Blog Description

WHAT IS THE 365 BLOG CHALLENGE?
I own ALOT of Movies but Why? I go to ALOT of movies but Why? I watch ALOT of movies but Why? A movie a day for one year. that is my first 365 blog challenge. I am putting all my movies in a box and pulling them at random, including the ones owned by the wife.

Monday, June 13, 2011

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.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

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.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

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.

Friday, June 10, 2011

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!

Thursday, June 9, 2011

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.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

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.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

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.

Monday, June 6, 2011

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!

Sunday, June 5, 2011

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.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

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.

Friday, June 3, 2011

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.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

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!

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

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.