Movie Review-- An American Carol

An American Carol

Genre: Comedy/Political Satire

Summary: An anti-American documentary filmmaker gets a heavy dose of remedial American history

My Grade: %85


Pros:

• Some greatly funny stuff, such as "the Episcopal suppository bomber" and a quote from Trace Adkins, "I'm the Angel of freakin' death, you tirdhead."
• While not a great plot, it tears down as many liberal talking points as possible
• It offers some substantial truths to combat pervasive lies
• Great to see conservative Hollywood getting some attention
  

Cons:

• Slapstick humor- not my particular favorite
• Crass and suggestive humor- opposite of favorite
• Kids swearing
• Kind of a mess of differing conservative ideas mashed together- I'm not sure JFK represents everything that's good about America
  

Movie Review-- Hunt for the Red October

Hunt for the Red October

Genre: Suspense/Action

Summary: An intelligence analyst discovers the truth behind a rogue Soviet nuclear sub captain and his new weapon

My Grade: %97


Pros:

• Superb plot, resolving well
  
• Excellent soundtrack
  
• Great filming and effects, especially for 1990
• James Earl Jones
  

Cons:

• Connery's Scottish accent is hard to shake, despite his great acting
• Language
  

Movie Review-- Body of Lies

Body of Lies

Genre: Action/Drama

Summary: A CIA agent in the Middle East tracks a terror cell while struggling against the Agency

My Grade: %82


Pros:

• Unapologetically true perspectives on terror, Islam, politics, etc
• Amazing filming locations- all over the world
  
• Quality look at espionage in the age of terror
  

Cons:

• Half of all dialogue is made of up a few select words
• Harsh portrayals of torture (more plausible and nauseating than 24)

Movie Review-- The Pink Panther 2

The Pink Panther 2

Genre: Comedy

Summary: The famous Inspector Clouseau is back to protect the Pink Panther and find "Il Tornado."

My Grade:


Pros:

• Stupidly funny, as was the first
• A step beyond the previous levels of creative humor
  

Cons:

• Completely unnecessary segments of overt intentional innuendo and dialogue
• A terribly simple plot
  

Movie Review-- The International

The International

Genre: Suspense/Thriller/Action

Summary: An investigation into questionable banking practice explodes into an international crisis

My Grade: %89


Pros:

• A realistic plot- could be happening, makes you wonder how much of that's going on
• A lot of great international (ha) settings
• It treats each plot dynamic with a little bit more reality that the typical movie/tv show
  

Cons:

• On the poster (see right)- she wasn't there at the museum
• Kind of a weak (or abrupt?) ending, compared to the rest of the plot
• Language
  

Movie Review-- Monsters, Inc.

Monsters, Inc.

Genre: Children's/Animated/Comedy

Summary: The monster world, thriving on the screams of frightened children, is interrupted by an infiltrated child.

My Grade: %97


Pros:

• One of Pixar's better stories
• They typical stunning animation
• The cutest voice for "Boo"

Cons:

• Maybe a little scary
  

Movie Review-- Baptists at Our Barbecue

Baptists at Our Barbecue

Genre: Comedy

Summary: A young Mormon tries to unite a town divided by religion and win a girl

My Grade:


Pros

• Some unique humor- especially the one praying/language dude
• Fun to watch with a Baptist family
  

Cons

• Not terribly funny
• Even though its meant to be funny, the stereotypes are ruthless and unapologetic
• Its a very ecumenical message
  

Movie Review-- Sahara

Sahara

Genre: Action/Adventure

Summary: Treasure hunters get caught up in the middle of an outbreak and civil war in Mali

My Grade: %94


Pros:

• Steve Zahn and Rainn Wilson
• An overall fun movie
• Makes you want to go find some treasure- its gotta be out there
  

Cons:

• Didn't need the closing scene
• or the gratuitous cleavage
  

Movie Review-- Bourne Supremacy

The Bourne Supremacy

Genre: Suspense/Thriller/Action

Summary: Jason Bourne tries to take revenge all the way back to the source

My grade: %94


Pros:

• Though almost entirely unrelated to the book, it is a decent plot
• Karl Urban makes a good bad guy
• A newspaper as a weapon?!
  

Cons:

• A further departure from the original
• Marie is not supposed to die (spoiler)
  

Movie Review-- Bourne Identity

The Bourne Identity

Genre: Suspense/Thriller/Action

Summary: A secret agent/assassin struggles to find his memory and survive at the same time.

My grade: %95


Pros:

• A great story to put into film
• The kind of action that makes you stop and review it in your mind to make sure what just happened
• Excellent pick of Damon for Bourne

Cons:

• As good as it is, it leaves a gaping hole in original story by Robert Ludlum
• Though not explicit, one suggestive scene
  

Movie Review-- Bolt

Bolt

Genre: Kids/Action/Comedy

Summary: An TV star dog struggles with reality and being lost at the same time

My Grade: %96


Pros:

• Rhino
• Super Rhino
• Increasingly impressive animation

Cons:

• Nothing really wrong, but just not perfect
  

Movie Review-- State of Play

State of Play

Genre: Mystery/Suspense

Summary: Reporters try to uncover the truth in a scandal involving a politician (and friend) and murder

My Grade: %92


Pros:

• Pretty intriguing plot- good keep-you-guessing story
  
• I liked it from the journalistic angle instead of the overused law enforcement angle
• Nifty closing credits

Cons:

• Though sparing in visual content, it did heavily involve an affair
• Language

Movie Review-- A Few Good Men

A Few Good Men

Genre: Drama

Summary: A hothead naval lawyer actually cares about wrongfully accused Marines and fights the system to prove it

My Grade: %87 (%93 with TV Guardian)


Pros:

• Excellent legal drama
• Great bad guy, Nicholson
• Great insight (assuming its somewhat accurate) into the JAG court

Cons:

• Language, blatant and suggestive
  
• I just really didn't like the girl's personality
  

Movie Review-- The Bourne Ultimatum

The Bourne Ultimatum

Genre:Action/Suspense

Summary: Jason Bourne tries to put an ultimate stop to the espionage game that has him cluelessly at the center

My grade:%94


Pros:

• Great score
• Funnier than prequels
  
• Best action sequences- the train station, the Tangier rooftops, etc. As real as I can imagine it would be
• Damon is an amazing pick for Bourne
  

Cons:

• As with all Bourne movies, I'm inevitably torn between the plot they've created and the original from Robert Ludlum
• Drawn-out action that became gruesome to watch (Tangier)
  

Movie Review-- Runaway Jury

Runaway Jury

Genre: Mystery/Suspense

Summary: The jury of a major gun case is up for grabs to many opposing agendas.

My Grade: %89


Pros:

• A great story told by film- I've heard the book is even better
• Just funny enough
• I liked Hackman as the bad guy and Hoffman as the good nerdy lawyer. Cusack's ok...
  

Cons:

• Language
• I don't agree with the "good guys" at all on gun control and lawsuits, but I just had to root for them
  

Movie Review-- Bedtime Stories

Bedtime Stories

Genre: Kids/Comedy

Summary: A loser grows up from telling bedtime stories to niece and nephew

My Grade: %88


Pros:

• Adam Sandler humor, and mostly clean!
• Great addition of Russell Brand
• A kind of story I would never have thought of
• Great making fun of green/health nuts
  

Cons:

• The not clean (immodest dress mostly) parts- unnecessary in a kids movie, duh
• Not a great plot
  

Movie Review-- Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire

Genre: Suspense/Drama

Summary: An uneducated Indian slumdog is successful at Who Wants to be a millionaire and everyone wants to know why.

My Grade: %90


Pros:

• Very unique and creative plot
• Excellent actors, especially the kids
• Very funny at times
• Amazing filming
• Jai-Ho
  

Cons:

• The nitty-gritty of the lives of many Indians is not something that makes you want to watch it again and again (unless you're my sister)
  
• I don't know if the host was a legit Indian- at least his hair wasn't
  

Movie Review-- The Passion of the Christ

The Passion of the Christ

Genre: Drama

Summary: The Passion of the Christ

My grade: %93


Pros:

• The vivid imposition on my mental picture bank of certain truths of my faith - the actual suffering that was only partially represented, the willingness of my Creator to suffer for me embracing His cross...
• I really liked the original languages- Aramaic and Latin
• The scenery, although Italian, was great
• Very (thankfully) light on Catholic dogma

Cons:

• All the extra demon/satan/spiritualized stuff- almost laughable, but for the actual reality of what's being personified
• The extra Catholic stuff (albeit little)- the Shroud of Turin ? (not from the burial)

Movie Review-- Ocean's Eleven

Ocean's Eleven

Genre: Action/Comedy

Summary: Danny Ocean rounds up ten others for revenge and a lot of money.

My Grade: % 87


Pros:

• Most "cool" movie ever
• Very fitting music
• Typecast for virtually every role
• A plot that's just on the edge of plausibility and and incomprehensibility
  

Cons:

• As the basic plot, the crime of theft is made more palatable by having the victim be a ruthless dude and by not involving actual law enforcement
• Language, sexual content
• Legitimized revenge
  

Movie Review-- City of Ember

City of Ember

Genre: Kids/Adventure

Summary: Kids find the way out a the failing underground city of Ember.

My Grade: %90


Pros:

• Amazing set
• Very adventurous, continuously building, not-sure-where-this-is going plot

Cons:

• Too weird for th cool stuff to compensate fully
• Interesting assumptions about man and society- but I'm not sure of what they are exactly
• Kinda dark for a kids' movie