REVIEW: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules

MOVIE
Diary of a Wimpy Kid:
Rodrick Rules

CAST
Zachary Gordon, Devon Bostick

RATING
PG

RELEASE
March 25, 2010

DIRECTOR
David Bowers

STUDIO
20th Century Fox

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 39 minutes




GRADE
A- (91)






STARS
****











REVIEW:

Another year passes, the kids go onto the next grade, but Greg Heffley is still as wimpy as he was last year. That's right folks, Greg Heffley is now in the 7th Grade, having gotten rid of his bad social status, and finding first crushes. But there is only one thing standing in his way: his older brother Rodrick. That's why this movie has the sub-title of "Rodrick Rules," because this movie deals with Greg and Rodrick attempting to get along, as well as getting into crazy antics with each other. I have read every Diary of a Wimpy Kid book to date, and my least favorite one was in fact 'Rodrick Rules.' But I can inform you that this version of 'Rodrick Rules' is wittier, smarter, and funnier than its predecessor, and by far my favorite family movie of the early year so far, (I don't count Rango as a family movie)

The plot is very basic: Greg Heffley starting 7th grade, getting into shenanigans throughout his year, finding his first school crush, and dealing with the antics of his older brother Rodrick, while also trying to get along with him. With that in mind, you should be ready to go for this sequel. The movie is sweet, witty, and just plain funny. I laughed throughout this movie, and got grossed out at some of the situations that Greg gets himself into. (Eating Pizza from the garbage, Getting a chocolate stain on his butt that looked like a poop stain, etc.) I could compare myself and my family and friends into this movie, since this movie also shows a sense of middle school reality from the point of view of a wimpy kid who wants to be cool and get the girl of his dreams.

Recently, my 8th grade class handed out a voting list for all of us 8th graders to vote on, which consisted of many students being nominated for several categories, including 'Most Trend-Setting' and 'Most Likely To Become Famous.' Think the Academy Awards of middle school students. Like Greg, I was omitted from this type of list. Heck, this voting list only consisted of four different types of students: Smarties, Populars, Idiots, and Bimbos. Like Greg, Rowley, and all of their friends, I am just one of those kids in the middle of the social status group that aren't recognized as much as those who join all clubs, get stellar grades, or are just plain stupid. Middle school is one of the strangest times in someones life, since everyone cares about popularity, liking people, and gaining a social status. I don't care about any of that stuff, I'm too smart to think about that stuff all of the time. Really I don't understand why everyone cares so much about a reputation or if they're in a relationship or not. Isn't that what high school is all about. Sorry to make this personal, but isn't that what Greg does when he writes his diary posts?

Getting back to the movie itself, I really admire the casting choices. Zachary Gordon and Robert Capron, who play Greg and Rowley in the movie bring some great life into their characters. You could actually believe that you could throw them into a group of middle school students and not even tell them apart from the rest of the crowd. All of the supporting characters, like Rodrick, the rest of the Heffley family, and the rest of the nerdy school clan each have a part that makes you laugh out loud. It's like in Grown Ups where every character had one stand out part. Not only do they help give jokes and help the story go along, they also help teach a message about reputations in schools and family issues you should get through and make up for, otherwise you'll lose connections with you're closest friends: your siblings.

David Bowers, who's best known for directing animated films like 'Astro Boy' has done a great job with his live action directorial debut. You can sort of say that this is an animated movie, not just because of the partially animated sequences, but because the characters are like cartoons in real life situations. I actually like his directing much more than Thor Freudenthal, who directed the first movie. But luckily, both directors have one thing in common: they have a sense of creativity. They are smart enough to take a celebrated children's book series into a great movie series that is and I quote the great Roger Ebert, "bright, nimble, and funny." These movie are meant for kids, yet also bring out that wimpy kid you used to be 20-30 years ago. Believe me, when you take your kids to these movies, you will have just as much of a fun time as they do, and possibly more.

'Rodrick Rules' isn't just a sub-title; it's a statement. This latest installment of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid succeeds at being funny, charming, and real. It really captures the essence of what its like to be a nerdy and wimpy middle schooler, dealing with siblings and first loves. Some may even know from experience what it's like to be a quote on quote "Wimpy Kid" and feel what Greg is feeling. If you've have or are having these experiences, that is all the more reason to see this movie along with the first one. When you've already had experiences like the ones Greg has, it adds to the experience since you can laugh at those situations you might've gotten into, as well as see yourself as the main wimp. I can guarantee this is a great family movie for those who don't want to see some dumb 3D movie playing. This movie actualy is in 3D. Not the three dimensional, glasses needed kind of 3D, but the kind that has characters who you can relate to, laugh out loud jokes, and physical humor that goes over the top. To all of the families out there who like to go to the movies, you may want to see something like Mars Needs Moms or Rango, but in the end, the choice should be clear: Rodrick Rules! End of story.




PREVIEWS YOU MAY SEE:

Hop



Rio



Prom



Judy Moody and the
Not Bummer Summer



Mr. Popper's Penguins



The Zookeeper

REVIEW: The Adjustment Bureau

MOVIE
The Adjustment Bureau

CAST
Matt Damon, Emily Blunt

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE
March 4, 2011

DIRECTOR
George Nolfi

STUDIO
Universal Pictures

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 46 minutes





GRADE
A (88)






STARS
***1/2











REVIEW:

Have you ever thought that you're life was written according to plan? I'm guessing that you probably never have had this thought, and neither has Matt Damon's character in The Adjustment Bureau. In The Adjustment Bureau, Matt Damon and Emily Blunt must run for their lives before they get "adjusted." On the outside, this movie looks like an action packed thriller, which it mildly is. But on the inside, it's actually more of a romantic thriller than an action thriller. And just because of that, the performances from Mr. Damon and Ms. Emily Blunt, who's always luscious and great, and a nice story concept, The Adjustment Bureau succeeds as being a thriller and a romance, but lacks on a terrific ending.

SYNOPSIS (Courtesy of Fandango.com)
Just as he is on the brink of winning a senate seat, politician David Norris meets a ballerina named Elise Sellas. Though David is smitten, mysterious men conspire to keep him away from the beautiful dancer. David learns he is up against the powerful agents of Fate itself, and, glimpsing the future laid out before him, must either accept a predetermined path that does not include Elise, or defy fate to be with her.
END OF SYNOPSIS

Like Beastly, this movie was delayed for a while. But in some ways, I believe that it was smart for Universal to postpone this movie, because I felt it was more of a spring movie than a fall movie. (this was supposed to come out on September 17, 2010) I don't know what it is, it's just that I get more of a spring vibe than a fall vibe. Now back to the movie itself. It was a good movie. It was very intriguing, somewhat complex, and very romantically involved. People have been calling this "A romantic Inception," but I don't see that. Romantic: Yes. Inception like: somewhat. "The Adjustment Bureau" is a group of men who work for "the chairman" making sure things go accordingly to plan, and they have Inception like powers with the power of a hat and their mind, I guess. So if you're looking for another Inception thriller, then you may want to stay away from this one, if you're not into romance movies as well.

Like I said, this movie had terrific performances from Matt Damon and Emily Blunt. Ever since I saw Invictus, I instantly enjoyed Matt Damon and his performance in that, plus this past December's True Grit, where he played LaBeouf. In The Adjustment Bureau, this is my first time actually hearing his American accent rather than an African and western accent. He was a great presence in this movie, as was the ravishing and great Emily Blunt, who's only other movies I've seen include The Devil Wears Prada and Gulliver's Travels. They were great as the main leads, as you wanted to see how their story ended while it progressed. And in a great supporting role, who's always great in everything he does is the old but awesome Terrence "FREAKING" Stamp. He doesn't even need to lift a fist to be badass and a great villain. He's even better in this point of time than in the 80s when he was only known as General Zod in Superman II. For those who don't really care much about the story as much as they care about the story's characters, The Adjustment Bureau is an absolute must see.

So to conclude my final thoughts, The Adjustment Bureau is a good thriller that keeps you on the edge of you're seat, and a great romance, where you want the main leads to succeed at falling in love. It's actors are great, the story is original, and the hats that the bureau wears is just plain cool looking. If you are in the mood for an awesome action romance thriller with an awesome sci-fi feel to it at times, then you may want to check this movie out. This is definitely worth the trip to the local cineplex, and worth your time and money. The movie may only be a somewhat small 106 minutes, but the movie does feel longer than what it seems to be. I only hope that you don't think otherwise if you see this movie. Even though this movie could be enjoyed in the comfort of your home, I believe that the better movies of the year deserve to be seen on the big screen. This and Rango are the two must see movies of 2011 so far, but they are different in many ways. Nevertheless, they will both be enjoyed by the adults of the world and give them something to talk about. So what if you're life was already planned by a group of men in suits? What would you do to stay with the person you love most. If you want some tips, then here's you're first one: Don't get caught by The Adjustment Bureau. You never know what they'll do to you.







PREVIEWS YOU MAY SEE:

Limitless



African Cats



Apollo 18



Fast Five

REVIEW: Rango

MOVIE
Rango

CAST
Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher

RATING
PG

RELEASE
March 4, 2011

DIRECTOR
Gore Verbinski

STUDIO(S)
Paramount Pictures,
Nickelodeon Movies

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 47 minutes



GRADE
A (99)





STARS
***1/2

REVIEW:

Johnny Depp stars in another Tim... wait a minute, Johnny Depp is finally in another movie without Tim Burton at the helm. Not that Tim Burton movies are bad, it's just tiring to see Johnny Depp in every single one of his movies. And also, that's not Johnny Depp, that a chameleon. Well you're wrong again, as Johnny Depp did the voice and did a motion capture performance-esque thing with Rango, his fourth collaboration with Pirates Of The Caribbean director Gore Verbinski. Rango is mainly about a lizard who has to find himself and realize who he really is. It does have Tim Burton vibes in it, like the animation, some of the dream sequences in the movie, and the plot line, which is kind of taken from Alice in Wonderland's plot. But the difference between this and a Tim Burton movie is that this is Johnny Depp's best movie. A triumph in animation, humorous, yet sometimes slow, Rango delivers the goods for everyone, which makes it this year's How To Train Your Dragon, but in flat yet necessary 2D.

A chameleon with no name is living in his own world, putting on his own shows with plastic toys and figurines. But when he his accidentally let loose in the middle of the desert, he soon discovers the tiny little town of Dirt, filled with many disgusting and vicious looking creatures. They're water supply is low, and their town is flooding with evil pests. When the chameleon enters the town and eventually kills a hawk infesting the entire desert, he goes under the name "Rango," and becomes the town's sheriff. Rango now has to save this little town from Rattlesnake Joe, a snake/cowboy who's only threat was the hawk Rango previously killed, plus find what is lowering the water supplies of the town before they are all threatened to extinction.

I had slightly low expectations after seeing the first two trailers of this movie. Of course the movie looked like nothing we had ever seen before, but the movie looked very thin on the script and the characters didn't look likable. But then all of the praise started coming, so I had no choice but to see it. And seeing it was the best decision I have made this year so far. The movie is witty, fun, violent, and sometimes slow. It had a lot of physical humor from the main characters. Think of animated versions of comedians like Andy Kaufman and Jim Carrey, except they're animated animals aside from animated people. Also some of the gags in this movie did make me laugh out loud, along with most of the other adults in the theater. Notice that I didn't mention kids at all. Well that's because that this isn't exactly a kids movie.

Yeah you would expect that an animated movie from Nickelodeon would be a kids movie. Well let me be one of the many people to say that this was on the edge from getting a PG-13. Heck, this could've been PG-13. Remember in Alice in Wonderland where that dog-like monster got his eye poked out of his head? Well in Rango, we have a character who has an arrow going through his eye and out his head. Also, there is one character at the beginning of the movie that is pretty much roadkill, with a flat stomach clearly seen where a truck ran over him. And the worst part about that is that the character is still alive! It's not just these supposedly gruesome characters that could've gotten the movie a PG-13, the movie also has a lot of heavy western language for being a kids movie, as well as jokes that younger kids wouldn't understand, but having the adults laughing out loud. So to the parents out there who want to take their younger kids to a movie, go see Gnomeo and Juliet instead. They will be able to enjoy the movie then.

This movie is actually the very first animated movie from ILM, (Industrial Light & Magic) who always specialized in special effect. In Rango however, there aren't any special effects, just pure beauty. The images in this movie are so beautiful to look at, plus they look very realistic. Sometimes, you may forget that you're seeing an animated movie, despite the looks of the characters. Even without the 3D effect, which actually would've made the movie look cooler, the movie looks absolutely beautiful. Even if you dislike the movie because of it not being too funny or if the script was too bleak, you can agree that this is one of the most visually stunning animated movies ever. Actually, I think that it is THE most visually stunning animated movie ever. You can skip the snacks at the consession stand because the animation in this movie is pure eye candy. Like Pixar eye candy.

I don't believe that this movie will appeal to everyone. However, I think that the adults who see this movie will enjoy this movie more than the kids they're forced to go with. The movie is ugly, sometimes repulsive, and just plain weird. However, that's what makes this movie so damn good! I would recommend any family with their kids over eight to go and see this movie. The kid(s) will enjoy it because they'll be able to understand more of the jokes in this movie. You know, the inappropriate jokes that the adults would only get. Kids will enjoy this movie, and so will adults. I guess you can call this a family movie, but not for kids under 7 who will just laugh at the physical humor happening on screen. Thar was the only bad thing about the movie, the fact that the little kids wouldn't stop talking or crying. Other than that, Rango is one of the weirdest times you will have at the movies. It's like Inception weird, except not as confusing. So do you want to see an awesome movie? Well good movies have a name, and that name is Rango.




PREVIEWS YOU MAY SEE:

Hop


IMAX:
Born To Be Wild 3D


Rio


Pirates Of The Caribbean:
On Stranger Tides


Kung Fu Panda 2


The Zookeeper


Puss In Boots

REVIEW: Beastly

MOVIE
Beastly

CAST
Alex Pettyfer,
Vanessa Hudgens

RATING
PG-13

RELEASE
March 4, 2011

DIRECTOR
Daniel Barnz

STUDIO
CBS Films (Sony)

RUNNING TIME
1 hour 26 minutes







STARS
**3/4











REVIEW:

After an eight month long hiatus, eager fans of Vanessa Hudgens are finally able to see what she's been cooking up for the past two years. Well, later in the month we'll see Sucker Punch. But for now, she stars in the 'Beauty and the Beast' knockoff, Beastly. Beastly also stars I Am Number Four's Alex Pettyfer, Neil Patrick Harris, and Mary Kate (sorry, no Ashley) Olson. I wasn't sure what to expect with this movie, especially since we all know what's going to happen in the end. But for me, I found it to be sweet, romantic, amusing, and somewhat heartwarming. Beastly proves that even the most ugly thing in the world can be the most beautiful, well for one person at least.

Kyle is the typical kind of high schooler who thinks he's all that, when in fact he is just a Wealthy, Popular, Arrogant guy who really has nothing good about himself. This is mostly based on the fact that his newsman dad has no time for Kyle, and all of the time for everyone else. But after messing with a school girl, who isn't the prettiest girl in school, but certainly not the ugliest, she curses Kyle with his skin showing the ugliness within himself, showing him how it feels to be ugly. He then has one year to find someone who can see the beauty within Kyle, and have romantic feelings for the "beast." Only then when someone truly loves him that the spell will be broken.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this movie, since many have been waiting for this since the 26 second teaser debuted with The Twilight Saga: New Moon back in November 2009. That first teaser didn't appetise me at first, but it did satisfy many moviegoers. Then the second trailer was released with the still unseen The Back Up Plan, back when the movie was coming out on July 30, 2010. Then I was satisfied, but no too satisfied. Then Charlie St. Cloud was coming out, so Sony decided to push this all the way to March 2011. As shocking as this was, I could keep my patience rolling. But at last, it finally is here. I did enjoy the movie quite more than I expected to. I laughed a lot, especially at Neil Patrick Harris, who practically stole the movie. The makeup looked absolutely terrific and realistic. I'm not sure whether or not that this will be nominated for Best Makeup at next year's Oscars, but for me it is my top candidate of the year so far. The movie isn't perfect, so let me point out some reasons why.

First off was the acting. The only unbelievable acting to me was Alex Pettyfer, who played the main character Kyle. I only keep remembering that he is still making his transition into American films, so his acting probably will still be shaky for another few films, so we will wait and see how well his acting improves. Hey don't get me wrong, Alex Pettyfer isn't a terrible actor, like Hayden Christenson. The only way I can describe him is a guy version of Kristen Stewart, the chick from 'Twilight.' She has the same shtick in those movies, like Alex Pettyfer. But slowly yet surely, they are both becoming better actors, and more believable after every movie. Now to get off the Beast, lets go to the Beauty and the other house residents. Vanessa Hudgens has actually gotten better at acting then I remember from the High School Musical movies. (Yes, I did watch all three movies) I really would like to see her in more movies, and without the weight on her back known as Zac Efron, she probably can. I really enjoyed Mary-Kate Olson and Neil Patrick Harris in this movie. They possibly stole the show from their bigger co-stars. I would love to see Mary-Kate acting again. Without her sister by her side saying "You got it, dude!", she has the power to be her own person and become a possibly good actress. As for Neil Patrick Harris, well, you've got to love this guy. He is HILARIOUS!

The other thing that I was disappointed with this movie was that it was only 1 hour and 26 minutes long! Believe me, I was shocked by how short this movie is. But like the animated film Gnomeo and Juliet, it uses its time wisely to tell the story and make it feel longer than what it was. I only though the movie rushed at the beginning where it jumps from Kyle's transformation to several months later in the transformation process. Though as we got to the half hour mark, I felt that the movie got its pace on the right track, but still felt like a short time when being described as being a year. To me and my dad, the movie only felt that it was a mere couple of months rather than a full year. But still, the short time suited the movie well, and will probably satisfy the teen girl crowd who may see this movie.

Even if the acting was still under the radar line for Alex Pettyfer, I still felt that his chemistry between Vanessa Hudgens and himself did have some sparkle. I felt that it was a sweet romantic love, not the kind of dramatic love you would find on Degrassi or any Nicholas Sparks movie. It was an innocent relationship without all of the sexual content/candor that wouldn't even be needed for this movie. This is the kind of romance fantasy that could be suited for 9 and 10 year olds, like my sister, who did enjoy this movie. Teen girls will be satisfied by this movie, and probably won't even notice the short running time. Personally, I would just call this movie a rental for a sleepover or a get together. It's not really a theater experience, other than the brief overlooks of some property owned lakes and the big apple itself, New York City. Overall, this is a fantasy I would say not to miss.

So in summary, Beastly has its ups and downs, but I still enjoyed it. It may or may not appeal for everyone, but just for Neil Patrick Harris, I would say to see this movie. Like I said, this isn't a big screen movie. It's more of a "hey, there's nothing else here, so let's rent this" movie, where it doesn't have to be seen, but it will satisfy the middle school, elementary school, and young high school crowd. It also teaches a lesson on bullying, and how the effects may turn out. Of course, you won't turn into a grotesque "beast" like the main character in the movie, but karma will come back to haunt you, and you will eventually regret it. So what is so ugly about the "Beast?" I can see what people would see as ugly, but the romance in this movie certainly isn't.




SORRY, NO PREVIEWS AT THIS SCREENING!