Review - Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen

First of all it should be said that this is a review of a movie. This will not be a personal attack on the director of this film. We at the AJ Movie Review choose to take the high road.

Transformers Revenge of The Fallen takes place two years after the events of the first film. We find that the Autobots and humans have formed an alliance to repel the continuing Decepticon presence on Earth. Mainly the story follows Sam Witwicky, the teenager who defeated Megatron. Early on in the movie we find that somehow a sliver of the Allspark had gotten caught on his clothes from the first movie. The film revolves around the information that the piece contains and the past history of humans and the transformers.

It should be stated that one doesn't go into a Transformers movie with expectations of watching Oscar worthy material. You go to watch 30 foot tall robots beat the crap out of each other an that is exactly what you get. There is plenty of action and you are rarely ever bored. I was impressed by the sheer number of transformers that they were able to fit in this film. Overall the movie delivered on what it promised.

Now to the bad part and yes there are downsides to this film. The overall story was not as cohesive as the first one. I felt as if the plot was hurriedly thrown together. Many plot elements seemed as if they were filler in between the battles. The film has way to many comedic elements. I find nothing wrong with comedy when it is in the right place at the right time. I understand that this is supposed to be a fun summer movie, but it seemed as if the story itself was sacrificed for a laugh every 5 seconds. The CG was on par with the first film although there were a few times in which the robots looked downright cartoonish.

It would be a far cry to say that Transformers ROTF is as good as the first film, but it does fairly good on providing what the audience wants. Even with the good, the bad, and the ugly that the film delivers, it is worth seeing once. You should definitely......

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Mini-Review - The Proposal

At first glance, I thought The Proposal to be another predictable romantic comedy. Fortunately I was wrong. Margaret Tate (played by Sandra Bullock) is a ruthless publishing executive who encounters problems with immigration. She compels her lowly assistant Andrew Paxton (Ryan Reynolds) into marrying her to avoid deportation. The movie follows the "couple" to Alaska, to meet and greet Andrew's family.

Upon their arrival, you immediately sense a strain on the relationship of Andrew and his father (Craig T. Nelson). Betty White is hilarious as Andrew's 89-year-old grandmother Gammy, and the comedy doesn't stop there. (Don't ask, just look for Ramone!) Bullock and Reynolds have an on-screen chemistry that is undeniable. Their quips and dry wit come in right on cue. The storyline moved at a nice pace, and I never felt as if I was the hostage of a bad scene, as if in an unmovable ferris wheel at the very top.

As I said before, this type of movie has been done before; however, not with quite so much finesse. Go ahead, don't be afraid, accept the proposal, take a trip down the aisle and..............



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Mini Review - Year One

Year One is the new comedy that is really about the first road trip. We follow the films two protagonists, Zed (Jack Black) and Oh (Michael Cera) as they are exiled from their village. Along the way they meet historical characters and go on a semi-exciting adventure.

This review will be short, sweet and to the point. Although this is a new movie this will stay a mini-review. Jack Black and Michael Cera perform as usual, no new ground is broken here.


If you are thinking to yourself, "Wow not much is being said about the movie" , there is a reason for that. There is really not much to say about this movie. There are a few genuine laughs here, but that is about it. The rest of it falls into the crude humor category. Although I believe the movie has a few redeeming qualities, I won't let my personal feelings get in the way. Bottom Line................

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Review - The Taking of Pelham 123

The Taking of Pelham 123 is the seemingly simple story of a hostage situation. The story begins with the hijacking of the New York subway train Pelham 123 by Ryder (John Travolta) and his associates. On the other end of things is Walter Garber (Denzel Washington) the New York city transit worker who among other things keeps track of this particular train. The movie then follows the conversations between the two as the authorities scramble to rescue the unfortunate passengers.


The movie is fast paced and seldom keeps you in the dark about things. Although this is a remake I've never seen the original that it was based upon. That may be for the best though, that way I have nothing to compare this movie with. Overall the movie performs well and has few, if any flaw. The film was believable and the story felt like it could happen to anyone. The acting was good and never over the top.

If I had to say one bad thing about the movie it would be the length of time. The film basically takes place in and around the subway car and the transit office. I felt that the story could have been told in a shorter length of time, but that's just me. The movie is well put together and I definitley would be willing to see this movie again. If you haven't already figured out the rating...





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Review - The Hangover

The Hangover is yet another movie in the recent string of crude, R-rated blockbuster comedies like Old School and Knocked Up, but I mean that in a totally good way. This movie, to me, is like the Reservoir Dogs of bachelor party films. I say that because the majority of the film takes place in the aftermath of a wild night in Las Vegas in which the audience is left in the dark as to exactly what occurred the previous day. However, this fits nicely because none of the main characters (Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and Zach Galifianakis) can remember it either. Directed by Todd Phillips (Old School, Road Trip), the movie leads us from one crazy encounter to the next as the three guys try to find their friend Doug, the groom, whom they lost in the fray.

What I think makes this movie work are the performances. Each of the three leads do a pretty great job of moving the story and making you laugh (just watching Zach Galifianakis’ character is a movie in and of itself). The supporting cast is also just littered with crazy characters one to the next, each of them in their own way helping to piece together the events of the night. A cameo from Mike Tyson is sure to be memorable for most viewers. It’s hard to say too much without ruining parts of the movie, so I won’t.

While I did really enjoy the movie, there was something that I wish could have been better. For the most part, the movie flows really well from one scene to the next and it never slows down or feels boring. However, the ending feels a little cheap and slapped together. It was as if the writers just threw out a quick fix to the plot when they ran out of funny scenes. It may seem a little nit-picky, but it was kind of disappointing.

Overall, The Hangover is a great summer comedy that should not be overlooked. This may be the funniest movie I’ve seen all year, and it definitely has one of the funniest credit sequences I have seen in a long time. I think you all know where I’m going with this, but you should absolutely.....

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Review - Land Of The Lost

Land of the Lost is the latest Will Ferrell comedy to hit theatres. It's a honorable parody/tribute to the classic line of 'lost world' type of films. Ferrell's character is a non-mainstream scientist who invents a device capable of transporting people through time. He's joined by a woman and a man that end up going back in time with him. I can't remember their names mainly because it's not that important. While back in time they encounter a number of creatures from way back when, most notably a apeman looking guy who joins them on their journey. While they're in the 'land that time forgot' they encounter a race of lizard people. This race is what provides the central story of the movie which does a couple of twists. Nothing too big though.

Overall the movie isn't bad at all but not spectacular. There were few times that I laughed alot and I never got bored. There are some definite Will Ferrell moments in it that his fans will like. For the most part this movie fullfilled its purpose but it's still not that great. It is kind of a kids movie despite its PG-13 rating. It kind of reminded me of last year's Journey to the Center of the Earth remake.

LAND OF THE LOST - FX/TBS It