30 Minutes or Less ( 2011 )

30 Minutes or Less is a comedy and it is fun and funny . If you fall into the correct age group . I am not taking my parents , and the foul language makes it well worth the MPAA rating of "R" of restricted , even had all the guns, shootings and criminal behavior was absent .

The Villains 

The movie stars Jesse Eisenberg and Aziz Ansari, and the team makes the comedy work, to the point that if they are teamed up again , I would mark in down as another movie to go see . If they are a future comedy team of the likes of Abbott and Costello, Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder or Cheech and Chong , it promises to be a great series of films .

Black-mailed into Robbing a Bank .

The film is built on the their friendship , in a forgiving dialogue at the start of the film , however the same is not done for the villains of the film . As such character development does not occur , you never really feel they are in jeopardy or danger . The comedy prevails as one stupid event leads into another , and nothing does go according to plan .

Escape from the HEAT .

So the movie goes like this , pizza guy and friend , delivery gone wrong , bomb , rob bank , car chase , stand off , phone calls , stand off , the good guys win .

Of course , the good guys win , and the bad guys get their just deserves .

the Sexy and Gorgeous : Dilshad Vadsaria 

The film is like junk food , if you are hungry , you go and eat , and you will be satisfied . But this is not an Oscar winning film in no sense at all .

Stinger : stay till after the final credits for and additional scene .

Twitter hash tag #30mol

Run Time is 83 minutes .

Rated "R" Restricted . For Sex, Violence and Language.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes ( 2011 )

Rise of the Planet of the Apes . ( 2011 )

Apes will Rise .


Such is the tag line of the movie , and the Apes do Rise . 

The Storyline is quite simple , through a series of unfortunate events ; and the development of a new drug , delivered with a virus . Apes Rise . Caesar , is the first , and then come the others , and the revolution beings .

The apes are real , Special Effects are NOT Noticeable at all . We have come a 1000 years from Arnold Scharwergger's horrible appearance in a Terminator 3 , or the Scorpion King in the Mummy 2 .  

Watch out for all the nods to the original films , the launch of the ICARCUS spaceship carrying Charton Heston in the original 1968 movie , as well as Heston appearing on a TV in the background . And Of course the infamous line is spoke "Get Your Hands Off Me, You Damn Dirty Ape"    

What is most interesting , and is not addressed directly in the movie , is not the demise of mankind , or the rise of the apes , but the story of the apes .

Caesar address the basics problem of revoluntary leaders everywhere , ape is weak , apes together are strong . And the true cynic in the film , state a fact , APES STUPID .

And this bring up a question , when was the script written ? The question arises when the revolution starts . One gets the sense that the recent revolution in the middle east Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Syria , stirred on the story . Did art imitate life , or did life imitate art ? Or has the revolution become so predictable , we can insert the template into a script .

In 1979 , the Shah of Iran fell to people power , protest in the streets . In 2009 those same leaders of 1979 , shot citizens in the street .

The Apes are not in fact Apes , they are  young people , the next generation . 
Who shall inherit the reigns of leadership ?
Where is our Caesar ?  






Twitter hash tag #apeswillrise

Priest ( 2011)

Priest , in 3D . Is based on the Korean graphic novel of the same name . Storyline goes , Not long ago there was the war , between Vampires and Man . Peace now exist , but an incident , promises to in flame the situation . Walking into the cinema , the only information I had was that it was a vampire movie , and what everyone was thinking was , is this UNDERWORLD 4 or BLADE 4 ? There is no werewolves like in UNDERWORLD and vampires are not fighting vampires like in BLADE . The opening sequence before the credits takes place before the war , and following along the story lines of GOLDENEYE (1995) , Agent 006 will emerge to take on 007 in the big finale . Along a very basic storyline that runs for some 87 odd minutes . The lack of names in the movie applies to the lack of character development , names like PRIEST the hero , BLACK HAT the villain , PRIESTESS the love interest , these characters are flat , two dimensional , and all that leave is the Action to carry the film . The finale action sequence fails on multiple levels , battle sequence between the hero and the villain , need some help from the MATRIX team . And stopping the army of evil falls to the female love interest , which also could have used TRINTY from the MATRIX series .

Basically , you have no sympathy for the heroes because the people and city they save , are the living dead . And had the vampires had wiped them off the map , you probably would not have cared either . The construct of the world in which they live is far removed from the events of the film .

Clearly the writing for the film , needed more work , the backstory is glossed over in the first few minutes of the film . And because of this the story is very incomplete , taking us straight to the action is Hollywood way of appealing to the youngest demographic of the movie going audition . And coming from a graphic novel this may have been , how they believed , the best way going about it .

Coming around to the failed fight scene in the end , and comparing it to the MATRIX series , NEO and AGENT SMITH , had three films to develop the relationship with the audience , and have their background to the character grow .

Does Priest have super powers ? Where did they come from ? We all know vampires will be vampires .

3D , well the film was filmed in 2D , and then converted to 3D , they wasted their time . None of the scene are worth mentioning in 3D .  And pushing back the film to release in 3D , was a waste too .

So maybe the sequel will have some personality .

Priest get placed in the same box was I am Number Four . If you like the start of a series of film , and will never be made .

Thor ( 2011 )

From the Stuido that Brought You IRON MAN

Thor , God of Thunder , has come to the big screen . Marvel Studio is on such a role , people are wondering if there a difference between Hugh Hefner and Stan Lee , and if the Playboy Mansion will double for the Marvel Mansion . Because I think Stan Lee has as much money , if not more , than Hugh Hefner .

Sorry back to the film .

Thor , played by Chris Hemsworth , the Australian Hunky from "Down Under" , straight from his Star Trek ( 2009 ) cameo and three years of the Aussie soap "Home and Away" . 


Odin , played by the great Anthony Hopkins , who was completely unfamilar with the comic books or Norwegian Legends , but came to do the part after reading the script's appeal, to the father and son relationship .


Loki , played by Tom Hiddleston came through working previously with director Kenneth Branagh , the character plays is the grumpy little brother , who wants to be king too . 


King of Asgard must choose his successor from the two princes , Thor or his brother Loki , which would one day ascend to the throne . ( Take a guess )

But the threat of the Frost Giants stand in the way .

Needless to say arrogance steps in , and Thor gets punished , he is send to Earth , stripped of his powers . Now I do not know if anyone less notice , but if getting send to Earth is begin punished , then someone is punishing all of us .

Needless to say he falls in love with Natalie Portman , who wouldn't , and finds redemption on Earth . He returns to Asgard the prodigal son .

The film works as an action film , with battle scenes with Thor and his crew , fighting Frost Giants and a PROTECTOR . The old mid-west town battle sequence for some reason reminded me of Superman II , Christopher Reeves and Terrance Stamp fighting it out in downtown Metropolis .

The one thing everyone agreed on was the 3D was the sh*t , for the first time since the 3D thing start in the last 2years , this was the film for it . Everything seemed real for the first time , the depth , the feel and the FLYING sequences were real . With the new 3D , Superheroes can FLY .

We have no access to IMAX here , but serious discussions were held about going to one, to see it in IMAX .

The Love in the film was 2D , there is no deep relationship , between the characters ; I did not feel the love , and I am starting to believe it is Natalie Portman . I have seen her in the Star Wars , No Strings Attached and now In Thor , and I am wondering is she can be passionate on the screen . Such a shame for such a sexy actress .

Watch out for the tongue in cheek Humour , and Stan Lee's cameo , "Did it work !!!"  

Awesome movie for the boys , and just to keep the ladies entertained watch out for the shirt-less scene with Thor . 

Stick it out till after the credits , for a stinger , on the upcoming Avengers Movie , and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury .

Then hold your breath for Captain America coming this summer .









    

Water for Elephants ( 2011 )

Water for Elephants ( 2011 )

Water for Elephants stars, Reese Witherspoon as Marlena Rosenbluth , the star attraction at the Circus and wife of the owner / ringmaster ; Robert Pattinson as Jacob Jankowski , the lonely poor orphan boy , intelligent and bright , wandering the open road of America ; Christoph Waltz as August Rosenbluth , as the Ringmaster ; but the star and hero of the film is "Tai" as "Rosie, the elephant" who saves the circus .

Set in the Great American Depression of the 1930s , where no one has any money , and worse than that , any booze . Prohibition just stinks , good hard working circus performers need a bit of the good stuff to carry them thru the day .

The story line is a little thin , but takes a long time getting to the end . The acting is good , and the period of the 1930s comes across well , but the hard sell is the chemistry between these people . The hubsand and wife seem to be in a loveless marriage , and in the end the film seems like a loveless movie .

But what is love ?

This is Francis Lawrence third time in the director's chair the first and second being Constantine (2005) with Keanu Reeves , and I Am Legend (2007) with Wil Smith · Water for Elephants (2011) also has the star power of Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson .

The question now is does Robert Pattinson have the box office draws of the Twilight Movies , or is it the popularity of the Twilight books ?

Coming back to Francis Lawrence , he has wandered away from a strong action based / special effects in his first two films , to a more character driven films in the story of the People of the Benzini Brother's Travelling Circus .

As many of my friends pointed out in the end , the real stars of the film were the animals , cause that is all they talked about , imagine you have a circus movie , without animals . It just does not work . Everyone you could tell wanted more animals , and more story to the animals . You wanted to know more about the horses , the lions , the dogs , the monkey and of course the ELEPHANT .

By the way all you PETA members , out there walk with your box of tissues , this one is a real tear jerker for you PETA guys and gals .

The movie is nice swing away from the Romantic-Comedy , but hardly fits the mold of a Love Story .

Watch for the old time New York Scenes , with the Empire State building and the Brooklyn Bridge in the background .

Also there is not stinger , after the movie , but if you do stay through the credits , you will notice the cast credits are done in the old time layouts :

"Marlena Rosenbluth..................................................................................Reese Witherspoon"

The list of Stuntmen goes on and on and on , but the stunts are so intergrated into the movie you do not see them , in train jumping and the stampede scenes .

The movie is a classic piece of movie making , and could be used to teach film students "HOW TO MAKE A FILM" , yet the story and the acting does not appeal to the mass audience . I am worried if it should make back it's $40 million budget .

Paul ( 2011 )

Paul ( 2011 )

Two nerd from England go to the United States to attend a Comic Convention , and do a road trip to the famous UFO landmarks . They run into an alien , and help him get home .

The movie is a nerd / geek trip , and I being a geek , had a hard time following some of the stuff . Sure we all know Area 51 , and Roswell , New Mexico , but the "the Black Mailbox" was a little outside my field of knowledge .

For more on the Black Mailbox : 
Info : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_mailbox   
Location : http://wikimapia.org/68004/the-Black-Mailbox
Picture : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Black_Mailbox_Road.jpg

The movie maintains normal storyline , the heroes , the victim , the bad guys and the final showdown . Yet through it all , it becomes a buddy movie , discussion of friendship , girls , marijuana , alcohol , the size of one's own sexually organ ( you know penis ) , Paul quickly becomes one of the boys .

The movie gives nods to , Close Encounters of the Third Kind , Star Trek , Star Wars , Aliens , Back to the future ,and Mac & Me . Many would be lost to normal people , but to the geekworld it is really cool . I found a list of all the inside the jokes at : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1092026/movieconnections

A read through before going to see the film would increase the enjoyable factor by at least three . Nothing mentioned in the movie connections would be a spoiler .

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost

Does the film work ? YES the general public can go and see a buddy movie , an action / chase movie , a comedy movie and a science fiction movie and come out feeling like they got their money's worth .

Then there are those of us who will recognize the music from the Canteen Scene in Star Wars : Episode IV , and lines like "Boring Conversation anyway." and " Get say from her , YOU BITCH ! " . For us the movie works on an entirely different level .

Paul will never fall into the category of a classic , but will appeal to the young and older science fiction fans , and the chicks that they drag along kicking and screaming will get a laugh out of it too.

---

Hanna ( 2011 )

Hanna , a 16 year old with 16 years in training , for just one mission , to kill Marissa Wiegler .

Trained by her father Erik Heller ; Marissa Wiegler must die .

Hanna and her father are in isolation near the Artic Circle in Finland . When she is ready , she will go on her mission .

We enter at the correct time , So the chase begins .

Details emerge , who is Hanna ? what is Hanna ? who is Hanna's mother ?

But the action sequences are perfectly European ; No Arnie or Stallone here ; the choerography of the fight sequences brought a sense of fear from this little girl . A Demon Killer .

Saoirse Ronan plays the character  to perfection , the blond , blue eyes set the character as a cool , confined master killer ; until she is faced with the real world of barbie dolls and bimbos . Clearly Saoirse Ronan is a name to be remebered with lots more Box Office draw to come .

Eric Bana and Cate Blanchett , seem stiff in their roles , written as CIA agents , personalities were not required .


The film's background of Finland , Morocco and Berlin , also the film a non-western feel , giving the matter a of James Bond fight the old Eastern Bloc of Communist goverment .

The only thing American about the film is the CIA headquaters and building .

The film works as a master piece of modern cinema . European . There is no action sequence , no show down at the OK corral , and most American audience will be waiting for the big HUAH at the end , the big gun fight . They will be disappointed . Yet if you are a believer in HANNA , going for her Mission ; no doubt her internal struggle between her training and her being a little girl ; HANNA wins in the end .

The film follows a thread , of all the "La Femme Nikita" films and tv series .





    

Sucker Punch ( 2011 )

Sucker Punch ( 2011 )

OMG is short hand used on the Internet by young people , it means Oh My God .

This film has a very simple story , some young ladies try to escape an institution , plain and simple . Yet to vamp up the stakes and to get young audience interested , the girls enter a fantasy world , zombie Nazis , Orcs and a Castle , Killer Robots all make an appearance in the course of the preparations to escape .

Zombie Nazis are a nod to the zombie and world war films . The Orcs in Castle sequence nods to the Lord of the Rings series , and the killer robots , feels like Will Smith's I,Robot film .




Yet each sequence plays out like a Playstation , Wii or XBox game . The film goes beyond typical action shoot them ups ; of the Rambo or Terminator films . The action special effects go so far past the limited of film , I was wondering if the kid in the row in front of me had brought his XBox controller , and was controlling the action on the screen .

The film surely hits a demographic ; teenage boys who like video games and girls . The five lead girls in the script who set out on the escape , scantly dressed in the fantasy dreams sequences with samurai swords and machine guns works , to the seventeen year old hormone raging teenager with his blood pumping . These perfect female fighting zombie-killing and orc-killing , can be the direct extraction from their own Wet Dreams .




The soundtrack however contains a 1970s Jefferson Airplane song and a 1980s Queen remix , which should re-introduce a new generation to some old classics .

The story is so short , fantasy sequences make up the majority of the film . Had we left out the fantasy sequence the run time of the film would have been forty five minutes , and I would have left the cinema with some respect to the writer and director . Natural I left disgusted , that I throw good money behind the price of a cinema ticket .

"Just because we can do something , does not automatically mean we should do something" - Jurassic Park

This quote came to me during the film , the prevailing use of special effects through the film industry and especially this movie , made me wonder ; How long did these girls spend in front of the green screen ? How long did they spend suspend from wires swing around in front of a green screen to get that shot ? Was it all worth it ?




I do not know what the director's or writer's vision was , but the film just feels like it was made by high school or university students with too much of a budget . Characters were never developed , personalities were non-existent , the star of the movie was the special effects . How far could they push the envelope of special effects action sequences , and get the audience to accept it ?

I would advise everyone to give the movie a miss , unless you are the demographic of a video games junkie . And if you are an action movie junkie , go see it in the IMAX format .

Battle - Los Angeles (2011)

Aliens Invade !

And the good people of earth fight back , Defending their home .

All Civilians are to be evacuated inland . Leading the government attempt to save the citizens from the invading army , is the Proud , the Few , the Marines , Semper Fi .

After the normal first encounter butt kicking from a superior force , this small band on Heroes re-group ; and re-engage the enemy .

In the end , we fight to a draw .

But do not worry , as the credits roll , we are going back for more .



The movie is an ongoing battle scene , and the gun battles barely pause for a breather , before it starts back again . Making it truly a boy's movie , a friend of mine tagged it as RAMBO 6 . He expected Arnold and Sylvester to appear out Beverly Hills in a pimped up Hummer , machine guns blazing .

The continuous violence and heroism was a little to much for older audience , but the young people ate it up , cheering on the marines .

Michelle Rodriguez , known for tough-chick roles , has once again been type-casted in her role from Resident Evil and S.W.A.T. as the bad ass soldier . If I was ever in trouble , I know who I would like to have come rescue me .

In the end the film seems like an infomercial for military recruitment , be a hero is the message , and I am sure the recruitment numbers are up for the month of the film's release .

Another movie doomed for late night re-runs on cable television .

The Adjustment Bureau ( 2011 )

Do we control our destiny, or do unseen forces manipulate us?

The Adjustment Bureau features Matt Damon as David Norris, a man who glimpses the future and what Fate has planned for him and realizes ; he wants something else.

Promises of political success in the senate , and the ability to change the world in years to come . Yet to wander of the reservation , out side of the plan , is to doom his dreams . Love or Glory , Fate or Free Will ?

Will he accept a predetermined path . . or risk everything to defy Fate and be with her.


The movie is based on a short story by Philip K. Dick . The story lends itself to religious belief , asking about angels and "the chairman" . But really relies on the question of Free Will as compares to Destiny or Karma . Do you believe that the choices you make change the direction of your life , or is everything predetermine . If you knew what your life was going to be , would you change it ? If you knew the person you loved was the one , and being together destroys the world , would you , could you , walk away .

Then as if , when you make a decision to fight for what you want , and fight for what you believe .

RUN ! ! !



The film does work , for the correct demographic ;

• You have to believe in TRUE LOVE .
• You have to believe that everyone has TRUE LOVE .
• You have to believe in Happy Endings

The film is an excellence FIRST DATE movie , you can definitely find out alot about a person based on what they think of this film . Women will love the story , as David Norris is such a good person , a knight in shining armour . He comes back for the woman he loves .

But THE ENDING , I walked out the cinema , unfulfilled , I did not know why , until i did some research about the movie before writing this review .

THE ENDING is an alternate ending , filmed four months after the movie was completed . For whatever reason the ending was changed ; I have a funny feeling I would have preferred the orginal ending , but i guess we have to wait for the DVD .

The Lincoln Lawyer ( 2011 )

When a slick Los Angeles lawyer lands what appears to be a cut-and-dry case involving a notorious Beverly Hills playboy , he thinks it's money in the bag . However , things soon take a more sinister turn . . .

Matthew McConaughey stars in , The Lincoln Lawyer , Micheal Connelly's book of the same name , as Mickey Haller , a Los Angeles based Lawyer . Wheeling and Dealing from the backseat of his car , A Lincoln . Slight of hand and deception are the normal operating procedure .

Getting a big time case , and putting the pieces together , Mr. Haller must come to terms with his moral dilemma , that he has put an innocent man is in jail and he is defending a guilty one . When his family is threatened , things get dirty .

Micheal Connelly's book is provides enough drama and intrigue to keep the movie going down to the end . As the storyline does work .

Matthew McConaughey provides an excellent performance as the slick Lawyer , the role seems to fit him , so someone has finally cast this square peg into a square hole . Marisa Tomei does equal justice to her role as a public prosecutor , a far cry from her "My Cousin Vinny" Oscar winning performance and "What Women Want" with crazy Mel Gibson .

If you are looking for the next "A Few Good Men" or a real courtroom drama like "12 Angry Men" you are in for a disappointment , the movie plays more like a detective movie , whodunit and who-REALLY-dunit . It was the butler in library with the candlestick . Everybody has a theory , the prosecutors , the defense , the victim and the truth gets lost somewhere along the way .



By the end of the film , you really do not care about any of the characters and wonder if the justice system will every really work . Lawyers in America are so loved , Mickey Haller turns out to be something of an Anti-Hero , but not a villain ; he just seems to be working the system to turn himself a dollar . Leaving everyone disappointed in the end .

Buy it now on :

For those of you following the exploits of Lawyer Mickey Haller , Micheal Connelly follows up with three more books ; The Brass Verdict , The Reversal and The Fifth Witness .


The Trailer





The Author Speaks about his Book .

Hall Pass ( 2011 )

When a wife is fed-up of her husband , she gives him a HALL PASS . One week off from marriage . A whole week , he can do whatever he wants , he is THE SINGLE MAN .

But is being SINGLE , all it is cracked up to be .

The film is truly FUNNY . Complaints come in terms of the variety of humour , basically there is a joke in here for EVERYONE . And this is where the problem lay , the humour can be very ha-ha funny , to downright rude , and a full nude scene . So be prepared to be offended , at some point in the film , it will go to FAR .

GOING TO FAR , is actually what the film is all about . FREEDOM of being single , but only for seven days ( DA-DUM ( Law and Order )) , and how far will you go in those seven days . Married people will related to part of the story , and single people will not be able to understand the HALL PASS part , but relate to living "LA VIDA LOCA" , the single life .

the Directors are from "Dumb and Dumber" and "There is Something About Mary" , and this film goes in the same direction , and surpasses them . The feeling is that the cast know each other , the wives know the husbands , and the husbands are truly friends .

Owen Wilson , has finally found a script and an actor Jason Sudikies , that show his true talent . I am certainly no Owen Wilson fan , but he brought the film together with good dialogue and writing to perform .



Watch out for Nicky Whelan , this Australian actress , the coffee waitress at the DRIP , she truly steals the movie from the wives ( wives what wives ? , were are not married ) as the female lead , as most people are not interested in where or what the wives were up too .

The wives are of course ready for their own mischief in the process ; dealing with their own issues of the HALL PASS .

But like all good movies , the morals overcome all , and the couples are happy in the end , and we suppose they all live happily ever after .




Watch out for Alyssa Milano in a cameo appearance .

STINGER : about 60 seconds after the credits roll , there is an additional scene for their British friend , so sit and wait for it .

Buy it now on :