Movie Review - The Good Shepherd

The Good Shepherd (3 of 5): Matt Damon stars in this drama that examines the early history of the CIA as seen through the eyes of a dedicated agent named Edward Wilson. As an upstanding, sharp-minded Yale student, he is recruited to work for the CIA during World War II and the film follows his career within the organization up to the Bay of Pigs invasion. Though loyal to his country, Wilson begins to feel the job eroding his ideals, filling him with distrust and utterly destroying his personal life.

It’s a great setup to what I expected be a pretty cool espionage thriller. Unfortunately, it doesn’t add up and the film becomes frustrating and even boring at times. The story is told through multiple flashback sequences which make following the story and its characters difficult. Plus, the viewer is never really keyed in to understanding what this movie is about. Instead of a gripping story with some good intrigue and mild action scenes, the movie feels more like a jumble of arbitrary conversations that don’t add up to a whole lot by the end of this almost three hour film. It left me wondering what I was supposed to get from it all, besides a mild case of depression for how crappy Wilson’s life turns out after so many years with the CIA. Although there is some minimal payoff at the very depressing end of this film, it’s not enough from saving The Good Shepherd from being mediocre at best.

Movie Review - For a Few Dollars More

For a Few Dollars More (4 of 5): For a Few Dollars More is the solid follow-up to Sergio Leone’s A Fistfull of Dollars, and part two of the Man With No Name trilogy. This movie continues the story of The Man With No Name (Clint Eastwood) as he joins forces with Colonel Mortimer (Lee Van Cleef) to catch a ruthless outlaw named Indio. Eastwood is after money but Van Cleef’s motives remain mysterious for much of the film. Van Cleef is such a solid acting presence in this movie, and his character's story is so much more developed, that he pretty much steals the show from Eastwood in this film. Throw in some great shoot-outs, deadly double crosses, an awesome musical score, and heavy doses of violence and you've got yourself one highly entertaining western. It's definitely a film you won't hesitate to watch again sometime on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Movie Review - Over the Hedge

Over the Hedge (3 of 5): Here’s your basic kids movie, released by Dreamworks last summer to capitalize on the current trend of computer animated “buddy” flicks. The film is about a sneaky raccoon that accidentally destroys a bear’s food stash. Understandably, the bear is pissed and gives the raccoon until next full moon to get it all back, or else… The raccoon befriends a group of naïve animals who wake up from hibernation to find their woods completely surrounded by suburban expansion. The hilarity ensues when they help the raccoon steal all the stuff he is looking for from local suburbanites. Of course, its drama time when the other animals find out they are being used and friendships dissolve as a result. Then, in the face of adversity, friends re-unite and everybody learns some important lessons. Gee, sound familiar? Yeah, it’s good stuff for kids but pretty formulaic for adults.

There really is nothing special about this movie, except for maybe the wide array of actors and actresses that lend their voice talent. Unfortunately, we have seen the basic story recreated a million times over the years, so it all seems rather repetitive at this point. The animation is okay. Although bright and colorful, I thought the textures could have been better in some areas. Overall, I felt the movie looked thrown together and rushed to get it out to theater for the busy and profitable summer season ’06.

Movie Review - Children of Men

Children of Men (5 of 5): Children of Men is a fantastic science fiction thriller with a powerful social and political message. The setting of the film is London, in 2027. As the movie opens, we see that the world’s youngest person (an 18 year old) has died. Yup, eighteen years ago, women across the globe suddenly could not get pregnant anymore. Subsequently, the human race faces extinction. Since then, the world has slowly decayed. Violence is prevalent, wars have broke out, resources are becoming scarce and London resembles a fascist state; currently the process of deporting all of its immigrants. Society is in shambles, but things change when a single woman mysteriously becomes pregnant. This prompts a conflicted government bureaucrat (Clive Owen) and his ex-wife (Julianne Moore) to join forces to protect her.

I loved this movie – everything about it is great. The future scenario that is portrayed perfectly fits a future you could anticipate too see 20 years from now, especially given today’s political and social climates. The story is excellent and extremely gripping. It hooked me early, kept me enthralled, and never let go. All of the subtle visuals in the backgrounds and settings really add to the realism of the story too. I also thought that the characters are really well thought out, and their actions were driven by realistic motives. It is excellent story-telling all around. The film is beautifully shot too! Two scenes in particular are almost too exhausting to watch: one during a car chase early in the film, and the other towards the end during an escape from a war-torn city. These scenes are really effective at pulling you in and actually had me so tense I had to consciously remind myself to relax. Pay attention, what makes these two scenes so compelling is that they were filmed like a documentary, with ridiculously long takes on a hand held camera – no editing. It's really fantastic!

Anyway, Children of Men is an extremely effective movie that will have you thinking about its message for a few days after watching it. The film was actually nominated for cinematography, film editing, and adapted screenplay awards in the 2007 Academy Awards, but did not win in any category. It is unfortunate that the movie slipped under the radar late last year because it deserved better. One of the best films of 2006 - highly recommended.

Movie Review - Blades of Glory

Blades Of Glory (4 of 5): Gayest...Movie...Ever. (Not that there is anything wrong with that; as long as it's two hot women). Similar to the last Will Ferrell movie reviewed on the site, there is not a lot that needs to be said here. I think everyone knows the plot: Chazz Michael Michaels (Ferrell) and Jimmy MacElroy (Heder) are arch rival figure skaters. After being banned from competitive skating (what the hell is that?), they discover that the only way to get back into the business is to team up in couples skating. Obviously, the entire movie is laced with homosexual inuendo, a kick-ass 80's rock soundtrack, and some of the best laugh-till-you-almost-throw-up-moments in a long time. You can't go wrong with this movie; assuming you like Will Ferrell. It's better than Talladega Nights, and equal to Anchorman.

Movie Review - Rocky Balboa

Rocky Balboa (4 of 5): After the train wreck that was Rocky V, I was a little nervous to revisit this franchise. Turns out Rocky still has some life left though because this is a pretty good movie. The focus of the film is not on the “big fight” as it is has been in previous installments. Instead, this movie gets back to the roots of the original, with a decent writing and directing effort by Stallone that focuses on an aging Rocky Balboa, his life, family, friends, and unmet goals. The film has some nice inspirational messages, and even though I thought the editing of the boxing match at the end left something to be desired, I was happy with the overall ending and the movie as a whole. In my mind, this movie definitely replaces the fifth film as the real conclusion to the Rocky saga.

If I had to rate the Rocky movies from best to worst, they would fall in place like this:

1. Rocky - "Yo, Adrian!"
   
2. Rocky II - "Ya, lousy bum!"
   
3. Rocky Balboa - "Let's start buildin some hurtin bombs!"
   
4. Rocky IV - "I vill break you!"
   
5. Rocky III - "I pity the foo!"
6. Rocky V - "Time to put some hustle behind this muscle!"
   

What do you think?

Movie Trailer - 1408

Here is a movie trailer I stumbled upon today for a film called 1408. Apparently, it is based on a short-story written by Stephen King. Has anybody read it? The movie definitely looks creepy. Look for it in July. Enjoy!

Movie Review - Happy Feet

Happy Feet (3 of 5): This is a rather bizarre movie about a penguin who can’t sing (huuhh?). Instead, he is a really good dancer (umm, WTF am I watching here?). Ostracized from his community, the penguin goes on an adventure with some other penguins to make contact with the “aliens” (humans) and find out why the fish supply is dwindling. News to me, but apparently adventures of this kind in the Antarctic require a lot of song and dance routines to unusual selections of music (sorry, nothing of JTs) and interaction with a variety penguins with some variant of Robin Williams' voice. Yes, truly, the Antarctic is a strange and wondrous place!

The music routines are hit and miss, but overall are fun. The animation is excellent. I was especially impressed by the wide screen shots of the penguin colonies. The story could have been a little tighter, cutting at least 15 minutes from the film. Unfortunately, late in the movie, the environmental message becomes both preachy and cheesy, leading to an ultimately muddled message that many kids will probably overlook. Overall this movie was just okay, surprisingly beating the far superior Monster House for Best Animated Feature at the 2007 Oscars.

#1 Fan

While catching up with our beloved little site, I couldn't help but notice some mention of myself and a certain Mickey Mouseketeer (link). I am secure enough in my manhood to admit that I don't entirely hate J.T. (yes, we are that close..I refer to him as J.T.)

Let's evaluate his accomplishments thus far:

1. He sells a lot of records. Normally, not always a good indication of talent, but I must say; despite the occasional homo-erotic ballad; some of his music is pretty unique and talent filled.

2. Managed to have sex with Britney Spears...before she turned into boozed soaked, no talent whore.

3. Allegedly, one of the only Mouseketeers that wasn't sexually molested by Goofy in the basement of the "It's a Small, Small World" ride at Magic Kingdom.

4. Managed to secure a major voice-over role in Shrek 3

5. Brought sexy back.

So, in closing, I would just like to say: Have fun taking your shots at us...I mean him now while you can. But when Alpha Dogs 2 comes out, there is always room on the J.T. bandwagon for you.

Movie Review - The Science of Sleep

The Science of Sleep (2 of 5): The Science of Sleep is written and directed by the same director/co-writer of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, so I was naturally excited to see it since I think ESSM is a fantastic movie. The Science of Sleep is about a timid young man who can't control the fantastical plots and images of his dream world from intruding into his waking hours. Failing at his new job, he finds inspiration in his neighbor, Stephanie. However, his waking insecurities threaten to destroy their relationship.

Although I thought this movie demonstrated some very creative and imaginative dream sequences, they do not save the film from being an overall bore. The characters act in really bizarre and unnatural ways in their interactions and the story becomes muddled and confusing. You can’t relate to these characters because their interactions are so confusing, so the movie just becomes a lot of weird dreamy sequences strung together with arguments and reconciliations. Plus, the ending to this movie is terrible.

Movie Review - A Fistful of Dollars

A Fistful of Dollars (5 of 5): A young Clint Eastwood kicks some ass in the first installment of Sergio Leone’s The Man With No Name trilogy. Folks, this is spaghetti western entertainment at its finest. As a wandering gunman, Eastwood’s character rides into a feud between two families and plays each side against the other. Great action, a tight story, funny moments, suspense, drama, cheese… This film has it all and I loved it. Special thanks to my brother-in-law for letting me borrow it.

NB Must Not C TV

I read this today on the IMDB:

...NBC recorded its lowest ratings during a regular season in its history, trade reports indicated today (Monday). Dreadful numbers for comedy shows My Name Is Earl, The Office, 30 Rock, and Scrubs...

Bad news for fans of these shows. It makes me wonder what kind of knee-jerk reaction we're in store for by the studio execs at NBC. Hopefully, they realize that this line up of shows is their funniest in a long time (possibly since the delightful comedy hit, Joey) and will let the "numbers" pan out. I wholeheartedly recommend all four of these shows and have been especially enjoying the hilarity of 30 Rock this season. Check it out on Thursday nights at 8:00 CDT.

Full story here.

Movie Review - 300

300 (2 of 5): Okay, I think I am going to get a lot of grief for my stand on this movie, but here it goes: 300 is not that good. I was ready to love this film, but by the end I found it to be mostly a disappointment. 300 is a fictional account of a real life Spartan battle. Based upon Frank Miller’s graphic novel of the same name, it is the story of 300 Spartan warriors who hold off an invading Persian army of millions in the battle of Thermopylae.

This movie is pure eye candy, and if you fit the target demographic for this film (18-24 yr old, male, videogame player, Amp^TM drinker, bi-curious fraternity member) I am sure you loved it. However, for the rest of us, let’s be a little more critical. Sure, 300 provides some great action scenes of battle and manly hardcoreness, but I think little else. You likely know that this movie is extremely violent and highly stylized, and although the battle scenes are very creative and exciting to watch at first, they soon become monotonous and then downright tedious/boring after the 1000^th slow-motion bloodletting with patented “splurch” sound effect. Trust me, two hours of slow motion giggling man-boobs gets really annoying. Did I mention this entire movie is in slow motion?! Think about that… Anyway, taken separately, the battle scenes are fun, exciting, visually awesome, and for the most part a pretty good time. Yet, taken as a whole, they are an exercise in patience.

Since this is getting too long, I will wrap it up. My other major complaints are that the film is filled with too much melodrama, clichés and an out of place political back story that feels tacked on. You are also told how great Sparta is about a million times over, so be ready for a brainwashing. In all honesty though, I do give a lot of credit to the movie on a technical level because its cinematography, f/x and production design are absolutely brilliant. Overall though, the film can’t be saved from being a shallow experience – one devoid of truly good story telling or characters to really care about.

Integrity...Service...Downtime

Over the past 6 months, I had very little opportunity to watch any real movies. I did however have plenty of time to sleep on a prison-like bunk, sharing filthy living quarters with a bunch of other guys, (one of which, only owned 2 pairs of torn T.J. Maxx underwear), and taking mildly homoerotic, steamy group showers. In addition, I learned a few things:

1. Drinking 14 shots of Tequila that is older than yourself, can take away your desire for Tequila.

2. Female arm wrestlers, although very tough looking, are in fact not stronger than me.

3. Some movies are not meant to be viewed over, and over again.

Case in point, there were occasional times when there was a "break" in training. During these times, in between insulting each others mothers and and hoarding Oreo cookies, I was able to view a small collection of movies. Some classics, others...well, see for yourself.

Full Metal Jacket (5 of 5): This one gets a good rating, not only because it is a great movie, but it was kind of the theme of the entire training. Running, getting yelled at, a fat guy in my class that looked like Pyle (you know who you are). It certainly provided some great quotes for our time spent. (Times viewed: 2)

Dumb and Dumber (5 of 5): This may seem like a gracious score, but really, it's a movie that still provides laughs each time you see it. Also, I found several new funny lines and actions in the movie that I had never noticed before. (Times viewed: 3)

Smokey and the Bandit (3 of 5): I know this movie is probably sacred to Nascar fans and white trash (is there a difference?), but to people who don't weld, or pour concrete for a living; it's not worth multiple viewings. Although, it is amazing just how "non-politically correct" Sheriff Buford T. Justice is in the film. If you still own a VCR or Beta-Max, go check it out for yourself. (Times viewed: 2)

Blackhawk Down (2 of 5): Josh Hartnett is a clown shoe. I don't buy into any movie he is involved in, and as discussed at length many times before with Movie Guy #1; If there are actors in a movie who I dislike, the movie is pretty much ruined for me. (See: Fight Club) Now, if the movie had Tom Berenger, and was all about sniping bad guys...5 stars easy. (Times viewed: 2)

Spaceballs (2 of 5): I think this movie is horribly over-rated. Maybe because every weekend, it seems to be showing on WGN or TNT, and I am totally burnt out on it, but I have never found it to be that amusing. Not even in the 6 month long mini-hell, was I able to really laugh at any "Schwartz" jokes. (Times viewed: 1)

Marked For Death (2 of 5): My favorite Steven Seagal movie of all time! The only reason this doesn't get a score of 1 of 5, is because at least the soundtrack is good. I use to have it on cassette. It's all Reggae. Also, the fight scenes and dialogue are funnier that Spaceballs. (Times viewed: 1)

Death Warrant (1 of 5): Are you kidding me? Who keeps green-lighting all these Jean-Claudde van Damme movies? It pains me to even rank this with a 1. It must have been a banner year for movies in 1990. This piece of shit, along with Marked For Death were released. I can't believe this movie made $15 million in the theatre.

Now maybe I can get back to real life, and start watching some good movies. Does anyone know when the next Look Who's Talking movie comes out?

Change in the Air

Boy, I tell ya, Movie Guy #2 can be a real ass. As soon as he got back from his super secret agent training he was all like "What the f**k? Why hasn't the MovieGuys blog been updated more frequently in my absence?" I tried to tell him how I was tired, had school and fatherly duties, and felt burnt out... He just stood there with an expressionless look on his face and then said "Yeah, yeah, I have heard it all before; it's the same thing with all you guys - the drugs, the prostitution, the crime". At that moment, I started to ask what the hell he was talking about, when he whips out his extendable baton muttering "what'd you just say to me?", and then pepper sprayed me in the face! I fell to the ground, blinded, and all I could hear was MovieGuy #2 yelling out "resisting arrest!" Then, I am pretty sure I got tasered in the crotch and passed out.

When I woke up, I was sitting in a dark room in front of a computer monitor with the MovieGuys blog displayed. A Post-It-Note on the side of the monitor read: "Remember, 3 strikes and you're out. Now, get to work you wussy -MG#2".

With a little therapy, I have managed to come to grips with that horrendous event, and I think the brainwashing effect of MG #2's training has mostly worn off. As a result, you can see we are getting along better now and have made some changes to the Site. Not only are we updating more frequently, but we have also updated the page to allow us to display more and better content.

Some new additions include the new Entertainment News section on the right side-bar of the page. This will be updated daily with all sorts of new movie news. Also, below that, we have added links to movie box office revenues from Box Office Mojo. Now you can see which movie made the most money over the weekend. Finally, we added a link to Dark Horizons' list of movie release dates so you never have an excuse to ask us when a movie is going to be released.

We are excited about offering this new content and hope you find it helpful. Remember, to check back often, or add us to your Google Reader for instant notifications of updates. Also, remember to comment and let us know what you want to see on the Site.

Sincerely,
MG #1

Television Review - Da Ali G Show: Season 1

Da Ali G Show: Season 1 (3 of 5): If you have heard of the Borat movie, you have probably heard of this show. It aired on HBO to much success and a follow up season. Sasha Cohen uses his Ali G, Borat and Bruno characters to interview politicians and other American personalities within each episode. He does an excellent job of immersing himself into his characters and getting people to say really absurd things. That is the heart of the shows excellence - the comedy of stupid people and their idiotic responses to questions. Of course, Sasha Cohen's impromptu humor and comedic timing is a large part of it too. Unfortunately, the good moments dry up quickly and the show becomes tidbits of very funny moments laced within many boring segments. Cohen demonstrates his intelligence by addressing a lot of important points in his social commentary. Yet, in between the laughs, the show bores with too many talking heads. Overall, I think this show likely works better on T.V., where you only watch one episode a week or so, not two or three in a row. Either way, it's fun, just not as funny as I was expecting.

Movie Review - MirrorMask

MirrorMask (5 of 5): This film is another hallmark of creativity from screenwriter Neil Gaiman and Jim Henson Studios. The movie follows the adventures of a girl in her dreamland as she tries to restore the balance of light and dark in a kingdom that is slowly being overtaken by dark elements. The movie is very engrossing and a visual treat - it all feels very surreal. My only small complaint is that some of the plot elements in the movie seem to be repeated over and over again just for the sake of presenting some new creature or landscape on the screen. I am overlooking this small complaint though because the story and visuals in this movie are so entertaining.

Quarterly Top Five - 2nd Quarter 2007

Continuing were we left off last quarter, here are our five most anticipated movies to see this quarter. There is a lot of competition in the theaters this spring, so stick to this list if you don't want to waste your money. As always, click on the movie title to jump to the movie's website for a trailer viewing.

MovieGuy #1:

1. Spider-Man 3 - Happy to see this movie looking darker and including Venom
2. Hot Fuzz - Looks like a great police spoof with a lot of over the top craziness
3. 28 Weeks Later - I am optimistic this survival/horror sequel to 28 Days Later will rock
4. Knocked Up - Supposedly, this film from the director of 40 Year Old Virgin is one of the funniest films out this spring
5. Live Free or Die Hard - Yes, the title is horrid, but John McClane still kicks ass

Well, that's it. I am going to try and avoid Shrek 3 and Pirates 3, but I doubt I will be successful. Have fun at the movies this spring, and make sure you leave a comment letting us know your most anticipated movies!

Welcome Back

Although there have already been several "Welcome Back", and "Our Triumphant Return" posts recently, this is my first official post since July of last year. I have to be honest here...I am really disappointed that the viewership has plummeted so severely. I have a few posts lined up, and ideas for the site, so make sure to visit regularly.

As for this picture....well, I'm sure you see the connection. Did people really dress like that?

Movie Review - The Great Escape

The Great Escape (4 of 5): This is a classic film that I am happy to have finally gotten the chance to watch. Lots of great actors in this real-life story about a prison camp escape during WWII. Those clever Nazis rounded up all the POWs that continued to escape from their camps and put them all together in a new "impenetrable" facility. It does not take long for the prisoners to start testing their new cage and pretty soon they are all working together in an elaborate plot to escape. It’s a great film with some surprising moments and fun action.

Movie Review - Talladega NIghts: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (3 of 5): There is not much to write about this movie. It is a typical Will Ferrell comedy – hit and miss, but mostly hits. Some of the bits go on too long, or don’t really make much sense, but I have grown to understand and accept this in his movies. Sasha Baron Cohen (ie: Borat) is also in this film, playing a French NASCAR driver. He is good too, even though I found his accent to be questionable at best. You pretty much know what you are getting into with this movie. Its funny, so go watch it you dusty ole fart!

Movie Review - Nausicca of the Valley of the Wind

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (4 of 5): I watched Hayao Miyazaki’s “Princess Mononoke” and “Spirited Away” last year with much enjoyment. Naussica… is better than Spirited Away and probably on par with Princess Monoke. The movie is about a warrior princess, named Nausicaa, who rallies her people against an evil queen's rampaging army in an effort to give her homeland a new lease on its future. It has a strong pro-environment message, good story and characters and excellent animation. I definitely enjoyed it and think you will too.

Movie Review - The Departed

The Departed (3 of 5): For such an all-star cast and cool story idea, this sure was a disappointing movie. If you ask me, this was one of the most overrated movies of last year. The only reason Martin Scorsese won an Oscar for it was because he was so overdue. This is far from his best work though. The plot is muddled, the editing is mediocre, the characters are undeveloped and the ending is terrible!

Another Title With: "We're Back!"

Updates have been non-existent lately, huh? Yeah, we know. Real life has interfered once again, and with only one MovieGuy to cover things for all those months burn-out was imminent. Have no fear though, The MovieGuys are back on track.

Even though we had a break, we have still been watching movies! Actually, we have a list of 10+ reviews to post. They are relatively short mini-reviews, not our normal sized ones, but that should help you get on with your day more quickly. To get us ramped up again, we are going to post a new one each day. So stay tuned!

Also, now that MovieGuy#2 is back (am I allowed to tell you that?), he should have some new an interesting content to provide our loyal reader base.