The Lincoln Lawyer

2011 – 2.4/5

The movie started off a bit slow so it didn’t have 100% of my attention. There were a few things I felt was unnecessary and didn’t add anything to the main plot. It is obvious that there was going to be some sort of twist and I had my theories about what they were going to be. The twists kept coming and they weren’t the type that seemed thrown in just for the sake of it. The twists added to the plot and moved it forward. It starts to pick up its pace about 40 minutes in and from then on, it had my full attention.

I don’t mind Matthew McConaughey and I was curious to see how he would do in a movie in which he would be portraying a lawyer; it’s been a while since A Time To Kill and most of his movies since have been chick-flicks. Ryan Phillippe has always been a solid actor and his looks haven’t changed at all in the last 15 years. Josh Lucas had a small role, but he did just fine with the role. I have never really liked William H. Macy (especially with his long hair), but he wasn’t a main character and I’m okay with him in small doses.

I do want to say that while I’m watching a movie I have an idea about what I’m going to give it out of 5, but for some reason, even after having written this review, I’m having a hard time picking an exact number. It was an entertaining movie, it was well acted, but there really wasn’t anything new or different.

***SPOILER ALERT***
I mentioned before that I had a few ideas regarding what the plot twist was going to be. I knew that Roulet was guilty, but I couldn’t figure out why, and I never expected the twist to connect with one of Mick’s previous cases. It was defiantly a smart move on Roulet’s behalf to hire Mick as his defense attorney because lawyer-client privilege prevents Mick from speaking up.

Mick keeps getting pushed into a corner and the walls are closing in on him. As an audience we know what’s going on, but I kept watching because I wanted to know how Mick was going to get himself out of this as well as how he was going to try to make things right by getting one of his previous clients out of prison knowing full well that his current client, Roulet was the person who actually committed the crime.

Bend It Like Beckham

After having just watched the Canadian Women’s Soccer Team beat Mexico 3-1 and earn their spot in the 2012 London Olympics, I really felt like watching this movie. I’m going to be honest, although I’ve seen this movie a couple times before, I don’t think it’ll live up to the game I just watched on TV, so I’ve decided to hold off. This obviously isn’t a review, but what I will say for now is that this movie is worth the watch. Oh, and don't forget to watch the Canadian Women's Soccer Team in London! They too are worth the watch.

2012 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament

V For Vendetta

2006 - ?/5

I don’t know if it’s fair for me to review this movie considering I stopped paying attention at the 22-minute mark and turned it off completely at the hour mark. I guess what I will say is that this movie couldn’t keep my attention long enough for me to figure out what was going on. The only part I actually liked was the fight right after V’s ‘news’ broadcast in the BTN building. The acting was fine, V’s costume was nice, the script was ‘eh’, and the storyline wasn’t as gripping as I had hoped it would be.

The Mighty Ducks

The Mighty Ducks 1 (1992);  2 (1994);  3 (1996) -  3/5

Quack, quack, quack, quack, quack, quack, quack, quack, Goooooooooo Ducks!

When it comes to The Mighty Ducks, you can’t really review one without mentioning the others. So I’ve decided to write one review that covers all three movies. In my books, these movies are the best hockey movies ever! You really don’t need to watch any of these movies to realize they don’t have realistic plots, but you watch them because they might teach you a couple life lessons.

The first one starts with a young Gordon Bombay (Emilio Estaves) who misses one of the biggest penalty shots ever while playing for the Hawks – the best PeeWee team whose motto happens to be, “it’s not worth winning if you can’t win big”. Many years later we find out he has become a lawyer. Not just any lawyer, a very successful lawyer who always wins. After a DUI he is sentenced to 500 hours of community service. Enter the District 5 hockey team. You quickly learn that this PeeWee hockey team is the worst in the league.

In MD1, Bombay teaches the kids in the team that playing hockey isn’t just about winning – it’s about teamwork, fair play and just having fun. From this point on, the team is no longer District 5, they are The Mighty Ducks. Their rival in this movie is Bombay’s old peewee hockey team, the Hawks.

The storyline for MD2 is a bit weaker than the first, but again, that’s not much of a surprise. The Mighty Ducks are called on to represent their country. The main characters from MD1 are still around and with a few new additions, they become Team USA. The rival in this movie is Team Iceland; a rough and tough team whose coach is an ex-NHLer.

MD3 has the same characters as MD2 and because they’re a bit older, I would say that the acting is a bit better than the first 2. Joshua Jackson in particular really grew as an actor. Each member of the Ducks gets a full scholarship to Eden Hall and they play for the junior team. Their rival is the Varsity team at Eden Hall who is not at all pleased with the presence of a junior team.

For movies that are rated G, there is a lot of fighting, name calling (“cake eater”), and overall rowdiness. The script was funny at times, the plot was touching and for a movie that actually had kids playing their age, the acting was good. What it comes down to is an uplifting story about the creation of an underdog team who strives to overcome any obstacles/teams who are trying to bring them down.

Video: Movie Haul

Movie's I have purchased since the end of December.

Anchorman

2004 – 3.1/5

The following is a list of Will Ferrell movies I’ve seen (with him being the main character or one of):
-Old School
-Elf
-Winter Passing
-Stranger Than Fiction
-Blades of Glory
-Step Brothers

The following is a list of Will Ferrell movies I liked:
-Elf
-Stranger Than Fiction

With regards to the previous lists, the point I’m trying to prove is that I don’t have a good track record with Will Ferrell movies; clearly, there aren’t too many I actually really liked going into this one. I honestly thought that I wasn’t going to like this movie, but a couple minutes in, I had already laughed out loud (when Ron Burgundy said “Hey everyone! Come see how good I look!”).

I had no idea Paul Rudd and Steve Carell were in this movie and that made me happy. I knew I could count on Paul Rudd to make me laugh, and he came through – as did everyone else. Like Old School, I didn’t care much for all the cameos, but I thought they were better incorporated. The costumes were pretty good and I was able to further get a sense of each character through their outfit. Overall, I thought all the characters were very well developed with regards to the clothing, dialogue and demeanor.

I have to say that my favourite part of this movie was the dialogue. It was very original and funny. I liked the narrating and it didn’t seem outside the movie (if that makes any sense). Every aspect of this movie flowed with one another and it turned out to be a solid movie.

One of my favourite lines
Brian Fantana: They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time, it works every time.

Old School

2003 - 0/5

This movie had so many cameos that I don’t even want to bother naming them.

I didn’t like any of the characters, I didn’t like the storyline and the script isn’t worth mentioning. I thought it was stupid. I didn’t think it was funny at all; didn’t laugh, didn’t chuckle, didn’t even grin.

One Week

2008 - 4/5

The simplicity of this movie screams being Canadian. There are no crazy action sequences, nothing flashy and nothing over-the-top. It is a drama – that is all. I have a feeling that most people were expecting something more, and probably thought it was boring. On the other hand, there are people out there that appreciate Canadian movies for what they are (a shout out to CW, DH & IH).

The plot is simple: Ben Tyler (Joshua Jackson) is diagnosed with Cancer and there is a 10% survival rate for the particular cancer he has. He decides to embark on a journey across Canada on his motorcycle, before he becomes a patient. There really wasn’t much else to the movie other than the few people Ben comes across and the things he learns from them.

This movie was all-things-Canadian. In EVERY sense possible: the Stanley Cup, Tim Horton’s, Canadian Tire, Joshua Jackson, and the music. Joshua Jackson was a perfect fit for this role; he was an all-Canadian actor. There were no other notable actors and I thought the person that played the role of Samantha looked like a mix between Natalie Portman and Jennifer Connelly.

The only negative thing I have to say about this movie was the narrating. I really don’t think that was necessary and the narrators voice was dull and monotone. I was also a little bit disappointed that they didn’t show Vancouver at all.

If you are at all interested in Canadian films I recommend you check out The National Film Board of Canada:
http://www.nfb.ca/

What's Your Number?

2011 - 2.5/5

I knew it was a chick flick, and I know what type of comedy Anna Farris is usually in, and it did not need to be just shy of 2 hours long. It was a LOT longer than it needed to be and a lot of things could have been cut out. It did lose some points in my book because it was long. I do think the comedy parts were few and far between because the movie was stretched out.

Anna Farris is a good actress in comedies and she fit her role well. Chris Evans is a good actor too (and hot; I know I’ve written that in my other reviews, but he is – I can’t help it). The pair didn’t necessarily have a lot of chemistry between them, but they made it work.

There really wasn’t anything new or fresh, but was entertaining for a one-time watch. Anna Farris made it entertaining. If nothing else, this movie made me want a Stella.

Our Idiot Brother

2011 – 3.7/5

I read several reviews and I heard that the movie was just ‘okay’; I think most people’s main issue was that it wasn’t a flat out comedy, it was a drama with a bit of comedy sprinkled throughout. I personally don’t care what the movie was labeled as, but for the record, I do think it was a comedy; I do understand why people thought it was more on the drama side. I love Paul Rudd and I liked the rest of the cast and I thought the plot was unique; ergo, I had to see this movie.

I would say that Ned was more so good natured and gives people the benefit of the doubt, rather than idiotic. Maybe I liked this movie so much because I value honesty, and I like it when people cut-the-crap and be upfront with you. Ned is a straightforward and open guy and obviously, that gets him in trouble; but then again, the situations that unfold aren’t really his problem. He ends up moving from one sister’s house to another because of something he said (or didn’t say) when he shouldn’t have.

As I mentioned earlier, Paul Rudd is one of my favourite actors. I also really like Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel, and I’ve liked Rashida Jones since I Love You Man. I liked all the characters, each of them brought something different to the table and I also thought that the characters developed as the movie went on.

I think this movie is underappreciated and after watching it, I’m surprised how low the ratings are.

My favourite line:
Bill: She’s been asking $400, but for you, she’ll give it to you for $500.

Moneyball

2011 – 2.8/5

I’m going to be honest here I really don’t know what to say about this movie. I’m not a fan of baseball whatsoever, but the storyline intrigued me. I do think it was about a half hour longer than it should have been.

Brad Pitt as Billy Beane was great. He always gets into his roles and I see the character he’s supposed to be rather than him acting. I liked the character of Billy and how he was going about creating his team through different means.

Jonah Hill as Pete can play a serious role, which I was a little skeptical about. He plays the part of a stats nerd pretty well and even though he doesn’t have too many lines in this movie, his presence defiantly has an impact.

The chemistry between Billy and Pete was perfect. I liked how they spoke to one another and pretty much anything about their interactions. The most entertaining parts of this movie were the ones in which Billy and Pete were on screen together.

There was some witty dialogue throughout the movie, and if it weren’t for that, I would say that this movie dragged at times. I wasn’t much of a fan of any scene with Billy’s daughter or ex-wife; couldn’t figure out how and if that moved the plot forward in any way. I also didn’t think Billy’s past history as a potential baseball player was incorporated that well – it kind of seemed choppy. There wasn’t much of a musical score in this movie either, which would have been good because there were a lot of awkward silences.

Overall it wasn’t as gripping as other ‘true story’ sports stories and like many other reviewers on IMDB, I also felt as if there wasn’t an emotional component. This movie rounds up my ‘based-on-a-true-story’ hat trick. FYI, that wasn’t planned.

50/50

2011 – 3.6/5

There are happy parts and there are sad parts and the director did an awesome job blending the 2 together. Considering this movie is based on a true story, I didn’t think it was “Hollywoodized” in any way. I felt as if what was shown on screen was truly something that could happen; I guess what I’m trying to say is that there was no bullshit added. This movie gives the audience a realistic sense of the situation Adam was in. SR and JGL were a great pair. An all-around solid movie that kept your attention.

Seth Rogen came out of nowhere in the last few years and in my opinion and he has taken Comedy movies to a whole new level. Although I’d say this is more on the Drama side, he’s a versatile actor and he can act in any genre. He still has his comedic touch in this movie because that’s just who he is. His type of comedy is realistic and it fit this movie and subject perfectly.

Who would have thought that the kid from 3rd Rock From the Sun would grow to be such an amazing actor! Joseph Gordon-Levitt was my favourite actor in this movie and I felt as if he nailed it as Adam.

The script was solid and defiantly my favourite part of this movie. I decided not to add any of my favourite lines because I don’t want to ruin anything or give anything away.

Anybody else notice the ‘YVR’ license plate?

Puncture

2011 – 1.5/5

I had no idea this was based on a true story. It reminded me of the movie Erin Brockovich but with 2 hotshot, male lawyers, one of who is a cokehead. Although I liked that this movie makes people aware of such issues (safe needles), I have to say that this movie was on the dull side. I found myself surfing the net while watching this. The last 10 minutes were probably the best part of the entire movie. Chris Evans was still hot.

Warrior

2011 – 4.8/5

My first impression of this movie was that it was a MMA version of The Wrestler (2008). In a sense, it was pretty similar to that one. Other than what I had just said, I really didn’t know anything about this movie.

The plot was pretty simple: two brothers Tonny (Tom Hardy) and Brendan (Joel Edgerton) enter a Mixed Martial Arts competition, which has a $5 million grand prize. Each of them has their own reasons for needing the money. Right from the get-go you can tell that there are some family issues between the brothers and the brothers and their father Paddy (Nick Nolte). Paddy was an alcoholic, Brendan is a high school physics teacher and we don’t really get to know much about Tommy. Other than Nolte, I didn’t know any of the other actors and wow were they good!

I don’t care for MMA at all, but the storyline was one I couldn’t stray away from. I didn’t want to miss a minute of this movie because there was never a dull moment. This movie was just over 2 hours and it sure didn’t seem like it. At the 100-minute mark I knew this was my favourite movie of 2011. I really enjoyed this movie and the split screen was very well done! I think that if I were to watch this movie again today, I’d like it just as much. The plot was wonderful, the script was good, the acting was amazing, and overall, the entire movie was spectacular! Maybe I need to start watching UFC and MMA! (haha).

Cars 2

2011 – 2.7/5

First thing I want to say is that I really liked the first one, and I honestly didn’t have high expectations for this movie (other than animation). Obviously, this being a Pixar movie, it didn’t let me down with regards to animation. It was perfect as usual and everything looked amazing.

When it comes to the storyline, I felt that it was lacking. I hate to say it, but I think I liked the first one a lot because it had a really simple plot, however, with this one, the plot wasn’t gripping and it just seemed as if there was too much added for a family movie.

The voiceover was spot on like all Pixar movies. The new characters added were okay; nothing special.

I thought the screenplay was good. Again, nothing special, but I did want to mention one clever part: the impound lot being the equivalent as a prison. They added a couple things like that which had parallel meanings and I enjoyed that.

I’m slightly disappointed, but then again, I didn’t exactly have any expectations going in.

Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol

2011 - 2.9/5

Of the other 3 movies in this series, I’ve only seen MI3. I saw it when it first came out and don’t remember much about it. I do remember thinking it was a good action flick. I’m not a fan of Tom Cruise, but I like Simon Pegg and Jeremy Renner. I also had no idea that Michael Nyqvist (as Hendricks) was in this movie, so that was a pleasant surprise.

Likes:
-There was amazing cinematography in this movie; especially in Dubai
-This movie also had very cool camera angles
-Although I don’t necessarily think all of the technology used is real, it was cool
-Defiantly had very intense action sequences
-Simon Pegg as Benji was really good and he has great comedic timing
-The sandstorm in Dubia was cool
-The fight scene in the Mumbai parking lot was crazy
-Jeremy Renner was great at Brandt; he’s really grown as an actor

Dislikes:
-The plot got a bit confusing at times
-The ending was corny (the dialogue)

Randoms:
-Tom Cruise (as Ethan Hunt) runs a lot
-I’m sure it would have been extremely windy at the top of the Burj Khalifa

Jersey Girl

2004 – 2.6/5

It’s a cute movie about a new dad Ollie Trinke (Affleck) that loses his wife (Lopez) moments after their daughter Gertie, is born. He gets fired from his job that he loves so much for making a bad comment about a client his company represents. He soon ends up back at his dads (Carlin) house in New Jersey with his daughter, while trying to get another job. He eventually finds a job – just not the one he wanted. Ollie isn’t the world’s greatest dad, but one day, he comes to the realization that ‘the baby’ is his daughter and he becomes a loving father. This movie was acted well, it had a good enough script and the plot was easy to follow and heartwarming.

My favourtie line:
Ollie: this is the belligerent nurse who is being so difficult with me.