Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (2011)

DIRECTOR: Bill Condon
STUDIO: Summit Entertainment
STARRING: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
RATING: PG-13
GENRE: Drama, Romance, Fantasy


GRADE: D


Eww. I know that's not my best nor most mature word to describe this film, but that's all I can say. Personally, I have read the books, and although they were decent enough, there's was no way I ever thought Breaking Dawn could be split in two, for one reason - the least amount of things that happen are in this one out of the four. How is that even possible for either one to be longer than an hour?

But, oh...it can.

So, Bella and Edward finally are married (first 30 minutes) and they go off to their honeymoon in South America. While there, Bella finds out she's pregnant (next 25 minutes). However, this "fetus" seems to be deadly and Jacob doesn't like that (next 30 minutes). You may feel I'm exaggerating, but unfortunately, I am not.

The acting and writing is awful - I didn't think Taylor Lautner could get worse, but he does with every single film. I shudder to find out what happens in the next film with his character. Characters constantly lack motivation for whatever they're doing. So much of this film doesn't even make sense! Point one: when Bella finds out she's pregnant, the vampires want her to stop it. How exactly is that possible, when it was JUST stated that nothing can even penitrate the womb enough to do anything at all? How can they hold anything against her?

This is one of many plot holes in this film. The only saving grace was the way they made Bella's character look so degrebid in the movie, because they did an even better job than the book. But, if you REALLY love these characters, read the book - it makes a WHOLE lot more sense and you don't constantly keep getting confused by the horrible acting and worse dialouge.

Footloose (2011)

DIRECTOR: Craig Brewer
STUDIO: Paramount Pictures
STARRING: Kenny Wormald, Julianne Hough, Dennis Quaid
RATING: PG-13
GENRE: Comedy, Drama, Music


GRADE: C-


So, I've always been a huge fan of the original "Footloose" back in 1984, so I was pretty cautious coming into this film. Now, I will continue to review it as a stand-alone film, but for those that like the original, I wouldn't even call the quality close.

The story is about a boy, played by Kenny Wormald, who moves to a new town and discovers that the teenagers have a strict curfew, a law against playing music too loud, and even a ban to dancing. Of course, being the "city boy" he has to rebel against every person that's in the tiny town. The overall story is a bit unbelievable. I know there's a realm of "movie reality" but there's some definite stretching.

For one, even though this town forbids dancing, it seems like all these kids came from Broadway. They know these advanced stalls and leaps and break-dancing moves, yet they haven't been able to have any "lessons" for at least 3 years? Also, the first, and I mean FIRST, kid that Kenny Wormald's character even speaks to automatically becomes his best friend. And apparently...that kid had no other friends, because every scene he's in, he's with Kenny Wormald?

There's a lot of plot holes and lack of character development. However, this story does get the job done. It shows how one person can make a difference, and does it through dancing. This movie does well for the audience that wants to see it. Julliane Huff's character, however, seems so unlikeable, even up to the end. I just don't care about her, even though the audience knows what she's been through, I felt to sympathy for her. Maybe that's just me, but I thinkt the writers came too deeply into her character at the wrong time.

I know a "C-" may be a little high for all the critiques given, but like I said - this film does it's job, no matter how lackluster its quality is. If you like dancing movies or any of the actors in this film, I'd recommend it...slightly.

Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)

DIRECTOR: Frank Capra
STUDIO: Warner Brothers
STARRING: Cary Grant, Priscilla Lane, Raymond Massey
RATING: Not Rated
GENRE: Comedy, Crime


GRADE: A-


One of the first screwball comedies, and I loved it! The story stars Cary Grant, a man recently married, who finds out his aunts are insane, homicidal serial killers. The twist? They honestly don't see what's wrong with it! Though, the plot thickens when an unexpected visitor stops by to visit.

I have to say this movie has a crazy plot, but it still seemed to flow quite well. Some complain that Cary Grant's acting is a bit over the top, but I loved it! I felt it was the only way a comedy actor could react to make it appropriate. If it wasn't for the overacting, the film would have been completely serious.

The budget for this movie was also incredible! It was a bit less than $2 million, and create such a quality film. Of course, this isn't a perfect film. Some situations seemed a BIT too bizarre, but that did add to the quirky-ness of it. Overall a very good film. "A-"!

Beastly (2011)

DIRECTOR: Daniel Barnz
STUDIO: CBS Films
STARRING: Alex Pettyfer, Vanessa Hudgens, Mary-Kate Olsen
RATING: PG-13
GENRE: Drama, Fantasy, Romance


GRADE: C-



So, yet again - it's been a long time since my last review. I had actually been wanting to see this film for a long time, but finally got to tonight with a good friend of mine.

Basically, this is a modern-day re-telling of the classic story of Beauty and the Beast. It's pretty accurate, in that sense. And there are a few references that make it all the more cute, because of the classic plot elements that we all know and love.

The part that makes it not so good is the "fairy-tale-ness" of it all. So much of it is unbelieveable, and even though it IS a movie, it's set in a real-life format, therefore so much of it makes you want to roll your eyes.

However, Neil Patrick Harris stars in this, and though he may not have been directed perfectly, his acting keeps any scene light and very entertaining. Overall, a "C-" fits this movie quite well, and if you want a cute story to end your Sunday night, by all means rent it.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)

DIRECTOR: Rob Marshall
STUDIO: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
STARRING: Johnny Depp, Penélope Cruz, Geoffrey Rush
RATING: PG-13
GENRE: Action, Adventure, Fantasy


GRADE: B-



Wow. Just as an intro, it has been WAY too long since my last review. Hope I haven't lost anybody. (not like anyone's actually reading, anyways). Anyways, onto the review!

I've always felt likethe Pirate series was the new generation's Indiana Jones series. Wildly popular and exciting, with more sequels than you can count. Unfortuantely for the Pirates series, the sequels have always been far worse than the original. Although the fourth installment is better than the second and third, it still doesn't reach the potential of the original film.

The film deals with Captain Jack Sparrow looking for the fountain of youth with an old flame, played by Penelope Cruz's character. It's a very simple plot line - almost TOO simple, for a PotC movie - and quite easy to follow. The writers just started from scratch and began the entire stories over again.

The dialouge is...decent and is a bit wishy-washy at times, but it gets the job done. The only thing that I really didn't like was the romantic subplot between two VERY supporting characters. It might have worked better if it was more developed, but it should have been taken out completely.

A "B-" suits this film well, especially compared with trying to recover from that AWFUL third installment that made audiences go bald from scratching their heads so often.

Red Riding Hood (2011)

DIRECTOR: Catherine Hardwicke
STUDIO: Warner Bros.
STARRING: Amanda Seyfried, Lukas Haas, Gary Oldman
RATING: PG-13
GENRE: Fantasy, Romance, Thriller


GRADE: C-



Everyone knows the BASIC story of Red Riding Hood, but this is a complete twist (and by twist I mean, driving around the block to go next door, kind of twist). The story wasn't all that original, but it at least kept the audience slightly interested for the entire time.

Acting was... bad? It wasn't the worst I've ever seen, but let's just say you can tell the director of "Twilight" directed this movie as well! The actors had much less motivation, it seemed and some acted like they didn't even care.

Another HUGE complaint is the anachronisms! Shiloh Fernandez (Peter) had hair gel in his hair, and they made it VERY obvious, especially putting him next to those who looked like they just got out of bed. This is just one of MANY small mistakes that could have easily been avoided.


The movie's redeeming point was the slight surprise ending, but it wasn't good enough to rate it higher than a "C-". Besides, it's not like anybody's going to remember this film in 6 months, anyways.

Limitless (2011)

DIRECTOR: Neil Burger
STUDIO: Relativity Media
STARRING: Bradley Cooper, Abbie Cornish, Robert De Niro
RATING: PG-13
GENRE: Mystery, Thriller


GRADE: B-



One of the biggest problems in this film is the previews. In every commercial or trailer I've seen of it, you literally have no idea what happens in it. All you ever find out is there's this magic pill that can make you really smart and time-efficient.

Even though that literally is the plot, it's a bit deeper than that. Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper) is an author with writer's block who just got broken up with his girlfriend, for basically being a loser, and he meets his ex-brother-in-law, Vernon, on the street. They talk and it's implied that Vernon is a drug-dealer, and he even offers a tiny, clear pill - NZT - to Eddie for free. Eddie declines at first, but eventually when he's alone, he takes it and the world changes around him. He can see, hear, speak, and especially think clearer. He can recall every single memory from his entire life.

The visuals in this film, although very subtle, are stunning! You can tell how enhanced his entire life is, just with one dose of NZT. Even the colors in this film symbolically change how the viewer sees his character.

Bradley Cooper is...okay. I've never really been a fan of his acting, and this doesn't really prove much to me how well he can act. His ex-girlfriend, Abbie Cornish, probably does the worst job of all. Mostly just because she has nothing to do the entire film. It's possibly the direction that was really lukewarm, too.

The dialogue, however, was some of the best I've heard in quite awhile, especially when he's explaining things as he's on NZT. But, some of Cooper's delivery is just a little flat.

Overall, a "B-" is a solid rating on this film, because I did enjoy it, but there're too many flaws that make me want to give it a higher rating.