How to Train Your Dragon -- Review

We always seem to go through phases when it comes to popular genres and topics of entertainment.  We have the year of 3D (which I'm still debating as to whether I should actually be excited or not), the year of remakes (that has become YEARS and I wish would seriously end), the year of cheapquels/sequels (which some films have promise and others are straight to DVD quality), and of course the year of the "underdog"/geek(which is by far my favorite).  3 months into 2010 and I already have two favorite films.  I recently noticed that I seem to have a pattern this year and am beginning to fall harder and harder for the "geek", and although one is a much older sense of humor, I also find myself falling harder and harder for Jay Baruchel.  He went from playing a "hard 5" and winning the heart of a "hard 10" to being a very un-viking like viking.  How to Train Your Dragon is based on the characters from a children's series by British author Cressida Cowell which following the adorable Hiccup and Toothless. This film, however paints a very different picture of Toothless in comparison to the children's novel. Regardless, after watching the film I wanted to go out and find some way of adopt Toothless for myself.

How to Train Your Dragon is an adorable family film that is truly a joy for kids of all ages.  From start to finish everyone in the theaters cheered and gasped as Hiccup (voiced by Jay Baruchel) discovered the truth behind the dragons and his discovery of friendship with Toothless.  I will confess there were several scenes where I became so wrapped up in the story that I even teared up for the dragons. and his viking companion.  The story of friendship, courage, and determination is one that everyone can relate to no matter your age, or personal goals in life.  It is far more than a story of "don't judge a book by its cover", but a true testament to going out and learning the truth for yourself so you can make an educated decision on whatever you may encounter in life.  Even the relationship between Hiccup and his father Stoick (voiced by Gerald Butler) is relate-able to the real world.

Dreamworks has created an amazing family friendly film that touches the heart of its viewers all the way down to the deepest darkest corner, warming even a bully's heart.  With voice talents of America Ferrera (Ugly Betty) as Hiccup's love interest Astrid, Kristen Wiig(Extract and Whip It) as the female of the twin duo Tuffnut and T.J. Miller(Extract and She's Out of My League) as her male counterpart Ruffnut, Craig Ferguson as the "handy" Gobber, Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Bad-Ass,  Role Models and Superbad) as Fishlegs, and Jonah Hill (Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Superbad) as the "tough" Snotlout you are sure to laugh with their outstanding comedic skills.  The names are enough to send any kid into a fit of giggles, but when you get the characters together on screen, competing for the ultimate bragging right and the chance to kill a dragon in front of the whole village, it's obvious why Dreamworks would take on such an amazing story.  The characters are fun, and the dragons will make even the macho-ist of men  turn a little soft around the edges.  As for the dragons, Toothless is the ultimate family pet.  Everyone will walk out of the theater wanting one of their own.  Even for a dragon that can breath fire, and almost destroy a village, his puppy dog eyes and lovable demeanor will push you right over the edge.

How to Train Your Dragon is a film for kids of all ages who are looking for a good time at the theater this weekend.  You will laugh, you will cry, and you will give three cheers for Hiccup and Toothless.  So if you are looking for a film to catch this weekend, take your kids or kid brother/sister or husband/wife or whomever and check out this film.  You will not be disappointed. I give this film a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

How to Train Your Dragon -- Olympic Sports Spots
Snowboarding

 

Ski Jump

Speed Skating

Bobsled

Medal Ceremony

Trailer

She's Out of My League -- Review

We've all have that conversation. You know the one. It's usually over dinner or drinks with your good friend. More likely than not, it's a conversation you'd have at a bar while the person that you're talking about is just on the other side of the room. The one that usually sounds a little something like this...:

"You know that guy/girl... you know, that one that was just so OMG. Yeah that one... He/She's so hot, but he/she'd never go for someone like me. He/She's just so out of my league."

Yeah... that one. Well, now we get a wild romantic comedy that takes things to the extreme. And it's with "that guy". The new up and coming Canadian hottie, well if you like the sort of geeky type, Jay Baruchel. You will remember him from Tropic Thunder when he played the young guy that could read maps. Yes, Kevin Sandusky is making his rounds and quickly becoming one of the faces to watch. This year alone Jay Baruchel will have 3 films hit theaters, beginning with the off the wall romantic comedy She's Out of My League on March 12, quickly followed by How to Train Your Dragon when he offers his voice talents to character Hiccup on March 26, and then we have to wait until July 16 to see his apprenticing skills in The Sorcerer's Apprentice. Even sitting here watching the short 2 minute trailers I feel like a little kid on Halloween being offered my favorite sweets, and each one getting a little better and a little sweeter.

I remember sitting in an early screening back in November for She's Out of My League and laughing so hard my sides hurt. Maybe it's just me and my life, but Kirk and his friends are SOOO my friends. Their idiotic comments and reasons why you should or should not date someone and the insane way in which we "rate" someone we're interested in and then compare to how we "rate" our own standing in the dating world. Granted we all have a slightly different grading system, and some may be partial to things that others aren't which of course tips the scales a little in one direction or another. But it is what we do. This film is for the... dare I say... dating impaired and their friends. We have all been there at one point or another for some reason or other (and if you say you haven't... I call your bluff). But watching Jay Baruchel's performance in this film just adds to his adorableness and I would include it in the "great date movie" category.

In the mix we have the wonderfully talented Debra Jo Rupp from That 70's Show's who plays Kirk's mother Mrs. Kettner, Breaking Bad's Krysten Ritter as Molly's friend Patty (who causes a little trouble of her own), Alice Eve as Kirk's love interest Molly, Cloverfield's Mike Vogel as Kirk's best friend Jack, 7th Heaven's Geoff Stults as Molly's jealous ex-boyfriend Cam, Worst Week's Kyle Bornheimer as Kirk's older brother Dylan, and Get Smart's one and only Nate Torrence (Lloyd) as Kirk's married friend Devon. The comedic timing and chemistry between all of these characters adds to the hilarity of datings "best moments".

So take a chance with this film and see if you can catch a "hard 10".

Repo Men -- Review

When it comes to blood and guts I have a relatively high tolerance level. I can handle quite a bit before I start to squirm in my seat, but Repo Men hits that tolerance level within the first five minutes and does not let up. It rips and tears at your insides, slashing, pulling and tugging and just when you think you're about to get a break it starts all over again.

I feel like Universal took a chance with this film, and about half way through either didn't like where it was going or they realized they had no idea where to take the story. The graphic amounts of gore rose to exponential levels and no matter how awesome it was watching Jude Law fight, it reached it's peak of unbelievability long before the end was in sight. The fights sequences were by far the best part of the film as the story itself had so many holes that it was a contact battle not to fall straight through a black hole.

Repo Men is an action packed version of the Saw franchise. The lacking story and weak characters left a huge question mark as we tried to bounce along the story line. It reminded me of one of those children book read along videos with the bouncing ball telling us to keep up with the story. Only problem was that the ball only hit select words so half to story was missing. I had no idea who people were or what their connection was, and yes I'm a strong believer in "a picture is worth a thousand words" but showing us a picture of an adult male and female and a child or two friends with their arms around eachothers shoulders is not always a strong enough connection for us to connect the dots.

On top of the lackluster story, I know the general principle is that in every action story their must be romance, HOWEVER --- (SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT)

However, do we really need an implied sexual scene as a body is being cut open!?!? SERIOUSLY! That was taking the story to a whole new level that I do not know if they intended to take it there, or if that was infact what the director and writer actually meant. I mean sure, give me a film where you slice up a large quantity of bodies while the person is still a live, but do me a favor a leave the smutt for the closets.

SPOILER ALERT OVER
Over all I felt the film lacked in several areas. Again I will emphasis that I truly enjoyed watching Jude Law play the bad ass along side Forrest Whitaker, and the girl was decent. But be warned... There is a twist a comin' that you won't be expecting.

On that note I will say that Repo Men is a third person gamers wet dream in movie form. If you are a fan of paint ball or laser tag you will definitely relate. But unless your girlfriend likes violent movies, do her a favor a leave her home for this flick. Maybe it will turn out to be a half decent "dude flick". Unfortunately for me, Repo Men rates a 2.5 out of 5.

Happy huntings all you Repos!

The Runaways -- Review

A week ago I stumbled across a link to The Runaways soundtrack.  All day long I sat and listened as it repeated.   I could not get enough of the music.  The release of the music video, "Cherry Bomb" gave me a sneak peak of some of the expected film footage and got me excited, so excited I had to see the film.  Unfortunately, for me, the only highlights of this film was the soundtrack and observing the obscure crowd that attended last night’s screening. 

I would say, this was by far, the rowdiest crowd I have even been surrounded by, which includes those crowds encountered at concerts.  There was so much chaos that no one really knew what to do.  Thankfully, the weather was nice so the wait outside was not too unpleasant.  By the time I got into the theater I was amazed by the groups with reserved rows of seating.  Twilight Moms, various roller derby teams, and a few groups that just looked completely out of place. At first I was shocked that there was a Twilight Mom's section, but then again, it turned out this films is one that I would restrict the younger twilight fans from seeing.  Not that I'm a prude or anything like that, but the film was all about drugs, sex and rock 'n roll, and to me I think some of the pre-teens and younger fans should not be allowed admittance just because they are Bella fans.  THIS FILM IS NOT ABOUT BELLA SWAN!!!!!  

The Runaways left me with mixed feelings.  I felt it was almost stereotypical with a "good girl gone bad" feel, but it was almost too clique.  I know that the film is based on "a true story" about lead singer Cherie Currie, and maybe I was just never one of those "bad girls" and I just don't understand.  Whatever it is, I felt like the story dragged.  Usually I'm blown away by Ms. Dakota Fanning's performances but her performance appeared to me to be rather monotone.  The opening scene started in such an awkward place, and I never got pulled back into the story.  Kristen Stewart's performance as Joan Jett was one of her strongest to date, whoever her character performance was it was like every other character she has ever played, though, at least she was able to last an entire film without biting her lip.  Kristen played her part brilliantly, even Dakota was edgier than I'd ever seen, but there was an awkwardness to the story that I could not break through. Even the supporting cast was awkward, as if they were in the picture just there, with no real point.  I know that there are some bands where certain members stand in the spot light and others that never seem to get out from behind the shadows, but this was too much!  "Faces" were cast, yet had no lines, and yet, you watched the scenes that they occupied space and immediately think "Wait, I know that person.  Weren't they in ______."  

The film had a shelf life of about as long as Cherie's career with The Runaways.  With talented young actresses cast as such prominent rock stars, I expected to be blown away.  Instead, I felt like I would have joined with the kids that threw empty beer cans and other trash at them from the audience.  As soon as I walked out of the theater I felt relieved I had not paid to see the film, and yet was slightly angry with myself for waiting in line and dealing with the mob to begin with. I can only imagine what those Twilight Moms were thinking as they walked out after seeing their precious Twilight stars in such a "hardcore" film.  The biggest downside of this film -- I actually wasted about 2 hours that I would have preferred to spend enjoying the amazing weather we had.   Before leaving, I need to give the plus side of this movie – THE MUSIC, it was everything I wanted it to be, and I'm even considering blowing my budget and purchasing the soundtrack.   I give The Runaways a 2 out of 5.


The Runaways Trailer



Cherry Bomb -- The Runaways (2010)

Get Him to the Greek -- Review

I never thought a film could make me feel like such a sell out.  Truth is, I had a hard enough time trying to sit through the film that started it all, but now with the sequel soon hitting theaters I am dumbfounded as to why I even thought Aldus Snow could redeem himself.  Get Him to the Greek feels like a cheap knock off in comparison to Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and yet with all of the "names" in the film I can't believe a story like this could even be made.  Don't get me wrong, I love Russell brand.  I love his stand-up and I love what he did with the VMAs as the host two years in a row.  My problem with this film is that it was just straight up sell out.  But I can be sure on what end is the cause.

Is it for the fact that "Diddy" is involve?  Is it because MTV Networks has branded itself all over the film?  Is it because I was the only person in the theater that actually laughed when Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy) made a cameo appearance during a British bar scene and Jonah Hill pulled out a Harry Potter joke, which sadly was the funniest joke in the entire film.  Unfortunately there was so much wrong with the film that I feel like it just sold itself out to be the biggest joke in the world.  From the opening scenes of "mockumentary", with TMZ, tabloid, and other popular forms of entertainment news covering the rise and fall of the "rock star" we would soon be following.  With clips of MTV News interviews shot in the building and straight through to the "happy ending" with a Vh1 Storytellers, I cannot stop myself from questioning who owed who a favor.  Is it a desperate ploy to try and rake in bucks off a film that "has potential"?  And I don't care if Diddy is just playing himself, had I known he was a part of the project prior to the screening I would not have wasted my time, no matter how much I enjoy watching Brand make a complete fool of himself on screen.  (Russell I am sorry for that comment but I cannot help it in this instance.).

If you really want to watch a "has been rocker story" stay home and watch the real thing for free.  Get Him To The Greek is a complete waist of time and money.  I give this flick a 1 out of 5.