The Girl who Kicked the Hornets Nest

        Noomi Rapace returns as Steig Larsson tough as hell girl, Lisbeth Salander in the third and final installment of the Millennium Trilogy, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest. This movie picks up right where the second movie left off with the tattooed heroine fighting for her life after a bloody altercation with her father. This movie takes place with Lisbeth fighting for her name and life with a change of scenery then the other movies this one mostly takes place at a hospital and in court room as people are trying to silence Lisbeth because she knows too much and they need to silence what she knows and they will stop at nothing to do it. The twists and turns make this movie so captivating that you can’t turn away. Death threats, imprisonment, and hacking all come in to play as people are using all of their resources to make sure Lisbeth and the truth that is endangering her are told so she can be set free.

            This movie was much better than The Girl who played with Fire which was the second installment; in that the directing style was much better it looked like they were actually paying attention with the camera angles and cared about this film much more. I am sad that these movies have came to an end, because these movies were so captivating  with the action, the computer hacking, stealing, journalism  and that Lisbeth Salander was very unconventional and we do not see this type of person or character in many movies. I said it many times and I will say it again these movies are so good and I really recommend that everybody see them and also read the books. Look for the American version out late next year.

Inception

Inception was a mind-bending movie that had all of the twist and turns of a great movie we all come to expect. But this movie had more of it with a plot that that no movie I ever saw had, the special effects were fantastic they looked life like and it would at times make you feel that it wasn’t a movie but like something that was actually taking place in front of you. The cast of Inception was casted to perfection, everyone fitted in to this perfectly and the acting was great. This movie made you think the whole time and for some people that would be a stretch, but if you do not mind using your brain at the movies this would be a good choice for you.

The director Christopher Nolen has had some crazy movie in the past such as Memento,   The Prestige and Insomnia. So you would know what to expect, when you see his name pop up in the movie and you would have to think if you could really digest his kind of movie and be able to follow along. This movie I feel is going to go on and win many awards and go down in history as one of the best films of 2010, because of the great imagery and the way the cast pulled you in which is hard to do nowadays with some movies a twelve year old could write. The one of the many things that I liked about this movie was the actors and acting, I would say more of what I liked but I don’t want to give anything away to the people, who have not seen this movie,

Kinght and Day.

                If you are looking for a movie with no substance, little plot and do not wish to think go and rent this movie.  This movie should have not of even been made for many reasons such as  there is great actors in this movie that just made a bad chooses in picking this movie like Viola Davis, Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz  and Peter Sarsgaurd. Many times I did not even know what the plot was about and had to sit there and say to my-self “this movie is all over the place”.  Knight and Day was over the top and not believable and the humor was ok I did laugh on occasion, the action of the movie was great and Tom Curise and Cameron Diaz chemistry together on screen was great you could feel that they both liked each other and could be a real couple that was the only thing that was good.

                The unbelievable plot centered around Cruise that was a F.B.I agent that went rouge while protecting young scientist.  Cameron Diaz’s character comes on Cruise’s characters schemes that could have easily been writing out and the movie could have still made sense, but they just had to have a character that would lighten the mood and who we all could laugh at. A cheap way to shorten the movie is to have Cameron Diaz’s character being drugged by Tom’s character many times while things were still going on. All we saw were glimpses the whole time she was out of it and when she woke up they would be half way around the world how did they get there? We don‘t know. Shit was a skewed. If you are looking for a cheap thrill go rent this movie but if you’re looking for greatness go and see Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows.

Charlie St. Cloud

An out of the box performance by Zac Efron made a wise choice to be the lead in Charlie St. Cloud; he was able to flex his acting chops in a different style choice in this adult role without alienating his loyal fans. Zac carries the whole movie on his back with his portrayal of a young adult grieving his younger brother’s loss who after a near death experience can see sprint in between worlds, the rest of the cast shines also in this sad but hopeful family drama. I was surprised with this movie, it kept me entertained and at times I got a little misted eyed and the love story aspect tied in great with the movie, but it made my head spin at some times because the movie made you think if it some things were real or not. The setting of the movie was very beautiful with the New England landscape all around.

 I also enjoyed the family bond that the brothers shared throughout the movie it made the whole plot of the movie seem believable. The love, loss and despair parts of the movie are really good and sad at the same time; overall this move was entertaining and enjoyable I would recommend you to rent it and also the message of the movie is “live your life to the fullest” meaning don’t dwell on the past it may hurt but move on with life.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1

The wait is over Harry Potter is back. Harry, Ron and Hermione further their adventure in the first part of the two part finale; I was in total aww of this movie as I was waiting for the midnight showing to start and when it ended I did nothing but thing have good things to say. The movie was acted to perfection with some scenes that had me at the edge of my seat and had me getting misty eyed in some parts. This Harry Potter movie showed the characters more mature and taking some heavy reasonability to make the world safe again, this movie was by far the most loyal to the books and the special effects were awesome. Being a fan of Harry Potter this was one of the best parts so far, it was more grown up and at some times intense, all of the actors were really good in that that adapted to the character that they were playing one hundred percent for example Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort and Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange were really creepy in a good way because that engulfed themselves in the roles.

I would say that many critics are saying that this movie is slow and too long, but I would say, it was not long enough and it was too fast because I wanted more and more of it. If you are not a Potter fan then do see this movie because you already know what to expect, this is a hard movie to write a review on being that it is the first part of a two part movie so you really cannot judge it on that bases. But I would recommend you to see it in IMAX and to see it many times, because I will see minimum of four times.

Grown Ups

The Grown up’s was a snooze feast. I thought this movie would be LOL funny, because Adam Sandler and many other people who are downright hilarious were in this movie, but I was mistaken while there were some funny moments in the movie it could not save it. The movie was mostly too long with funny people trying to save it with humor, but it just didn’t work, many scenarios we not believable and made the people who made the movie seem desperate and lacking skill. Many casting choices were not the best such as Salma Hayek playing a divaish mom and wife to Adam Sandler character who always gets her way and the kids who are over the top spoiled just didn’t make the movie seem all that great. Some of the comedy was a bit over the top with the cast relaying on being rude to each other to get the audience to laugh then developing the characters more.

This movie is not what to you call a thinker. While there were a lot of downs to this movie; the funny scenes had me falling down but this movie has a certain audience that will think that it was the best comedy, because it depends if you like all of these comedians in a whole together. I was glad that I didn’t waste my money or time going to the theatre to see this, but I was glad that I rented it so I could walk out or pause it when I need a break form the cast trying too hard to make the me laugh. All in all I recommend if you want to rent it or just not to see this movie.

Toy Story 3

                To Infinity and Beyond….. A perfect ending to the trilogy, Toy Story was one of my obsessions and when I heard about part three I was really excited to see it. Toy Story 3 was a great movie and at time I relived some of my childhood memories while watching it. TS3 was reminiscent of the original, because the toys are getting ready to be packed away again but this time it might be for awhile; Andy the toys owner is all grown up and heading off the college and has to decide what to do with all of his old memories meaning his toys which he is still in love with and can’t bring himself to throw away. By a random mistake the toys are given to a daycare, where the cowboy Woody never gives up hope that Andy didn’t mean to throw them away and doesn’t rest till he and the other toys are back with the teenage Andy.

                Even though this movie was made ten years after the first film was released it still ties in, and if you pay close attention to the background you see something’s that are in the first movie. Some of our favorite toys from the original two movies that are not in this movie are mentioned but are replaced with new loveable characters. When I watch toy story I get the feelings of happiness and joy, and this movie makes the theatre adventure enjoyable to all ages. This movie went along and broke box office records grossing over one billion dollars and becoming the first animated movie to gross that much.

Winter's Bone.

Winter’s Bone is a harsh portrayal of a young teenage 17 year old girl named, Ree Dolly who is struggling to keep her family together now that her father has left them. So she has to take care of her two younger siblings and her depressed mother. Now its Rees’s job to be a parent, now Ree has to search out her father because he has to show up for court because if he does not the courts will take the house away because he put the property up for collateral. As I watched this movie I felt the coldness that Ree had to go through to get to place to place without a car in winter.

The plot is very farfetched that everything fall s on Ree, and the wild journey that she has to encounter to find her druggie father is much usurped. The acting is the one thing that I liked, because even with the movie being boring, the acting sucked you in and kept you all the way till the predictable ending.  The small town people I feel are stereotypical, because they made the whole town look like a dump and the town’s people to be white trash. This movie is getting critical acclaim for the lead actress Jennifer Lawrence who plays Ree, which will probably get an award nomination because in one scene of winter’s Bone she portrayed the gritty side of the boonies while she was getting knocked around while asking too many questions about where her father is. In doing so she still never gave up hope that she will find her dad, Jennifer played this to a “T” and she never messed up any scene.

Paranormal Activity 2

      I almost crapped my pants at least three times during this movie, this movie take place six months before the events of the first movie took place. The movie tied in very well with the fist one with cameos from booth Katie and Micah from the first Paranormal Activity, the moves made me jump so many times which does happen recently because some of the latest scary movies have sucked. PA2 was really rare to see and it was very refreshing to have something that does not involve blood and guts come out. When the family starts getting harassed by this unseen entity and things start to move by them self  gives this movie a more original feel knowing they do not need so much special effects to scare us to death.
      PA2 has the family of the Katie from PA trying to survive some bone chilling encounters with a unseen entity. While relying on more unneeded mythology that does go well with the plot, this movie as twice the actors plus a dog then the first one but still can give you a creeped out feeling as a unseen entity is moving things around and pulling people through the house. PA2 delivered the goods it kept me on the edge of my seat and had me sliding down it too, as I am trying to anticipate what going to pop up or what's going to happening to this family this movie is going to scare many people and satisfy many science fiction people with why this these sister are being targeted. I could go into it more but I would be spilling some scary parts and so I am going to just leave off with saying the ending is really good.

The Girl Who Played with Fire (Flickan som lekte med elden (original title) )

      Noomi Rapace returns as Steig Larsson tough as hell girl, Lisbeth Salander, in the second installment of the Millennium series. This movie picks up where the The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo left off with the tattooed heroine traveling the world then returns to Sweden to try and live a luxurious life, but with Lisbeth Salander nothing in her life is what she expects.  Mikael Blomkvist returns to Stockholm and picks up with his executive job at Millennium magazine. A new reporter comes in and has a hot story with controversial context that involves high society men involved with sex trafficking. When these men find out about this unpublished story they stop at nothing to put an end to it, but when the reporter and his girlfriend are found dead along with Lisbeth's guardian. All eyes turn to finding her because the murder weapon surfaces up with her fingerprints on it. Her past catches up with her and reveals some shocking details of her childhood and the secrets that surround her family. Blomkvist and the rest of Sweden are on the hunt for Lisbeth, but her past has strengthen her to with stand the hard battle that is coming.

      Since The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, was such a big success I was expecting the same greatness of this movie but I was shocked how The Girl Who Played with Fire's directing was awful. The film looked low budget when it probably had a massive budget to work with knowing that the first movie broke Swedish box office records. The director, producer and the score composer where all changed and that was what lagged a lot, but the plot, and actors that returned was complete perfection. All in all I still would recommend people to watch this movie and I would strongly recommend to watch out for the third installment,  The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest that will come out at the Flint Institute of Arts Dec. 10,11 and 12.

Night of the Demons

I would not say that this was the BEST movie I ever saw. But it was a decent B movie with some comical acting coming in to play a lot. Angela played by Shannon Elizabeth (American Pie) is throwing a huge Halloween party at the New Orleans' infamous Broussard Mansion, which surprisingly there are tons of rumors swirling about what really happened there decades ago which is the lure to why people are attending the party. But as the Halloween get under way the party gets crashed and everyone has to go home, but Angela and her friends get locked in where they find discover a horrifying secret that they have to try and survive from. Their phones don't work the gate get mysteriously locked and there is no why out, they have to stay there to morning and hope they live.
While this movie isn't the best movie I saw this year, I did jump once and laughed more than expected,and you do get some nudity. The acting was horrible and so was some of the acting choices ex. Edward Furlong (Terminator) who looked bloated all over thought out the movie, and casting Shannon Elizabeth to play a twenty something when she is close to forty is funny because they have to use heavy makeup and you can tell. Not a great take on demons and offers up way to much blood and gut, but as long as you're not expecting much, like I was when I picked this up to rent, go for it and rent it. It was a good B movie and did have many comical scenes that will get some laughs out of you and the ending is a kind of a surprise, but don’t hold your breath for this movies to scare the shit out of you because you won’t get it with this movie. This movie was a remake of the 1988 version by the same name.

Splice

Centering around to Scientists named Clive (Adrien Brody) and Elsa (Sarah Polley)who do not care about the ethic and are secretly are splicing animal and human D.N.A to create a monster with a stinger for a tail who Clive wants to kill A.S.A.P but Elsa is growing fond of and mane it Dren. soon the realize that the experiment has gotten way out of hand and their careers are on the line so they attempt to move Dren somewhere to the country where Elsa has a family home, where Splice starts to get strong and out of control, and the couple have to find away to sort it all out.

While the story line is good the movie start to get dull and very predictable, I for one didn't care for the plot or the movie in a whole the whole weirdness of the movie freaked me out and some parts are a little gross. The movie has great actors it but I feel that they made a bad choose in selecting this movie, I expected this to be a edge of your seat thriller form the trailer but turned out to be a complete opposite it was more like a sci-fi drama, the movie was poorly executed and definitely not worth $5 to rent. Just wait for it to show up on SyFy and watch the edited version, which will probably be more entertaining. Dren continues to get stronger and out of control.

The Collector

      Just in time for Halloween The collector is a different type of scary movie, it centers on a thief named Arkin who is desperate to pay his wife dept to some loan sharks by midnight. He comes up with a plan to steal form a wealthy family, who he just recently installed windows and doors for, he ends up back at the house attempting to crack their safe and steal it contents. When he realizes that he hears screaming and soon finds that he is going to have to use all the skills that he knows to avoid all the expertly hidden traps that the collector has set up and to try and rescue the family that he would of stolen from before they and him are all dead; all the time while trying to dodge a scary as hell maniac who us staking the house while hurting the mom and dad who are tied up in the basement.
      I remember as a kid being fearful to go into the kitchen, at night to get a snack or something to drink thinking that there would be a crazed killer waiting for me. This movie brought back all of those terrible feeling rushing back minus all of the dunking teenagers, this movie had me on the edge of my sit many times though out the movie. This movie did its own spin of the average stab and bleed killer it flipped it over on their heads as the collector who doesn't speak one word through the movie but has on a creepy mask and stalks the house at any moment or at any sound trying to find a one of the family member that have hidden. The collector is a rare movie in this decade to actually give you a frighten experience anytime of the day you watch it and with the Halloween season here I would suggest it if you're in the mood to get scared I highly suggest you to rent this movie.

Let Me In

      Let Me In move centers around a young boy named Owen (The road) whose parents are in the middle of a divorce and no longer live with each other. Owen is constantly a human punching bag for three bullies, Owens only refuge from his constant torment is his solitude at home, because his mother is always working. So he play on a jungle gym at night alone, it isn't until one night a mysteries family movies in next door, as Owen watches them move in, he notices a little girl who look about his age and is walking around with no shoes in the middle of winter. As days go by, he finally meets the little girl whose name is Abby (kick-ass) she come to the jumble gym and sits by her, he notices that she still is not wearing shoes and smells funny, he asks her why she says  she feels cold differently. Own finds out the she is a vampire and the recent killing are connected to her caregiver, who kills them for blood so Abby can live, Owen soon accepts her as a Vampire and she helps him with the people who pick on him.
      Let Me In, is based on the Swedish movie and book titled the same, "Let The Right One In".  This in some cases is a shot for shot same  scenes as the original. But I feel that this movie goes deeper than most Vampire movies that are being released like their french fries, I feel that it is a coming of age story of two "kids" just trying to find in and find something in each other they can trust, and build a different kind of relationship on. It gives the feel that any human or supernatural thing need a friend. At time the movie has a gore scenes or two but lives up to the original movie and may have even added more to it. The movie goes into so lore as what would happen if a vampire come into a house without an invite, or how they can survive with help of an "helper", this movie is a muss see it goes above movies the "Twilight" or "Vampires Suck" it gives a genuine feel that as you leave the movies that this was a good movie.

Frozen

      This movie Frozen, centers on a real life situation that is as scary as a slasher. Three college students Dan. best friend Lynch and Dan's new girl friend Parker leave school for a weekend of fun snowboarding and skiing. They decide to cut a few corners and pay off the ski lift operator, so they can get on the lift for a cheaper price, which is against ski logging policy, and their rules are there to protect their customers for a reason. As the three get tired out they get a quick bite to eat and go for a last minute lift and the ski life operator say, OK but with miss-communication they get left there suspended sixty feet above air as they sit there waiting for help they soon realize that nobody's coming for them and the lodge is closed for the week and re-opens Friday. They have to decide to either jump and risk injury or survive the elements as the temperature plummets Dan decides to jump but in doing so encounters for problems then imagined. with Dan on the ground and Lynch and Parker in the lift freezing to death they soon realize that they are not alone on the mountain.
      We have seen scary movie with, ghost, supernatural things, and crazed people etc. But, what sets this movie apart is that this could and probably has happened to somebody and it is a refreshing experience, because natural elements are the threat, plus the movie gives the feel that every human has a breaking point and the movie did a pretty good job at finding theres. This movies gives us a good question to us who sees it. What would you do in this situation? I thought that I would not like this movie but the director makes us feel for these three people, and all of the visuals get under your skin and you can't take your eyes off the screen. One great thing about "Frozen" is that the filmmakers actually shot the film among the snowy mountains (in Utah). No green screen or sound stage is used, and the on-location shots give the film a real look and feel. Otherwise, the film is average with its scenario that heavily depends on coincidences.

Imdb's top 250 Movies of all time.

Check out the top 250 movies of all time.

Ondine

      An Irish drama, centers around a Syracuse (played by Colin Farrel) who is a a fisher man who is not that lucky in life, people in town call him "Circus", because he was a former drunk that pulled his life together after he found out that his daughter has kidney failure. One day while fishing, he pulled his net up to see how much he caught and found something unexpected a near drowned "good looking women" who's name is Ondine (Polish actress Alicja Bachleda) which turns his bad look into some really good luck and for him that is a great gift. According to the dictionary an 'ondine is a water nymph or water spirit, the elemental of water. They are usually found in forest pools and waterfalls. They have beautiful voices, which are sometimes heard over the sound of water. According to some legends, ondines cannot get a soul unless they marry a man and bear him a child. This aspect has led them to be a popular motif in romantic and tragic literature.'  Syracuse's daughter Annie believes, that Ondine is a selkie (a seal that's taken human form and can grant wishes) she is happy to encourage Annie's imagination, Syracuse is pretty convinced that she is a selkie. But things go a rye when Annie gets sick and Syracuse's past come back to haunt him, and some truths are exposed  in the process that will leave everybody surprised.
      This movie is very different, from what I usually but as the movie progressed it turned out to be a great ride. I was really believing the story line all the way through the movie, but just as we think the fairytale might go on forever, the real world breaks through the love an passion that this movie brings to the table. But as good as the movie was there was some draw backs,this movie is not for everybody, their accents were heavy and made some parts had to understand, and some scenes are boring and lengthy. I saw this more because I am a fan of the Director Neil Jordan and I like his work but this wasn't one I would watch again.

The Town

      Based on the novel by Chuck Hogan. Lead by an all star cast including Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner, Blake Lively, and Written, Produced, Directed, and stars Ben Affleck acclaimed screenwriter and Director of "Gone Baby Gone". The town is the world's capital for carjacking, kidnappings, and armed robberies.Which passes down their trick of the trades from father to son.The movie centers a group of bank robbers that live Charles town, Boston (the town), where crime is a part of life. It starts with a bank robbery then leads to a hostage of the bank manger Claire Keesey, who the main character; Doug Macary (Affleck) falls in love with, which spirals into betrayal, because he was one of the bank robbers. Doug's best friend James coughlin (Renner) later finds out and tells him that he is going to ruin their chances at a next heist. The F.B.I is investigating the bank robbery and Adam Frawley (Hamm) is starting to get close to his list of suspects. The momentum picks up as Doug's past keeps coming back to haunt him, and as they start to get ready of their next job the bond of friendship has to help then survive on of the biggest and intense jobs of their lifes.
       The deep Boston feels to this movie makes if real and believable. At times the movies did movie too fast and some characters that I would of liked to see more, weren't in the movie a great deal.  The characters are richly drawn and you can visualize the action, as it takes place, more brutal than we expect. The neighborhoods of Boston and Charles town are engraved in memory. The rich Boston accents gave this movie a more authentic feel, the accents gave me a sense that I was their, it made the movie experience that much more great. I would go back to see this movie again, because it was just that good, and if you haven't seen it yet, go and see this movie, because I feel that there will be some awards for The Town.

The Killers

       Jen (Katherine Heigal) tags along with her parent (Tom Selleck and Catherine O'Hara) to take a vacation to Nice.Their Jen grovel over her hard break up with her boy friend then, enters Spencer an assassin sent to Nice for a "job". Jen and Spencer meet each other in a elevator with Spencer saying, "Bonjure" the comedy the ensues with Jen pretending to listen to Spencer speaking french to her when finally she admits that she does not understand a word he is saying.  The couple's cutesy flirting turns into a romantic dinner, which leads to some heavy drinking… and Flash forward to the future where they are happily married,, Spencer has renounced the killing gig, married Jen, and moved back to her hometown in the States,Spencer is no longer working as a killer but instead as a  corporate consultant. As the years pass, his past finally catches up to him and the comedy pursues with hired guns trying to kill him for twenty million dollars, then while Spencer is being attacked at his house the first time, Jen walks into these shenanigans and flips out, it finally leads to Spencer telling him what he used to do for a living and her walling over the fact that she married a killer. As they fight with each other the rest of the time they are being followed ,she feels sick and come to find out the she is pregnant. As the movie comes to a close there is a small twist that works itself  out.
       The Killers is a cheap rendition of "Mr. and Mrs. Smith", while they choose some great actors for the movie they put almost no effort into taking the acting serious, the actors were attractive but the chemistry was not flowing . The script fell short of its goal. The comedy as a whole was dry, and the plot was very unbelievable their was enough holes in the movie to strain spaghetti. Overall I would say, to not waste you're time on a flop that is attaining and boring, spend you're money on something with more excitement.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Män som hatar kvinnor)

The movie is based, on the international best seller by Stieg Larsson. The story centers around a unique individual, named Lisbeth Slander who is an expert computer hacker, who is secretly helping Mikael Blomvist. By hacking into his computer and leaving some good tips for him to help his investigation of a 40 year old disappearance the missing girl Harriet Vanger.  Harriet Vanger disappeared at a family gathering on an island in Stockholm, Sweden, owned and lived on by the powerful Vanger clan. Her uncle is convinced that someone from the Vanger group who was there, the weekend of her disappearance, because the family is very vindictive, and is always fighting for more power of the company. The Uncle Hernrik Vanger employs a disgraced journalist named Mikael Blomkvist and with the help of the tattooed Lisbeth Slander they uncover a horrific family secret that goes back more than 40 years that the Vanger family might even kill for.
      
             This is a foreign film that has earned countless overseas awards and also the highest grossing movie in Sweden, and is currently the first of three films that will be coming to U.S theatres. Hollywood is currently trying to Americanize the three movies (books) to the big screen. I have nothing but good thing to say, about this film. It was expertly casted to a tee, the two main characters where remarkable with their ability to adapt to such daring roles. It is a good thing that they are Swedish actors and unknowns, because they can devour the roles completely. The Swedish countryside is almost another character and the audience also gets a travelogue from seeing these great moody swaths of land, snow and island woods that gives the experience a more believable look. The title of the movie was Män som hatar kvinnor which translates to Men who hate women, I don’t know why they would change the name they probably did it for marketing. The movie is roughly over 2 hours and is worth all you’re time and attention.I'm hoping that the American version will be as great as the Swedish version was.