REVIEW: Grown Ups

MOVIE
Grown Ups

CAST
Adam Sandler, Kevin James,
Chris Rock, David Spade,
Rob Schneider

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE
June 25, 2010

DIRECTOR
Dennis Dugan

STUDIO
Columbia Pictures

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 50 minutes




GRADE
A+





STARS
****








REVIEW:

Adam Sandler, who's had his share of starring flops in the pass few years, he finally gets the perfect comedy with the help of some of his friends, like Kevin James and Chris Rock. After hearing about the passing of their coach whom they won his only championship before, five friends, along with their families rent a lake house for the Fourth Of July weekend to celebrate their lives. Going into it, I knew it was going to make me laugh but I still had low expectations. But I still wanted to go anyway, since this was a free screening of it a few days before it's release date. The theater was packed and the audience was ready to laugh. After seeing this, all I can say is that this is the funniest movie people will see ALL summer, with its only competition for this position is Steve Carell's Dinner For Schmucks and Will Ferrell's The Other Guys. I know this position is a little bizarre for a Sandler flick, but I laughed so hard that I laughed, cried, and nearly choked at the same time. This movie has so many sexual, breast feeding, and fart jokes that I couldn't care less about how many were there, just that every single one was so funny. also, there was no character that was the funniest because every character had several parts that made them stand out over the others in that scene. But if I do have to have favorite actors in this movie, it has to be a direct tie with Rob Schneider and David Spade. (SPOILER AND PG-13 LANGUAGE, If you can call it that) Another group of funny characters werethe eldest sons of Adam Sandler and Chris Rock, who constantly kept checking out Rob Schneider's hot daughters, hence calling the kids perverted and giving them props for having great taste in women. (END) I do also want to point out that I felt a little uncomfortable seeing my little sister, who's 9 by the way watching this. But I do want to point out that this Sandler comic fest is drowned with sexual content that's not appropriate for kids under 12. But if you're looking for a load of summer hilarity with some of comedy's funniest modern men, then take your chances on Adam Sandler's summer hit, Grown Ups.




PREVIEW YOU MAY (YOU WILL) SEE:

The Other Guys

REVIEW: Toy Story 3 (2D)

MOVIE
Toy Story 3

CAST
Tom Hanks, Tim Allen

RATING
G

RELEASE
June 18, 2010

DIRECTOR

Lee Unkrich

STUDIO(S)
Walt Disney Pictures,

PIXAR Animation Studios

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 43 minutes

GRADE
A+1/2

STARS
****1/2

REVIEW:

Well, it's finally here! The long awaited third installment of the Toy Story series. And of course, it's AMAZING! How amazing exactly is too much amazing exactly? Well, read the rest of the review and I will try to keep it as spoiler free as possible. This installment takes place about 10 years after the second Toy Story film, and Andy, the toy's owner is heading off to college. So what happens exactly? Woody, Buzz, and the remaining toys get sent off to Sunnyside Day Care Center. At the day center, they meet many new toys like Lots O Huggin Bear, (Lotso for short) and Ken, Barbie's soul mate that hasn't met a Barbie ever. But as the toys are at the Day Care, they realize that everything is not what it seems. So, the toys are trying to bust out of the Day Care, even though they stumble upon a few problems. Even though I knew this movie was going to be good, I didn't realize it was going to be Flawless and Amazing! This movie exceeded my expectations by 500 miles and almost sent me flying to the moon. I'd guess that other critics wouldn't think it's as good as I think it is going over my rating limit, but it's still a treat to watch, whether it's in 3D or 2D. I saw this, as I've probably mentioned before, at the first public screening of the finished product back in mid May. The excitement filled the theater when the screen beamed the Walt Disney Pictures logo and flowed into an exciting movie that will probably become THE sure fire Oscar winner this year. What made this movie fun to see was the eye candy characters like Lots Of Huggin Bear and Peas In A Pod. (See Toy Story 3 website for more pictures of the movie's new characters) Watch Lotso's fur while you're watching the movie, because, even though it's animated, it looks very very realistic. Also, this PIXAR flick has so much more comedy than the other movies in the past, mainly with the scenes involving Barbie and Ken. I would also like to point out that, even though this movie is rated G, this movie can be very intense and emotional for younger viewers, but that shouldn't get in the way of you enjoying it. Also, along with all other PIXAR films, this one has a great lesson and message cemented into its story. But this movie has the most touching and important lesson any PIXAR movie has had ever since the original Toy Story hit theaters back in 1995. I can't say the lesson now, because I don't want to spoil anything for anyone who wants to see this. But, when the movie turns a month in theaters, check the review again and the message will be included in this review instead of these two sentences. Also, I believe that (SPOILER) this movie marks the end of a beautiful trilogy that went on and touched the hearts of many audiences for over a decade. (END) So I say, thank you, Lee Unkrich, John Lassetter, and the rest of the team that made Toy Story such a great series to watch. So, if you enjoy to watch PIXAR, Disney, or any kind of movie, feast your eyes on THE BEST MOVIE OF THE YEAR SO FAR and THE BEST ANIMATED MOVIE OF THE YEAR with Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios' Toy Story 3.

PREVIEWS YOU MAY SEE (In 3D):


Despicable Me

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Legend Of The Guardians

Tangled

The Smurfs Movie

REVIEW: Day & Night (2D)

SHORT FILM
Day & Night

RATING
G

RELEASE
June 18, 2010 (With Toy Story 3)

DIRECTOR
Teddy Newton

STUDIO
PIXAR Animation Studios

RUNNING TIME
5 minutes 57 seconds




GRADE
A+




STARS
****












REVIEW:

Since this is a SHORT movie, I'm going to make this a SHORT review. What happens when Day and Night meet. A whole lot of funny will happen that will entertain kids and adults alike. Like I said, this short film is very entertaining. It's very fun to watch 2D characters with 3D images inside their bodies to create the Day & Night illusion for the audience. Although you probably not going to have a choice to see this if you don't want to if you see Toy Story 3, this is a must see short film that will at least get nominated for an Oscar this coming year. So, you know Day & Night because you live in it. But you've never seen anything like this short before, which will let you see Day & Night in a whole new way, so see Day & Night with Toy Story 3 and enjoy it, even though you already will by the time you see the first character on the screen.

PIXAR TOP 10: #1 Toy Story 2

This movie is, in my opinion, the best PIXAR movie they made, and the BEST animated movie I have ever seen by far! Toy Story 2 reunites audiences with Woody, Buzz, and the rest of the gang in a thrilling adventure that involves Woody being stolen by a greedy salesman. While the toys are going to rescue him, Woody finds out that he was the star of his own TV show back in the 1950s, but was cancelled due to the popularity of spacemen emerging. Now Woody must decide if he should go back to his real home or stay with his historical friends. This rare sequel that exceeds its preceeder is both funny and heartwarming. The funniest parts involve (SPOILER) the Buzz Lightyear that goes with the toys when the toys think he's the real Buzz when in fact, he's just another Buzz Lightyear action figure that thought the real Buzz was a slave to Emporer Zurg, Buzz's arch enemy. (END) This movie also teaches us that we're all going to grow up someday and with our toys, we have to make the time last before we go to college or get married and have kids. Not much else is to say about this except for the fact is one of the best sequels ever made. If you haven't I'd recommend you watching Toy Story & Toy Story 2 before seeing Toy Story 3, because A.) the story will make more sense and B.) They're very fun and entertaining to watch. So, watch the rare sequel that's better than the original, which in this case, is Toy Story 2.

GRADE
A+

That's the end of my PIXAR top 10. Thank you all for checking back every week to see my countdown. Enjoy your summer, check back for new reviews every week, and don't forget to see Toy Story 3!

REVIEW: Gremlins

MOVIE
Gremlins

CAST
Zach Galligan, Phobe Cates

RATING
PG

RELEASE
June 8, 1984

DIRECTOR
Joe Dante

STUDIO
Warner Bros. Pictures

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 46 minutes

GRADE
A+

STARS
***3/4

REVIEW:

Back in 1984, Steven Spielberg directed Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom, and financed a movie called Gremlins. These two movie became the main cause for the PG-13 rating. In this, I could see why, but what some people didn't see under the heavy violence is a smart, funny movie that can be watched over and over again. Billy Peltzer lives with his parents, despite being done with school and works at the bank to provide money for his family. One night for Christmas, Billy's father brings home a mysterious creature called a mogwai that he calls Gizmo. The catch is, there are three important rules to remember with a mogwai; keep it away from bright light, especially sunlight, which can kill the Mogwai, never get the Mogwai wet, and to never feed it after midnight. Unfortunately, when all of these rules are inded broken, all hell will break loose as Billy has very little time to stop these creatures until all of man-kind is nearly extinct. This movie has the rare title of being a good horror-comedy. But mostly, it's just a plain funny movie. Howie Mandel voiced Gizmo, the main Gremlin and was absolutely terrific doing it. Plus, this movie did have a few scary moments, one including an evil gremlin and a microwave. I would also like to point out that even though this movie is PG, you should know that this movie caused PG-13 to happen, mainly because this film can get very dark at parts. So I wouldn't recommend this movie to children, even if they want to see it because of Gizmo's cute appearance on the DVD/Blu-Ray cover. But overall, if you enjoy comedies from Steven Spielberg with elements of horror in it, then go out and rent Steven Spielberg's Gremlins.

REVIEW: The A-Team

MOVIE
The A-Team

CAST
Liam Nesson, Bradley Cooper

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE
June 11, 2010

DIRECTOR
Joe Carnahan

STUDIO
20th Century Fox

RUNNING TIME

1 hour 58 minutes

GRADE
A+






STARS
****

REVIEW:

This has to be one of the most pointless and mindless movies I've ever seen. Yet, I loved every second of it! John "Hannibal" Smith, Templeton "Faceman" Peck, Bosco Albert "B.A." (Bad Attitude) Baracus, and H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock are the members of a highly-regarded, elite combat unit known as The A-Team. While at the top of their game, the U.S. Military suspect the team of committing a crime that they didn't commit in the first place. Now the team, who have escaped prison and are considered fugitives must clear their names and find the real criminals using their unique and amazing skills at getting in and out of problems. In the words of Mr. T himself, I PITY THE FOOL WHO DOESN'T SEE THIS MOVIE! This is the summer movie that 2010 was looking for, apart from Iron Man 2. What made this movie great and enjoyable were two key factors in it: Top of the line Action and nearly sidesplitting Comedy. The real stars of this movie are Bradley Cooper of The Hangover fame and Sharlto Copley of District 9 fame, which both make this movie as much of a comedy as much as action. Also, Liam Nesson and Rampage Jackson do great jobs as Hannibal and B.A. with all of their action packed scenes being some of the best in the business. Oh yeah, the action sequences were top notch as some of the sequences were real exploding settings with real explosions, while most of the complicated scenes were done with special effects. But on a side note, the one reason why I'm not a fan of 20th Century Fox, who released this movie is because they never fully explain the movie's plot fully and they never show many characters from the movie aside from the main celebric characters. Like most people would expect, this movie isn't for everybody, (see Ebert's review on his website) but if you want two enjoyable hours of mindless action and comedy with no lesson, then you should indeed see The A-Team. Actually, I prefer this movie over The Karate Kid remake, which I also enjoyed. So when there's trouble in hand and the world needs heroes, then call The A-Team, because like Hannibal says in the movie, "We're unbeatable." And like Jessica Biel's character says, "They're the best and they specialize in the ridiculous" which the indeed do. Oh Hell Yeah!

PREVIEWS YOU MAY SEE:

Knight And Day

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Predators

Inception

Scott Pilgrim VS The World

Takers

REVIEW: The Karate Kid (2010)

MOVIE
The Karate Kid

CAST
Jaden Smith, Jackie Chan

RATING
PG

RELEASE
June 11, 2010

DIRECTOR
Harold Zwart

STUDIO
Columbia Pictures

RUNNING TIME
2 hours 19 minutes






GRADE
A




STARS
***1/2








REVIEW:

I never saw the original Karate Kid with Pat Morita, but after seeing this, I want to see what the original was like, because this movie was funny, dramatic, and just plain fun. Dre Parker and his mom are being relocated to Beijing, China for a job. Dre of course is the new kid at school and doesn't know much Chinese. But then he meets the perfect girl, a violinist "controlled" by her parents. But on the same day, he meets the local bully who loves to pick on Dre. So with the help of the local maintenance man, Mr. Han, he will be taught the arts of kung-fu and make an unlikely bond. This was one of the surprise movies of the year that really kept my attention throughout, even though it was a half hour longer than it should've been. It was very fun to see the bond that Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan made throughout the movie, (MILD SPOILER) especially to see the history of Mr. Han's very emotional life. (END) But with all movies, it has its flaws thrown in. One of the problems that I had with the movie was Dre's mother. Don't get me wrong, Taraji P. Henson is a great actress and was terrific in The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, but in this movie she was just plain annoying. They should've had fewer scenes with her in it, even though the motherly role is kind of a real life role, and by that I mean most mothers act like how she does in this movie. Other than that, the only other problem I had was that some scenes were just a little too long. But I do think the movie had a solid story and a good cast that led into some very dramatic and very funny moments. Harold Zwart, who also directed The Pink Panther 2 makes a movie that well deserves plenty of standing ovations. I would like to point out that this movie, even though it's considered a family movie, the movie can be very intense at parts, like the fighting and bullying sequences. Plus, (SPOILER) there is one intense scene involving Jackie Chan and a car. (END) But other than that, it's a good movie. I would also like to point out that if this movie gets nominated for any Oscars, it probably will be for Best Cinematography. The reason for this kind of nomination is because the shots of China's buildings and the Great Wall are just exhilerating to look at. Also, if you are going to see this movie, I just want to point out that even though this is called The Karate Kid, it should be called The Kung Fu Kid because Dre is learning Kung Fu, not Karate. In fact, America is the only part of the world that calls this movie The Karate Kid. But if you do see this, you sure will be in for a summer treat. I can surely guarantee I will see the original Karate Kid and make the comparison. So if you're looking for family action and fun with Kung Fu, then go and check out The Karate Kid.





PREVIEWS YOU MAY SEE:


Grown Ups


The Last Airbender


Despicable Me


Flipped


Alpha & Omega

PIXAR TOP 10: #2 A Bug's Life

This has to be PIXAR's most underrated movie they ever made. But I, believe this movie is one of the most original, most entertaining animated movies in history. A Bug's Life is about Flik, an ant in a giant colony that's protected by grasshoppers. But protection always comes with a price: they had to collect food for the grasshoppers. But after an incident occurs, the grasshoppers give the ants until the end of summer to get them more food. Desperate, the ant colony sends Flik to find warrior bugs to fight off the grasshoppers. But when Flik finds the "warriors," it turns out their just unemployed circus bugs. This movie is smart, funny, and beautiful to watch. When the movie first opens up and you see the glimpse of the ant island, the animation is just stunning to look at. Also, the look of Ant City looks almost accurate to cities like New York or Chicago. Plus, the comedy is so genuine that it's just as funny as PIXAR's later movie, Monsters, Inc. I can't really say much more, except that I am one of the few people who enjoy this movie. In fact, I liked it so much that I downloaded it onto my I-POD. You may like it, you may not. But I for one, would recommend seeing A Bug's Life.

GRADE
A+

CHECK BACK NEXT WEEK FOR MY FAVORITE PIXAR FILM OF ALL TIME

REVIEW: Cast Away

MOVIE
Cast Away

CAST
Tom Hanks

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE

December 7, 2000

DIRECTOR
Robert Zemekis

STUDIO(S)

20th Century Fox,

Dreamworks Pictures

RUNNING TIME
2 hours 23 minutes

GRADE
A







STARS
***1/2

REVIEW:

Robert Zemeckis, who is the successful director of Back To The Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, and Forrest Gump made a movie that takes us to our deepest fears of being alone. Chuck Noland is a time obsessed worker at FedEx. On Christmas eve, his plane crash lands in the Pacific Ocean on the way to Malaysia. He is the only survivor of the crash and finds a island that is uncharted and deserted. Alone and hungry, Chuck must learn to survive on his own and without electricity and population. Personally, this was one of the most scarring yet fantastic movies I've ever seen. What made it very interesting to me is because for the majority of the movie where Tom Hanks is on the island, there is no score at all, almost like a documentary. The reason why this is a scary movie is because this situations in this movie like Tom Hanks being alone and going mad could actually happen to somebody and probably already has happened to many people. It's also scary that you could come back to civilization after a number of years, but your entire life would've said goodbye the day you disappeared as you're wife could've moved on, you've missed major events in history, etc. I would also like to point out that this movie is also very brutal to watch, as viewers witness blood and dead bodies. Plus, the story premise is very mature for audiences and need to have open minds and never stop watching. But if you do watch it, you probably will enjoy it, although if you think it's another Forrest Gump, you're soorley mistaking. So, try to watch this movie and see why Tom Hanks deserved his Oscar nomination as you and Tom Hanks go and Cast Away.

PIXAR TOP 10: #3 The Incredibles

What's so significant about The Incredibles, which is in my top 5 superhero movies ever made, is that it's PIXAR's first PG rated film. Although it quite deserves it, this is one of the funniest and best work in animation that my pearly eyes have laid on. The Incredibles is about Bob Parr, who back in the day was Mr. Incredible, the best superhero in the business. But after a fatal accident, superheroes are banned from existence. 15 years later, he and is family, all supers are hiding and living as regular citizens. But when a new super-villain arrives, it's up to Bob and his family to take suits and become The Incredibles. This PIXAR flick is probably not just the most suspenseful, but also the most violent. Despite many controversies about its PG rating, it's just as enjoyable as any other PIXAR movie like Toy Story & Monsters, Inc. It combines comedy, heart, and violence flawlessly. The movie also have itself a very good script. The casting for Mr. Incredible, Frozone, and Syndrome, are also quite perfect, with Craig T. Nelson, Samuel L. Jackson, and Jason Lee lending their voices respectively. I don't have much else to say, except that this would also be a good movie to see in 3D, like I said Finding Nemo would be last week. So, if you love superheroes, action, or just plain old PIXAR, then watch The Incredibles and see why it won the Acadamy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2004.

CHECK BACK NEXT WEEK FOR #2 IN THE TOP 10 PIXAR FILMS SERIES