| Seasonal Reviews IN THEATERS Review Page |
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| Charlies Angels 2: Full Throttle Rated: PG-13 |
| COMING SOON |
| By Matt G |
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| Finding Nemo Rated: G |
| JUST KEEP SWIMMING! |
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| "Finding Nemo" is a delightful comedy that brings you deep below the sea and into a world of beautifully crafted images. Disney & Pixar team up to bring you this wonderful film. When watching the picture it is clear that Disney brings the story & comedy, while Pixar supplies the images & motion. What is interesting about watching this feature is how an 80 year old could receive the same enjoyment as a toddler. The kids will enjoy the action & adventure, while the adults, the satire & "fishy" humor. The story revolves around an overprotective clown fish Marlin, (Albert Brooks) & curious son Nemo (Alexander Gould). Marlin tells his son that the ocean is a very dangerous place, but overly curious Nemo disobeys his father�s words and becomes lost. Marlin begins his journey to find his only son, until he bumps into a blue fish named Dorey (Ellen DeGeneres) who suffers from short-term memory. Dorey joins Marlin on the adventure to find his son and supplies most of the humor, but danger lurks when they run into an anglerfish, massive group of jellyfish, and get swallowed by a whale. Nemo on the other hand is safe & sound in a dentist office�s fish tank, but is he really out of harms way? �Finding Nemo� is one of the most captivating movie�s I have seen in a long time, and it is only rated G. Which proves that with the absence of sex/violence/horror, (which is overly present in many of today�s movies) �Nemo� is still a refreshing & pleasing film for all. |
| Ok, but Ford/Hartnett are quite the dynamic duo..... |
| Hollywood Homicide Rated: PG-13 |
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| Just ok. The two words I would describe this film. Harrison Ford (Joe Gavilan) & Josh Hartnett (K.C. Calden) star as two L.A. cops who are investigating a "homicide" at a L.A. rap club. Joe (Harrison) is a close to retirement cop who has quite a hilarious anger problem. Without Ford's character this movie would really stink. K.C. (Josh) plays a wannabe actor & yoga instructer, who's only in it for the chicks. Joe & K.C.'s chemistry together is pretty good, yet their characters seperate are equally enjoyable. The story builds from there, but I couldn't understand it all because of the movie being so slow & too many plots building together. The climatic ending car chase downtown L.A. is action-packed & hilarious! Joe/K.C.'s lack of enjoying each other's company shines & as they seperate to cover more ground the mystery is eventually solved. What is very dissappointing is how the ending does not leave the audience with much. Does K.C. live his dream of being a successful movie star? Does Joe continue his relationship with Ruby (Lena Olin)? Well, maybe the studio was hoping for a sequel....if that is so I hope the 2nd is better than "Just Ok". |
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| 2 STARS |
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| Special Effects on Steroids! |
| Matrix Reloaded Rated: R |
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| Visual overload is what makes this series so much fun to watch! The sequel gives more of what the audience wants; action, violence, adventure, special effects that amaze minds; and even if they didn�t want it, a city orgy & sex scene between Neo (Keanu Reeves) and Trinity (Carrie Ann Moss). Even though there is little humor in this film, it is not needed. Even if you haven�t seen the first Matrix or know little about the story, I think you will enjoy this movie equally. What makes me think is why Keanu Reeves was cast to be Neo in the first place? Was it his acting ability or physical flexibility/condition? After watching the first & now second it�s difficult to tell. Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), Trinity (Carrie-Ann Moss), & Niobe (Jada Pinkett Smith) all kick as much or more ass as Neo (Reeves) in this visual creation. Look for the highway chase sequence, near the middle of the film, which is clearly the highlight of this visual roller coaster. |
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| 4 STARS!!! |
| 3 STARS |
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| Harmless, Brainless, Good Natured Fun!!! |
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| Legally Blonde 2: Red, White, & Blonde Rated: PG-13 |
| I would say this flick is the "Feel Good Movie Of the Summer", but I haven't seen the sequel to Legally Blonde, yet. But even if it isn't, it comes OH SO CLOSE! Natalie (Cameron Diaz), Dylan (Drew Barrymore), & Alex (Lucy Liu) are back to kick some serious ass (and if imaginable there is an even MORE tremendous budget on this movie than the original!) Yes, the Angels are sexy & hot, but they also shape the movie's mood, which is "A Feel Good Time" (which reminds me, the music is killer!). The story lacks depth, but in the end it really doesn't matter. The ex-angel Madison Lee (Demi Moore) is my favorite character, and Moore does an outstanding portayal as a bitch who wants it all. There's a lot of fun dancing (especially by Diaz), suprise guest cameos (Bruce Willis, singers Pink & Eve, Carrie Fisher, to name a few), and other important characters return (Matt LeBlanc & Luke Wilson, the boyfriends of characters Alex & Natalie) too add to the fun & comedy of the picture. The new Bosley (Bernie Mac) does add some humor to the film, but not clearly as equal to the angels. All 3 actresses have distinguished roles in the movie; Diaz, the ditzy blonde who cracks all the hilarious jokes (discussing surfing, "I just love to ride when it's hard and wet."), Liu, the fierce fighter who steals a lot of the good action scenes, & Barrymore, who's character draws the most in-depth storyline (She plays the past 80's heavy-metal rocker who's had previous ties with "the bad boy" Seamus O' Grady, played by Justin Theroux). I would recommend this film to anyone who just wants to have a good time & won't worry that the story-line is an excuse to include whizbang "Matrix" fight & chase scenes, hilarious dance sequences (especially Diaz portraying a statue god in a life-size martini glass during the burlesque club scene) , & clingy PG-13 modeled outfits. Long live these angels! |
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| 3 STARS |
| Ignore the Harsh Critics, "Blonde 2" is Golden! |
| Pirates of the Carribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl Rated PG-13 |
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| My theory of movies is simple. A sequel can be a great movie, but not as good as the original. My theory is proven with "Blonde 2", a delightful fun-filled patriotic film for the whole family. Elle Woods (portrayed by the sharp & bright Reese Witherspoon) matures, but she seems to be lacking her intelligence in areas that she shouldn't. I mean she has graduated from Harvard, right? Besides this point, the audience will love Elle, the power woman who goes at all odds to achieve her goals & dreams. This movie is basically for anyone who has a heart. When Elle decides to find the biological mother for Brusier Woods (her doggy companion who has so many matching coordinating outfits, it's hilarious) she discovers that she is a test subject at a big cosmetics company. Determined to release not just the mother pooch, but all animals from cosmetic testing, Elle brings up the subject with her law firm. The serious & overly-mature lawyers laugh at Elle's proposition to ban all cosmetic testing on animals and dismiss her from their firm. Elle, all down on her luck, is cheered up by her fiance (Luke Wilson) and races to Washington D.C, snap cup and all, to make a stand. But she's not alone, Congresswoman Rudd (Sally Field, who plays this role to perfection) decides to help Woods, but that's only at first. Elle finds out how cruel & greedy people are in D.C., but that's when her hotel doorman Sid Post (Bob Newhart) offers to help. Elle writes a bill banning animal testing on cosmetics, and brings it too Congress, hoping they will pass it. That's where the plot takes off. The support system that Elle has in this movie is amazing, and the character truly deserves all the help she can get. I was also extremely impressed with actress Regina King (Grace Rossiter). A needed improvement was the development of Elle & Emmett's (Luke Wilson) relationship. It was very vague in the sequel, and needed more screen time to successfully tie in with the happy ending. Funny kudos go to returning Paulette Parcelle, Elle's best maincure friend, (Jennifer Coolidge) who steals most of the good lines in the movie and her crazy sorority sisters Margot (Jessica Cauffiel) & Serena (Alanna Ubach) boost the movie's energy. The audience will also love watching Brusier Woods find his first canine love (believe me it's quite the "twist")! In a way I think we all want a little "Elle Woods" in us. She's positive & happy all the time to everyone, uses a very extensive vocabulary, & has quite the support list of friends, family, & even animals. Americans everywhere, spend your time this 4th of July season too watch the 2nd journey of a bright blonde making her dreams comes true & in the process, inspiring us all. |
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| 3 1/2 STARS! |
| 4 STARS! |
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| Yo Ho Ho, and a Bottle of..... FUN! |
| The 2003 Summer Block-buster is HERE! And the audience will absolutely LOVE it! Take your seat & learn of the dark & mysterious tale (Curse of the Black Pearl) which states that ALL pirates bodies turn too bones when the moonlight is shining upon them! ARR!!! And along the way meet up with too-full of-rum Captain Jack Sparrow (played by the ever hilarious Johnny Depp), handsome blacksmith Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), the beautiful governer's daughter Elizabeth Swann (portrayed by the new to the screen & very talented Kiera Knightly), & the mean & in-need of dentist Captain Barbosa (the infamous Geoffrey Rush). The opening scene of a young Elizabeth singing a famous pirate jingle aboard her father's (played by Jonathan Pryce) ship will set the stage as a rescued from sea young Turner (who IS a pirate when found) is put under Elizabeth''s care. Into present day, Turner is love-sick of Elizabeth, who may marry into royalty. Captain Jack Sparrow, sunken ship & one shot left on his pistol, enters the colonial port town only to be arrested because he is a pirate. A dark night becomes a rowdy fiasco in the quaint town when Cap. Barbosa & his evil pirate folk enter on the Black Pearl. I won't say much else, but Elizabeth is captured & Turner is destined to find her (of course with help by Cap. Sparrow). Sword fights, sea battles, plank walkings, & buried treasure are all to come along the high seas. The audience who have been on the famous animatronic attraction "Pirates of the Caribbean", at Disney-land or world, will chuckle at insider cheeky allusions filled throughout the film. Humor is present everywhere, especially with Cap. Sparrow & Cap. Barbosa's pet monkey. The visual mood & effects are stunning, while a sea-distant soundtrack (by Hans Zimmer) adds height to adventorous & daring scenes. I don't even believe I liked "Hook" as much as I did "Pirates". "Pirates" is a must-see movie this summer, but don't forget to bring that bucket for those easily sea-sick, because ARR! will it be a bumpy ride 'till the end! |
| *MATT'S PICK!!* |
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| Jeepers Creepers 2 |
| Pretty Much What I Expected, Which Isn�t Necessarily a Bad Thing�. |
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| Fready Friday Rated PG |
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| 3 Stars |
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| Besides �Hot Chick�, the switching-bodies formula is a grand success in the movie industry. What fun it would be as an actor/actress to play someone older & mean or someone more youthful & active. What�s even more fun is that the actor/actress does not have to go through the physical makeup/costume change, but only act different personality-wise. Lindsey Lohan & Jamie Lee Curtis play Anna and Tess. Anna is a rebellious teenager who is very intelligent, but constantly looks for trouble at school. Tess is a wealthy matured woman who has very strict, but fair ways (Well not fair enough for Anna). Though Tess does love her children (including Harry the tattle-tale brother played by the funny Ryan Malgarini) she has problems just being Mom at times. Of course both Anna & Tess�s arguments extreme to where a nosy innocent Chinese woman, which is the owner of the restaurant Tess�s family currently is at, casts a spell on the fighting duo which will switch their bodies the next day. Of course the spell will also teach Anna & Tess how uneasy it is to be in each other�s existence. And that�s what this movie is really about; the understanding of other people�s lives, and how to accept the way they live them. The writing in this film is top-notch with each line as amusing as the next, and the family fun aspect will appeal to all ages. Also, look for hilarious situations from Anna�s boyfriend Jake (Chad Murray) who eventually falls for Tess, but wait she�s REALLY Anna, right? |
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| The "American Pie" Series Ends on a Very High Note� |
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| American Wedding Rated: R |
| 4 Stars!!! |
| The American Pie series are the type of movies we don�t want other people to know we watch in the comfort of our own home. American Wedding being another great example. Now the audience could say this movie was all-together humorless, disgusting, & vulgar, but where would be the fun in that? In fact if someone did say that I would beg to differ. Sure there are many gross-out gags located in the movie, but the directors & writers love these characters & will never allow the movie stoop to an all time low. For example, many other raunchy comedies have lack of story, zero depth in characters, & boring scenes in between jokes, but American Wedding is wiped clean of all this mumble jumble. In fact a lot of the surprises present in the movie will probably shock the audience, because they aren�t very predictable. There is a story to back up this guilty pleasure, Michelle (Played by the ever hilarious Alyson Hannigan) & Jim (Jason Biggs) are getting married. And what even surprises me more is that they both have decided to become eloped, even after surviving all the chaos from the first two movies in the sequel. Chaos meaning Stifler. Sean William Scott is a genius portraying the gigantic ego known as Steve Stifler. I should warn: If some of the audience has an uneasy stomach, there are a few parts where you should close your eyes (Hey, it�s not THAT bad). And what would be a wedding without Jim�s friends, Paul Finch (Eddie Haye Thomas) & Kevin Myers (Thomas Ian Nicholas), who are basically here to calm Jim from his wedding jitters & discipline Stifler (Which of course does not work). Michelle�s sister (new to the cast January Jones) arrives for preparations to the wedding into the movie, and makes Stifler oh so infatuated. One of the funnies parts of the flick will come when Stifler tries to act like a clean civilized gentleman in front of Michelle, so he can secretly �Boom Boom with the Bridesmaid� as he puts it. The audience will be guaranteed to laugh also with the bachelor party gone wrong scene. Jim�s parents (Eugene Levy & Molly Cheek) also return, to where the son�s Dad gives out a little too much information & advice pre-wedding but it�s not just to Jim this time. Humor wise I would have to say this was my favorite movie of the summer (Movie, movie wise it was �Pirates�). Many of the audience will leave happy knowing that the characters have all ended the story in a happy ending. I think in the near future the American Pie series will be accepted by all in modern day society, just as �Animal House� & �Breakfast Club� has. Until then, the audience will have too pass up the question when asked and say they�ve never seen �those� movies. |
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| *MATT'S PICK!!* |
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