Rated: Rated R for horror violence/gore and language.

Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Horror

Release Date: 2 October 2009

Runtime: 88 min

Director: Ruben Fleischer

Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin, Bill Murray

In the horror comedy Zombieland focuses on two men who run into one another, who have found a way to survive a world overrun by zombies. Columbus is a big wuss — but when you’re afraid of being eaten by zombies, fear can keep you alive. Moreover having a list or rules helps: Rule 1: Cardio, Rule 2: Beware of Bathrooms, Rule 3: Seatbelts, Rule 4: Doubletap (check out the 32 RULES) . Tallahassee is an AK-toting, zombie-slaying’ bad ass whose single determination is to get the last Twinkie on earth. As they join forces with Wichita and Little Rock, who have also found unique ways to survive the zombie mayhem, they will have to determine which is worse: relying on each other or succumbing to the zombies.

A hilarious film, clearly a hit for 2009. Zombieland is one of those movies people love because it does not require thinking, simply watching and laughing with the occasional OOHHH when a good hit is made. The movie is built around a road-trip concept loaded with stylish zombie kills and a blossoming relationship between possibly the only people left alive in Zombieland. The script itself is phenomenal, loaded with one-liners even Rodney Dangerfield would be proud of. The film includes horrific gore and is true to the genre of horror providing the audience with a reason to jump  a couple inches off their seats.

If you like zombie movies, horror comedies, or the joyously inventive massacre of the undead, I cannot recommend Zombieland enough. See it. Take a friend. Take your domesticated zombie. Just go. And 20 years from now, when you’re kids are experiencing Zombieland for the first time at a midnight showing on their college campus, you can tell them you saw it the first time around. And if the world is obliterated by a zombie apocalypse between now and then, at least you’ll have a few rules to live by.

carole Action, Adventure, Comedy, Horror

Rated: R

Genre: Action, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Runtime: 162 mins

Released: March 6, 2009

Director: Zach Snyder

Cast: Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Patrick Wilson, Carla Gugino

I finally saw Watchmen this weekend directed by Zach Snyder (300, Dawn on the Dead), which was originally a really graphic novel written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons. The Movie is set In 1985, Richard Nixon is about to serve his third term as president of the United States and the world stands on the edge of destruction as the world’s two superpowers vie for nuclear supremacy. The only thing stopping the USSR from launching a doomsday attack is America’s Dr. Manhattan (played by Billy Crudup) a being with enough power to destroy planets and much else.

I never read the novel Watchmen nor am I familiar with the characters because I’ve never even heard of Watchmen before, that might be why this movie was “just ok” to me. I think there were too many characters to get familiar with; usually the audience is introduced to 1 or 2 main characters, but when you are trying to get them to care about 5 or 6 characters it starts to get fuzzy and boring. Not to mention the acting was just average.

The movie is also way to long, with flashback after flashback in the first 2 hours, by the time we hit the climax there is only 30 minutes left. With too many subplots (which come from out of nowhere) I think the only people who will enjoy this movie are fans of the novel, people who are already familiar with the characters.

Jenn Action, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Rated: R

Genre: Comedy, Action, Drama, War

Release Date: 21 August 2009

Runtime: 153 min

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Cast: Brad Pitt, Eli Roth, Til Schweiger, Gedeon Burkhard, B. J. Novak, Omar Doom, Samm Levine, Paul Rust, Michael Bacall, Carlos Fidel, Harvey Keitel, Michael Fassbender, Mike Myers, Rod Taylor, Mélanie Laurent, Diane Kruger, Christoph Waltz, Daniel Brühl, Jacky Ido

In Nazi Occupied France a young Jewish refugee Shosanna Dreyfus witnesses the slaughter of her family by Colonel Hans Landa. Narrowly escaping with her life, she plots her revenge several years later when German war hero Fredrick Zoller quickly takes an interest in her and arranges an illustrious movie premiere at the theater she now runs. With the promise of every major Nazi officer in attendance, the event catches the attention of the “Basterds”, a group of Jewish-American guerrilla soldiers led by the ruthless Lt. Aldo Raine. As the relentless executioners advance and the conspiring young girl’s plans are set in motion, their paths will cross for a fateful evening that will shake and change the history of the world.

Inglourious Basterds, I can honestly say, is hands down the best film I have seen so far in 2009. The Writer/Producer Quentin Tarantino has rarely failed to entertain an audience as he most certainly has in his latest film.  His cast selection could not have been more appropriate and his different editing techniques, such as separating parts of the movies into Chapters, enhanced the appeal of the film.

In Chapter 2 of the movie when the camera spans across the 8 Basterds, introducing them to the audience, I could not imagine a more scandalous group of men who would suit the term basterds better. Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz) aka “The Jew Hunter” seemed to be the favourite of the crowded theatre, he definetely had something different about him, granted he was the “bad guy”, I could not help but love him.

The film was overly graphic to the extent that we saw scalps being cut off, heads bashed in, blood splatter whenever a gun showed up on screen… finally!!! Hollywood is showing it’s audience the stoamch twisting gore we all crave and loath at the same time. Moreover there was comedy, subtle humor that received theatre wide reaction. I get excited now just thinking about the movie from last night, and I am finding it hard to write about this movie without being tempted to throw out examples of what happened during the film and basically ruin it with spoilers. One final note… Tarintino ends his film in a different way then what really went down in the history books…what I suggest is that this MUST SEE film out to be added to everyones ’seen’ list.

carole Action, Comedy, Drama, War

GI Joe directed by Stephen Sommers in my opinion was not so great. The story line was blah and the acting was very bad. I went to see it last Friday with my boyfriend and was not surprised that the theater was full, I was expecting that. What I was not expecting was how boring the movie was; even the action scenes were boring. We wanted to leave after the first 30 minutes of the movie; however we ended up staying. It’s very rare I would leave a movie, even if it’s boring I could always take a nap.

There were a few humorous scenes that included Marlon Wayans who played Ripcord; I would say he was the highlight of the movie for me. I was very disappointed with Channing Tatum, who played the main character Duke. I’ve seen him in many other movies and always enjoyed his style. Sienna Miller must have been the worst I’ve ever seen her, the only reason I excuse her is because she is one hot lady!

GI Joe is based on a toy/comic/cartoon (which was actually called Action Force) from the 80’s, which would be targeting boys ages 5-12 years old, however since the movie is PG-13, I don’t think many young boys will be watching this movie.

I know a lot of amateur reviewers are complaining that critics are being too hard on this movie, calling them tight asses and going as far as writing such things like “the critics don’t deserve their jobs”. Is it just me or do these amateur reviewers have something up their asses? I think some people are being too defensive. Maybe they are a little to attach to their childhood toys to realize that they are not the only ones with opinions, which are what critics do, they give their opinions. People need to relax!

Jenn Action, Fantasy

Rated: R

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama

Release date: February 13, 2009

Run time: 1 hr 58 mins

Director: Tom Tykwer

Cast: Clive Owen, Naomi Watts, Ulrich Thomsen

Interpol agent Louis Salinger (Clive Owen) partners up with Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Eleanor Whitman (Naomi Watts) in an attempt to expose a high-profile financial institute’s role in an international arms dealing ring.

With a plot such as this, you would expect the movie to be exciting and fast paced. The movie starts off quite slow, beginning with details of who exactly is the IBBC (the International Bank of Business and Credit) and what they can do. Salinger had been tracking the IBBC for years, turning it into a game for him, determined to bring them down.

The action in The International was very slow until the middle of the movie where the exhilarating shootout takes place in Guggenheim Museum in Manhattan. The movies ending left us wondering what Salingers determination and drive to take down the IBBC was even for, was it for the better of the world or was it a personal vendetta, an obsession.

Nothing is really ever answered. I heard from many sources that the movie left them feeling bored and wondering what happened. For those who haven’t seen the movie yet, you must stay focussed to follow along and understand the ending. This is the kind of movie where if you take a bathroom break, you’re left very confused. Hopefully you will be sitting with someone who can explain what just happened or if you’re in the comfort of your own home, press rewind (for all you VHS oldies) or back on your DVD remote. Overall it’s not a terrible movie, but if you’re looking for a fast paced non stop action movie, I would look elsewhere. If you like Clive Owen you will certainly like the movie.

Jenn Action, Adventure, Drama, Thriller

Rated: R

Genre: Action

Release Date: 22 August 2008

Runtime: 86mins

Director: Jesse V. Johnson

Cast: Rick Yune, Keith David, Bokeem Woodbine, Dania Ramirez, Roger Yuan

After witnessing the brutal murder of his parents as a young boy, Chance Templeton (Rick Yune) is taken in by a ruthless killer (Keith David) and raised to follow in his footsteps. An assassin’s trade is solitary by nature, but Chance shares a tight bond with his adopted brother, Miles (Bokeem Woodbine), who’s elected a more honorable path working as a bodyguard for a sultry pop star (Dania Ramirez).

When Chance is contracted to gun down his brother’s client, he realizes there is finally a line he cannot cross. Uniting with his brother to stave off an expected hit, Chance finds himself targeted by the elite members of his own profession as he struggles to protect a woman who stubbornly rejects his services.

A decent film filled with action and self-discovery, Rick Yune’s The Fifth Commandment does not fail to entertain. We get to see the actors in a new light, Rick, once an evil villain in a Bond film is now a hired killer working on his own terms, whilst Dania, who cried people to death on TV hit show ‘Heroes’, is now a pop singer that begins the ordeal between the brothers in the film.

carole Action

Rated: PG

Runtime: 1 hr. 30 min.

Release date: July 24, 2009

Genre: Action, Adventure, Animated, Sci-Fi, Fantasy

Cast: Bill Nighy, Zach Galifianakis, Sam Rockwell, Penelope Cruz, Tracy Morgan, Nicholas Cage

Producer: Jerry Bruckheimer

G-Force is the first 3-D film to hit the big screen for Jerry Bruckheimer, who teamed up with Disney to produce this combination of live action and well-done animation. These exceptionally natural-looking Guinea Pigs each have a distinct personality and are to be trained by a covert government to work in espionage. Armed with the latest high-tech spy equipment, these highly trained guinea pigs discover that the fate of the world is in their paws.

tapped for the G-Force are guinea pigs Darwin (voice of Sam Rockwell), the squad leader determined to succeed at all costs; Blaster (voice of Tracy Morgan), an outrageous weapons expert with tons of attitude and a love for all things extreme; and Juarez (voice of Penelope Cruz), a sexy martial arts pro; plus the literal fly-on-the-wall reconnaissance expert, Mooch, and a star-nosed mole, Speckles (voice of Nicolas Cage), the computer and information specialist.

I was quite impressed with the 3-d action, the humor is consistent and enjoyable, the story and special effects all work together to boost the overall effect of this film. G-Force is cute and fun and suitable for any age. I Suggest it to all, you will leave the theatre with a nice big smile!

Jenn Action, Adventure, Animation, Family, Fantasy, Sci-Fi 3-D, Animation, Disney, G-force, Guinea pig

The third film in the Underworld Saga Underworld: Rise of the Lycans goes back hundreds of years to explore the origins of the centuries-old blood feud between the aristocratic vampires known as Death Dealers and their onetime slaves, the Lycans. Rise of the Lycans finally gets to the root of why the vampires and werewolves really can’t stand each other.

Viktor (Bill Nighy) the aristocratic vampire is the ruler. When a Lycan woman has a human baby boy, Viktor resists the urge to kill him. Instead Viktor names him Lucian (played by Michael Sheen) and keeps him as his pet. When Lucian grows up he begins a forbidden romance with Viktors daughter Sonia (Rhona Mitra). When Viktor discovers the truth, he takes drastic steps to ensure that Sonia will never be able to see Lucian again. Lucian retaliates with the Lycan slaves by attacking full force on Viktors kingdom.

Micheal Sheen gives a blazing solid performance as the enslaved hero of Rise of the Lycans. Lucian, you’ll recall from Undeworld the ancient leader of the Lycans. Rise of the Lycans is his origins story.

Without Len Wiseman or Kate Beckinsale attached, I was expecting a straight-to-DVD type knockoff. And, indeed, Rise of the Lycans, from director Patrick Tatopoulos (he did the special effects for the first two flicks) is considerably less stylized that Wiseman’s entries, but that actually works to its advantage. It’s not a particularly memorable film, but for fans of the first two installments of the Underworld trilogy, Rise of the Lycans embodies the same guilty pleasure.

I still enjoyed the first two installments a little more then Rise of the Lycans. Not because it wasn’t entertaining, probably only because I’m a Kate Beckinsale fan and she is not in the third film. Which makes sence, because it goes way back to before the first film.

Jenn Action, Fantasy, Horror, Thriller

I finally watched Tropic Thunder this weekend, I wasn’t going to watch this movie but after a little convincing from a friend I gave in. I knew Ben Stiller directed and starred in this comedy, so it couldn’t be that terrible (after hearing rumors that is was pretty bad). I’ve always enjoyed Stiller’s movies; this is another one I can add to the “like” list. I’m with most other reviewers on this one, if you like Ben Stiller you will like this movie, plain and simple.

The movies premise is that a Vietnam vet wrote a novel Tropic Thunder and this movie is basically the telling of the making of that movie (a movie within a movie if you will). The director of the movie is told to shoot the movie as a live action film, guerilla style. However the area in which they start shooting the film in is actually populated by heroin drug smugglers. The actors are unaware of this and think everything that happens is part of the movie.

Robert Downey Jr., Ben Stiller & Jack Black all played great rolls in the film, however it’s actually Tom Cruise who steals the spotlight in this one. Cruise plays the movie’s producer Les Grossman, who turns out to be freaking hilarious. I had no idea Cruise could be this funny. I’ve actually never really enjoyed his films, but after seeing him as a “wacko” in this comedy, I think he has found his calling. I would have to say that Downey’s role as an Australian playing a black man is a close second to being funny next to Cruise.

The movie was well directed and acted, it is supposed to be a comedy and it lives up to its genre, being funny. I laughed a lot and would definitely see it again.

Jenn Action, Adventure, Comedy

Rated: PG-13

Genre: Action/Adventure/Drama

Runtime: 1 hr 45 mins

Release Date: April 24, 2009

Director: Dito Montiel

Cast: Channing Tatum, Terrence Howard, Brian White, Luis Guzman, Zulay Henao

Director Dito Montiel (A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints) returns to the big screen with 2009’s fighting. A drama of course about fighting, with the title like that how can you confuse this movie with anything else? Most people found the title to be a little misleading, believing there should have been more fighting then there actually was.

Channing Tatum (Step Up, Stop-Loss) plays Shawn McArthur a young kid who hustles on the streets of New York just to make a living. When Shawn gets hustled himself, he gets heated and starts a fight. To his advantage he catches the eye of a small time underground fight promoter names Harvey Boarden (Terrence Howard). Harvey convinces Shawn to fight for him, with an offer he can’t refuse. Shawn becomes an overnight star brawler, with his natural talent for fighting. Eventually Shawn meets a familiar face from his past, which he is forced to fight. Of course the situation turns out good for him.

Fighting is similar to Fight Club, which many viewers have been comparing it to. Does that take away from enjoying the film? Personally I don’t think it does. Tatum has this charismatic charm about him, which draws you into the movie, and I’m not just saying that because he’s cute. He really does the whole bad-ass thing well.

Although the movie is indeed about fighting, there is a message that comes across quite clear; the fight to make something more of oneself. This is a great message to get out to people. I would watch this movie again!

Jenn Action, Adventure, Drama