Death Sentence
Halloween 2007
Balls of Fury
3:10 to Yuma
Shoot 'em Up
Mr. Woodcock
Dragon Wars
The Brave One
Sydney White
Good Luck Chuck
The Kingdom
The Game Plan
The Kingdom (R) of Saudi Arabia, major oil producer for the United States, suffers a terrorist attack at an American oil-company community, during which one of the FBI's own is killed. Special Agent Ronald Fleury (Jamie Foxx) lobbies his government to allow an American investigation into the attack, but everyone who has any say in the matter says to mount such an investigation would be foolish. Fleury manages to sneak a small team of forensic investigators into the country, including Grant (Chris Cooper), Mayes (Jennifer Garner), and Leavitt (Jason Bateman). The Saudi Prince in charge has tapped a soldier to lead the investigation, but when Fleury and his team arrive, they see that he has no idea what he's doing. With some help from the "investigator's" second-in-command, Fleury and his team set out tracking down the evidence and finding the man who is responsible for such violence. Jeremy Piven also makes a few brief appearances as Damon Schmidt, a State Department suit who makes sure the FBI agents keep to the script and out of trouble.
While I did enjoy this movie, I have to start out by saying that the camera never stops moving. Director Peter Berg, who also is responsible for "Friday Night Lights," must really like the shaky look of hand-held cameras. As such, about halfway through the movie, I started feeling nauseated. Otherwise, I liked it. It wasn't perfect, and it didn't have the labyrinthine plot of a Tom Clancy novel, but it was entertaining. Rating is for graphic bloody violence and language. – Ashley Merrill
The Game Plan (PG) stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as a self-absorbed, narcissistic football star, Joe Kingman, who is shocked by the appearance of a daughter, Peyton (Madison Pettis), he never knew he had. His sudden adjustment to fatherhood is full of mishaps and humor. On the field Joe thought he “starred” as a one-man team; as a father of a ballet student, Joe learned the value of being a “team player.” Roselyn Sanchez played the part of Monique Vasquez, a ballet instructor who taught Joe about considering others. The ending made the movie. If you like a good family movie this is one to see. A little humor, a little lesson, a little sentiment, and a lot of values clarification make this reel entertaining. It’s a move the whole family can see. Rating is just for some mild thematic elements. - Steve Ruberg
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Good Luck Chuck (R) starts with Chuck (played by Dane Cook) at a party, playing Spin the Bottle. Things don't go so well for Chuck in the closet, and he ends up being vexed by a girl to have bad luck. This curse follows him through adulthood, and word gets out that if you have sex with Chuck, the next guy you meet is the man of your dreams and you will get married. That rumor works well for Chuck, until he meets the girl of his dreams (played by Jessica Alba).
This movie is rated R but it should be rated X. Some guys would probably rent it for a bachelor party or a frat party, but I will not see it again. Through the whole movie I wanted to leave. I don't suggest it for anyone. It's crude and has a lot of nudity and bad language. – Steve Edwards
If you're looking for a fun, uplifting movie for younger teenagers, Sydney White (PG-13) is your movie. Funny girl Amanda Bynes stars as the title character, and the film chronicles her first year of college.
After losing her mother at a young age, Sydney has spent most of her life with her father's construction crews. She looks forward to college, where she plans to pledge her mother's sorority.
But upon her arrival, she discovers the sisterhood of her mother's college has given way to a catty group of backstabbing blondes, headed by Rachel Witchburn (Sara Paxton). After being rejected by the sorority, Sydney finds refuge in the Vortex, where self-proclaimed "dorks" find their haven.
The plot is apparently an attempt at a modern-day Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, but I didn't really catch that. The plot seems a little disjointed, shifting from the sorority plotline to the Vortex mid-movie without really weaving the two together well. But the film does offer a positive message for young girls, with a kind of revenge of the nerds at the end enforcing acceptance. Though predictable and somewhat campy at times, the film is great for an easy Saturday afternoon with the girls. Bynes, as always, has quirky comedic timing that works for her, and the rest of the cast works as well.
The film was rated PG-13 for some suggestive language, but would be good for younger teenagers and up. - Sarah Wise
Mr. Woodcock (PG-13) opens with the gym teacher (played by Billy Bob Thornton) terrorizing a group of middle school boys in his class. Thirteen years later, one of those boys, John Farley (Seann William Scott), has grown up and written a self-help book about letting go of the past. He returns to his hometown to accept a key to the city, and finds out that his mother, Beverly (Susan Sarandon), is engaged to Mr. Woodcock. For most of the rest of the movie, Farley learns everything that he can about Woodcock, and does his best to beat and humiliate his former tormentor. Eventually, Beverly wants nothing to do with either of them. After a no-holds-barred wrestling match, both men realize that Beverly's happiness is more important than their mutual dislike, and they need to let go of the past.
On the whole, this is an okay movie. There's a lot of foul language, sexual innuendo, and imagery (one of the boys in Mr. Woodcock's class is made to do pull-ups in his underwear). Academy-award winning, it is not, but it's okay for a good diversion. It seems like more of a guy movie, but the girls in the theater seemed to enjoy it as well. – John Joyner
Dragon Wars (PG-13) - An ancient Korean legend about serpents becoming dragons and destroying the world is about to come true in Los Angeles 500 years after it was prophesied. Ethan, a young TV reporter (played by Jason Behr), and a girl named Sarah (Amanda Brooks) are both fated to have a hand in either the ultimate salvation or destruction of mankind. It’s only a matter of time before Los Angeles becomes a war zone. Not expecting a whole lot from the movie to begin with, I certainly wasn’t disappointed with my first instinct. D-War delivers a flick brimming with fine description and back-story, but it fails to lead the audience to any kind of conclusions. Behr and Brooks shine in their starring roles as much as they could, but the script was lacking, which made the performances a bit stiff. The on-screen romance between the characters, a bit confused and rushed, caused this viewer to gasp at the idea that they may be the world's only hope. Director Hyung Rae Shim relies on CGI to tell the story, but the effects of Dragon Wars are not really that eye-popping, even by what is considered normal the sci-fi genre. And about that sci-fi genre, this movie lacks the necessary awe and fun that would attract a sci-fi fan. What the end result mimics is a cookie-cutter production where the backdrop is there, but the dialogue, the action, and the thrill are not even remotely cerebral in sight. I give D-War a no-no for a lame movie-making attempt at a cool Korean legend. – Tom Garrou
The Brave One (R) - Erica Bain (Jodie Foster) is a confident, happy New Yorker who records the sounds of the city for her AM radio show. She and her fiance, David (played by Naveen Andrews), are attacked and left for dead in Central Park; she survives, but is forever altered by her experience, and the city is no longer her friend. She gathers her courage and finally leaves her apartment but, still feeling unsafe, buys a gun for protection. She sets about trying to rebuild her life, but trouble seems to follow her. After she defends herself against a convenience-store robber and a pair of thugs on the subway, the press dubs her a "vigilante," and the police are soon looking for her. Detective Mercer (Terrence Howard), while investigating the vigilante murders, notices how Erica's radio show has changed, and when he sees her at a crime scene, the two strike up a friendship. Erica struggles with Mercer's seemingly clear-cut view of the law, and while she dislikes what she has become, a stranger in her own body, her fiance's killers are still out there. Mary Steenburgen also stars as Erica's boss at the radio station.
The movie was as good as I thought it would be. The action was intense and both Jodie and Terrence were excellent in their roles. The odds of someone being that slack after killing someone and getting away with it are (I hope) slim. She said a stranger was living in her body and her portrayal of an emotionless wounded spirit was very convincing. Most definitely one to see again.
Rated R for shootings, violence, language – Marilyn Merrill
3:10 to Yuma (R)
I’m an avowed Russell Crowe fan and was not disappointed, but this movie stands up as a good western, some might say a great one.
Christian Bale plays a rancher, Dan Evans, crippled in the Civil War, and faced with losing his ranch to drought and land grabbers anxious to sell to the railroad. While rounding up cattle, he crosses paths with Ben Wade (Russell Crowe), the head of a notorious gang that robs Pinkerton stages and kills brutally.
Dan Evans is a man fighting for his family and his ranch in many ways. Wade is arrested, Pinkerton’s offers enough money to escort Wade to a prison train to solve Evans’ immediate financial problems. The former sharpshooting soldier gladly seizes the opportunity. While there is plenty of western action to satisfy, 3:10 to Yuma is about respect, appreciation, and doing the right thing.
It is rated R for a lot of violence and profanity. – Barry Merrill
Shoot 'Em Up (R)
This movie feels like a video game brought to the big screen. The movie opens on the mysterious Mr. Smith (Clive Owen), a rugged British crackshot who seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. When he sees a distressed pregnant woman (Ramona Pringle) being pursued by a gunman, he follows to intervene and ends up in a shootout with maybe twenty other armed thugs, led by Hertz (Paul Giamatti). The mother dies soon after giving birth, but Smith saves the baby, taking him to a whorehouse and placing him under the care of Donna (Monica Bellucci, who played Persephone in the Matrix sequels). Together, Smith and Donna have to protect the baby they dub Oliver from a veritable army of dispensable henchmen. Stephen McHattie also stars as a gun manufacturer.
This movie is raunchy and over-the-top from almost the first frame. Smith, who is constantly chewing on carrots (or using them as weapons), manages to escape virtually unscathed from gun battle after gun battle, stopping only to further the skeleton of a plot. Don't let that fool you, though. This movie knows exactly what it is, and doesn't let up. I think I saw maybe two hundred people die, in increasingly less realistic ways, but by the end I didn't really mind the total lack of seriousness. The rating is for the aforementioned deaths, maiming, violence, sexual content including nudity, and torture scenes. Definitely leave the kids at home for this one, or risk their stalking you through the house with a raw carrot. – Ashley Merrill
Death Sentence (R)
The creators of the "Saw" series bring a dramatic feel to an old-school plot: eye for an eye. Based on a novel by Brian Garfield, this movie stars Kevin Bacon as Nicholas Hume, the all-American father with two sons, a beautiful wife (played by Kelly Preston), and a great job. He has everything he could ever ask for, until his son is murdered, a random victim in a gang initiation. Mr. Hume swears revenge on all the members involved, and an involved gang war ensues, during which the police are apparently powerless. Aisha Tyler plays a sympathetic homicide detective, and John Goodman also stars.
All in all, this is a decent movie. I believe Kevin Bacon wasn't the best choice for this role, but he worked. Rating is for strong, brutal bloody violence, and pervasive language. – Matt Wright
Balls of Fury (PG-13)
is full of excitement and laughter. Dan Fogler plays Randy Daytona, who was an Olympic table tennis player as a child. He hasn't played since his youth, after the death of his father. Randy gets another chance at competitive ping-pong when FBI Agent Rodriguez (George Lopez) recruits him for a secret mission. The FBI is after the same man, Feng (Christopher Walken), who was responsible for the murder of Randy's dad. Randy is more than willing to help the FBI and get his revenge on Feng at the same time. However, Randy soon realizes how rusty his playing has become. Agent Rodriguez arranges for Randy to be trained by the blind sage Wong (James Hong) and his foxy niece, Maggie (Maggie Q). Finally, Randy finds himself participating in the tournaments at Feng's jungle compound, where players face death if they lose. Randy has to survive all his opponents, if he is to bring down Feng.
I thought this movie was funny and crazy at the same time. I don't recommend it for young kids, because of the adult humor. Rating is for that humor, and language. – Mary Wadsworth
Halloween (R)
is Rob Zombie's reboot of the almost 30 year franchise, and the ninth entry in the series. He brings many of the cast members he worked with in past movies, including Tyler Mane (who had an uncredited role in The Devil's Rejects) as Michael Myers. If you've seen the original, you know that Michael was locked up when he was very young, for killing his older sister. In this version, Michael also kills his mother's boyfriend (his mother is played by Rob's wife Sheri Moon Zombie) and his older sister's boyfriend. When Michael is mistakenly released from the mental institution, his doctor, Sam Loomis (played by Malcolm McDowell) sets out to bring him back before he can kill again. Scout Taylor-Compton plays Laurie Strode, the object of Michael's obsession.
This version is better than the original, in my opinion, because Michael's beginnings are explained much more clearly. The language is more vulgar than the original, and of course there's much more gore. All in all, I can't really complain about it, and I hope Rob Zombie continues to bring this classic series new life. – Matt Wright