The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

I honestly don't know how to write the introduction for this review. If you are fuzzy about what the movie is about I would suggest that you watch the trailer a couple of times. To be honest though, that still doesn't give you a complete idea of what this movie is. I can tell you that it is a a mystery movie, well part of it is at least. Having not read the book I didn't know what exactly to expect, but the trailer did pull me in.

This is possibly the best movie of the year. It's high up on my list with Drive. All of the actors performed wonderfully and you felt emotionally invested in the main characters. What I liked most about it is how for the first hour the two main characters are on different, but converging paths. This isn't the first time this has been done before, but the way that it was accomplished here impressed me. I will say a word of warning this movie is rated R for a reason. Some scenes even had me flinching and wanting to turn away.

Overall, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a really good movie. You should definitely ..............GO NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

The fourth entry in the Mission Impossible film franchise has hit theaters recently. In this film Ethan Hunt and his team of agents are accused of blowing up the Moscow Kremlin. As in the first film the team is disavowed and they are solely responsible for clearing their names and saving the world, all at the same time. Can they do it in time or is this mission truly impossible....

Ghost Protocol is your standard Mission Impossible movie and that isn't necessarily a bad thing. The plot is basically the same as the first movie except it is on a larger world stage. The acting was good on all parts and the CGI effects are what you would expect from a big budget movie like this.

There's nothing negative that I have to say about Ghost Protocol. The fact that it feels like standard spy fiction does make it blend in with all of the other hundreds of movies like it.

If you're an avid MI fan like me you should ...... GO NOW!!!!!
If you're not you should probably RENT IT.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

The sequel to 2009's take on everyone's favorite late 1800s detective is here and better than the first. This adventure finds Holmes on the trail of his ever elusive adversary Professor Moriarty. This adversary is no ordinary man. In almost every way he is equal to Holmes and in other ways he is superior. It is this edge that makes Professor Moriarty the most dangerous foe Sherlock Holmes has ever had. Two men enter in; one a master detective, the other a criminal mastermind and only one will leave.

A Game of Shadows is in every way better than its predecessor, that in and of itself is no small feat. The acting on all parts was splendid and most of the original cast are here. The plot was better than the first and it moves a lot faster which means watching the original is a must.

To be honest I have no complaints about this movie at all. A Game of Shadows is everything I wanted and more. If you're still on the fence I suggest that you....

GO NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Thing

The Thing is the newest movie in the franchise to come out. Now, there was a lot of confusion as to whether or not this was a prequel or a remake of John Carpenter's The Thing. I can confidently say that this is a prequel. The film takes place in a Norwegian camp not far from the American base in the 1982 film. The main protagonist is Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) an American paleontologist who is asked to go to the Norwegian camp to help study a discovery they have made. This "discovery" turns out to be....well,something.....

The Thing is probably the best science fiction movie that I have seen all year. The acting was great on all parts and the writing was very good. Most of all I liked the blended story that this prequel had. I could see overt references to John Carpenter's The Thing, but I could also detect subtle allusions to one of the greatest science fiction movies, 1951's The Thing From Another World. The story of how they discovered the thing and how certain members of the group reacted towards it reminded me of the 1951 film.

The only complaint that I have with this movie is that the thing was completely CGI. At times the CG monster looked great, but at others it would seem almost cartoon-ish in the way it appeared. This lack of realistic look sort of made it scary, but not as scary as the 1982 monster.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed The Thing. If you have the chance you should definitely...

GO NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!

Super Catch Up Review

First of all, we at the AJ Movie Review would like to apologize for the lack of content lately. Furthermore we apologize for keeping our followers in the dark about our intentions. For the foreseeable future reviews will continue normally. This post is to update the blog with short reviews of the past six movies that I have seen. Unlike normal reviews I won't give a plot synopsis. I ask you to look on websites like fandango an imdb for that sort of information. So let's begin with the most recent film....

Killer Elite

Killer Elite is the latest in the "based on true events" spy movie genre. With actors like Jason Statham, Robert De Niro, and Clive Owen this movie only slightly disappoints. The acting itself is good and what you would expect from seasoned actors. The overall direction that the film takes is not one of constant action, which to be honest is what I have grown to expect from a Jason Statham movie. It seemed to have filler which was meant to further storyline but it sometimes ends up being dry and boring. With that said the plot isn't convoluted and is easy to follow. Overall the story aspect of it all is actually quite interesting in my opinion.

While Killer Elite was not the non-stop action movie I was expecting, I give it a solid....

RENT IT.


Drive

Drive is possibly the best movie I have seen all year. The acting is very well done and the overall story that the movie tells is simple yet engaging. There is literally not a dull moment in this film at all. What I like most about the film is that it has an overall late 70s early 80s vibe to it that just pushes it over the edge.

If you take one part very good acting, one part engaging story and a shot of nostalgia you have Drive. If you have the opportunity you should definitely.....

GO NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Straw Dogs

Apparently, Straw Dogs is a remake of a 1971 film of the same name. I remember telling another member of the AJ Movie Review that the preview of this movie looked like a hybrid child of the movies Last House on the Left and the Strangers. Now I know why. Since the film plays out in a similar fashion there is no new ground broken here but you already new that. The acting was well and the duplicity of the main antagonist was done very well in my opinion. With that said there is one part in the film that is not for the faint of heart. I found my self easily one quarter of the way to throwing up. I suppose though that is one of the appropriate responses to that scene. I was very entertained by the film though and rarely ever let my mind wander.

If you can stomach it better than I did, I say...

GO NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Apollo 18

Apollo 18 is yet another entry in the "found/discovered footage" genre. What I liked the most about this movie was the different setting/subject matter. How many films like this take place on the moon. Yes, you already know how the film ends, but at least with me, it accomplished what it set out to do. There was on point that my heart jumped 3 feet out of my chest. The acting and the effects were good and I thought overall it was a good 8 dollars and 1 hour and 30 minutes spent.

If it is still playing I recommend that you....

GO NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Conan: The Barbarian

First of all Conan the Barbarian is not a bad movie, but it isn't a good movie either it's just meh. The movie suffers from what I would like to call the Wolverine syndrome. I had a titular character that most people know, love and semi-respect. The main mistake here is that they did not do more with it. The acting was sub par and this was disappointing considering that I have seen the actors in other films and I believe they could have done better. The story was kind of obscure and mostly action driven. I do however like the fact that they included the gritty realism of the time period.

If it is still playing I recommend that you....

.....wait and FX/TBS IT


Fright Night

Fright Night was really good. It was visually stunning and well acted. To that one person (you know who you are) even though it's a remake you should give it a chance. It's late and I need to wrap this all up. It was good....trust me....

GO NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Captain America

Tearing through Nazis and Red Skull cultists and into the theatres this weekend is Captain America: The First Avenger. This is the final introductory movie of The Avengers on film series. It stars Chris Evans as Steve Rogers (Cap), Hayley Atwell as Peggy, Sebastian Stan as Bucky, and Hugo Weaving as Johann Schmidt (Red Skull). It also includes performances by Tommy Lee Jones, Toby Jones, and Dominic Cooper as Howard Stark.

This may be my favorite of all the Avenger movies so far and my second favorite comic book movie this year (behind X Men: First Class). It tells the origin story of Captain America set nearly 75 years ago in the dark days of WWII. Steve Rogers, an undersized wannabe soldier, is a character that can be easily identified with. He wants to be something that no one will give him the chance to be. Until a certain doctor takes notice and brings him in to be a prospect in a program to create a super soldier to "personally escort Adolph Hitler to the gates of Hell."

On the flip side we soon learn of Red Skull/Johann Schmidt. A Nazi officer crazed with world domination over and above what he believes can be accomplished by Hitler. He has also been a part of a super soldier project just like Cap which resulted in his head being melted down to looking a red skull. He is played well by Weaving and is certainly a villain you don't like.

Captain America has the perfect balance of story telling and action. It gives a realistic explanation behind the suit and the whole thing feels very real.

Furthermore, Captain America ties in with the Avenger universe better and more creatively than any of the other films. It's a big plus if you see Thor before seeing this one. I kinda wish they would've gotten the Thor dvd out beforehand. It ties in so well.

That's about all I'm gonna say...GO NOW and see Cap ya commies!!!!!!

...Oh, and be extra sure to watch til the end of the credits. You see more stuff than you normally do after an Avenger film.

Transformers: Dark of The Moon

Transformers: Dark of The Moon is the third and final chapter in the Transformers trilogy. The movie begins as all Transformers movies begin, with Optimus Prime narrating. He speaks about the war on Cybertron and the last hope for the Autobots to win the great war. We see that what was supposed to end the war for Cybertron was lost and crash landed into Earth's moon. As the movie progresses we learn that once again Earth is in imminent danger. Sides are chosen and lines are drawn and crossed. As the Decepticons launch their final and most dangerous attack one question is mind. Will Earth survive......?

Dark of the Moon is the best movie in the series. The storyline is good and the subject matter is a lot more dark and serious. It doesn't bring back bad memories of Revenge of the Fallen. The CGI is as good as it has always been, and it looks even better in 3D, although some people say it isn't worth the 3D(Yes I'm talking to you, you know who you are!). All of the major players from the past two films are here and the acting on all parts was good. What I was amazed at was the amount of violence shown. For all of the worried parents out there, this film doesn't contain blood or gore. The violence that I am talking about is contained in the fight scenes with the transformers themselves. With that said the battle sequences were awesome. It really felt like an all out war between the Decepticons and the Autobots.

I don't really have anything negative to say about the film as I was very pleased with it.

Overall, Dark of The Moon is a satisfying conclusion to the current Transformers trilogy. It totally makes up for Revenge of the Fallen and "the twins". If you are a fan of the series you have to......

GO NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Green Lantern

Green Lantern tells the origin story of one of the most famous members of the Lantern Corps, Hal Jordan(Ryan Reynolds). At the edges of the universe there is a dark entity Parallax who feeds on the fear of other beings and while his motives are unknown at first his presence threatens the entire universe. The strongest member of the Lantern Corps, Abin Sur was the only Green Lantern able to imprison him. Unfortunately, Parallax breaks free and attacks Abin Sur who narrowly escapes, but is mortally wounded. His ship lands on earth and in one of his final acts he tells his ring to search for his replacement. The ring chooses Hal Jordan, a less than humble test pilot who has great potential, but will he accept this great responsibility or shirk it off as he does with most everything else....

Green Lantern is one of the best superhero origin movies to date in my opinion. The story is simple and not convoluted like some of the more recent superhero films. The acting on all parts are good. The dialogue is a tad bit thin and doesn't get complex or deep, but that is forgivable. Overall, the movie itself is reserved in the way that it plays out. The tone of it reminds me of the first Sam Raimi Spiderman film. The CGI looked mostly realistic and was about as good as it could be for a movie about a member of the Green Lantern Corps. The 3D was awesome and looked good, but at this point I honestly can't see any real discernible difference between the 3D used in this film and the last 3 films I have seen within the last month that used 3D.

I don't really have anything negative to say about the film. This was a solid origin film. I will say that since this film was more reserved, if and when they make a sequel there will have to be more force added to it.

To be honest I really liked Green Lantern and if you have the chance to see it you should definitely.......

GO NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SUPER 8

The highly anticipated film Super 8 has finally made it's way to us from film makers J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg. It stars Joel Courtney, Ryan Lee, Zach Mills, Riley Griffiths, and Amanda Michalka. The story focuses on 5 middle school Ohio kids filming a movie for inclusion in an amateur film making contest in Cleveland. While making their movie they pay witness to a huge train crash. After this crash weird stuff begins to take place in their small town. And it's up to the kids to try and solve it.

I think it's best not to get too heavily involved into the plot of the movie. Clearly the film makers want the audience to get into it for the first time while watching the movie. That's when you should really find out what it's about.

Let me say that this may be my favorite movie so far this year. It's superb. The acting is through the roof by all the young actors, even though this is pretty much the first thing any of them have really done.

Apart of the greatness is that Super 8 is clearly a homage throwback to classic Spielberg and other great films of the 1980s. Specifically Goonies, Stand By Me, E.T. (the greatest movie ever), and The Monster Squad among others. Adding to this is the fact that the movie seems to be taking place right about 1979/1980 (except for one thing I thought I saw that would place the time period in the late 1980s).

Finally, Super 8 has probably the best ending of the year, atleast so far. It really made me think of E.T. (the greatest movie ever).

I will say no more but to........GO NOW! ... AND GO BUY E.T. IF YOU HAVEN'T YET (IT'S THE GREATEST MOVIE EVER).

X-Men: First Class

Hello all!!! I'm back fresh from my viewing of X-Men First Class (from here on referred to as X-Men: FC).

The latest installment in the comic book based movie series finds us at the beginning of the X-Men narrative. We are first introduced to Erik/Magneto (Michael Fassbender) while he is being placed in a Nazi concentration camp during WWII. While being separated from his mother, young Erik exhibits his signature power over metal for the first time, a power that captures the attention of a certain doctor (keep this in mind). Around the same time half a world away in upstate New York we are introduced to a young Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Raven/Mystique. Did I forget to mention that Erik's mother was killed right in front of him, by the same doctor who had witnessed his powers earlier. With that said we now have a revenge story running side by side Professor X's story of plowing through academia and his studies of mutation in species. Eventually the two stories converge on the same point and the two mutants make an alliance in the face of a common enemy. Along the way they manage to pick up a few mutants to join their fight(and they meet one very familiar mutant who kindly declines their offer). Through these events the X-Men are born.

X-Men: FC is possibly the best movie in the series. The acting on all parts is done very well and the performances of McAvoy and Fassbender are the best. They make the friendship that Professor X and Magneto shared feel very real. This also makes the bitter break at the end feel all the more tragic. The story was one of the better that I have seen from a comic based movie. More impressive is the fact that the film is imbedded in real historic events. The CG was well done, but at this point that is to be expected from a Marvel film. What I want to say most was that this film was more intense for me than the four preceding X-Men films. In recent reviews and on various websites I have read X-Men: FC being compared to The Dark Knight. In relation to intensity of the film I would have to agree. Overall I still think The Dark Knight is a better film but X-Men: FC gives it a run for its money. I'm interested to see if and how Marvel will expand this part of the X-Men universe by showing how it all started.

As far as the bad I really can only say that First Class didn't have the level of action that I expect from an X-Men film. Because of the great story and the overall intensity of the movie I can overlook that. I do however have a real problem with the way the movie was marketed. The trailer didn't get me interested to go see the movie and I'm afraid that may be the case with many people.

As far as I'm concerned this is an automatic.....GO NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

but I'm sure Allan will have his own opinion....

Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

The highly anticipated fourth installment of the Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise, titled On Stranger Tides, has sailed into theatres this weekend. It of course stars Johnny Depp as *CAPTAIN*Jack Sparrow and also includes return appearances of Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) and Gibbs (Kevin McNally). Joining the new adventure is Penelope Cruz as Angelica and Ian McShane as the legendary pirate Blackbeard.

The basic plot revolves around the British competing in a race against the Spanish to locate the Fountain Of Youth. To accomplish this the King Of England has brought on Barbossa to lead the expedition. However, the race becomes more intriguing when Jack gets involved after a run in with a girl from his past, Angelica, which leads on board the ship of Blackbeard-who is also searching out the Fountain. And the plot thickens from there...

Allan's Take:

On Stranger Tides could be my favorite of series since the original. It's hard to say because I like all of them. It includes all the clever action sequences and humor everyone has come to expect. But what I really like is all the new ideas and creative use of new mythical things. The mermaids were awesome and quite scary at times. All the mythology surrounding the Fountain Of Youth was well thought of and presented nicely. Blackbeard was well conceived and wonderfully portrayed by McShane.

In addition to McShane all the acting was great. It doesn't get much better than having the Depp and Geoffrey Rush in the same movies. Penelope also did well.

I really enjoyed On Stranger Tides and thought it was more than worth the ticket price...GO NOW!

Jared's Take:

On Stranger Tides is possibly the best movie in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. It rivals the first one for the best storyline of all four movies. I believe the reason for this is the fact that it is not bogged down by a love story that is dragged across three movies. Don't get me wrong though, the first three pirates movies are among my favorite movies of all time. As Allan stated the acting was top notch and what you would expect. The 3D was done very well and if you do go to see it you should go to the 3D showing.

Overall, On Stranger Tides has that sense of adventure that the first movie captured very well. Not only that, but the characters have an overall goal that they are trying to reach.

If you can't tell this is more than a ringing endorsement this is me screaming........

GO NOW!!!!!!!!

Priest

The graphic novel adaptation Priest has hit theatres this weekend. It stars Paul Bettany in the lead role as Priest. Alongside him is his partner Cam Gigandet as Hicks. They are later joined by Maggie Q as Priestess. Karl Urban plays the bad guy known as Black Hat who has arranged the kidnapping of Priest's niece Lucy, played by Lily Collins. It's this kidnapping of Lucy that forms the basis of the plot.

In this world humans and monstrous vampires have always existed together. These vamps are real monsters. They look more alien than anything in a Twilight movie. There is also a third category: the "familiars," those humans that have been infected by the vamps. They don't turn into whole vamps like what we're used to seeing in the movies. They become hybrids and look and act more like traditional movie vampires. In recent times it was discovered that priests, who could fight as warriors, were the only humans really capable of subduing the vampires. But after the war was over the church and society (the two aren't really separated) placed the priests back into regular life and they came to be treated as outcasts. But our main character Priest comes out of retirement, against the church's orders, upon news that Lucy has been taken by the vamps.

Allan's Take:

I really liked the atmosphere in Priest. It's real dark and gloomy looking all the time, although this has become more common in movies of late. I like Priest and Lucy. The performances of both Bettany and Lily were good, though we don't get to see too much of Lily. I felt indifferent to Priestess and Hicks and didn't really care for Black Hat. At first I thought it was bad acting but I came to the conclusion near the end of the movie that it was script writing for Black Hat. Everything he says sounds dumb and cheesy. So I don't think that Urban had a whole lot to work with.

There's alot of slo-mo action sequences throughout the movie that were okay. They were nothing like what we've come to see from Zack Snyder or anything. Also I don't think it was worth paying extra to see it in 3D. There wasn't a whole lot coming out at the audience.

Overall this was an okay movie. It has some really good parts but the main bad thing from me was Black Hat. He was much cooler when he wasn't saying anything

..............RENT IT.

Jared's Take:

To be honest I was disappointed in Priest. The acting was kind of dry and I did not care about the characters at all. The main place that Priest fails in is character development. This is much the same predicament that last year's Jonah Hex found itself in. I did not feel as if I knew enough about the characters to be emotionally invested in them. They could've all been eaten by vampires and I would not have cared one bit. As Allan stated the 3D was really unnecessary and underutilized. I also have a real problem with the back story of Black Hat and how he became such. It feels as if the people making the film threw that in as an afterthought. The acting of everyone involved was sub-par and what makes it painful for me to say that is that I have seen most of the cast act way better in other projects than they did in this film.

The last nitpick I have about Priest is the fact that it feels like half a movie. I cannot count how many times a movie that has a good premise falls short because the full effort was not put into it to make a good movie. As with most movies like this they always have an ending that lingers with the "promise" that more movies in the series are to follow. Priest is no exception to this and more than likely no sequel will be made. If by some miracle one is I sincerely hope it will be better than this one.

FX/TBS It

Thor

Marvel Comics' much anticipated Avenger solo film Thor has stormed into theatres this weekend like a bolt of lightening. It stars Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Son Of Odin (Anthony Hopkins), alongside Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, scientist and love interest. Furthermore Tom Hiddleston brilliantly plays Thor's brother and complicated foe Loki. Plus good performances by Kat Dennings, Jaimie Alexander and Stellan Skarsgård.

Thor is a well made movie in my opinion. I admit that I went into it not really expecting too much. I never really have seen the purpose and necessity of the second Iron Man movie and with that being the most recent of the Avenger movies I saw I was kind of not feeling good about this one. I was wrong (and happily so).

At its core Thor is about father-son-brother relationships. It is also about accepting responsibility and making the right and mature choices. These are lessons and principles that Thor (and Loki) must try to learn and grow through. Thor, by our earth realm standards, is a god. He has immense power but his decisions as he approaches his time of coronation to succeed his father Odin as king cost him that power...and he is banished to earth. His famous Hammer is also cast down to earth but is lodged into a stone and separated from Thor. It's at this time that Thor must forge new relationships with the people he meets on earth, mainly Jane. Will he find his Hammer, regain his power and rise to glory?

That's just half the story. While Thor is on earth we see another plot develop between Loki and Odin. Thor does a superb job of essentially telling two stories without rushing through anything.

From an action and visual standpoint Thor does not fail in the slightest. It is awesome and has cool effects. The entire film is well balanced in how it uses action and character development. All the performances of both major and minor characters are strong.

This is easily my favorite of the Avenger movies so far...............GO NOW!!!

Review: Fast Five

Fast Five is the newest entry in the Fast and the Furious franchise. Fast Five picks up literally where 2009's Fast and Furious left off. After freeing Dominic Toretto(Vin Diesel) from his one way ticket to federal prison, his sister Mia(Jordana Brewster), and longtime rival/friend Brian O'Conner arrive in Rio de Janeiro to wait for Dom. While there they pick up a job stealing some cars, but they are not alone in this as the one who organized the job is none other than Vince (You may remember him from the first movie). Everything seems to go well and on the morning of the job Dominic shows up to lend a hand. As the heist takes place things go horribly awry and this places our protagonists on the short list of Rio's well known businessman/crime boss Hernan Reyes. Unfortunately for Reyes, the people he's dealing with aren't new to this game and aren't easily threatened and to make things worse for him, they bring along a lot of familiar faces for the ride. To top it all off you have a strong willed federal agent Hobbs(Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) hot on their heels.

Fast Five is quite possibly the best film in the Fast and Furious franchise. It has everything you could want from this type of movie and more. I will be honest and safely say that this movie is not in danger of being nominated for any sort of Oscar or Golden Globe Award. With all of that said though this film works. The acting is par for the course, but all the familiar faces from the past movies are here. The stunt work and CG is some of best I've seen. The car chase sequences are bigger and better than the past four movies combined.

The actually story and path that the movie takes interests me even more. This film has plenty of familiar things, car chases, humor, scantily clad women, and too much more to list. The one place where Fast Five stands head and shoulders above the other films in the franchise is the fact that it attempts to show the more human side of the characters. I noticed more screen time was spent focusing on the protagonists and their interactions with one another than on the action sequences and I have to admit i liked that. I believe that if the franchise continues in that direction it will garner more attention and gain more fans while strengthening the existing fan base.

Overall, Fast Five is one of the best movies I have seen in the past six months and is definitely the best in the franchise. If you're a fan of the series you have to go see this one and if you're not perhaps you should give it a chance and ......

GO NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

P.S. Stay after the credits to see a special scene that will blow your mind!!!!

Scre4m

Eleven years after Scre3m film makers Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson have returned with the unexpected fourth installment of the Scream franchise. Returning to play their now iconic characters are Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox-Arquette, and David Arquette. Joining the cast are Kristin Bell (Chloe), Emma Roberts (Syd's cousin Jill) Rory Culkin (Charlie), and Erik Knudson (Robbie).

The basic synopsis of Scre4m is at first very simple. Sydney Prescott, now a decade removed from the horror that she survived three times, has returned to Woodsboro on the final stop on her book tour. While there she has the opportunity to reconnect with the now Sheriff Dewey and his wife Gale. And then the phone calls, texts, and killing begins. It grows from there. The main characters are pulled in directions they haven't been before and are wonderfully intertwined with the new cast.

Let me say right now, despite what some have thought, this is not the same thing over again. It really is a new decade with new rules. It's not really following the formula established by prior Scream films. It does parody this past decade's onslaught of horror remakes. It does have characters based on the original Scream but it is different. And you absolutely have to know the first three movies or you be lost right at the beginning. It was awesome and not what I was expecting.

I'm having a hard time trying to figure out what to say that won't give anything away. We never get into spoilers at the AJ MR. Let me just say that Sre4m should be very well accepted by the Scream Community. It adds to the Scream mythology without messing up anything that has gone before. And it was really good.........................GO NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Insidious

Insidious made its way to theaters this weekend. It's a very simple story about a young boy who, through astro-projection, gets stuck in another dimension. This other world is called "The Further" and is occupied by creeeepy people (aka 'woolly boogers'). It turns out the only way the boy can be saved is by his father joining him in the other world and bringing him back. This movie features performances by Patrick Wilson (Watchmen's Nite Owl), Rose Byrne, Andrew Astor, and Lin Shaye (English teacher in A Nightmare On Elm Street, 1984).

The main thing I liked about Insidious is the genuine scares it puts out there. I feel sorry for the girl sitting in front of me during the showing. She's probably gonna have nightmares for a while. Or maybe she just likes to scream out whenever she gets the chance. I was impressed to see the use of real people in "The Further" instead of CGI stuff like was used in I Am Legend. The creepy stuff seemed well timed and not always predictable. From the poster at the top you read that some of the people who made the two Paranormal Activity movies made this one. That's very easy to see. A lot of the scary stuff you see early on is very similar.

My main problem with Insidious however comes from the basic premise of the movie. You may notice that the opening paragraph of this review sounds very familiar. That's because it's identical to Poltergeist (1982). One reviewer out there in internet land acknowledges this by saying that Insidious is a "love letter" to Poltergeist. I don't know about that. It just seems to be they re-imagined Steven Spielberg's and Tobe Hooper's classic movie and stuck a new name on it. That along really hurts Insidious's rating...

it'll be on one the Encore/Starz channels this summer............FX/TBS It...

Review: The Lincoln Lawyer

The Lincoln Lawyer is a griping thriller based on the Michael Connelly novel of the same name. It stars Matthew McConaughey as Mickey Haller a criminal defense attorney who represents wealthy clients that are less than savory. Oddly enough he has no office to speak of as he does all of his dealings out of the back of his Lincoln Town Car. The next case he takes, the one that sets up the movie's events, is that of a wealthy young man named Louis Roulet(Ryan Phillippe). Roulet has been accused of assaulting a woman in her home, that woman turns out to be a "lady of the night". On the surface it appears that this is a straightforward case with Roulet being set up by the prostitute, but as Haller delves deeper into the case he soon finds himself in a dangerous game of cat and mouse.

The Lincoln Lawyer is a top notch crime drama/thriller. Matthew McConaughey's Mickey Haller is one of the most likable characters I have seen in recent movies. The way that he plays the character is that of a man who knows the injustices of the judicial system. His most prevalent flaw is the fact that he exploits this for the gain of his client's which he mostly thinks/knows are guilty. Even with this glaring negative it's hard not to like him. Throughout the movie Mickey goes through a transformation which betters him as a human being, but that change isn't going to change overnight.

The other character that stood out for me the most was Louis Roulet. Ryan Phillippe was able to start out as a scared young socialite and effortlessly transitions into a more sinister, antagonistic character. The rest of the star studded cast which includes; Marisa Tomei, William H. Macy and John Leguizamo performed well and helped fully immerse me in the story.

The story was well written and the pacing of the film was perfect. Whenever I found my mind on the verge of wanting to wandering off, the film would throw what I thought I knew right out of the window and hook me back in. I have no real complaint about the movie, the actors or the way it all played out.

Overall, The Lincoln Lawyer is one of the best crime drama/thrillers that I have seen in the past few years. If you have the money and the chance to see it you should definitely....

.........GO NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sucker Punch

This weekend from the "master of slow motion action" Zack Snyder, comes Sucker Punch. A unique tale of a young woman who, due to the actions of her father (or was it her step-father, not sure on that one) is thrown away to an insane asylum. While there she is immediately given the name Baby Doll and added to a group of other pretty girls who are forced to dance for men. All this is directed by an evil orderly. Not a bad way to make some extra money. At first Baby Doll is reluctant but then she comes around. And that's where things take off. Every time Baby Doll starts dancing we are taken on an adventure ride in her mind. The first time we're there with her we learn from the Wise Man that she must obtain certain items in order to break out of the asylum. It's a wild story line.

Emily Browning stars as Baby Doll. The other girls are played by Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, Vanessa Hudgens, and Jamie Chung. We also get performances by Oscar Isaac (bad guy), Scott Glenn (Wise Man) and Carla Gugino.

The first thing I like about Sucker Punch is the unique story. In 1975 movie watchers received an eye opener with the Oscar Award winning One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. That film brought to light the horrors of many mental institutions. News reports followed over the next decade that brought this problem further to the public eye. People were stuck in there, some needing help some not, that were abused and must have been longing from a way to escape. That's really what I would say Sucker Punch is about: finding a way to escape. It's a concept that isn't limited to mental hospitals either. I think everyone at some point or another in their lives can identify with escaping something or everything. The way all that is told in Sucker Punch is original and brilliant.

Visually the movie is stunning. It may not seem so much so at first because we've pretty much have come to expect that from Snyder. The slow motion action is there and it is well done. You never know what to expect on the different missions. There's all sorts of things Baby Doll and the girls have to contend with. I wonder if there is any symbolic meaning in all the monsters and characters?

I always like to comment on music in movies. The music here is outstanding and very much important in this movie. The soundtrack is made up of new versions of a wide variety of classic songs. Two of which are sung by Baby Doll herself (Emily).

Well I have no real complaints about this movie. I know alot of people out there haven't spoken too kind about it (some people don't like anything)...But it works for me and I think it's probably the best movie out there right now

...GO NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You should be able to check out the soundtrack here: http://music.aol.com/new-releases-full-cds/#/5

The Runaways - A Special Recommendation

The Runaways is currently airing on the Encore and Starz channels as well as T101 on Direct TV. I highly recommend watching it. It was not reviewed here due to its limited theatrical release. It stars Dakota Fanning as Cherie Currie and Kristin Stewart as Joan Jett.

Unknown

The Neeson (aka Liam Neeson) has returned to play Dr. Martin Harris in his new movie Unknown. Along with The Neeson it stars Diane Kruger as the cab-driver Gina as well as January Jones and Aiden Quinn. The main genres featured in the movie are Mystery, Suspense, and Action. When the American Dr. and Mrs. Harris arrive at a Berlin hotel for an important scientific convention, things get weird. Dr. Harris has to return to the airport to find a lost briefcase. But, in so doing, he and his cab driver Gina have a horrific accident in which Harris ends up in a coma. A few days later he comes to and soon finds that it appears that his identity has been stolen. Not even Mrs. Harris recognizes him.

Overall this was a pretty good movie and a good story. There were alot of twists and turns throughout the plot. I found myself quietly saying "what a twist!" somewhere between 5 and 10 times (in honor of M. Night and Robot Chicken). The audience got to see a significant amount of non-fighting acting, though there was just enough action. I was especially surprised that Diane Kruger was in the movie. I had no idea she was gonna be in it. She's becoming one of my favorites (see Inglourious Basterds).

However, all though I really liked the main plot of the story, the more I think about it, it does seem to borrow quite heavily from 1990's Total Recall. Also too, they didn't really seem to drive it all the way home. It's good, just not on the same level as the now classic Taken.

...I'm going with a RENT IT.

The Rite

The Rite has hit theatres this weekend. It stars Academy Award winner Anthony Hopkins as Father Trevant, Colin O'Donoghue as the young priest in-training Michael Kovak. The film also includes performances by Alice Braga and Marta Gastini. The Rite tells a story, based on true events, that centers around Michael having a crisis of faith and his lunge into a case involving demonic possession and an exorcism.

My main problem with this movie is its relevance. It's a story, although based on true events, has already been told. Doubting priest (in training) that finds himself in a showdown with evil. It's been done before. The first time was in The Exorcist (1973) and it has never really been done all that well since.

The acting was okay. I've seen Hopkins do better. Most of his character's personality seemed to be written much like his character of Abraham Van Helsing in Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992). Colin O'Donoghue did well but nothing too memorable.

I will say the film had some good atmosphere to it. Lots of dark scenery and some spooky looking stuff. Also you really never get to bored and the movie doesn't drag on and on.

The Rite isn't all that bad but it's tough, as others have found out, to follow what William P. Blatty and William Friedkin did nearly 40 years ago. It still hasn't been touched.

FX/TBS It.