The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

Off the bat, I will say that this summer blockbuster was most disappointing. Every thing, every creature, every scene was just plain expected. There was absolutely no substance to it whatsoever and unlike the first film in which you were invested in the Narnian creatures (all the talking animals), this film lacked that completely. It was just battle after battle with barely any solidified story yet somehow it turned out to be three hours long! It also bothered me a lot that there were so many parallels to Lord of the Rings (Edmund in trouble at the top of the tower and an eagle saving him, trees helping in battle, and a river swallowing up the enemies). Overall, I was sad that there was a lack of magic and fantasy in the film. I also very much missed seeing Mr. Tumnus (James McAvoy).

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Send Me No Flowers

Okay, so I admit it. I am a HUGE Doris Day fan. I would venture to say she is one of the most talented women in Hollywood history. She could do it all. Dance. Sing. And especially, Act. And Send Me No Flowers is no exception. She is hilarious. In fact, this trio is hilarious. If you are anything like me, a 40s-50s-60s movie buff, you would recognize Rock Hudson, Tony Randall, and Doris Day in a second (Pillow Talk, Send Me No Flowers, and Lover Come Back). The chemistry between the three actors is so entertaining that even if you're watching them by yourself you can't help but laugh out loud. I would highly recommend this mellow dramatic, over-the-top, romantic-comedy five times over. It was one of the most enjoyable Doris Day movies that I have seen.

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3:10 To Yuma

In previous western films no one identified hero was prominent, and 3:10 To Yuma was no exception. If you are expecting a happy ending, don't go see this film. I would suggest possibly renting a few old westerns first to get a feel for what you will experience during this film. You will appreciate it much more if you do so.
The director, James Mangold, created the perfect balance between elements from old westerns, such as The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, and modern humor to keep the audience's attention. As much as I dislike Russell Crowe as an actor, he proved himself as an "A-list" actor with an excellent performance as the bandit, Ben Wade. The cast was very well selected ranging from Christian Bale and Peter Fonda to Alan Tudyk and Luke Wilson. The film was extremely entertaining and unlike anything in the theatres right now. It is refreshing to know that classic film-making can still be done so well and can still be appreciated. This is an absolute must-see for young and old movie-goers.
Love it. Love it. Love it.
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Remember When?
Vinessa Shaw (the beautiful bartender, Emmy, in 3:10 to Yuma) was the young Allison in 1993 Halloween flick, Hocus Pocus, starring Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Parker.
Did You Know?
The original 3:10 To Yuma was filmed in 1957 starring Glenn Ford and Van Heflin.

Shoot 'Em Up

If you are going to the theatre for good, clean fun then I would not recommend this film. However, if you are going for ridiculous entertaining action, I would highly recommend this flick.
Just two minutes into the first scene, Clive Owen's character, Smith, delivered a baby while killing off over a dozen men. If that's not ridiculous, I don't know what is. If you can find humor in that situation, you will be laughing your way through this film.
The dilogue was so over-the-top that the audience had to laugh and the action scenes were so unbelievable that it was inevitably for pure entertainment.
The audience members were split down the middle. Some took the film for what it was worth- an overly indulgent, action-packed film, leaving the theatre satisfied with 90-minutes worth of entertainment. Others weren't so pleased and left the theatre stating they were glad they hadn't paid to see the film.
If you can appreciate a slew of puns, you'll love it.

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Remember When?
Monica Bellucci (DQ in Shoot 'Em Up) played Magdalen in Passion of the Christ.
Did You Know?
Clive Owen is the new face for Lancome's anti-aging cream for men.

Superbad

I saw an interview with Seth Rogen, co-writer of Super Bad, who told Regis and Kelly that he and his friend had written the story when they were in high school. Originally, Seth was to star asj himself in the film but by the time the movie was picked up by a studio he was much too old to play the part. He settled for playing the police officer, Officer Michaels.
The film would be best described as a modern day Can't Hardly Wait. However, the role of an awkward, shy high schooler was extremely well played by Michael Cera. The film was hilarious. It was much less dirty than 40-Year-Old Virgin or Knocked Up (two movies in which Seth Rogen starred in). There was a nice change of pace with this comedy. It was more of the naive dirty humor that we all once knew. Both Michael Cera and Jonah Hill were perfect for the part.
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Remember When?
Michael Cera played Jason Bateman's son, George-Michael Bluth, in Arrested Development.
Did You Know?
The f***-work is said over 180 times in the film.
Seth Rogen's dad is the angry dad with the baseball bat that come after Jonah Hill's character, Seth, in the film.
Over 1,000 penis illustrations were drawn by the co-writer, Evan Goldberg's, brother for the film and credits.

Bourne Ultimatum

Absolutely amazing movie. Paul Greengrass, the film's director, did a truly brilliant job of capturing the essence of each city filmed around the world. The city scenes in each of the various cities were so unique from one another. Greengrass was able to show the audience how unique each country's cities were which allowed for the audience to feel like they were actually along for the Bourne adventure.
I'm not sure what else to say about it. It is a must-see in the theatre. I was unsure how they would be able to top the films previous, but they did it. The film ends amazingly. I am greatly anticipating another Bourne film.
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Remember When?
Matt Damon played the creepy killer character, Tom Ripley, in The Talented Mr. Ripley.
Did You Know?
Matt Damon dropped out of Harvard 12 credits short of graduating for his acting career.

Death At A Funeral

The British comedy, Death At A Funeral, had the entire theatre in an uproar of laughter. The beginning and end of the film were equally hilarious however, momentum was lost during the middle of the film. I would have to say the star role goes to Alan Tudyk who played the character Simon, an acid-tripping boyfriend.
The best part of the film was the ridiculousness of it all. There is no way in the world that most of the stuff in the storyline would actually happen, but it was most entertaining to watch. If you enjoy British films, I would highly recommend this.

Remember When?
Matthew Macfadyen played the role of Mr. Darcy in the 2005 film Pride and Prejudice.
Did You Know?
Frank Oz, the director of Death At A Funeral, was the voice of Yoda and was a puppeteer for Jim Hanson's Muppets.
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