Jan 7
Dynamic Denzel Washington (TRAINING DAY) joins Hollywood favorite Gene Hackman (ENEMY OF THE STATE) along with Viggo Mortensen (THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy) and James Gandolfini (TV's THE SOPRANOS) in this intense action thriller that's a smash hit with audiences and critics alike! In the midst of a global crisis, the USS Alabama receives an unconfirmed order to launch its nuclear missiles -- signaling the start of Word War III! The tension quickly rises as the sub's respected commander (Hackman) and his brilliant executive officer (Washington) clash over the validity of their orders ... battling each other for control of the sub! As this epic struggle rages under the sea, CRIMSON TIDE brings motion picture excitement to a new level -- and you to the edge of your seat!
Terrific film with great cast.
Jan 7
A desperate solution for a troubled country: Lex Luthor for President with the Justice League in the service of the government. Only Batman and Superman stand against the new regime – and their disloyalty proves to be exactly what Luthor intended. Using their outcast status to instigate a scandal against Superman, Luthor finally tastes a victory in his vendetta against The Man of Steel.
Great story, but animation could have been better.
Jan 7
It’s Road Trip: Beer Pong! Three college roommates are on the ride oftheir lives when they drop everything to join a bus full of sexy, scantily clad models to compete in the ultimate sport competition: the National Beer Pong Tournament. Along the way, they’ll be stalled by some of the most unusual roadside attractions ever – including a hitchhiking, gun toting beauty, a grandmother-mother-daughter stripper squad, and the lovely ladies of Chastity Until Marriage. With all these detours will they reach the competition and win the ultimate title? Getting Your Pong On has never been this fun!
Funny, but glad I had it on in the background while doing other things.
Nov 22
1st day of vacation was great. Kids really enjoyed themselves. We got to meet numerous characters, including Mickey Mouse, Handy Manny, Lightning McQueen, Mater, and the characters from the new movie Up, along with numerous others. Weather was great. Looking forward to more days just like this one.
Nov 6
Today's MAD Review is of Disney-Pixar's Up.
Synopsis: From Disney•Pixar comes Up, a comedy adventure about 78-year-old balloon salesman Carl Fredricksen, who finally fulfills his lifelong dream of a great adventure when he ties thousands of balloons to his house and flies away to the wilds of South America. But he discovers all too late that his biggest nightmare has stowed away on the trip: an overly optimistic 8-year-old Wilderness Explorer named Russell. From the Academy Award®-nominated director Pete Docter (Monsters, Inc.), Disney•Pixar’s Up invites you on a hilarious journey into a lost world, with the least likely duo on Earth.
For animation, you can never go wrong with Disney. Another great movie. Giving it an 8/10
Oct 30
MAD Review of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, or simply known as Star Wars.
Synopsis: STAR WARS, George Lucas's stunning sci-fi masterpiece, is arguably one of the most inventive and entertaining films ever made, garnering generations of loyal fans who are forever imprinted with the... Part IV in a George Lucas epic, Star Wars: A New Hope opens with a rebel ship being boarded by the tyrannical Darth Vader. The plot then follows the life of a simple farmboy, Luke Skywalker, as he and his newly met allies (Han Solo, Chewbacca, Ben Kenobi, C-3PO, R2-D2) attempt to rescue a rebel leader, Princess Leia, from the clutches of the Empire. The conclusion is culminated as the Rebels, including Skywalker and flying ace Wedge Antilles make an attack on the Empires most powerful and ominous weapon, the Death Star.
There's nothing like the original - 10/10.
Oct 30
Today's MAD Review is of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.
Synopsis: A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…. Sometime during Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker will make a fateful decision. Faced with a choice between... A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…. Sometime during Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker will make a fateful decision. Faced with a choice between losing the one he loves or giving up his soul to gain the power to save her, Anakin will fall prey to the seductive temptations of the dark side of the Force. Just what Anakin's decision is, why he makes it and how it leads him to don a frightening suit of black armor have been the stuff of Star Wars legend.
This one by far is my favorite. The two end battles between the Emperor & Yoda and Vader & Obi-Wan Kenobi and just spectacular. Giving this film a 8/10.
Oct 29
In keeping with yesterday's MAD Review, I am continuing with the Star Wars series, this time reviewing Episode II: Attack of the Clones.
Synopsis: In the second installment of the Star Wars series, EPISODE II--ATTACK OF THE CLONES, Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) is now a teenage Jedi apprentice to Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor).... In the second installment of the Star Wars series, EPISODE II--ATTACK OF THE CLONES, Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) is now a teenage Jedi apprentice to Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor). Together they must protect Senator Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman) from a militant group of political activists that is trying to assassinate her. This group is led by the evil Count Dooku (Christopher Lee). Among other troubles, Anakin faces some hard choices as he begins to fall for Padme, knowing this love is forbidden by the Jedi knights' creed. In addition, Anakin begins to show his rebellious attraction to the dark side--which will eventually conquer him, when he becomes the future Darth Vader. The story is set 10 years after STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE, and there are appearances by some of PHANTOM's characters, including Jar Jar Binks. CLONES also brings back familiar faces from the original STAR WARS: the lovable droids R2D2 and C3PO, and Yoda, who plays a key role in this film. Lucas creates an impressive array of beautifully rendered alien planets and beings, sleek spaceships, and dazzling effects; he remains at the head of the class in terms of technical ability and visual imagination. The film's climactic final sequences show the magic with which CLONES' earns its place as part of the beloved STAR WARS series.
This is one of my favorite in the entire Star Wars universe. Shows how the clones came to be as well as the beginning to Anakin's fall to the darkside. Great film all around. Giving it an 8/10.
Oct 28
After attending Star Wars in Concert, it should be no surprise that today's MAD Review is of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.
The first of three prequels to George Lucas's celebrated STAR WARS films, EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE is set some 30 years before the original STAR WARS EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE in the era of the Republic. Naboo, a peaceful planet governed by the young but wise Queen Amidala (Natalie Portman), is being threatened by the corrupt Trade Federation, puppets of an evil Sith lord and his terrifying apprentice, Darth Maul (Ray Park). Jedi knights Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor, performing an amazing vocal imitation of Alec Guinness, the older Obi-Wan) are called on to intervene in the trade disputes. Along the way, they acquire an apprentice of their own in the form of young prodigy Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd), or as STAR WARS fans know him, the future Darth Vader. They also encounter Jar Jar Binks (Ahmed Best), a goofy, lizardlike creature who has been banished from his underwater world for clumsiness. When the Trade Federation launches an attack on Naboo, the queen and her allies must battle hordes of robot troopers while Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan face off against the sinister Darth Maul. One of the most anticipated films of all time, THE PHANTOM MENACE sets the stage for the tumultuous events to come. Lucas fills the screen with detailed sci-fi creatures and locations, revealing the most creative and exquisite sets, costumes, and character designs to hit the screen since the original trilogy.
Some people say that this was the worst of the Star Wars saga films. And in agreement, there are some portions of the film that I could have done without (such as Jar Jar). But every story needs a beginning and I feel that the film set up the entire saga perfectly. Giving it a 7/10.
Oct 26
Another MAD Review - The Taking of Pelham 123
In The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, Denzel Washington stars as New York City subway dispatcher Walter Garber, whose ordinary day is thrown into chaos by an audacious crime: the hijacking of a subway train. John Travolta stars as Ryder, the criminal mastermind who, as leader of a highly-armed gang of four, threatens to execute the train's passengers unless a large ransom is paid within one hour. As the tension mounts beneath his feet, Garber employs his vast knowledge of the subway system in a battle to outwit Ryder and save the hostages. But there's one riddle Garber can't solve: even if the thieves get the money, how can they possibly escape?
Travolta always plays an excellent villian. Great cast and great film. Giving it an 8/10.
