Movie Review:Cats and Dogs:The Revenge of Kitty Galore

Scene from Cats and Dogs:The Revenge of Kitty Galore

I haven't watched the first movie yet. But I enjoyed it because I am a cat lover. I like the combination of characters. The relationship of Butch(voiced by Nick Nolte) and Diggs(James Mardsen) is like of those veteran-rookie cop partnerships. Seamus the pigeon(Sean Hayes) provides the comic relief in the story. Roger Moore provided the voice of Tab Lazenby, director of M.E.O.W.S. Though Moore's role is not a major character, it was like a tribute for being a former James Bond. The whole movie was in 3D from start to finish so it didn't waste much of it. There are also values about friendship and it's a family film for everyone to enjoy. It also featured a short length 3D movie featuring Looney Tunes' Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote. It's a good thing for the Looney Tunes to adapt in 3D and they made the best choice for putting Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote in 3D since their usual environment and slapstick humor is good for 3D. I look forward for Looney Tunes to do more.

Looney Tunes 3D short film

Movie Review: The Last Song

Plot:For troubled teenager like Veronica "Ronnie" Miller(played by Miley Cyrus), the last thing she needs is a summer with her estranged father(Greg Kinnear) whom she hadn't seen after the divorce with her scheming little brother(Bobby Coleman).

Review: It was only upon watching this movie that I learned that this was an adaptation of one of Nicholas Sparks' novels. What I found out that Nicholas Sparks is also a co-screenplay for this movie. It's not usual for a novelist to write a screenplay of his original story for a movie. The story turned out well for the movie. I can't comment yet in a viewpoint of a book fan since I haven't read any Sparks novel but I have reason to believe that Sparks is pleased with it since he has direct influence in the production.

The casting. A Miley Cyrus movie is not what I expect to watch. I don't watch her show, Hannah Montana since I am not the intended audience for it and it doesn't interest me. I figured watching this movie will make me see more of Miley Cyrus in it than the movie itself. I was proven wrong. Miley didn't take away the spotlight from fellow actors. For the character of Ronnie, it was as if the role was made for Miley Cyrus. Ronnie is not like Hannah Montana like I was expecting. I never thought Miley Cyrus could leave the wholesome Disney teen image for a serious role but not explicitly mature. Kinnear shared some comic moments for the movie but young Bobby Coleman has made a mark for laughs in the movie without getting much attention.

The story. It's a typical Nicholas Sparks story. Set in a quiet, small town. A tragic character. Family,first love, second chances and salvation. But most of all, its a tearjerker so bring something to wipe those crocodile tears but will make you feel good before leaving the cinema. A good film with quality and values for everyone.

Movie Review: It's Complicated

Plot: When brought together at a family event, two exes find themselves oddly attracted to each other after ten years of divorce. Although the couple think that this affair will stay in a different state, it brings itself back to ther own city and disrupts their personal lives. While the couple still maintains other romances, they cannot help but continue with their affair.

Review:Nancy Meyers did a wonderful job in writing up this story and directing it. If it's Nancy Meyers,it's sure that the comedy's good. I expected this kind of comedy from her since Something's Gotta Give, The Holiday, and The Father of the Bride movies. Intelligent humor in a mature way. Like in the movies I mentioned, the main characters are either they're in a marriage relationship or they're above forty. The conflict of the movie is the most interesting part. The audience will not help but laugh. I have no problem in the casting. Meryl Streep is sure right for the role. She can still project herself sexy in her age. Alec Baldwin proved himself fit for comedy because of his 30 Rock series. Steve Martin may not be the main character like in the Father of the Bride movies, but his performance as the third wheel of the conflict and his comedy was still good and essential for his role of the movie. The conflict was also coping up with the divorce. There are also damages. I can relate to the children who are already trying to cope up with it and was shocked more to find that their parents are secretly together. I would not be fine if I find out my parents got back together after many years. I've been noticing in internet social networks that there are people who has written their social status as "It's Complicated.I was wondering what's complicated there. Maybe after watching this movie, maybe people should think first before writing their social status as complicated.

Movie Review:Love Happens

Spoiler!

Spoiler Alert!!

Alert: Spoiler!!!

It's the month of love again! Cinemas are not spared from the releases of romantic comedies and love stories, local and foreign. Which brings me to this subject. Are you haunted by your "personal demons"? You aim to move on but there are hindrances that stops you from doing so. Self-help book author Dr. Burke Ryan can help. With his bestselling book,A-OK!, and his group sessions, you can help yourself. Except for Dr. Ryan. He has his own demons that needed exorcised. And the only person who may redeem him is Eloise Chandler,a florist who supplies the hotel he was staying. The movie title didn't catch my attention but casting Aaron Eckhart and Jennifer Aniston give me high hopes for this. At first, I thought this is another movie for the love month but it was more than that.The redeeming quality of this film is a must watched not only for those who wants this to be a date movie but for the people who have their share of losses but gains anew, for those who seeks forgiveness but knowing there's nothing to forgive. I guarantee this movie will leave you feel "refreshed" and good about yourself.

Movie Review:Sherlock Holmes(2009)

I was not sure if I want to watch it at first.Sherlock Holmes was my classic book hero back in high school. My first read on Sherlock Holmes was The Hound Of The Baskervilles. I got hooked ever since. I even had a centennial Sherlock Holmes shirt back then(1887-1987). I also got to watched Young Sherlock Holmes and Without A Clue(an alternate look of Sherlock Holmes). Without A Clue was OK but Young Sherlock Holmes did not really gave justice to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Holmes. After hearing from fellows who are also well versed with Holmes literature,it compelled me to watch. Holmes' trademark deductive skills was also emphasized in the movie. Before there was CSI,there was Sherlock Holmes. Holmes already amazed readers before it was known as forensics investigations.For the characters, Sherlock Holmes was just as eccentric as I imagine, thanks to Robert Downey,Jr. I thought he will never pull it off. Although there was a factor regarding Downey's physical inconsistencies like the height. In addition to that, somebody told me that Downey was too sexy for Holmes.In this movie, Holmes no longer has the trademark hat and coat he popularized. Same thing with Dr. Watson. I was not expecting Jude Law. Forget the shorter, fat Watson. Despite that,it was not hinders you from enjoying the story. As for Irene Adler, she was just as scandalous as I imagine. Inspector Lestrade's working relationship was also accurate. Though Lestrade was pretending to bring Holmes to the enemy but the punch was not acting. He really want to punch him and had the opportunity to do so but they were also professionals. Lestrade knows he could never have cracked all those cases without Holmes and that makes him hate Holmes because the hero is not from Scotland Yard. There was also the cameo appearance of Professor Moriarty. Moriarty was considered a puppeteer an manipulator of crimes Holmes solved that it was a good factor that Irene Adler was afraid of the professor. That's why Holmes called him "the Napoleon of crime." It is considered a reimagined Sherlock Holmes because there was no Holmes story that mentions that Irene Adler was working for Moriarty and where or when did Holmes first knew about Moriarty.Despite all this discrepancies,this was,I believe, the movie that gave most t justice to Sherlock Holmes than any movie adaptation that will not make Conan Doyle spinning in his grave.

Movie Review: The Spy Next Door

Genre: Action/Comedy/Family

Spoiler!

Spoiler Alert!!

Actors:

Jackie Chan

George Lopez

Billy Ray Cyrus

Amber Valletta

Lucas Till

Director:
Brian Levant

Screenplay:

Jonathan Bernstein

James Greer

Gregory Poirier

Jonathan Bernstein

James Greer

Synopsis:

Lionsgate’s family action comedy THE SPY NEXT DOOR stars Jackie Chan as Bob Ho, an undercover CIA superspy who decides to give up his career in espionage to settle down with his next-door neighbor and girlfriend, Gillian (Amber Valletta). But Bob has one more mission to complete before Gillian agrees to marry him: winning over her three opinionated kids.

When Gillian suddenly has to leave town, Bob volunteers to babysit the children so he can earn their approval. But when one of the kids mistakenly downloads a top-secret formula from his computer, Bob’s archenemy, a Russian terrorist, moves in for the attack, forcing Bob to juggle the roles of spy and prospective stepfather in the most challenging mission of his career!

Studio/Licensor:
Lions Gate Films

New Year,New Movie.I started to make a blog review upon invitation of Mr. Azrael Coladilla of Azrael's Merryland to watch The Spy Next Door last Jan. 14(Thanks Az!).

Review:As a Jacky Chan fan, I never get tired of watching his films with is own trademark action mixed with slapstick comedy which makes it more theatrical. But with TSND, as I foreseen, I won't be expecting the same level of excitement as Rush Hour nor the Hong Kong flicks. As to the family orientation of the film, it's the first time Jacky Chan is immersed in role with an American reality of having a girlfriend with kids who doesn't enjoy the idea of having a stepfather. This kind of conflict is not original in this film. Though there are children casts in this movie, the exposure and the behavior of the kids are not what you can see in a GP film. The behavior of the children were beyond their age. it does not reflect values supposed to be in a family film but there were redeeming qualities. The story does not have the same spy thriller James Bond, Jack Ryan or Jason Bourne. Jacky's character is no longer discreet in the level of a spy with his nemesis. The only thing that can only be entertaining in this film is that there's always Jacky Chan and his trademark slapstick action/comedy. I would classify this film as Rated PG rather than GP.

The screening last January 14 was made possible by Wave 89.1

Movie Review: Charlie Wilson's War

I just got to watch it on HBO. The first Hanks-Roberts tandem was great. I was also haunted by the words of Joanne Herring played well by Julia Roberts when she said "it was God's will that they should help Afghanistan" in this pre-9/11 story. The question here is Joanne really sensitive to God's will when she herself entertains an affair with Charlie Wilson. If so, was 9-11 also God willed? The reason I asked this because I am currently reading When Religion Becomes Evil by Charles Kimball. He stressed that one of the signs that religion is evil when a religion makes a holy war and when a religion made an absolute truth claims. The U.S. was also guilty of these claims when they came to liberate to the Philippines which was also the same mistake done by the Spaniards. How many must all die in the name of God? Is God serving both sides or both has a different God? What I and Charles Kimball is saying that we should be careful with such claims.