartier, Scout Taylor-Compton as Torrance Caldwell, Joe Egender as Ryan, and Jennifer Siebel as Barbie. The producers are Tara L. Craig (TV's This Week in History) and Frank Mancuso, Jr. (Species). This film is directed by The Butcher Brothers (The Hamiltons).
The story opens at Torrance Caldwell's debutante ball hosted by her friend Desiree Cartier. Other guests at the party include Milan Hastings, Desiree's brother Blaine, Barbie Reynolds, Peter Welling, Ryan the cameraman, and Charles the tabloid writer. Unknown to Milan, Desiree has planned a prank on her. Milan is drugged and taken upstairs where she gets ready to sleep with Blaine. Desiree's plan is to catch her sleeping with Blaine to produce bad publicity. But not everything goes as planned. Milan has an adverse effect of the drug and has a seizure, causing her to fall over the nearby balcony and die. They are all considered not guilty except Blaine who had previously held sole control of the family's rich estate and, because of his perceived guilt, is forced to pass it to sister Desiree. One year later, they are all still haunted by Milan's untimely demise. On April 1 Torrance, Desiree, Blaine, Barbie, Ryan, and Peter receive anonymous invitations to visit Milan's grave at noon. At the grave, they receive another message and a laptop from a delivery man. The note claims to be from Milan herself and it says that one of the six is responsible for her death. Each of them will be killed off one-by-one until someone fesses up. The laptop proves that she's not bluffing when it shows Charles the tabloid writer's death after jumping into a pool to save his dog, knowing he can't swim. As promised, one-by-one each of them dies until only Desiree, Blaine, and Torrance are left.
The feature that really caught my eye was the film's I Know What You Did Last Summer-style of storyline. For those of you not familiar with this film, several teenagers accidentally run over a man and decide to cover up their tracks by keeping it a secret and hiding the body. One year later, the man they supposedly killed returns to stalk and kill them one-by-one. While it's clear that in April Fool's Day there is little cover-up involved, the same kind of suspense is there. People who accidentally kill someone and attempt to deflect responsibility are stalked one year later by the same person that they thought they killed.
An interesting character in this film is Desiree Cartier. In the beginning, she is seen as a spoiled rich girl with no feelings for anyone but herself. As she begins to see each of her friends die an untimely death, she appears to be developing feelings of concern for them. Desiree starts to look out for those closest to her. She realizes that maybe Milan's death was not worth losing her friends over and there's more to life than inheritance money or fame.
To wrap, if you're into a old-fashioned "whodunit?" movie with some horror and suspense on the side, then April Fool's Day is the movie for you!
Kevin T. Dillehay has written nearly a hundred movie reviews from all genres. He provides a unique perspective on the movies you see all the time but may not stop and think about in depth. You are invited to check out his work at [http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10]http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?April-Fools-Day-(2008)-Movie-Review&id=6571208] April Fool's Day (2008) Movie Review

Critters Movie Review

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Dillehay]Kevin Dillehay
Critters is a 1986 science fiction horror comedy distributed by New Line Cinema. Some of its stars include Dee Wallace-Stone as Helen Brown, Scott Grimes as Brad Brown, Don Keith Opper as Charlie McFadden, Terrence Mann as Johnny Steele/Ug, and Billy Green Bush as Jay Brown. Rupert Harvey (A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child) is the producer. The director is Stephen Herek (Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure).
The film opens on a prison asteroid in outer space where a race of beings, known as Crites, are to be transported as prisoners. But, instead, they hijack a ship and go to Earth. Two intergalactic bounty hunters are sent after them. Meanwhile, the Brown family lives on Earth in a rural town in Kansas. Brad, the son, is always with a slow but well-meaning mechanic named Charlie McFadden, who is always rambling about aliens from outer space. Charlie accidentally hits the sister April but Brad takes the heat and gets grounded for the night. Later that night, as Brad is trying to sneak out, he catches a glimpse of what we discover is the Crites' ship landing in a nearby field. Jay, the father, catches Brad as he sits in a tree. Jay had seen the ship too and had gone out to investigate. Jay and Brad head out to the field and discover a half-eaten cattle carcass. They head back to the house as the Crites secretly follow. The aliens cut the power. Jay is attacked as he goes to check the circuit breaker. The Browns barricade themselves inside their house. At this same time, the bounty hunters have landed and transformed. They go all over town asking people about the Crites. The Browns manage to take out a couple of the creatures but they discover that the Crites get bigger as they eat more. One of them grows huge. The bounty hunters are still in town, unintentionally causing a panic when they fire their huge cannon-like weapons.
One feature of Critters that I found to be quite interesting is the dialogue of the Crite creatures. The viewers may, at initial glance, believe that the Crites are just unintelligent malicious pests that don't really communicate with each other, but neither is the case. They are actually intelligent enough to operate a starship. When they land on Earth, the lead Crite asks for a status report on the ship's damage, which is minor. Later as they are attempting to enter the Browns' house, one observes that the family is armed to which another replies, "So what?" The latter Crite is almost immediately blown away by a gun blast. The former Crite responds by saying the f-word.
Some of the most interesting characters in the film are the alien bounty hunters. They are able to transform into any being they choose, depending on what planet they're heading to. One of them, after briefing himself about Earth and its history, decides to transform into a fictional singer named Johnny Steele. The other one can't seem to decide what he likes. "Johnny Steele" pushes him to pick something. Eventually, after transforming into a dead cop and a minister, makes the decision to become an exact replica of the character Charlie, who is the town drunk and doesn't have many friends or ambitions.
To wrap, if you're into the Gremlins-style of movie where the aliens move in and wreak havoc, then you will enjoy Critters!
Kevin T. Dillehay has written nearly a hundred movie reviews from all genres. He provides a unique perspective on the movies you see all the time but may not stop and think about in depth. You are invited to check out his work at [http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10]http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Critters-Movie-Review&id=6571222] Critters Movie Review

Black Christmas (2006) Movie Review

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Dillehay]Kevin Dillehay
The 2006 horror movie Black Christmas is distributed by Dimension Films. Some of its stars include Katie Cassidy as Kelli Presley, Michelle Trachtenberg as Melissa, Kristen Cloke as Leigh Colvin, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Heather Fitzgerald, and Lacey Chabert as Dana. The writers are Glen Morgan (Final Destination) and Roy Moore (Black Christmas 1974). The director is Glen Morgan.
Billy Lenz was a boy born with a rare skin condition that made it yellow. His parents do not love each other. His mom murders his dad and, after seeing her and her lover burying the body, Billy is locked in the attic for years. After unsuccessfully trying to have another child with her lover, Billy's mom enters the attic and seduces him. Nine months later, a little girl named Agnes is born. Several years later on Christmas Eve, Billy escapes the attic and murders his mother and her lover. He also disfigures Agnes by removing one of her eyeballs. The troubled boy also makes Christmas cookies out of his mother's flesh just before he is caught. He's committed to a mental asylum. Now in 2006, he escapes and returns to his childhood home which has since been turned into a sorority house. One by one, he kills off all the sorority girls until only a few remain. But they cannot leave because of the snow storm outside. They are trapped inside a serial killer's home waiting to be butchered.
Aside from the killer having yellow skin, there is absolutely nothing unique about this movie. It simply follows a classic slasher movie formula, specifically Halloween. A killer murders his family, gets caught and committed, and years later escapes to return to his childhood home. Billy Lenz kills his family, as slasher master Michael Myers did, and spends some time in a mental institution. He breaks out, again like Myers, and returns home. The average movie viewer can usually tell beforehand whether a movie is going to be any good based on how many attractive people star in it, specifically women. If there are quite a few, as is the case in Black Christmas, then that viewer may save a few extra bucks and not see the film because it's not worth the time and money.
As with most Christmas horror films, specifically those released on or near Christmas Day, there was some backlash from religious groups about the setting and time of the release. The gratuitous gore in the film did not help matters either. Movie creators must be careful when writing a slasher film such as this around a religious holiday as strongly hailed as Christmas. Another example, besides Black Christmas, is the movie Silent Night, Deadly Night. In this film, a man dressed as Santa goes around killing all the naughty people. In protest of this movie, people made signs that said "Santa doesn't slay". This case is much more extreme than Black Christmas. The story portrays extreme violence. Silent Night, Deadly Night is currently out of print and can only be found on the internet.
To wrap, if you're looking for an original kind of film, Black Christmas is not what you're looking for. But if you are a die-hard fan of an old-fashioned slasher movie, then it may be worth your time and money.
Kevin T. Dillehay has written nearly a hundred movie reviews from all genres. He provides a unique perspective on the movies you see all the time but may not stop and think about in depth. You are invited to check out his work at [http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10]http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Black-Christmas-(2006)-Movie-Review&id=6574019] Black Christmas (2006) Movie Review

The Runaways Movie Review

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Dillehay]Kevin Dillehay
The Runaways is a 2010 biography film distributed by Apparition. It stars Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning, Michael Shannon, Stella Maeve, and Scout Taylor-Compton. The writers are Floria Sagismondi and Cherie Currie. The director is Floria Sagismondi.

The movie opens with Cherie Currie having her period while she is with her sister Marie. Later, we see Cherie lip-syncing to David Bowie at the school talent show as the audience heaves paper balls at her. She responds by flipping them off. Another girl, Joan Jett, plays the electric guitar. One night outside a club, she spots music producer Kim Fowley. Joan approaches him about starting an all-girl band. Fowley is interested and introduces Joan to drummer Sandy West. The producer suggests they find a hot blonde to join the band, so they spot Cherie. She accepts the invitation to tryout. After being disappointed by the song Cherie used, Fowley kicks her out. But Joan and Fowley come up with a song for her to sing and she ends up joining the band. After their first gig, they are signed to Mercury Records. Upon the release of their first album, the band is a huge success. But Cherie gets into drugs and does a racy photoshoot that she thought was to promote the whole band. But the other bandmembers had no knowledge of it and it is quickly discovered that it was all Fowley's idea for publicity.

I was surprised when I discovered that the film did not portray any of the other members besides Joan Jett and Cherie Currie. The movie itself was based on a book by Cherie Currie. The story did not say very much about members Lita Ford and Sandy West. West was, more or less, just the drummer with no past, according to the storyline. We know even less about how Lita Ford joined the band. Her first appearance in the film, unless I missed something, was at Cherie Currie's tryout in the trailer. We do no hear how she joined the band. I can understand that Sandy West was probably a character whose past was irrelevent, but Lita Ford clearly has some issues in the story which are not explained at all. She takes an immediate dislike towards Cherie and is the one who finds out about the provocative photoshoot. There is, clearly, some animosity between the two which the storyline never really focuses on. Perhaps, the filmwriters could have expanded the story and not relied almost solely on the book, which appears to be the case.

However, the writers did an excellent job portraying the life of a rock band and the pressures of becoming famous. As a rock band, members don't have the luxury of much time off. They are on the road for months on end and hardly ever see their families, which begins to take a toll on Cherie. Plus, there's a public image to maintain and one mistake could cost the band big time, like the Cherie Currie's photoshoot, which appeared to trigger the beginning of the end for her and The Runaways.

To wrap, despite only focusing on a couple members of the band, The Runaways is actually a pretty strong film and I do highly recommend it, especially if you're a fan of The Runaways in real life!
Kevin T. Dillehay has written nearly a hundred movie reviews from all genres. He provides a unique perspective on the movies you see all the time but may not stop and think about in depth. You are invited to check out his work at [http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10]http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Runaways-Movie-Review&id=6574032] The Runaways Movie Review

Film Review: The Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes (2011)

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Steven_Sheehan]Steven Sheehan
To watch your own father die would be a bad week in anyone's book but imagine discovering you were the catalyst for the end of human civilization the following week. That's a nightmare of a fortnight you have on your hands. James Franco is that unlucky man, although seeing out your last days with Freida Pinto would definitely makes things a little better. Part Five of The Apes franchise arrives, breathing in some new life and places itself at the head of the summer blockbusters so far, giving you everything you would expect but perhaps not how you expected it.
It's safe to say this is a prequel to the 1968 original and Rupert Wyatt pieces together a back story that compels you to emphasise with the central character, Caesar. So how exactly do the apes gain the momentum to take over the world? Will (James Franco) is a scientist, testing his cure for Alzheimer's on laboratory chimps, believing he is on the cusp of the breakthrough to produce and manufacture to the public. ALZ-112 genetically repairs damaged brain cells, whilst developing new ones and upon seeking board approval for the project, Will's test chimp is killed after going wild. They discover that the monkey was not being aggressive but protective of her new born baby - and so Franco is introduced to Caesar.
He takes him home and this becomes a permanent arrangement once he realises that Caesar has genetically inherited his mothers intelligence.
Will also tests the drug on his father Charles (John Lithgow), who is in the latter stages of Alzheimer's, and soon sees amazing results. Caesar continues to grow into a strong 'teenager' and as domesticated as he is, his true animal nature forces him away from his family home into the care of the state animal sanctuary, living with other chimps in battery cages. Caesar's mistreatment there and isolation from home brings him closer to his own kind and further from his upbringing. Strangely, there does seem to be an awful lot of chimps kept by humans in the California county, so come the future, Chihuahuas beware.
This covers two thirds of the film, where the development of Caesar places him at the heart of the story and of the audience. Pinto is strategically dotted across the film without offering anything of substance whilst Franco seems a little underwhelmed by the series of tragic events, so the human element of the film pales away. Andy Serkis has deservedly received lavish praise for his stop motion CGI performance as Caesar, the close up shots really bring the human out of the animal so the brooding intensity shines through. In turn it means that the CGI engages you more than the actors which is a shame, as giving them more complexity would have elevated the film's impact.
The expectation for this was no doubt two plus hours of monkey mayhem, rampaging through the streets fighting humans, yet Wyatt uses the last third intelligently so the actions scenes are exciting whilst leaving more for your imagination. It's a sub two hour summer film, which highlights just how much more can be achieved when the unnecessary trimmings are scrapped and you may well be surprised come the credits, who are your allegiances are with. http://filmscope.net/
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Film-Review:-The-Rise-Of-The-Planet-Of-The-Apes-(2011)&id=6564236] Film Review: The Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes (2011)

Comedy Movies And What They Tell About A Society

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Anirudh_Bahadur]Anirudh Bahadur
Comedy is by far the toughest genre to make across all the film industries; and often, the highest grosser too. If you get it right, you could rake in millions in days; and if you get it wrong, you could fall flat on your face. But that's not what we are here to discuss. Different film industries make different kinds of comedies. Or let us put it in another way- different kinds of comedy movies become successful in different societies, and that tells you a lot about the society.
We will focus ourselves on two of the big film industries in the world - Bollywood and Hollywood - compare the kinds of comedies that work in either cinema, and what they tell about the society. If you see hit comedy movies in Hollywood over the last decade or so, you will see a major splattering of sex comedies or movies that have a lot of sex humor. Be it the unusual Hangover or the out sex comedy American Pie, or Scary Movies, each one has a major chunk of sex humor. On the other hand, if you see hit comedy movies in Bollywood over the last decade or so, sex humor is conspicuously absent, barring a few exceptions here and there like Kya Kool Hai Hum.
The splattering of sex humor in Hollywood comedies and the near absence of it in Bollywood clearly draws the line between the Asian and the Western culture. While Westerners are more comfortable about discussing their sexuality, Asians are a lot more prude and would much rather discuss sex within the closed doors of the bedroom. But the cynical out there would point out - Hangover was as much a hit in India as it was in the US. Well, that's not the complete truth. Hangover was a success in India only in Tier I cities, where the audience is more westernized. The distributors of the movie didn't even feel it worthy enough to release it in Tier II and Tier III cities, simply because there is no audience present for such movies.
When it comes to Bollywood, people would go for slapstick comedy movies like Hera Pheri and Dhamaal or comedies like Munnabhai and 3 Idiots which have a social message hidden in them. A high percentage of Bollywood comedies would rather have toilet humor than sex humor. In fact, on a close comparison, toilet humor is rampant in Bollywood comedy movies and almost absent in Hollywood. Be it Hera Pheri or the most recent Delhi Belly, most Bollywood comedies have toilet humor.
Well this is a topic which can be talked and debated on whole day. In the mean time check out the list of [http://best-comedymovies.com]best comedy movies on my blog.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Comedy-Movies-And-What-They-Tell-About-A-Society&id=6567120] Comedy Movies And What They Tell About A Society

Drive Review

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jaskee_Hickman]Jaskee Hickman
As a whole, the movies for the summer of 2011 haven't been great. I mean we've had some good ones (Warrior, X-Men: First Class, etc.) and some that were terrible (Green Lantern and Transformers). As summer officially comes to an end for this year, we have one more movie to throw into the mix. I'm sure that everyone would like to end this summer movie period on a high note and the movie "Drive" is literally the last chance for that to happen.
"Drive" consists of a story that involves an unnamed Hollywood stunt driver played by Ryan Gosling. Not only is he a stunt driver, but he also maintains a job as a wheelman for people who need get away cars when they're performing various forms of criminal activity. He doesn't help or assist them in any way when they are performing their tasks. All he does is drive. He's good at both of his jobs, but he soon gets into trouble after having a bunch of money fall into his lap while performing his duties as a wheelman.
"Drive" is basically a movie split into two separate parts. The first part is where they set the foundation for the movie. It's basically Gosling's unnamed character wooing the girl who lives next door to him and becoming close to her young son. This and him meeting Bernie Rose (Albert Brooks) helps to develop the backbone of the story.
Just about all of the action comes in the second part of the film. Once the action hits, it hits hard and almost never stops until the end credits roll. The action in "Drive" is good, fierce, and gruesome. I expected your normal Hollywood violence and ended up with a lot of blood, gore, and brutality. I don't want to admit this, but I didn't even realize it was rated R until they showed someone's head being blown off. I didn't mind the violence and the fact that I didn't pay attention to the rating probably made it even better since I didn't know what was coming.
A problem that I had with this movie was that at times it tried to be too stylish and artistic. I love the stylish and artistic approach to movies when it's done correctly and in this movie they did get it right in some instances. The problem is that they seemed to overuse it and at times it was used where it simply didn't belong. To me, that took away from the movie a little. In those spots where the style was unnecessary, the music that was playing in the background also helped in disrupting those scenes for me. There was just too much music in this movie. It was in almost every scene and that aggravates me whenever that happens in movies. When the artistic approach worked, it worked well and it was also obvious when it didn't work that well.
This movie kind of reminds me of those 1980′s action movies to an extent. It's heavily based on the action and does a good job of showing it. It had a few flaws, but it also had quite a few positives. It's not a very deep movie and Gosling's character could have had more personality, but I liked the movie regardless. Because of the exaggerated violence, some will like it even more than I did and some might like it less. It was hard, aggressive, and unmerciful. In the end, "Drive" was good.
Score: 7/10
Rating: R
Director: Nicholas Winding Refn
Cast:
Ryan Gosling
Carey Mulligan
Bryan Cranston
Christina Hendricks
Ron Perlman
Oscar Isaac
Albert Brooks
Film Length: 100 minutes
Release Date: September 16, 2011
Distributor: FilmDistrict
Jaskee Hickman http://www.themoviepictureshow.com/
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Drive-Review&id=6566769] Drive Review

True Lies Review

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jaskee_Hickman]Jaskee Hickman
As far as movies are concerned, Arnold Schwarzenegger has been relatively quiet for the past several years. He hasn't really done many movies or anything since the early part of this century. He was at his peak in the 80′s and 90′s and back then, he was far more active while making movies like "Terminator", "Terminator 2″, "The Predator", "Total Recall" and others. He's made quite a few movies that I've liked and one of those was called "True Lies". It featured a deep cast that had Arnold, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Tom Arnold leading the way.
Harry Tasker (Schwarzenegger) is a man who leads a double life. Along with seemingly living a normal everyday existence, he is also heavily involved in covert operations as he is a part of a U.S. Government counterterrorism group named The Omega Sector. His real job is always kept a secret. It's so much of a secret that he can't allow his wife (Jamie Lee Curtis) or daughter (Eliza Dushku) to know what he really does. They believe that he's actually a computer salesman. As he uncovers a terrorist group led by Salim Abu Aziz (Art Malik), he also has to try to keep his family from falling apart as they become more and more frustrated with the fact that he's never around.
This movie is almost done in typical Schwarzenegger style. It's loaded with a ton of action, but this is one of those occasions where they've thrown some comedy into the mix. Adding Tom Arnold and some comedic situations fit well in a movie this heavy on action. The comedy is presented in a way that doesn't allow it to get in the way and disrupt the flow of the film.
"True Lies" allows Arnold Schwarzenegger to be Arnold Schwarzenegger and that should be good news for fans of his work. He goes around beating people down, blowing things up, and wasting bad guys along the way. You'll get a lot of that in this movie and it's quite fun to watch. Along with the action and comedy, you actually have a solid plot that is based on a French comedy named "La Totale!". James Cameron does well blending all of the action, espionage, and comedy together with the story to make this a very balanced movie.
This doesn't have anything to do with the movie, but the one thing that I can't help but notice is that Arnold usually plays an American, but he always has that European (Austrian) accent. How come none of the other characters in his movies recognize this? He can play a cop from New York or a man in the U.S. military, but he always has an accent. I know it doesn't matter, but that's one thing that I've always found to be funny about his movies. He's American, but he has a non-American accent and no one ever seems to notice.
Regardless of how implausible that is, it doesn't take away from this or any other movie he made that I found entertaining. I've liked several of his movies throughout the years and it's good to hear he's coming back to his old Hollywood stomping grounds in some capacity by having a larger role in "The Expendables 2″ movie. All in all, I hope that I'll like his upcoming projects as much as I did some of his older stuff. Until those come out, I'll have no problem watching films like "True Lies".
Score: 7/10
Rating: R
Director: James Cameron
Cast:
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Jamie Lee Curtis
Tom Arnold
Tia Carrere
Art Malik
Eliza Dushku
Bill Paxton
Film Length: 141 minutes
Release Date: July 15, 1994
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Jaskee Hickman http://www.themoviepictureshow.com/
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?True-Lies-Review&id=6570848] True Lies Review

A Tale of Two Sisters Review

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jaskee_Hickman]Jaskee Hickman
Cineclick Asia and Big Blue Film present: A Tale of Two SistersBased on what I've been told and what I've read, growing up with a step-parent can be very problematic in some cases. There can be several issues that cause problems. Some of the issues may involve establishing authority, getting respect, or just getting acclimated to a new living arrangement. All of those things and more could be difficult to deal with and overcome for both the parents and the children. I'd imagine things would be even more difficult if you honestly felt that your step-parent was evil and you actual parent didn't believe you. In the film "A Tale of Two Sisters", Su-mi (Im Soo Jung) might be dealing with that and a little bit more.
"A Tale of Two Sisters" tells the story of two sisters named Su-mi and Su-yeun (Moon Geun Young) as both are returning home after spending time in a mental institution. When they get home, they are greeted by their stepmother Eun-joo (Yeom Jeong-ah) who they both see as evil,intimidating, and vindictive. Not only are they forced to deal with her, but they also have to continue dealing with the overwhelming emotions they've experienced since the death of their mother. During this time, they experience strange happenings (some may be ghostly) in their home and believe that their stepmother may behind some of it. Dealing with everything seems to be tough for the two sisters, but it's made even tougher when their father (Kim Kap-su) doesn't believe them.
This film tells a tale involving madness and family dysfunction. It uses the characters Soo-mi and Eun-joo to illustrate these points. These two are the characters at the core of the film and they along with the rest of the cast put on good performances. Everything is primarily shown through the eyes of Soo-mi and focuses on her relationships with everyone in the house. Through this, the emotions that are used to drive this movie are seen but never completely understood until the end.
"A Tale of Two Sisters" is presented to the viewers with a dry, suffocating, and patient atmosphere. It really fits the tone of the film and helps to give it that empty and tragic feeling that it needs. By using this style along with the proper imagery, it accentuates the emotions and psychology of the people involved and brings it to life. They use all of this to create a tense and emotional yet contained environment that willingly lends itself to the story and its characters.
This is a movie that fills its time with several things. It gives you a sense of fear and angst amongst the characters and it gives the viewers a sense of not knowing for much of its duration. Once the picture becomes completely clear, you'll put the pieces together and it becomes a complete film about tragedy, fear, anger, and madness. It's interesting to watch in terms of entertainment and it's also be viewed as at least a cinematic study of the human mind and the places that it might be able to go.
Score: 7/10
Director: Kim Ji-woon
Cast:
Im Soo Jung
Moon Geun Young
Yeom Jeong-ah
Kim Kap-su
Film Length: 115 minutes
Release Date: June 13, 2003
Distributors:
Cineclick Asia
Big Blue Film
Country: South Korea
Jaskee Hickman http://www.themoviepictureshow.com/
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?A-Tale-of-Two-Sisters-Review&id=6575076] A Tale of Two Sisters Review

Triple Dog Movie Review

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Dillehay]Kevin Dillehay
Triple Dog is a 2009 drama-thriller distributed by Well Go. Some of its stars include Britt Robertson as Chapin, Alexa Fast as Eve, Scout Taylor-Compton as Liza, Janel Parrish as Cecily, and Emily Tennant as Sarah. The producers are Thomas L. Carter, Pascal Franchot, and Mike Jackson. The director is Pascal Franchot.
The story centers around a group of girls at a sleepover birthday party. They are all bored and decide to play a game called Triple Dog, which is Truth-or-Dare without the truth part. Eve, the birthday girl, chooses the girl and that girl must choose someone to dare her. She must do the dare or else she will have her head shaved. As each girl has her turn, the group begins to uncover the truth about the mysterious death of another girl, Stacy St. Claire. Some time earlier, she had jumped off the nearby Jogger's Bridge to her death. Almost everyone figured it was suicide, but, as the girls find out, there was much more to it than that.
The two most interesting characters in the film are, I believe, Liza and Chapin. They both appear to be outcasts but Chapin is more of a troublemaker than Liza. Eve, who is new in town, befriends Chapin. Liza, on the other hand, is not a friend of Eve's but is pressured into going to the birthday party. Chapin is always making fun of people, mainly other girls, which makes her extremely unpopular with the "popular" crowd, of which Eve tries to be a part. Liza has no friends except a rat that she carries around with her in a backpack. Because of this fact, everyone knows her better as "Rat Girl". The ironic thing about these two outcasts, who seemingly have much in common, is that they can't stand each other. They actually engage in a fight in the school library after Liza threatens to reveal why Chapin had been kicked out of Catholic school. It may be the fact that they are so much alike is why they don't get along.
Another fascinating feature of Triple Dog is the kinds of dares that each of the girls is asked to perform. For most of them, the specific dares are in direct contrast to what they're used to doing. They go against their reputations. For example, Sarah's dare was to go streaking. Sarah is known as a good Catholic girl who never swears or does anything naughty. Liza is dared to stay in Eve's brother's closet until midnight, wearing a cheerleading outfit. As I stated earlier, she is an outcast, which is the direct opposite of what a stereotypical cheerleader is. Cecily's dare is to urinate on the school principal's front porch. Cecily is the student council president and a "goody two-shoes".
To wrap, Triple Dog is a great thriller that is sure to keep its viewers on the edges of their seats from beginning to end!
Kevin T. Dillehay has written nearly a hundred movie reviews from all genres. He provides a unique perspective on the movies you see all the time but may not stop and think about in depth. You are invited to check out his work at [http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10]http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Triple-Dog-Movie-Review&id=6574060] Triple Dog Movie Review

Critters 2: The Main Course Movie Review

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Dillehay]Kevin Dillehay
Critters 2: The Main Course is a 1988 sci-fi horror comedy film distributed by New Line Cinema. The stars include Scott Grimes, Don Keith Opper, Terrence Mann, and Roxanne Kernohan. The producer is Robert Shaye and the director is Mick Garris.
The story picks up two years after the events of Critters. Charlie McFadden, the town drunk from the first film, has now become a bounty hunter in outer space with Ug and Lee, the two that had arrived to kill the first batch of Crites. Now the three bounty hunters have learned that their mission on Earth is not yet complete as the offspring of the original Crites are still there and ready to hatch at any time. They set a course for Earth. On Earth, the Brown family has since moved to Kansas City and Brad, the son, is returning to Grover's Bend to visit his grandma. The Crites hatch and wreak havoc on an Easter party just as the alien bounty hunters return. Brad finds the remote that Ug had left him two years earlier and alerts them to the location of the Crites. The bounty hunters take out many of them at a local fast food restaurant, The Hungry Heifer. Later that night, Lee is killed after being ambushed by the Crite creatures in an alley. This saddens Ug so much that he transforms back into his faceless alien form and loses the will to fight. Meanwhile the Crites take control of the town as its citizens seek refuge inside the church.
This Critters film takes on a somewhat lighter tone than its predecessor. There are more comedic scenes such as the scene at The Hungry Heifer when the bounty hunters first encounter the new Crites. After one of his comrades is killed by a blast nearby, another Crite looks at his reflection and says in the Crite language "Bitchin'!". Then there is Lee's indecision about what to transform into. Throughout the film, he becomes anything from a Playboy model to the dorky manager of The Hungry Heifer. Lee also attempts to transform into Freddy Krueger but is stopped by Charlie.
Between the first and second films, the character Charlie has found a purpose for his existence. On Earth, he was an alcoholic but well-meaning mechanic with few friends and no other direction in life. After he helped destroy the first batch of Crites, he found something to be proud of. The friendly bounty hunters, Ug and Lee, took him under their wing and brought him into space to become a bounty hunter and a third member of their team. Charlie, on Earth, saw himself as a nothing while in space, he is somebody with a purpose.
To wrap, Critters 2: The Main Course is a much lighter sequel to Critters and has a deeper emotional story. If that's what you're looking for, then you will have it with this film!
Kevin T. Dillehay has written nearly a hundred movie reviews from all genres. He provides a unique perspective on the movies you see all the time but may not stop and think about in depth. You are invited to check out his work at [http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10]http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/kmonk10.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Critters-2:-The-Main-Course-Movie-Review&id=6574056] Critters 2: The Main Course Movie Review

Moneyball Review

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jaskee_Hickman]Jaskee Hickman
If you've ever paid a visit to my Twitter page, you'll see that I'm a fan of baseball and more specifically the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox are one of the teams in baseball that uses a strategy called moneyball as a large part of their team building philosophy. While they use a good portion of this tactic, they didn't invent it or make it popular. Bill James is mainly responsible for this philosophy of baseball and Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane help put it on the map. The movie "Moneyball" is about Beane and how he implemented this approach to his own team.
After being eliminated by the New York Yankees in the 2001 playoffs, a trio of star players become free agents and leave the Oakland A's for greener pastures. Johnny Damon signed with the Red Sox, Jason Giambi went to the Yankees, and Jason Isringhausen joined the St. Louis Cardinals. Realizing that these moves could severely hurt his team, Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) asks the team's front office for more money and is rejected. After meeting Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), Beane decides to resort to an unorthodox way of building a team by utilizing what is called moneyball or sabermetrics.
"Moneyball" is a solid movie. It really takes an in-depth look at the career of Billy Beane. It also shows a little bit about his background in baseball as a former prospect. Despite it being a sports movie, it didn't always feel like it. The film lacked the energy of your usual sports film. I hesitate to even call it a sports movie because the core of "Moneyball" is more about the behind the scenes activity in baseball than the actual sport itself.
Both Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill deliver what I would consider more laid back characters than what we would usually see from them. Although both were good and fit their roles well, Pitt seemed to stand out more. The chemistry between these two seemed believable, fluent, and without effort. They played off of one another really well. Then again, Pitt worked well with everyone on-screen. I also have to point out that this movie featured quality performances from others like Philip Seymour Hoffman in the smaller roles they portrayed.
Despite his successes, Billy Beane and his Oakland Athletics have yet to win a world series. With that being said, Beane changed the way many front offices look at building teams. It can be said without discussion that Beane has earned the respect of baseball minds all over and is considered one of the best General Managers in the sport. This movie attempts to show that and puts a lot of emphasis on how things got to the way they are now in the world of baseball. It's something that baseball fans could probably enjoy and truly appreciate.
Score: 7/10
Rating: PG-13
Director: Bennet Miller
Cast:
Brad Pitt
Jonah Hill
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Chris Pratt
Casey Bond
Stephen Bishop
Kathryn Morris
Film Length: 133 minutes
Release Date: September 23, 2011
Distributor: Sony Pictures
Jaskee Hickman http://www.themoviepictureshow.com/
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Moneyball-Review&id=6582244] Moneyball Review

The 5 Best Courtroom Comedies to Buy on DVD and Blu-ray

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Phillip_Hurst]Phillip Hurst
Although drama movies set in a courtroom can be very suspenseful and make you wonder what is going to happen next, comedy movies are where it's at. There is just something about watching a hilarious movie set in a courtroom and the underdog prevailing in a comedic way. If you also feel the same way, then let me suggest the 5 best courtroom comedies to buy on DVD and Blu-ray and then I will direct you to the best place to buy one of these great movies so you too can build your collection.
Here are the 5 best courtroom comedies to buy on DVD and Blu-ray:
1.) My Cousin Vinny (1992)- This is one hilarious movie from start to finish. It's about Bill and Stan, two college students who are headed for UCLA when they are arrested in Alabama for the murder of a convenience store clerk. Unable to afford an attorney, they turn to Bill's cousin Vinny, an attorney from New York who took six tries to pass his bar exam. At this point, he's only taken personal injury cases, none of which have gone to trial. Dragging along his fiance' Mona Lisa Vito, Vinny will have to straighten up fast and keep out of jail himself, if he's going to win the case. Marisa Tomei won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for portraying Mona Lisa Vito.
2.) Legally Blonde (2001)- Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) has it all. She's the president of her sorority, a Hawaiian Tropic girl, Miss June in her campus calendar, but unfortunately she's a natural blonde. She dates the cutest fraternity boy on campus and wants nothing more than to be Mrs. Warner Huntington III. But, there's just one thing stopping Warner (Matthew Davis) from popping the question: Elle is too blonde. So, when Warner packs up for Harvard Law and reunites with an old sweetheart from prep school, Elle rallies all her resources to get into Harvard, determined to win him back. But law school is a far cry from what she is accustomed to. Elle must wage the battle of her life, for herself and for all the blondes who suffer endless indignities in life.
3.) Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde (2003)- This is the sequel to the 2001 movie, Legally Blonde. This time, Elle Woods goes to Washington D.C. to change the law on animal testing. While there, she sees how our political system, the U.S. Congress is ran. Lucky for her, she meets a doorman named Sidney played by Bob Newhart, who shows her how the system works to get a bill passed. She writes `The Bruiser Bill' and puts it in the hopper of Congress. Elle needs 218 signatures to get her bill to be voted on. She gets some unlikely support from several members of Congress she befriends but to get more support, she has a Million Dog March on Washington.
4.) Liar Liar (1997)- This movie is about Fletcher Reed, played by Jim Carrey, who is a successful lawyer who has built his career on lying. Unfortunately he spends far too much time working instead of being with his son Max, so Max makes a birthday wish that for just one day, his dad can't tell a lie. The wish comes true and Fletcher must try to defend his client, Samantha Cole even though his entire defense for her is a lie. Movie also stars Swoosie Kurtz and Jennifer Tilly.
5.) Trial and Error (1997)- This movie stars Jeff Daniels as a lawyer named Charlie Tuttle, who has to travel to Paradise Bluff, Nevada to defend a relative of his boss in a class action suit but this conflicts with his bachelor party. When he arrives there he is unexpectantly greeted by his best man Richard Rjetti, played by Michael Richards, who is determined to show him a good time. Later that night, Charlie is knocked out in a barfight and gets prescribed some painkillers and ends up taking the whole bottle. In no shape for court the next day, Richard must step in and take Charlie's place. Since Richard is an actor and not a lawyer, he must rely on Charlie to teach along the way, which amounts to comedic consequences.
If you would like to own some of the [http://bestcourtroommovies.blogspot.com/2011/06/best-courtroom-movies.html]best courtroom comedies ever made, then check out my [http://bestcourtroommovies.blogspot.com/2011/06/best-courtroom-movies.html]best courtroom movies blog and I will show you where to get the best deals on DVD and Blu-ray movies and you too can build your collection.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-5-Best-Courtroom-Comedies-to-Buy-on-DVD-and-Blu-ray&id=6398017] The 5 Best Courtroom Comedies to Buy on DVD and Blu-ray

50/50 Review

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jaskee_Hickman]Jaskee Hickman
Plenty of people (myself included) have probably known someone who's had to battle with a life threatening disease such as cancer. While some of us have known and been close to these people, others have had to experience these diseases themselves. Will Reiser is the screenwriter for "50/50″ and is one of those people who had to deal with a life threatening disease himself, while his real life friend Seth Rogan had to show support for him during his time of need. This film is loosely based on Reiser's own personal experience with cancer and speaks about a lot of things that people in these situations may go through.
Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a 27-year-old man who has recently started having troublesome back pains. When he goes to the hospital, he finds out that he has cancer. After telling his girlfriend (Bryce Dallas Howard), his best friend (Seth Rogan), and hesitantly telling his highly emotional mother (Anjelica Huston), he tries to take this head on and in stride. Adam's mother is not only dealing with her son's disease, but she's also dealing with her husband's (Serge Houde) Alzheimer's and that just complicates everything even more. Through all of this, Adam is also forced to deal with life issues and finds out who's really going to be there for him when times are the toughest.
This movie will be classified as a dramedy. With that being said, it was certainly geared more toward the comedic aspect than anything else. The comedy in "50/50″ was amazing and insanely funny. Seth Rogan was at his funniest in my opinion and Joseph Gordon-Levitt more than held his own in all of the comedic situations that he was placed in. Philip Baker Hall and Matt Frewer managed to steal a lot of laughs themselves in their scenes as fellow cancer patients who become friends with Adam. The bottom line is that these two and the rest of the cast were flawless in delivering the comedy presented in the film. In particular, Gordon-Levitt did a wonderful job in depicting whatever the script asked of him. With this performance, he's continuing to establish himself as a great actor.
Despite the film being more about the comedy, the drama was still a very important part of the film. It was usually presented to the viewer in a very real and emotional manner. Not only that, but it came from a lot of different angles. Whether it was from the perspective of his parents, his best friend, or his girlfriend, the drama was shown through the way the people around Adam dealt with a disease that can affect anyone. It also showed how Adam himself had to deal with it from the time when he is first diagnosed and all the way through the end of the film.
"50/50″ may be the most innocent and delightful rated R movie that I've ever seen before. It was odd watching a movie that is clearly rated properly, be so uplifting and positive. In the end, I liked this movie a lot. Not only was it the funniest movie that I've seen all year, but it also stood only behind "Warrior" as my favorite movie of the year so far. With a smart script, good directing, and perfect casting, this movie doesn't have any negatives that I can think of and seems to hit on all cylinders. "50/50″ is not only a great film, but it's also one I can truly appreciate on a personal level. I originally thought about not even watching this movie, but I'm glad I did. This is definitely a film worth watching.
Score: 8/10
Rating: R
Director: Jonathan Levine
Cast:
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Seth Rogan
Anna Kendrick
Bryce Dallas Howard
Anjelica Huston
Philip Baker Hall
Matt Frewer
Serge Houde
Film Length: 99 minutes
Release Date: September 30, 2011
Distributor: Summit Entertainment
Jaskee Hickman http://www.themoviepictureshow.com/
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?50/50-Review&id=6589269] 50/50 Review

Killer Elite Review

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jaskee_Hickman]Jaskee Hickman
Sir Ranulph Fiennes was a member of the British Army for eight years. During that time, he served in the Royal Scots Greys and the Special Air Service (SAS) as well. In 1991, he wrote a novel about the men that he claimed saved his life called "The Feather Men". The film "Killer Elite" is loosely based on that controversial novel that some people feel is made up of complete fiction.
"Killer Elite" is a film that is supposed to be based on actual events. It stars Jason Statham as Danny Bryce. Bryce is a retired special ops agent who is forced back into action after his mentor Hunter (Robert De Niro) is taken captive by an Arab sheikh. In order for Hunter to be set free, Bryce must kill three men who are accused of killing three of the sheikh's four sons. Bryce gathers a team to help him on this mission and is soon tracked by Spike Logan (Clive Owen) and a secret group that he's associated with.
I don't know how much of this story was actually true, but I did like this movie. It's a rugged film with a variety of action that is just fun to watch. Although it will be recognized by its action and violence, the movie itself had an entertaining storyline that's filled with interesting characters and international espionage. Out of all of the action in the film, I probably liked the shootouts and chase sequences the most. The hand to hand combat scenes were okay, but they seemed a bit too unrealistic at times and they took a little longer than expected. I have to say that one of my favorite fight scenes is where old man Robert De Niro is using martial arts to kick ass. I don't think I've seen him do that before, but it was cool. The action as a whole was intense and it easily keeps your attention throughout the film's duration.
I also liked how interesting and diverse the characters were. They helped to add the life and personality that the film needed even if they were lacking in normal human emotion. Most of the characters in this movie can't really be seen as good guys or bad guys per se. By force or by choice, the men in "Killer Elite" are simply doing their jobs for the most part. How they do them can be questioned, but there's purposely never really any attempt to create a definitive view on who's good or who's bad.
Some of the stuff in the movie is clearly fiction, but I obviously can't say if it's closer to fact or fantasy. Either way, I will say that it's a fast paced movie that had a lot going on, but was easy to keep up with. If you want action, this may be a movie you might want to give a look.
Score: 7/10
Rating: R
Director: Gary McKendry
Cast:
Jason Statham
Clive Owen
Robert De Niro
Yvonne Strahovski
Dominic Purcell
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
Film Length: 100 minutes
Release Date: September 23, 2011
Distributor: Open Road Films
Jaskee Hickman http://www.themoviepictureshow.com/
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Killer-Elite-Review&id=6585082] Killer Elite Review

Movie Review of 'Moneyball' With Brad Pitt

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Crista_White]Crista White
It's as if Hollywood has heard all my internal silent screaming, begging them to STOP already with the aliens, Superhero's, and general lack of thought. Give me something intelligent, and real-something that makes me feel like I didn't just light that $10 bill on fire and sit in a dark room for 90 minutes. Well, hello 'Moneyball'----you have given me hope.
THE GOOD: Let's get one thing straight, right up front here - I don't like baseball. I went to one professional game of the Colorado Rockies years ago---who they were playing has been long forgotten and probably wasn't even something I noticed at the time anyway--and the only thing I enjoyed about it was how cute one of the players was. Taking it even further, I don't understand the whole "sports fanatic" mentality of ANY sport. Women who lose their husbands to a giant screen TV for months on end, men who become absolutely ENRAGED when some guy in black and white stripes has the audacity to point down the field in what is CLEARLY the wrong direction. The obscenely overpaid athletes who seem bent on self destructing right before our eyes. And don't get me started on the whole face and body paint thing. Or giant cheese hats. So, you can understand that I had my reservations about this movie, and quite frankly, 10 minutes into it I found myself thinking "Well, at least Brad Pitt is pretty, and will serve as a focal point for me to get through this". So knowing my total lack of interest in this sport, imagine my surprise when I found myself actually ENJOYING watching baseball. If you don't know the premise of the storyline, this is a semi-biographical story of Billy Beane (Brad Pitt doing the honors), General Manager of the Oakland A's and his effort to assemble a winning team with very little funding, based on a computer based analysis of statistics. With the help of Ivy League graduate Peter Brand (played beautifully by Jonah Hill), they begin signing players that "experts" have labeled as flawed, but have the potential to make up a winning team. The dialogue is amazingly 'unscripted'-feeling. And watching the process of building this new ball club leaves you hoping against hope that it will work. It's a smart movie, with moments of humor that are so real, you feel like you are part of the team, not an audience member. Brad Pitt has emerged into an amazing actor and his timing in this movie is just spot on. He's nice to look at too. There's definitely that.
THE BAD: The movie has a slow start, which is why I found myself early on worrying that Brad was going to have to carry the whole thing on the merits of his looks alone. Maybe the director was trying to establish the anguish Billy Beane was feeling after another in a long line of losses. He got the anguish part right at least. It does pick up quickly after that, so just hang in there. There is also a side story of Billy's ex-wife (Robin Wright) and daughter (Kerris Dorsey) that might have been nice to have developed just a little more-it's never really clear what went wrong, but whatever it was, she obviously ended up with all his money. And a dorky new husband. Probably the weirdest part in the storyline, however, was when Billy was getting ready to put his 12 year old daughter on a plane back to mom after a visit with him. The little girl expresses her concern about her dad's career and future, and in an effort to take her mind off of it, he offers up something along the lines of "Why are you so worried about me? You should be more worried about that plane you're getting on-those things crash you know!" Giant epic parenting fail. I think it was meant to be funny, but as a parent---and someone who is deathly afraid of flying---I couldn't imagine saying something so stupid to your child. But what do I know? I think giant foam fingers are silly too.
THE UGLY: Apparently, it is fundamentally necessary to SPIT as a baseball player. No one knows exactly why, but the game just isn't worth playing if these men don't have a giant wad of something in their bottom lip. Can you imagine if all sports had this unwritten requirement? Sunflower shells all over the tennis courts, big wads of chew littering the swimming pool. It would be total chaos. And gross. Don't forget gross.
So don't misunderstand me: I still don't like baseball and I will forever be grateful for a husband who DOESN'T park his butt on the couch to watch the playoffs-of ANYTHING. But whether you are a sports fan or not, this film will leave you feeling like you got your money's worth. It's a statistical certainty.
The Trophy Wife gives this 4 � trophies.
Moneyball has a running time of 133 minutes and is rated PG 13 for strong language. (F word used twice) http://www.squidoo.com/trophywifetwocents
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Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Movie-Review-of-Moneyball-With-Brad-Pitt&id=6592707] Movie Review of 'Moneyball' With Brad Pitt