Saturday, May 28, 2011

The Hangover 2

Warning: do NOT drink anything while watching this movie. I nearly did a couple of spit takes it was so funny.

It was so great to see the Wolf Pack again. This was one of the funniest movies I've seen all year. Yes, it's pretty much the same as the first one only it's set in Thailand and this time it's Stu who's getting married. Stu wants nothing to do with having a bachelor party, but Phil convinces him to have "just one drink" with the guys (including Stu's soon to be brother in law Teddy) out on the beach. Of course, the next morning they wake up in a sleazy motel in Bankok with no memory of what happens the night before, a crack dealing monkey, Teddy's severed finger, and a few other surprises. What's worse, Teddy's gone missing!

I won't say anymore about the plot, except if you've seen the first movie you know how it goes. As is the case with sequels sometimes, some moments felt a little forced. Nothing major though and it certainly shouldn't stop you from seeing it.

All of the actors did a really great job. Bradley Cooper was my favorite of course ;)

Bottom line- if you've seen the first Hangover, then you'll love this one.

My Rating: 8/10

Bottom line- if you liked the first Hangover, then you'll love this one.

My Rating: 8/10

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (IMAX 3D)

Captain Jack is back!

I'll admit, I wasn't sure how this movie would be without Orlando Bloom or Kiera Knightly, but I really enjoyed it. Almost as much as the first one.

Johnny Depp(as always) was brilliant as Jack Sparrow. Why he doesn't have an Oscar I don't know. Something is seriously wrong with the Academy.

In this movie, Jack is on a quest to find the Fountain of Youth, but he's not the only one. Along the way he runs into a past love interest, Angelica (Penelope Cruz). She's looking for it in order to help her father, the infamous pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane). We also see the return of Barbossa, played by the great Geoffery Rush.

The story overall was good. Although there was a subplot involving a missionary & a mermaid that, while not completly horrible, really wasn't necessary and felt a little forced. However, I liked their take on mermaids.

The chemistry between Johnny & Penelope was believable. Although my favorite scenes were the Jack/Barbossa ones. They cracked me up.

As far as the 3D goes, it was pretty good. Some scenes that were dark to begin with were even darker so that was a little annoying. On the IMAX screen the picture quality was amazing. Def see it that way if you get a chance. It's worth the extra money.

My Rating: 8.5/10

I gave it the extra .5 because before the movie they showed the trailer for Deathly Hallows part 2! :D

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Thor (3D)

I'm a nerd. I'm not afraid to admit it. I love these kinds of movies. When I first saw the trailer for Thor a couple months ago I thought "This looks like it'll be awesome." I was right :)

Yes, the dialog is cheesy at times & you can tell pretty much right away who the bad guy is, but I don't care. I thought this was a great movie to start off the summer movie season. The action was sweet & the visuals for Asgard (where Thor comes from) were stunning.

I thought Chris Hemsworth was a great choice for Thor. The only other movie he was in that I'd seen was Star Trek (2009), but he was only in it for about 10 minutes if that. Anyway, I think he's going to be a really good actor.

Yes, at the beginning of the movie Thor is pretty much an asshole. I thought the director did a great job showing Thor's transformation into a real hero by the end of the movie. It was beleivable.

The chemistry between Chris Hemsworth & Natalie Portman was beleivable as well, which was nice to see. I can't begin to tell you how many movies were ruined for me because the two main actors had no chemistry.

This is also a good movie to take kids (older kids) to if they're into this stuff. Yes there's violence & some frightening images, but a lot less than some of the movies out there.

Overall, Thor was a really fun summer movie. I was so into it that by the time the movie ended I was like "Noooooo!". I wanted it to keep going.

BE SURE TO STAY AFTER THE CREDITS! I won't say too much, but there's a scene that follows that helps set things up for The Avengers movie coming out next year. I'm looking forward to it :)

About the 3D: Honestly, save your money & go see it in 2D. While some scenes (like the ones in Asgard) looked kinda cool, overall the 3D wasn't that great. It wasn't the worst 3D I've ever seen, but it's def not worth paying the extra money.

My Rating: 7.5/10