155. Oliver!

Yes, this is one of my wife's movies. I don't know why but she really has a thing for musicals. Well she had never seen the film adaptation of the musical Oliver so guess what I got to watch today. Good thing I love her! Oliver is a musical about a young orphan boy who gets thrown out of the workhouse that he was born in because he was "ungrateful" and asked for another serving of gruel.

Well one thing leads to another and young Oliver finds himself homeless on the streets of London. It's here that he meets the theiving group led by Fagen and the Artful Dodger. Oliver is young and naive but has a good heart and voice. He stays with Dodger and Fagen.

However, a mishap happens on his very first outing and he is accosted and falsely accused of attempting to pickpocket a wealthy London native. Realizing his error and the fact that Oliver has no family the man takes him in.

Oliver's criminal friends won't let him go so easily because they are afraid that he is going to rat them out so they kidnap him back. In the end the wealthy gentleman realizes that Oliver is the illegitimate child of his niece who ran away and he adopts Oliver.

Needless to say I really didn't enjoy this movie. Just too much singing. Plus the plot was totally predictable. I won't be watching this one again if I can help it!

154. Contagion

I don't know about you but I have really been looking forward to the movie Contagion which was written by Scott Burns and directed by Steven Soderbergh (the Ocean's Franchise). Seeing the previews just made me more and more excited and anxious to see how awesome this movie was going to be. I love end of the world/disaster movies so this was right up my alley.

Plus, I figure that it was going to be interesting when Soderbergh went into it wondering how many Oscar winners and nominees he could kill off in one movie! For example, as the trailer gives away Gwyneth Paltrow's character dies within the first fifteen minutes of the movie. I am not going to tell you if these individuals die or not but other notable oscar nominees and winners who appear in this film include: Matt Damon, Kate Winslett, Laurence Fishburne, and Jude Law. Although I don't think that it was particularly important, my wife was quick to note that Jennifer Ehle from the British Pride and Prejudice mini-series (which is one of her favorites) also starred in this film.

Contagion will keep you on the edge of your seats and as far away from other movie goers as the theatre seats allow...yes, you will be that paranoid by the time it is finished! Anyway, this movie was totally awesome!

Final Verdict: Worth Owning!

153. X-Men First Class

We have been packing furiously and preparing to move to Saint Joseph. It has even got so far that we have all our movies packed. Maybe that's why I was SO excited when my wife surprised me with X-Men: First Class on blu-ray! What a good wife I have!

If you have ever wondered how the X-Men got started then you should definitely watch X-Men First Class! By watching First Class you will find out how Professor X (James McAvoy) ended up in a wheel chair, why Magneto (Michael Fassbender) and Professor X ended up enemies, and more.

The movie itself was pretty awesome! Of course the uber x-men nerds out there will notice that there are some differences between the comics and the movie but that is to be expected. Overall I feel the movie was true to the comics and honored its roots. It is also set up perfectly for a sequel that would occur between first class and X-Men 1. I can't wait to see what they do with that.

If you have enjoyed the previous X-men movies then you are really going to enjoy this one. You definitely won't be disappointed!

I also liked that the movie made sense to people--like me--who aren't huge X-Men comic nerds. So don't fear that you will be lost if you don't know who Eric Lensher is or why the beast is blue. You'll find out soon enough!

152. Captain America: The First Avenger

In the midst of World War II, America needs a champion. Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) has done everything that he can to enlist but his short stature and weak body have caused him to be rejected no matter how many aliases he has tried. During his last attempt to get into the Armed Forces under an alias he is noticed by scientist, Dr. Erskine (Stanley Tucci) who recruits him to be part of Project Rebirth. Although he doesn't really know what Project Rebirth is exactly he agrees because it will finally put him into the Army fighting for the country he loves. After training and a series of tests conducted by Colonel Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones), Rogers is chosen because of his extraordinary courage, wits, and conscience to be the final candidate for this experiment to create the perfect solidier--thus Captain America is born!

The movie is full of awesome fight scenes and special effects. It was action packed and the Red Skull (Hugo Weaving) makes for a great villian. I think that this movie does comic heros proud and I can't wait for more Avengers movies to come!

Final Verdict: Worth Owning!

151. Zookeeper

Zookeeper is a summer movie starring Kevin James. I was really looking forward to this movie because Kevin James is really funny. Sadly, I was disappointed. It was just another movie where they showed the majority of the funny parts in the previews.

There were also a few awkward adult humor parts which make the movie uncomfortable to watch with teenagers and younger children.

I think that the funniest parts were the monkey who is played by Adam Sandler. He stole the movie in a couple of parts, especially when he fakes bravado in front of the lion.

Just so sad that this movie wasted all of its potential. Kevin James can and should do so much better than this!

Final Verdict: Not worth owning.

150. Super 8

              Before we get into the whole aspect of the movie Super 8 and what its about lets just get the point. Super 8 is the BEST movie of 2011 thus far. Well at least to what I have seen. Amazing movie. Excellent on all counts. Writing, Directing, Acting, Effects the whole thing.
  
              Director J.J. Abrams set out to make a movie in homage of some of his childhood movies. The Goonies and E.T. have been sited of inspiration for Super 8. Super 8 follows the lives of 5 middle schoolers who are making their own blockbuster about zombies. One night when they are out filming they witness a train wreck that leads them on adventure of a life time. It also shuts down the small Ohio town they live in.

At the core of the movie the relationship between a father and a son. They are dealing with the loss of a wife and a mother. The father is played by the always excellent Kyle Chandler. The son is played by the newcomer Joel Courtney who is starring in his first movie ever! Super 8 moves at a fast pace and you find yourself so engrossed in the world that Abrams has created. Proving again that he is a force in Hollywood.

Final Verdict: Amazing. Must own. Must in Theaters if you can get to it.

149. Larry Crowne

What can I say? I love Tom Hanks! Julia Roberts isn't bad either. Still not as good as Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks but oh well.

So Larry Crowne is about a regular Joe named Larry who works at U-Mart. He is an excellent employee who works hard and has repeatedly won the employee of the month. Like many Americans, Larry goes into work one day to find out that he has been downsized. The reason the company gave is that Larry doesn't have a college education.

Without a job, Larry is forced to change his lifestyle and ultimately his life. He enrolls in classes at the local community college where he meets a burntout college professor (Julia Roberts) who teachs communications/speech classes and a group of zany friends.

The movie was pretty entertaining. You never knew what Larry's friends were going to talk him into doing next. Plus, Larry's neighbor is played by Cedric the Entertainer so you know that's going to make you laugh.

Final Verdict: Worth the money to see it at the theatre. Probably worth owning.

148. The Sound of Music

I know that Christiana is going to hate this blog review since The Sound of Music is one of her favorite musicials of all time but I have to be honest.

The Sound of Music is the story of the Von Trapp Family as they try to escape the Nazi take over of Austria. It starts with unruly children who are trying to gain their father's attention by constantly scaring away governesses and it ends with the night time chase and escape. Despite how exciting this all sounds I wasn't really impressed.

My wife loves this movie and owns it on blu-ray, I barely made it through it. I actually might have dosed off but who knows since they were still singing when I opened my eyes. In all fairness I don't really like musicals to begin with so it had that against it from the start. Plus the run time is almost 3 hours!

I do have to give props to Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer for their excellent acting. Maybe for me it would have been better if it wasn't a musical. The sets and scenery were beautiful and period specific. I did hear that the Rogers and Hammerstein version isn't 100% true to the real life story but they do a decent job.

If you love musicals then you will most likely love the Sound of Music. I don't  love musicals and I don't love this movie.

Final Verdict: I would never buy it but it's my wife's movie so it's not my call.

147. Gnomeo & Juliet

So my wife finally talked me into watching Gnomeo and Juliet...a computer animated, kid friendly version of Romeo and Juliet portrayed by garden gnomes.

I think that I finally gave in because I like Emily Blunt (Juliet) and James McAvoy (Gnomeo). Needless to say the movie was really cheesy. However the music was good and the CGI was high quality. I think that the funniest character was the pink lawn flamingo, Featherstone, voiced by Jim Cummings. He was just plain funny!

I was surprised by the number of big names in this movie. The Blue Gnomes were led by Lady Bluebury (Maggie Smith). They lived in Miss Montague's (Julie Walters) garden. The Red Gnomes were led by Lord Redbrick (Michael Caine) and they lived in Mr. Capulet's (Richard Wilson) garden. For such big names I really expected the movie to be of a higher quality. I guess it was a decent children's movie but I was hoping for better. Kids movie doesn't mean that it has to be horribly boring!

The movie was about as bad as I expected it to be but I scored some husband brownie points and my wife loved it.

Final Verdict: I would never buy it. Not worth owning.

146. The Conspirator

The Conspirator is the story of Mary Surratt (Robin Wright) who was the lone female accused of being a co-conspirator in the Lincoln assassination. After Lincoln's assassination the nation was in an uproar. In order to restore peace and promote "justice" the military powers sought quick retribution for Lincoln's death.

As a whole the nation turned against Mary Surratt and everyone believed that she was guilty before her trial even began. Only one Senator even thought that she deserved to be represented in the military trial she was given. But even he backed out and forced his young associate, Frederick Aiken (James McAvoy), to take on the trial when the social stakes got too high.

Although he was almost certain that she was guilty, Aiken sought to see that Surratt had a proper defense and that the facts were presented truthfully. However, in their haste to see justice be done the truth seemed to be twarted at every turn often frustrating Aiken.

If you are anything like my wife this movie will really upset you. She was practically throwing things at the TV over the many injustices and run-a-rounds that Aiken and Surratt suffered in the name of Justice. I thought that it brought an interesting story to light but was not nearly as frustrated.

McAvoy did an excellent job playing Fredericks. His talent really shines through and it is a far cry from his first major role as Mr. Tumnus in The Chronicles of Narnia. I also think that Robin Wright, Jenny from Forrest Gump, did a commendable job in her role as Mary Surratt.

Final Verdict: Good watch but not worth owning.

145. Prom

Have I ever told you that I love cheesy high school movies! My friend, Chad, and I are probably the only guys on the planet that excited when a movie named Prom comes out. Okay that might be a bit of an exageration but you get the point. I love high school movies!

Another reason that I really wanted to watch Prom is that Aimee Teegarden from Friday Night Lights (one of the best shows on television!) plays the female lead. Go Panthers! Teegarden's character, Nova Prescott, wants to make the one perfect night when everyone can come together and make the perfect memories. She and her committee have worked tirelessly for months to prepare for their Prom. The only problem is that a thoughtless jock accidently burns down the storage shed where all the decorations are stored, and it happens just a few weeks before the big night. Much panic ensues. Nova also discovers that none of her committee members are going to be available to help her rebuild their collection of decorations.

As a punishment for his bad attitude and cutting class, the principle assigns problem child Jesse Ritcher (Thomas McDonell) to help Nova with the decorations. In true high school movie style the two start to form a romantic connection. What will happen to Jesse and Nova? Will Prom be the night that dreams are fulfilled? I guess you will just have to watch Prom to find out! You won't be disappointed!

Final Verdict: Worth Owning!

144. Hop

Back to back Russell Brand movies. I felt a little more comfortable coming into this one because I know that Russell Brand has to be decent in a children's movie. He was hilarious! I thought that his funniest scene in Hop was when he made a cameo as himself and introduced his animated bunny self, E.B. on the Hoff's talent show.

If you don't know anything about Hop, it is the story of who a human became the next Easter Bunny. Slacker boy, Fred O'Hare played by James Marsden, needs a job but nothing seems to appeal to his sensibilities. Finally his family has to plan an intervention to light a fire under him. When he agrees to house sit his sister's (Kaley Couco) boss' house because his parents are finally kicking him out, he literally runs over E.B. who is the bunny that is next in line to be the one and only Easter Bunny but who has also run away from home. As it turns out he would much rather be a famous drummer than the Easter Bunny.

What E.B. doesn't know is that when he ran away, he opened the door for the crazy head-chick Carlos (Hank Azaria) to hatch his plan for the ultimate Easter take over. You see HE wants to be the next Easter Bunny.

The movie was decent. It had some really funny parts but it definitely wasn't the best movie that I have ever seen.

Final Verdict: I wouldn't buy it but my wife might.

143. Arthur

So I have to admit that I was intrigued and I thought that I would take a chance on the movie, Arthur. I say a chance because you never know what you are going to get with Russell Brand. He can be really funny and decent or he can be utterly perverted and filthy. What finally pushed me over the edge to try it was Helen Mirren. My wife is a HUGE Helen Mirren fan and she is a quality actress so I hoped that anything she was willing to co-star in wouldn't be a total piece of trash. Let me just say that my faith in Helen Mirren hasn't let me down!

In Arthur, Russell Brand plays the lead character by the same name. He is a spoiled, rich grown-up who insists on acting like a child. You could argue that this was due to the utter neglect of his mother and the early death of his father, but there is really no excuse for acting out at his age. Anyway, since he continues to act like a child his mother still employs his childhood nanny, Hobson, played by Helen Mirren to watch out for him. Let me tell you...Helen Mirren steals the show! She is curt and no non-sense and watches Arthur's back at all costs. She genuinely cares for him and it shows.

The plot thickens when Arthur's mother decides that she is tired of his non-sense and so he is either going to marry the girl she has chosen for him (Jennifer Garner) or she will disinherit him. Jennifer Garner's character is dominating and cares nothing about Arthur but agrees to marry him because she knows that she will be the top choice to run the family company because Arthur is so irresponsible. The only problem is that after Arthur agrees to his mother's horrible plan, he meets Naomi (Greta Gerwig) who quite possibly could be the love of his life. So he has a big decision to make. Will it be love or will it be money? As you can imagine, chaos insues.

Final Verdict: Worth Owning.

142. Adjustment Bureau

Adjustment Bureau is a supernatural conspiracy theory movie starring Matt Damon and Emily Blunt.

David Norris (Matt Damon) is an up and coming political figure who happens to bump into carefree Elise (Emily Blunt) during one of his campaign appearances. They had an immediate and intense connection which seemed like fate, but then everything went wrong and it seemed like they would never see one another again. Little did they know that's because there were people watching them and keeping them apart so that they would stay "on plan". These people are part of the adjustment bureau.

The Adjustment Bureau monitors the life plans of every individual in the world and if an individual gets too far off of course then they can come in and make "course corrections" to get that individual back on track. In Norris' plan he was never supposed to see Elise again, but he was determined that she was special and that he would see her again. In fact, he was so determined that after bumping into her on the bus by chance he rode that exact same bus for three years until he finally met her again.

At this point all heck breaks loose! They are chased by the Adjustment Bureau--led by Thompson (Terence Stamp). In the process Norris sees more and learns more about human's free will or lack there of than he ever wanted to know and he befriended his adjustment bureau handler who gives him some insider tips on avoiding the bureau.

The movie is fast paced and will make you think twice about whether or not you really have free will and choice. Great movie! Matt Damon does it again! It's still no Inception bu Adjustment Bureau definitely holds its own.

141. Sucker Punch

Christiana really wanted to see Sucker Punch so I have in even though I didn't think that it looked that good. In my opinion I was right although I know that Christiana really enjoyed it.

Sucker Punch starring Emily Browning is the story of a young girl who inherits a lot of money when her mother dies which infuriates her sexually abusive step father. In an attempt to protect herself and her sister from her step father she accidentally kills her sister and is sent to a mental hospital where her step father bribes a corrupt attendant to have her lobotimized so that she can't tell the police why she was shooting a gun in the first place.

In order to process and handle that she is in a mental hospital awaiting an unauthorized lobotomy her mind spins a sub-story where she and her fellow residents are captive "dancers" working for Blue (Oscar Isaac). Then in order to break free we go to another story within a story where the girls battle in video game style cut scenes in order to acquire the items they need to make an escape.

If you are confused by now so was I which is why I didn't like this movie. The video game sequences were pretty cool but the movie was very hard to follow and it was hard to tell what was the real storyline and what was her coping mechanism. I was excited to see a cameo from Jon Hamm (Mad Men). That was the best part of the whole movie!

140. Water for Elephants

Water for Elephants is a circus love story and famous circus accident set during the Great Depression.

After a family tragedy, Ivy League veternary student Jacob Jankoski (Robert Pattinson) drops out of school and circumstances lead him into circus life. He begins work for August (Christoph Waltz), an unstable and completely jealous ring leader who is always chasing the net big act to push his circus to the top. As a result of his search he eventually buys an elephant named Rosie--even though he has never worked with elephants before--and tasks Jacob with the job of training her. Meanwhile, Jacob is falling for August's wife Marlena (Reese Witherspoon). Which is a certain rescipe for disaster!

Needless to say, August is not the best of managers or bosses and when he gets mad you better steer clear. When he is upset or drunk (which happens often) he has been known to beat anything that comes in his path or to throw people off of the moving circus train. Eventually he goes to far and suffers the consequences. But I won't tell you how all of that plays out.

I enjoyed this movie. I love Reese Witherspoon and she did an amazing job as usual. I even found that Robert Pattinson isn't the worst actor in the world when he is playing a normal human being instead of being a wizard or vampire! That's a small miracle in and of itself. I think that this movie is worth owning.

139. Beastly

Beastly is a modern twist on the Beauty and the Beast story. Let me tell you that I DID NOT want to watch this movie. However, Christiana finally talked me into it and I was a little curious because I love cheesy high school movies so we watched it.

I was actually surprised. It really wasn't that bad. Mary-Kate makes an intense outcast/high school witch who curses the handsome and popular Kyle (Alex Pettyfer) for playing a mean social prank on her.

Kyle's only hope of ever becoming handsome again is to find someone who he truly loves and who loves him back. Kyle is so grossed out by his own ugliness that he goes into reclusive hiding and is shunned by even his own father. Eventually dad moves Kyle into his own place where he doesn't have to see him and hires a blind tutor (that's right--Neil Patrick Harris!) to come and teach him.

Enter Vanessa Hudgens from High School Musical Fame to be his love interest and hopefully break the curse and I think that you can guess the rest. If you know the Beauty and the Beast story this movie will be pretty predictable but I think that they did a good job of interpreting it with a modern twist. Like I said I was pleasantly surprised and I actually enjoyed this movie. I wouldn't be surprised if we end up owning this movie.

138. The Princess and the Frog

Okay, I have to give Disney props for doing something a little different this time. The Princess and the Frog is the first Disney Princess movie that is set in semi-modern times. However, it is a twist on the classic Princess and the Frog Fairy Tale so it's not 100% original.

The Princess and the Frog is set in New Orleans, and it has some really great music. Although you do get tired of it when your wife loves it so much that she wants to watch it a ton! The graphics are good on blu-ray and the storyline is solid considering that it is a Princess movie.

One thing that I do have to say is that the villian, The Voodoo Man, is really scary. This is possibly the darkest Disney villian because he calls on evil spirits and does voodoo. So parents be aware. Good movie but it belongs to my wife so it doesn't matter if I like it or not.

137. Kung Fu Panda 2

Kung Fu Panda 2 is a surprisingly good sequel. You just never know how a sequel is going to play out but I was pleasantly surprised. This was also a great example of Jack Black done right--take notes Gulliver's Travels.

I am happy to say that this movie holds up with a strong story line of it's own and there are many funny scenes that never made it into the previews. Which means that there are more surprises and laughs in the theatre.

In Kung Fu 2, Po Ping and his friends must face their greatest and most evil opponent yet--Lord Shin (Gary Oldman). Lord Shin, a demented and blood thirtsy peacock, seeks to get his revenge and to end Kung Fu forever through his use of explosions and gun powder. One by one he seeks to destroy the greatest masters of Kung Fu and the only ones who can stop him are Po and his friends.

All the recurring characters are played by the same cast members. Can I just say that Jackie Chan makes one funny monkey? And they all do an amazing job bringing the story to life.

Final Verdict: Worth Owning!

136. Pirates of the Caribbean on Stranger Tides

Going into this one I didn't have too high of expectations. The previews made it look awesome but lets be honest--Pirates 3 was kind of a let down. So I didn't know what to expect.

Well...I say that Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides has totally redeemed the Pirates franchise. It was action packed, interesting, and easy to follow.

Johnny Depp returns in his role as Captain Jack Sparrow, and is now in a race to the Fountain of Youth. On his quest he encouters a whole new set of troubles and characters including cannibals and Black Beard. You will have a great many laughs while enjoying this swash buckling adventure.

Final Verdict: Definitely worth watching and worth owning! Besides you have to have the whole set.

135. Priest

Another great vampire hunting movie! Christiana and I watched Priest and it was really stinkin' good. It's such a shame that this movie didn't make any money in theatres because it is set up perfectly for a sequel.

This movie centers around The Priests who are a group of elite vampire fighters that were formed and trained by the church. Once the war between the humans and the vampires was over the church disbanded this group who now live as social outcasts on the edge of society. They have all these special fighting skills but they can't even find common jobs.

Many years after the group is disbanded there is a rogue vampire attack in the wastelands. The church refuses to recognize that their has been a vampire attack and forbids the character simply called "Priest" (Paul Bettany) from going to investigate and to try and save his niece who was captured by the vampires.

In this day and age the mantra is "To Go Against the Church is To Go Against God" so Priest must decide if he wants to renounce his life and his God to go after his family. Doing so will also make him an outlaw. What will he do?

Like I said, this movie was surprisingly great. Paul Bettany does an excellent job as Priest and Karl Urban doesn't do a bad job either.

Final Verdict: Worth Owning!

134. The Beaver

Watched the Beaver. In this movie Walter, played by Mel Gibson, gets really, really depressed and basically has a mental breakdown--maybe not that far from reality. Just before he goes to end his life he discovers a beaver puppet.

The Beaver saves his life and becomes a living entity attached to his body at all times. He tells everyone that the Beaver is prescription therapy and he interacts with everyone through the beaver. He becomes so attached the to the Beaver that it eventually begins to be less helpful and more harmful. I won't spoil it for you, but it keeps things interesting.

My wife, Christiana, thought that this movie was totally depressing, but I thought that it was funny at parts. I guess that's what you get with a dramedy. This movie just shows you how great of an actor Mel Gibson really is...it's a shame that his personal life is such a mess.

Final Verdict: Worth watching but the jury is still out of owning this one.

133. The Day After Tomorrow

         So I know its been awhile since I blogged. Has anyone even noticed? oh Well. I dont know if its been that its summer, the sun is out, its hot outside and I wish it was snowing instead but here are back on the blog.  With the snow on my mind I decided to bust out the best snow movie ever The Day After Tomorrow.  And if you know me at all, I LOVE DISASTER MOVIES!
        TDAT is the one amazing movie. I love this film. Yes, I love snow, Yes I love disaster movies but this one is very very good. The storming centers around a father (Randy Quaid) a climitalogist and the end of the world ultimate snow storm. On top of the storm his son (Prince of Persia himself Jake Gyllenhaal) is trapped in a the public library of NYC. He sets out on a quest to rescue him.
       Day After is from the same mind and groups have brought you Independence Day and 2012. It has a great mix of humor, action, disaster, and dramatic elements. Yes, disaster movies are not realistic. Movies are for an escape and I love movies that the grand spectacle of these movies. This is one is awesome and makes you crave a Wendy's Frosty ever time I watch it. Oh, and it looks AMAZING! on blu-ray.

Final Verdict: Worth Owning.

Does anyone read these?

132. GOAL! The Dream Begins

            Even though this movie has a really really cheesy title this is one awesome movie. Its from England so its not that well known in the states but this soccer themed movie is top notch.
           Goal follows the story of Santiago. From young mexican child crossing over the border into the US to a grown man living in LA with his dad. His dad has the american dream of owning his own business (landscaping) and his son following in his footsteps. But Santiagos first love is Soccer or Futbol. When a chance meeting with a scout for Manchester United leads to a tryout with the big clubs he jumps at the chance despite his fathers wishes.
          What follows next is a fish out of water story of his rise to thru the ranks still he makes it to the big time. The movie is very funny, touching and even makes soccer or football exciting. Give this movie a shot even if you dont like soccer or football. Even if sports movies arent your thing.

Check it out. Final Verdict: Worth owning.

131. SALT

Who is Evelyn Salt? 

That is the question posed to us very early in this Bourne meets Babe action thriller. 

            I will say this. I liked this move alot. Angelina Jolie is one of the few females that can really pull of an action movie. Everything from the stunts (she did almost all of hers) and the fight scenes and make them believable. In this move Jolie plays the before mentioned Evelyn Salt. Who may or may not be a russian spy.

        The movie is a great NON STOP action thriller that finds Salt on the run from the CIA while she tries to track down her missing husband and prove where here true loyalties lie. To the USA or Mother Russia. The movie is a constant race and its a thrill ride to be on. I loved it and can't wait for the sequel that is already in the works. She really gives Matt Damon and other male stars a run for their money. Who is Evelyn Salt? Watch it and find out.

Final Verdict: Worth Owning

130. Despicable Me.

                 Despicable Me has to be one of the best and funniest animated movies to come out in the last few years. If may go down as one of the best animated films of all times. Its that good. Its that funny.
                Despicable Me is one of those rare animated films that are so well made that while you are watching it you forget that it's a cartoon for children. Just like in Toy Story and other great animated movies this move does what all movies should do. Engross you and entertain you into the world that was created. In this particular world we have Gru a villian who had fallen off his game lately of world dominance. He is also facing the fact that a young hot shot named Vector is trying to take his title as super villian.
               Gru, voiced by Steve Carrell, hashes a plan to adopt three young girls (who are the real stars of this) to get to Vector but instead falls in love, fluffy love. The truly best part of this movie is Gru's workers the Minions who are hands down the funniest characters I have seen in movies in years. Everything they did was hilarious. Can't wait for the DM sequel!

Final Verdict: Young and Old alike should own this. Worth Owning.

129. Mean Girls

             LOL. Yes I own the movie Mean Girls. In fact me and one of the coolest guys on the planet saw it in the theaters. Twice. Shame I know. But before you pass judgement let me remind you of something.
            At the time when Mean Girls came out Lindsay Lohan made movies and was a good actress. Tina Fey had just come onto the seem but she wasnt the Tina Fey we know and love now. No one had ever heard of Rachel McAdams. She wasnt the star of the Notebook yet. She wasnt co-starring with Harrison Ford in movies  yet. She wasn't known at all. Then also who was Amanda Seyfried? She wasnt the star of Mamma  Mia yet. Hadn't wrote a single Letter to Juliet yet. But now knowing what we know about all these people you can see why Mean Girls is so fetch (slang from England).
           Mean Girls is one of the few high schools that has actually come out in the past ten years that lives up the standards that John Hughes set so high with his movies. From what I know Mean Girls is exaggerated but also way ahead of its time with the recent stories of bullying that has been reported of late. Just in case you want to know. The movie is very very very funny, a bit perverted at times. But it is written great, acted great and just overall great. Plus Tim Meadows. Enough said.

Final Verdict: Worth owning. Shame I know.

128. Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones

            Here is what my take on Attack of the Clones has always been. If you could take out Hayden Christensen you have one amazing movie. Seriously this guy cannot act and since its so bad it brings down what in other words is a solid movie.
           Clones picks up where Phantom Menace left off just 10 years later. It serves as an origin story on dual levels. It gives us the origin of Padme' and Anakin's love. The origin of Boba Fett and the origin of how the Stormtroopers came to be. More importantly it is the beginning of a war. THE war that leads up to everything we already know and love about the first three episodes.
            Ewan McGregor IS the best thing to ever come out of the Star Wars prequels. His performance as Obiwan is the best thing and acting of probably ALL 6 Star Wars and in here he takes the lead and shines. But of course "That's why Im here." I can't write this blog without mentioning one of the best Star Wars moments, if not one the best moments in movie history. The moment where we finally see Master Yoda drop the walking stick and pick up a light saber. That 2 minutes is almost worth the entire prequels being made.

Final Verdict: Solid movie. Worth Owning.

127. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

         Captain Jack Sparrow. Can you believe that a ride a the Disney park has now spawned 4 movies and has become one of the biggest movie franchises of all time? Not to mention we need to remember that until the first Pirates movie hit it big Johnny Depp was not considered a star. He was a thought of a as a great actor but not the A-list star he is now.
         But here we are. The fourth movie in the franchise finds us still following Jack Sparrow but minus his other two stars from the first 3 movies, so they will be missing from this blog too. In fact the first thing i realized about this movie is that you really dont miss those two other main characters. The story they created here with Jack Sparrow trying to track down the Fountain of Youth is very entertaining.
         Returning however is Jack Sparrows old nemesis Captain Barbossa who has sold his soul and now works for the English crown. Sparrow and Barbossa are now not so much enemies has old friends now. Adding to the mix is the new nemesis Black Beard the pirate who is desperate to find this fountain. Adding the romance is Black Beard's daughter Angelica played by Penelope Cruz and her awful english.  One new characted that I think fans will love. At least everyone in my group did is the missionary Philip played by newcomer Sam Claflin. The movie is good. It is less complex and easier to follow than the third one.

Final Verdict: Worth Owning.

126. The Tourist

         Can a movie that doesnt have giant explosions or wild chase scenes be good in today's climate? What about no specials effects? No aliens! and GASP! NO VAMPIRES!? What would one do?
         Well the first thing you would do is hire two of the biggest stars on the planet to be in your movie. Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie star in the throw back movie The Tourist. Depp plays Frank a school teaching tourist who gets caught up in a cat and mouse chase movie. The movie was made as a old timey thriller that relies on great scenery and a whodunit plot. Depp is the best of the movie, but when is he not? I actually enjoyed watching this and not getting distracted by explosions or Will Smith tossing a whale into the ocean. It was a great, calm movie. Well watching. Just dont expect Vampires!

Final Verdict: Worth Owning!

125. Noises Off

            Noises Off has a great cast. One of the best ensembles ever put on screen. Michael Caine, Carol Burnett, the late great John Ritter and the late great Christopher Reeves. The fact that the movie is well put together and hilarious is just the icing on the cake.
           Noises Off is the story of a traveling play and the chaos that goes on with the behind the scenes antics of a theater company. N.O. is based on a famous play and this was an excellent job making a three act play work on the big screen. If you like movies that are well acted and really funny then you should check Noises Off! I owe my love for this movie and play to my good friend Weiss who one afternoon showed up at my apartment and was like you have to watch this movie. Ritter's performance alone is worth watching.

Final Verdict: Worth Owning. Though it is hard to find on DVD.

124. The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader

             In the Narnia books the Voyage of the Dawn Treader was my favorite novel. With the Narnia movies I did not enjoy Prince Caspian. So going into this movie I was very leery of how they were going to handle my beloved novel. I was pleased.
             Dawn Treader picks up the story after Caspian takes place only this story focuses more of the two youngest Pevensie children. Those being Edmund and Lucy. Along with their cousin Eustace they find themselves transported back into the Narnia world. this time they meet up with an older Caspian and his crew as they are traveling to ends of Narnia to help reclaim some of Narnia's prize leader.
             The reason I liked Dawn Treader as a book and as a movie is it the most non stop action of all the novels. While their is no big giant battle at the end the sea story holds up against any action flick. The whole sequence of seeing the children escape from the shadows of their siblings along with the transforming of Eustace is the heart of the story and the movie. This Narnia movie was the best, I loved it.

Final Verdict: Worth owning, but read the book too.

123. Hook

           So. I havent watched Hook in years. It was purchased because I was in the mood to watch and when you are single you do crazy things like buy a dvd versus just renting the dvd. So I bought Hook. It has been at least 5 years sinced I watched it.
           So now what do I think. Here is my thoughts. It was not that good. Really, it was kind of boring and LONG. Hook a retelling of the classic story Peter Pan. It stars Robin Williams as Peter who has now grown all up and doesnt remember his Neverland fun. It also stars Dustin Hoffman as Hook and Julia Roberts as Tinkerbell. The story revolves around Hook kidnapping Peter's children and taking them to neverland to bait Peter into a final battle. But Peter doesnt remember anything about neverland. The flying, the fairies, the pirates nothing.
            Like I said earlier. I didnt really enjoy it. I think it would have been better for me to have not re-watched it and remembered it fondly. I must say that Hoffman as Hook was the best part. As well as Jack, the son. The best part revolves around the Lost Boys. But I just didnt like it.

Final Verdict: Not Worth Owning.

122. Gulliver's Travels.

          Oh Jack Black. You had such high ambitions for this movie. I can really tell you wanted this to be good really bad. Well, it wasnt. The crazy thing is on the premise alone it seems it would be funny. Well that is why movies should not be made on premise alone.
          If you read my blog on School of Rock you will remember that Jack Black needs a perfect scenario to pull off a movie. Especially when he is the main lead and expected to carry the film. Well here his slacker rock humor just doesnt gel. The movie is about 30 minutes too long and really tries to make Black the loveable giant but it just doesnt click. Something is just lacking. I dont know. Just doesnt work. If you like JB and think his humor is funny then there will be parts of the movie that you will fine funny. But if you are just a casual Jack Black fan, then you should skip it.

Final Verdict: Not Worth Owning.

121. U-571

            There was a time in this world where Matthew McConaughey did other movies besides Romantic Comedies. And he wore his shirt they entire movie. Its hard to believe I know! The man who gave us Failure to Launch, The Wedding Planner and Ghosts of Girlfriends past actually does real movies.
            U-571 is the true story about the WWII soldiers who fought and captured German U Boats in order to capture and secured German code machines. McConaughey plays Lt. Tyler a career soldier who was just passed up for his own sub due to the fact that he was too close to the soldiers he lead. Bill Paxson, horrible as usual, plays his superior who explains to him that Tyler cant make the tough decisions when it comes to life and death.
           As far as U-571 goes, this movie is awesome. It is action packed, intense and well directed. It is one of the first movies I ever watched with a giant surround system and it is amazing. Even if you dont like war movies you might give this o ne a shot. You really get to know the characters that are in the main plot and McConaughey does a great job and its  wonder to see how he went from this action track to the main RomCom go to guy.

Final Verdict: Worth Owning

120. Ping Pong Playa

              Absolutely one of the funniest movies I have ever seen in my entire life. I am serious. This little known movie about a Chineese slacker who loves basketball and the hip hop life but finds his path thru the teaching and playing of Ping Pong. Plus it has a whole song about cereal.
              Ping Pong Playa follows the story of Chris Wang or C-Dub. An underachieving slacker in a Chinese family who wants nothing to do with the family's ping pong store or its teaching. He wants to be a baller. Two problems. He cant rap and he is horrible at basketball. That still doesnt stop him from wearing too big jerseys and chains. In a weird twist a fate he gets stuck teaching the his family's ping pong class where C-Dub finds that his young students idolize him.
            He then enters the local ping pong tournament but has to go thru karate kid type of training with his old school father. Of course they but heads until they can find a common ground to mesh the two styles. If you have anyway to watch this movie, please do. It is so funny. It does a great job of respecting the culture of the family while being off the wall. Plus it has a song about how much C-Dub loves cereal.

Final Verdict: Worth Owning!

119. 50 First Dates

            50 first dates is another example of how Adam Sandler is able to use his sophomoric, man child humor and cross over to main stream appeal. Again pairing him with Drew Barrymore.And just like in the Wedding Singer their chemistry proves to be a powerful.
           But the plot of 50 First Dates is a little out there. But what Sandler movie a little out there? Barrymore plays a girl who sufffers from a brain injury that causes her to reset her mind everyday and forget all she met or did the day before. Causes her family to react that day over and over to protect. For example watching the Sixth Sense everyday.
           Sandler plays a lovable womanizer who takes it upon himself to woo this girl despite the condition she is in. So he tries day after day to get in her good graces. That part of the movie is playful but then it turns conflicting as San dler falls in love only to fully realize that her condition limits their love. Overall the movie has alot of charm, great supporting characters namely Sean Astin in his first non Hobbit role as a juiced up muscle wannabe.

 Final Verdict: Worth Owning.

118. The A-Team

              I love it when a good blog comes together. Also love it when a good action movie comes together. Especially surprising when the said movie is a remake of a beloved 80's tv show. Yes, its beloved but not necessarily the best tv show ever. But it did capture the heart of America.
             Which brings us to The A-Team movie. If you go into this movie not expecting the greatest thing in the world but just a FUN action packed movie then you will enjoy it. It is the epitome of a popcorn movie where you go and just have a great time. The casting is the best part of what they did with this movie. Spot on. Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper and even Rampage Jackson worked in the casting. 
             The movie takes the same plot of the show in which The A-Team is top of the line military unit who are framed for a crime they didnt do and therefore go underground to be hired out to anyone that needs their help. The movie is so good, some language in it, but overall its just FUN movie.

Final Verdict: Worth Owning.

117. Live Free or Die Hard

Same thing happened to Live Free or Die Hard. Good movie. Little unrealistic at times. Cant wait for the 5th one.

Final Verdict:Worth Owning.

116. Get Smart

Yeah, so the original Get Smart blog was removed when Blogger crashed. Sorry.

Final Verdict: Not worthPost Options owning.

115. Cast Away

             Everyone knows how amazing Tom Hanks is. He IS the best actor of my generation. He can handle every kind of role ranging from Comedy to Romance to Dramatic. In Cast Away Tom Hanks is shining. Im really surprised that people dont mention this role more often as one of the best of all time.

WILSON!!!!!!!!!

           Hanks plays Chuck Nolan a FedEx employee who travels all over the world to help train FedEx shipping plants everywhere. On what such trip Nolan finds himself in a plane  wreck which he survives only to find himself stranded on a deserted Island. On this Island he fights to survive. To find food. To make fire. To island made dental care. Also to fight losing his sanity. Thanks to a little volleyball friend named Wilson.
              What Hanks does with this role is amazing. He tacked on weight to film the beginning scenes of the movie. Took 9 months off, lost ALL that weight and then some to film the scenes of him stranded on the Island. There is a large chunk of the movie where hardly any dialogue is even spoken. Yet you are captivated by this movie. Absolutely amazing.

Final Verdict: Worth Owning.

114. Big Daddy

            Lots have been said about Adam Sandler. This blog, the 365 challenge, is a pro Adam Sandler blog. When it comes to the move Big Daddy I have always said it is his best movie he has ever done. I think he is hitting all qualities that make Adam Sandler who he is with this movie. Also why I think it is highest grossing movie he has made.
           In Big Daddy Sandler plays Sonny a all too immature man child who refuses to grow up. Despite the fact that everyone else around him has moved on to mature careers and relationships. I know this sounds like basically every Sandler role but this time he surrounds with more mature people making him looking more like a crazy person. So in order to fix this we decides to adopt a young child.
       The child in question is Julian who really isnt his son but his roommates son. That his roommate didnt know about. The heart of the movie is that throughout this story Sandler grows from a moronic parent who teaches his son that he name himself Frankenstein and eat ketchup for lunch. 30 packets of Ketchup! He goes from that to a caring, mature nurturing parental figure. Its a great flick and one even the Anti-Sandler person enjoys!

Final Verdict: The best Sandler and worth owning.