mcs-995-841390 Reviews

Abduction (I) (2011)

A 'watchable' movie!

[7/10 · 26 September 2011]

**Small spoilers**

Why are there so very many BAD reviews?? Is this movie truly so very bad or do we simply have a bunch of Twilight haters amongst us? I hope there will be a time when we all can grow up and get over ourselves and jump off the 'lets bash all things Twilight' wagon and start reviewing one movie at the time because its simply unfair to incorporate ones own bias into whatever report we share on the www. Let's start over and assume…Lautner to be a brand new actor with no association to vampires or werewolves and a small town in the beautiful state of WA. Suddenly we can see Abduction for what it is. An action thriller with a heavy dose of martial arts, cunning stunts and an unfortunately overused 'sexation' of a young man who admittedly acts rather clumsy with his love interest and has a few unnecessary kissing scenes which were in part also placed rather poorly by the director. Overall however Abduction is a good 'watchable' film which reminded me a bit of Bourne Identity and Wanted with the misfortune of having been aimed at a (female) teenage audience. And so we grown-ups have to put up with the unnecessary swipe of the strand of hair in the woods which he does for no reason at all and the odd statement of, "hey, I'm hungry!" just as things were heating up in the get-away train. All of the 'Oh so' dissatisfied adults here who claim they want their time and money back, let me ask you seriously, what did you expect from this movie? Maybe watching a preview had been a good choice here. Abduction did not promise anything it didn't deliver, so quit bashing a very talented and likable young man and don't blame the teen flick for being a teen flick!

Water for Elephants (2011)

Great experience

[9/10 · 23 April 2011]

I read the book and was left a bit disappointed...but I was hopeful for the movie and I was NOT disappointed at all. The book was lacking emotion for me and some of the characters weren't defined and clearly developed. In the novel there were a few parts that were just unnecessarily sexual and totally out of context, I'm glad they didn't make it to the movie. The film shows the art of casting for the role. Christopher Waltz was cast perfect for the role of August! Of course Pattinson and Whitterspoon are a sweet pair but what makes this movie grand is the setting, the era it all plays in and the true art of film making…the book I found bland, was turned over into something amazingly beautiful and definitely worth seeing. I hope Water for Elephants will cash in a few Oscars, it is that great of a movie!

Limitless (I) (2011)

To be (Limitless) or not to be (Limitless), that is the question...

[4/10 · 22 March 2011]

My husband and I went to see this movie together and although I was entertained by it, I was confused by it as well and I must honestly admit that it's not easy writing a review about this film, or, more so about my experience with it. **Spoilers** The idea as such is not as original as people may claim it to be…The pill is a glorified drug and honestly somewhat reminds me of soccer moms taking Ritalin in suburbia to become uber-mom, until the big crash happens. Granted, the pill in the film has a few more attributes and is a posh, designer drug in clear format, but the concept surely has crossed every college students mind right around hour twenty of studying for their final grade. The film is entertaining however and although I am still not sure how I feel about it, I am certain I wouldn't want to watch it a second time and so I can not rate it very high. In the end the movie would be a good view for a discussion group or a class on Drug misuse, because both my husband and I wondered what we would do? Would such a drug make the world a better place or simply cause a faster destruction of the planet. Would we, as humans want to be overachievers with our brains and bodies going full speed all the time, and truly be limitless or is life better at a natural pace? As a parent the very idea of such a drug and its side effects have me shiver at my core.

Red Riding Hood (2011)

Red Riding Hood is...Good enough!

[6/10 · 12 March 2011]

Just returned from a nearly sold out theater and I must say the film was somewhere between decent and good!

I've read quite a few reviews here and was truly surprised about the supremely negative feedback. "The Grimm brothers would roll in their graves," someone wrote. My response to that is: "Really, would they now?" I believe a bit of research on the subject would do some quite a bit of good. The brothers Grimm -which weren't the original story tellers of 'Rotkaeppchen' as they called it- told folktales, not fairy tales…they were the very first tabloid writers and although their stories all had a grain of truth at the very core, the brothers wrote them to feed into peoples believes, superstitions and prejudice in central Europe in the 1800…their tales were often capricious and usually cruel, showing very little moral. It took generations of translations and retelling to soften the originals enough to be considered bedtime stories because the originals would have provoked nightmares in grown man at their time. Does anyone know what the significance is of the name Peter and why he wears black throughout the entire film?? I'd love to read your ideas about that. The film is a nice translation…yet another one. And by far closer based on the Grimm brothers vision than the stories we all were told as kids. I did see a bit of parallel to Twilight but only because both, this film and all the Twilight movies were filmed in Vancouver and surely used the same scenery. The Storyline is based on the folktale and (in my opinion) it has been done rather well.

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)

Good but not great

[5/10 · 10 March 2011]

First let me start out by saying I am not a tween, far from a teen and definitely not a Twi-mom but I am a fan, I guess. I read the books some time ago although I never had any interest in Twilight and even less ambition to read four books about sparkling Vampires that call themselves vegetarians although they in deed kill animals…and animals at that, which are close to extinction. But let me not get started on all of that. The story has been dissected by many successfully and yet everyone who had anything to do with the franchise laughs all the way to the bank. I have read quite a few negative reviews here which go on an on about how horrible the storyline is...there are pages and pages which list remarkable conclusions about how obsessive Edward is in some aspects and yet when Bella kisses Jacob, he can't even bring himself to be angry at the girl nor the wolf. It is true, some of it doesn't make any sense and yet no one stops to think that we are watching a film about Vampires and Werewolves living amongst humans in Washington of all places...oh and they attend high school over and over again for the past 100 years or so. None of it makes sense and none of it is real, so by what standards should we criticize here? I find it absolutely incredible that no one mentions how ridiculous it may be that in 'Alice in Wonderland' a girl is every size and then some...she meets talking rabbits and ends up in a teapot and on the rim of a hat right before she yet again towers over everyone and befriends the evil Queen. In the Wizard of Oz, no one said: "she had to clip t her heels, and that's it?" No one questions how Dorothy can be so neat looking after surviving a Tornado...must I go on? The story is the story...is the story! I read the books, all of them, twice, and I loved them. I truly admire Stephenie Mayer for her ability to tell a story; although I still have the feeling that not all the books were her sole creation…we will never know for sure ;) The movies however seem to get worse as they multiply, with the first being the best. I rate this in part on my ability to stay interested and focused while watching. I like the love story; the idea of never ending love that's dangerous and yet so appealing. My husband, who was dragged to the theater by me, liked Eclipse better than the other 2 movies. Surely this has something to do with the battle scenes and the fact that there were actually supposed bad Vampires. In his opinion Vampires are demons who live from blood, human blood, -period. And they are supposed to catch on fire or blow up in sunlight. They aren't supposed to have any concern for human life…and surely not call upon a Werewolf for help. He also asked why Bella and Edward had to hang out in the meadow so much… "doesn't he have super human speed and could take her anywhere," he'd asked. But my husband didn't read the books nor would he ever want to. I honestly believe that too many changes have been made to each film, starting with the director and the crew. The hair alone is absolutely hideous and has anyone noticed how much Nikki Reed has changed? I am truly unsure if she had work done or if she just lost so very much weight that she now looks completely different. To rate the movie, I will give it a five, because it is worth watching; more so for the female of our species than the guys but I have seen much worse and because it is a part of a whole, I will watch the next two movies as well.

The Dilemma (2011)

I want my 111 minutes back!

[1/10 · 10 March 2011]

I saw this in a discount theater (thank God I didn't pay full price!) The two bucks I paid they can keep but I want my lifetime back, please! There isn't much to say about this movie, except that it drags worse than chewing gum stuck to the bottom of a flip-flop on a hot day!

There is soooooo much dialog and so very little happening on screen. I was tempted to just leave the film but I hoped against my better judgment that something funny had to happen sooner or later, right? After all it's a comedy...but no such luck!

**Spoilers** There is this group of best friends, everyone is all up in everyone's business while they all keep up appearances and everyone claims to be honest. There are affairs, along with strange trips to a supposed massage parlor and none of it makes sense or is even remotely funny! Channing Tatum plays 'Zip', a weeping, overly and ridiculously tattooed, oxy head-douche bag who's sole purpose it is in the Dilemma, to have women flock to see the film because he is...oh so sexy (Sorry ladies, he's a huge FAIL in this production.) I nearly cried when a classic car got destroyed and never will I quite understand why anyone spent any amount to produce this film. $70,000,000 could have done so much more than this waste of time and energy!

The Adjustment Bureau (2011)

Matt is back!

[9/10 · 7 March 2011]

I saw HEREAFTER...and been quite a bit apprehensive because of it, fearing for another disaster. But I was wrong...so wrong and I'm more than glad to admit this! The movie tells an interesting story and more so it's entertaining and sweet. There is true chemistry portrayed on screen which makes an unbelievable story of love and destiny, believable. All in all this film is done so well; it makes you want to believe it's all possible. (The hat thing was a great twist, I thought.) But it's not all mushy gooey love and kisses that makes cherubs puke. There is actually quite a bit of movement and a few ounces of mystery all mixed in the Adjustment bureau

Religion, though never mentioned in this production does play a role and so it is only natural that both sides of the religious spectrum will have strong opinions about it. All I can say is: ITS A MOVIE, MEANT TO BE ENTERTAINING! Sometimes we dig too deep to question things that better be left unasked. The plot has a few holes which could have easily been taken care of with an easy explanation. I, for my part however usually don't go see a movie and start analyzing the plot from start to finish... I more so decide once the film is over whether or not I was entertained by it and whether or not I'd watch it again. Based on that I had to rate this movie highly and so I can't help but proclaim that in my opinion I did enjoy the journey the Adjustment Bureau has taken me on. All in all it is a good movie for date-night or a girl's night out.

Beastly (2011)

Highly anticipated and deeply disappointing

[3/10 · 7 March 2011]

For months I've wanted to see this movie and when it was all said and done I couldn't have been more disappointed! BEASTLY is a slow moving, almost boring film with very few mentionable moments.There is no real chemistry between the actors really. Throughout the entire film I hoped for a spark, a great moment or something...but there really were none. My husband actually started snoring next to me at one point. I have read that this films release had been pushed back twice before CBS finally gave the green light. After seeing it, I now understand the reasons behind it. Disney's Beauty and the Beast was far more interesting and much more entertaining than this version. I would say over all it is a movie that should be watched on a rainy afternoon after it's been released on DVD. As a side note, the Soundtrack is worth mentioning and quite possibly one of the better parts of the film.