The Trial (2010– 100 mins) M. Modine

Matthew Modine plays Mac a depressed lawyer seconds away from ending his life, when a judge friend begs him to take a high profile case of a boy who is charged with murdering his girlfriend. It turns out the girl is the daughter of a prominent businessman in the town, and has plenty of connections and everyone wants swift justice. The kicker of the trial is the boy has no memory of the events of the evening at all which leads to a very hard claim of innocence.

   Oh the suicide part? Mac’s wife and two son’s were killed in a car accident and he’s a bit down about it. That’s basically about all we find out about this in a picture or two of flashbacks and some speaches about it Mac makes. This seems a bit strange considdering the whole movie is about second chances. The boy needs one and if he can help him, Mac can bring himself to starting his life new again.

It’s an ok movie but not too gripping. It’s made to look like a lifetime movie we would see from the 90’s. There’s never any huge ups or downs or any great moments. It all just plays like a 2 hour movie of Matlock. Modine is ok as the depressed lawyer but the depression and dwelling on it seems to come and go when the director feels it’s needed. There’s no weight to his acting, I kinda expect more from Modine, he seems like he’s mailing it in. He even acts like it’s a basic cable movie. The supporting cast is fine, they give him the pretty girl clerk (Nikki Deloach), his former father in-law is his private eye (R. Forster) and the new love interest who is also (go figure) a WIDOW! (Clare Carey). They are all also not too bad but again little more then basic cable parts.

Verdict—> You could do better, and you actually could do worse, but if you are out of options in the box and love law drama’s then you should see it. I just wouldn’t go out of my way to see it. I would wait until lifetime puts in on rather then rent it.

Salt (2010–100min) A. Jolie, L. Schreiber

Evelyn Salt (Jolie) is a long time highly trained CIA operative. Everything is business as usual until a strange Russian man comes wandering into a CIA office with some disturbing inside news. He claims the Russian president is going to be assassinated on US soil in the next day and by a CIA operative…. not just any operative but one named Evelyn Salt. This naturally sends the agency into a state of chaos and we are not sure what to believe as she is forced to shoot her way out of the office and flee. The agency seems to be on a shoot first and ask questions later agenda and besides Salt, the only other person who seems to want to hear her out and think’s she is innocent is her direct boss and longtime friend Ted Winder (Schreiber). Salt is not only worried about herself but she is more worried about what will happen to her husband an innocent scientist who’s only crime is loving her.

It’s a chaotic chase movie with explosions and gun play everywhere. Being a guy, I generally never dislike this in a movie, and it is good here, but it sometimes seems like there is more then absolutely needs to be. The other thing they purposely do is to keep you thinking at every turn well is she or isn’t she? But in my mind they do this too long. We want to have that twist (which was a good one here) but we just want to know to root for her a little bit before they reveal it to us (again even if it’s pretty obvious early on she’s going to be on our side). Salt is a good conspiracy action flick, even if I HATE HATE Jolie personally, but honestly she does so little herself acting wise, that you could plug in one of about 10 action heroines and you would get the same exact movie (I would have loved to see Mila Jovovich in this role). People who love story and plot driven movies will love/hate it. There isn’t enough going on other then crashing and banging with info thrown at us here and there but  just not in normal ways. So those looking for the political drama will be missing some of that b/c the dialogue is lacking but it’s not to say the info isn’t there it’s just exploded at us. They give you the typical sequel ending but I was full enough with one myself.

Verdict– I say this alot but its a decent movie but it will be better for those who just LOVE Jolie. For those of us who spit on the ground she walks on, then you might be able to stomach it for the action but it’s not a can’t miss movie. A decent action book end of a double feature weekend. Add to the second tier rentals from the box.

If you would like to find Salt at a Redbox near you please check out this link here—–> Salt RedBox

Knight and Day (2010–109 mins) T. Cruise, C. Diaz

   Tom Cruise plays international super agent Roy. He’s trying to protect a kid who has discovered a formula for a battery that will never run out. Something that as always is world changing and in the wrong hands can be catastrophic. Roy however, has been framed as a traitor by someone, at least according to him, and the gov’t is trying to kill him and get the kid back. Caught in the middle of the mayhem is June (Diaz), a sometimes mild mannered meek girl and at other times a tough girl who we are told rebuilds old cars. It doesn’t always fit b/c I don’t think the character as it’s billed to us should or would be such a wuss as she tends to be. As with most other movies I tend to like I can overlook this as a slight annoyance b/c the action and comedy are fast, furious, and fun. What is also good about the movie is it doesn’t waste any time getting to the action. We meet both characters early and they hop right into the story, which is a welcome departure to the 30 mins of back story that we usually get.

Don’t get me wrong tho it’s not a perfect movie by any stretch but it’s a good enjoyable action romp. It sometimes leaves us in the dark a little too much about what’s going on. Yet as a stand alone movie it’s worth the watch. It’s a breath of fresh air sometimes to watch an action/comedy that doesn’t try and convince us that we need to watch 3 sequels. One of these is good enough and that’s fine with me.

Verdict–> Knight and Day while a bit of an odd title is a good movie and I think most everyone will enjoy it. Grab it this weekend at the box if it’s in.

Frenemy (2009– 80 mins) M. Modine, Callum Blue, A. Baldwin

There are a bunch of red flags that go up when looking at this image in the red box or the cover of the DVD. First the movie wasn’t even called Frenemy to begin with. Originally it was called “Little Fish, Strange Pond”.  Next the image is promoting the mug of Zach Galifianakis prominently in the middle with Blue and Modine in opposite sides of balance scales. The other part of this problem is how the movie is billed as a comedy and “darkly hilarious”. Dark? Sure. Comedy is a bit of a stretch, it’s more a drama with some funny lines here and there but it sure is “dark”. The gimmick of these pieces is to put funnyman of the hour Galifiniakis in the limelight and hope some of his new fame to sell a few copies or get a few rentals when he is in it for all of about 10 mins. I am actually fine with the whole scales imagery b/c it does fit pretty well with the theme of the movie. As does the orig title of Little Fish, strange pond, but I will get to that in a bit.

The movie revolves around Mr. Jack (Modine) and Sweet Stephan (Blue), as they wander around LA and the hi-jinks that seems to follow them around. There are murders, hold ups, movie theaters, drinks, and they will sit in on a Springer like talk show. All in a good days walk and all while Modine is rambling on and on like a character out of a Tarantino/Kevin Smith mixer. His basic teaching to Stephan is how the world revolves around balance. Basically, a what goes around comes around, and it’s obviously a main theme of the movie. The movie is also very Tarantino-esque as well. We have 3 independent stories which all intersect at various points. The first being Jack and Stephan, second being Cop Tommy (Baldwin) chasing general crime and a murderer, and another story of the Springer show itself.

At first glance the typical viewer will either walk out or turn this off after 10 mins or so. It starts slow and Modine just comes across as a complete dick, even going so far as to annoy the hell out of everyone on a bus and tripping a child on said bus. However, if you stick with it, an actual plot starts to come thru, and the semblance of the 3 stories starts to unfold. Don’t get me wrong it’s no masterpiece and there is a couple of open threads left after the movie (which kinda always drives me insane) but those are few. It’s just a bit slow, but it has some thematic merritts, you just have to be patient and watch it all the way through.  

Verdict–> It’s not a movie for the majority. The only people who will like this, or get it, are people who have a love of movies itself, or underlieing themes. If you do then it will keep you thinking even after the credits are done. Everyone else will just dismiss it as a low budget flick with a few bad accents (on purpose) and cameos around most turns, and they too wouldn’t be wrong. If you love complex movies and nothing else you haven’t seen there at the Red Box then pick it up. Oh and major F-U to the writers and director tho, 80 mins??? WTF nut up buddy and get some more content to show us 80 mins is a disgrace.

Easy A (2010– 92mins) Emma Stone

A pretty simple way to describe Easy A is mean girls crossed with a John Hughes movie. It’s kinda cheesy to describe a movie in one way that it wants to describe itself as in the movie but Easy A is a good little movie so I’ll give it a pass on that. Stone plays Olive, a high school student who keeps to herself and her best friend Rhiannon(A. Michalka). She tells her friend a little white lie to get out of a camping trip and it eventually spirals out of control until it turns her into the school tramp. The movie revolves around this downward spiral and Olive trying to set it all straight and make it all right. It’s the usual young adult Hughesian fare that everything is miscommunication and “what would Jack and Chrissy do now” moments but it’s light funny and doesn’t overstay it’s welcome at all. Stone has a natural charisma which gets us to like her and is surrounded by welcome distractions such as her whack-a-doodle parents(Patricia Clarkson and S. Tucci), whom seem to have entirely too much trust in the world but give us some chuckles, and her teacher (Thomas Haden Church) and his wife (Lisa Kudrow), all of which help give us distractions when the whole school scene gets a bit slow at times.

Verdict—> This is a fun watch that I think men and women both will like. It’s PG-13 which I think is about right. It’s got plenty of themes of sex,drugs and peer pressure which I would say is not apropriate here until high school age. Put it in the high level of red box rents for date night b/c it’s funny and enjoyable.

It’s not a closely guarded secret that Sean of the Dead is one of my favorite movies. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are a great comic duo and I am hopeful that these two can put out a ton of buddy comedies in the future. Coming out MArch 18 2011 is their latest movie Paul. Paul is an alien who is on earth and wants to go home. Not any normal alien we would think of, but a funny cut up of one. Think of him as Seth Rogan who, you guessed it, voices said alien. Not to say much more b/c this funny as all hell trailer tells the story and gives you a picture of what I hope to be a great move better.

The Thor trailer hit this weekend and it’s got some potential. The effects are on par with amazing but is that enough? Will the mainstream audiences embrace the story? What makes the recent emergence of the superhero movies successfull? Well it’s the powers, the effects, and the story. I am not 100% sure if people will fall in love with a fallen god with some magical hammer. Sure, I scrapped it down a bit but when you get to the core that’s what it is. Thor is a spoiled brat in need of some humbling and is sent to earth to find it. What I am assuming happens in this movie is, in his absense all hell breaks loose and Loki tries to take over everything. This will undoubtably lead to some cameos as we already see S.H.I.E.L.D involved in the trailer and word is we will also see Hawkeye in the movie.

So here is the trailer. Enjoy and give me your thoughts. (Thanks to yahoo for the trailer)

Going the Distance (2010– 102 mins) D. Barrymore, J. Long 

   Going the Distance is a romantic comedy about 2 lovers Erin (Barrymore) and Garrett (Long) who must endure a long distance relationship. As always with these two they have good chemistry and both are very likable (although Long to me always seems like an “I am cooler then you” douche butmost people like him so I will let it slide for this movie) and it helps this movie be good. What makes the movie excellent is the supporting cast. We get what we expect from the main characters, the love the funny moments and the I love you moments. Yet, what keeps us truly laughing and wanting more are both characters direct contact with their entourage. On Erin’s side we have her sister and brother in law, played by Christina Applegate and Jim Gaffigan. A couple so quippy and witty that I almost want to see them as supporting roles in every rom-com I can. And on Garrett’s side we get his 2 best friends played by Jaseon Sudeikis (SNL) and Charlie Day (It’s always sunny in Philadelphia). Again, so witty and quick that every line these two deliver had me in stitches. Sudeikis has quickly become a great go to guy for the best friend just as Gaffigan is as the brother in law in movies.

The movie starts quick and keeps the high comedy rolling until about 2/3rds of the way through when we get a lull in both the movie and the comedy. Sure I can deal with the fact that we have to have some romantic conflict in the film but it tends to slow it down for a few mins until we get to the “Awe how cute” usual ending. But we as viewers do not mind as much b/c the whole thing is satisfying enough to keep us happy and forget about the few shortcomings. Add this to the list of good movies Barrymore has been a part of lately. Bring on more Drew we still love you (and we will try and forget about “Everybody’s Fine”)

Verdict—> A great movie for him and her. Pick it up today if you haven’t seen it yet. Could even be good enough to buy as well.

This is slightly old news of a trailer for Star Wars The Old Republic, as it came out a few weeks ago. But since I only happened to stumble upon it this week I wanted to share it with you guys anyway. It comes from none other then the great Blur studio. The same genius’ that made the DCUO cinematic trailer from a few months ago. I have asked and asked a ton of times but I would just LOVE them to take some of these 5 min trailers and make a full feature length film. I think if anyone can make it look amazing it would be these guys. So someone give them a good script and let’s see something soon!

Unlike the cinematic with the assault on the Jedi Temple, this one we actually get to see the good guys win!

Last  time I listed my bottom 10 movies I reviewed this year. Tonight we have the top 11. Why 11? Well there was just too many movies I liked and wanted to include. Strangely enough this could be named 11 movies I really liked with no clear #1, since although I liked a few better then the others there was no clear “Oh my God this is #1!!!” on the list. 

So I hope you like this list and again this is not a list of ALL movies released this year and not even all movies from the Red Box, just a top 11 of the movies I reviewed this year. Again there are some SPOILERS below so be warned

11.  When in Rome–> The only true Romantic Comedy on this list. Kristen Bell is a great actress and manages to make us like her weather she is likable (like here) or despicable (Sara Marshall). Josh Duhamel is basically the same, a cool guy who we all wish was our best friend or brother. Oh the movie? It’s got a bunch of good comedy actors a funny plot and plenty of romantic goodness for the ladies.

10. The Losers–> It’s a formula that when done right works every single time. A Group of special ops who have a great raport and the perfect knack of getting things done right. It’s what I like to think of as the A-Team effect. The problem with this one is the dumb twist of the traitor at the end. Something that was not needed and I think that if it wasn’t done it might have gotten better vibe in public and right now we might be looking at them making a sequel, which I would love to see but there’s virtually no chance of that happening.

9. Hot Tub Time Machine–> Rent it, watch it , laugh , love it… remember I told you so!

8. The Expendables–> Another ensemble special ops movie. A bit better cast and funnier then the Losers and this one did well and we will see another … Sounds good to me!

7. Cop Out—> Yeah I know most “critics” didn’t like this one at all, but I did. I am a big Bruce Willis guy, combine him with a Kevin Smith script and you have a good movie. Would have been a bit higher up if Tracey Morgan was less annoying.

6. Date Night–> Carrell and Fey as everyday people in wrong place at the wrong time with a ton of improv makes for a solid comedy.

5. The Book Of Eli–> This one benefited from another viewing this week with Mrs. Geekjock. It’s a good movie with a good message and great overall story and underlying implied story. Great job by writer Gary Whitta.

4. Eclipse–> Yeah even a teeny bopper love story embedded into an action movie doesn’t stop this from being good.

3. Scott Pilgrim vs The World–> Don’t believe the bad press. IT’s a quirky funny movie that’s got intelligent writing and great execution. Don’t look for believability but enjoy the silly moments that will make you laugh out loud. Michael Cera at his finest.

2. Robin Hood–> Sure it’s Gladiator meets Braveheart meets Robin Hood. But really, what’s wrong with that? It’s a perfect example of another movie I really want to see sequels to.

1. Get Him to the Greek–> A funny buddy travel comedy. Sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll movie done real well. Plenty of laughs that you might miss the next joke b/c you are still laughing at the last joke. Oh and let’s not forget the hilarious job P-Diddy does in the small role. Get it tonight and enjoy!

So that’s the end of the top 10 for my Red Box reviews. The good is all of these movies on this list are great watches, the bad is that there really was not a blow me away clear #1 but that’s so much a bad thing as it is a good thing that the rest of the movies are that entertaining.

It’s going to be a great year in 2011 for reviews and it should start off with a bang the next few weeks as a lot more quality movies being released into the Red Box.

Until then GJ out