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.

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.

56. Wild Target

                  British Humor. It is so strange sometimes.  Wild Target is a British movie. WT star Bill Nighy (Pirates of the Caribbean) , Emily Blunt (Devil Wears Prada) and Rupert Grint (HP 1-7) star in this movie. Famous hit man (Nighy) falls in love with his target (Blunt) all while happening upon a young and apparently naturally gifted young assassin to be(Grint).

                What follows is all three of them on run from another hit man. But what starts out and promises to be a fun road trip comes to a complete halt and stalls when they hole up in the hitman’s (Nighy)safe house. There Mr. Hitman starts to fall more and more in love with his target (Blunt) and starts to train his young apprentice (Grint).  In fact it stalls a lot and I lost interest. It was like they made two movies. It would have served both the characters and the movie better to keep the group moving and stay on the run.  O those Brits! 

Final Verdict: Will own if I ever move to England.

15. The Devil Wears Prada

               Can you still be a real man and really like this movie? Geez I hope so. I do love this movie.  It is very funny, well acted and well written. However, I do not think this of this movie as “Chick Flick” or a “Romantic Comedy” at all.  I think of this movie as a straight up Comedy.  It’s a just a great movie. Technically this is not one of my movies but I didn’t complain to have to watch it.

                Now if you haven’t seen DWP then you should. It stars Anne Hathaway (in her best role since the Princess Diaries) and Meryl Streep. Streep stars as Miranda Priestly the world famous editor of Runway magazine. Hathaway plays the girl who is the unconventional and unexpected choice to be her new second assistant. Lame plot? Except for the fact the Priestly is a viscous and mean boss who controls all aspects of her employees’ lives, expects the absurd and impossible from them, and whose wrath is particularly painful.  The payoff is that if you can survive a year as her assistant then you can get any dream job you could want.

                The movie has heart to go along with its comedy. Emily Blunt stars as another runaway assistant and steals a lot of the scenes. Along with a fine and very underrated actor Stanley Tucci who is also a Runway employee. I think that a lot of people (guys) will write this movie off right away because it’s geared towards females. But I love it. It is so funny. Any guy should use this movie as a chance to score brownie points with his lady and volunteer to watch this. You might find out you like it! 

Final Verdict: Worth owning even if you are guy!