Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal (Tommy Cahill), Natalie Portman (Grace Cahill), Tobey Maguire (Capt. Sam Cahill)
For complete info, see IMDb's Brothers page.
The previews I'd seen of Brothers led me to expect quite a few things that didn't happen in the movie, which was good. Brothers is definitely a very realistic drama (too realistic at times - I couldn't watch the screen for the entire movie). I'm not generally a fan of war movies. I have no interest in seeing The Hurt Locker in spite of the fact that it won Best Picture and I was glad when Saving Private Ryan didn't win. However, I think Brothers is a very good movie and totally worth renting. I cried at parts and it was very moving, but it was well done and when you're renting a movie it's easier to look away (or even fast forward, if necessary) through the parts of the movie that are a bit too much to take for the violence or other issues you may have.
The cast is wonderful and the story of Brothers is very well done. I definitely recommend renting the movie if you haven't seen it yet.
Grade: B+
Labels: 2009, drama, Jake Gyllenhaal, movie, Natalie Portman, suspense, tear jerker, Tobey Maguire, war
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:30 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Tobey Maguire (Spider-Man/Peter Parker), Kirsten Dunst (Mary Jane Watson), James Franco (New Goblin/Harry Osborn), Thomas Haden Church (Sandman/Flint Marko), Topher Grace (Venom/Eddie Brock), Bryce Dallas Howard (Gwen Stacy), Rosemary Harris (May Parker)
For complete info, see IMDb's Spider-Man 3 page.
I liked Spider-Man 2 better than Spider-Man, so I had high hopes for Spider-Man 3 - especially since I always liked Venom. I wasn't disappointed. The special effects were wonderful and the story was great.
I never read the comic books, so I don't know if they stayed in line with that and don't remember Sandman from the cartoon, but they did a great job with the Venom part of the story line. They also did a great job with the Spider-Man/New Goblin, Peter Parker/Harry Osborn dynamics. Having the competition between Eddie Brock and Peter Parker playing off of the Venom & Spider-Man fights was a nice touch. I don't remember much about Eddie Brock from the cartoon, probably because Venom is so much cooler, but in the movie it was a very interesting part of the story.
Definitely catch this one in IMAX if you can, since the special effects are worth seeing on the largest screen possible and in the best quality.
Grade: A
Labels: 2007, action, adventure, Bryce Dallas Howard, James Franco, Kirsten Dunst, movie, sci-fi, Thomas Haden Church, Tobey Maguire, Topher Grace
Reviewed by Kat at the 1:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Tobey Maguire (Spider-Man/Peter Parker), Kirsten Dunst (Mary Jane Watson), James Franco (Harry Osborn)
For complete cast info, see IMDb's Spider-Man 2 page.
I really enjoyed the first movie, so I was looking forward to this movie from the end of Spider-Man. Fortunately, Spider-Man 2 did not disappoint me. In fact, I enjoyed Spider-Man 2 more than Spider-Man, which is very rare for me and sequels. Even more rare, everyone in our group agreed that Spider-Man 2 was better than the first movie.
I can't wait for Spider-Man 3!
Grade: A-
Labels: 2004, action, comics, fantasy, James Franco, Kirsten Dunst, movie, sci-fi, Tobey Maguire
Reviewed by Kat at the 7:30 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: David McCullough (Narrator), Jeff Bridges (Charles Howard), Chris Cooper (Tom Smith), Tobey Maguire (Red Pollard)
For complete cast info, see IMDb's Seabiscuit page.
I love horses and this movie sounded like it was just my kind of flick. Instead, it seemed a lot longer than it was, since I was bored out of my mind.
Had I been prepared for a documentary instead of a major motion picture, perhaps I could have enjoyed it. If I'd been at home watching Discovery Channel or the History Channel, that'd be one thing. But I wasn't. I was at a movie theater, where we'd all paid plenty of money. I didn't want to be educated. I wanted to be entertained. The black and white clips and the narrating bothered me more than I could say.
I never got interested in Red or Seabiscuit or anyone else in the movie. I just wanted the boring movie to end, which it did... eventually.
Grade: C-
Labels: 2003, drama, history, Jeff Bridges, movie, sports, Tobey Maguire
Reviewed by Kat at the 4:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Tobey Maguire (Spider-Man/Peter Parker), Kirsten Dunst (Mary Jane Watson), Willem Dafoe (Green Goblin/Norman Osborn)
For complete cast info, see IMDb's Spider-Man page.
Great adaptation of the comic and cartoon character to the big screen! Tobey Maguire does a great job portraying both Peter Parker and Spider-Man. The casting is amazing and they chose a good villain to start with in the Green Goblin. I look forward to many more Spider-Man movies and hope that (unlike the Batman movies) the original cast will stay for the subsequent movies! I can't imagine anyone else playing Spider-Man or Mary Jane Watson.
Grade: B+
Labels: 2002, action, comics, fantasy, Kirsten Dunst, movie, sci-fi, thriller, Tobey Maguire
Reviewed by Kat at the 12:20 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Tobey Maguire (Homer Wells), Charlize Theron (Candy Kendall), Delroy Lindo (Mr. Rose), Paul Rudd (Wally Worthington), Michael Caine (Dr. Wilbur Larch)
For complete info, see IMDb's The Cider House Rules page.
This movie about a man raised in an orphanage who decides to see the world is very well done. I haven't read the book, but the movie was a very good period piece. The cast is amazing and the oscar nomination was well-deserved. I'm glad I got to see The Cider House Rules before the awards, so that I can have a well-formed opionion about who deserves to win. It doesn't have my personal vote for best picture, but I believe it deserved the nomination.
Be prepared for ups and downs in this movie, but it's well worth seeing.
Grade: B
Labels: 1999, Charlize Theron, drama, Michael Caine, movie, Paul Rudd, romance, Tobey Maguire
Reviewed by Kat at the 4:20 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Tobey Maguire (David), Reese Witherspoon (Jennifer), William H. Macy (George Parker), Joan Allen (Betty Parker), Jeff Daniels (Mr. Johnson)
For complete cast info, see IMDb's Pleasantville page.
Initially, I thought the idea of Pleasantville, where two teenagers get trapped inside a 50's sitcom, which is the boy's favorite TV show, was a great idea. I had no idea how wonderful the movie would be, though.
Pleasantville is an amazing movie about living life to the fullest and experiencing all parts of life. A lot of people I know who saw this thought it was too centered on sex and didn't like it, but I disagree. Not everyone in Pleasantville turns to color for the same reasons. Some turn because of experiencing the joys of reading. Some, due to anger. Pleasantville explores the world without variation, where everything is seemingly perfect and pleasant. It shows us why the seemingly perfect or pleasant life is unfulfilling and why those there won't thrive in their one-dimensional view of the world. The special effects are also very well done.
I highly recommend this movie!
Grade: A-
Labels: 1998, comedy, drama, fantasy, movie, Reese Witherspoon, Tobey Maguire, William H. Macy
Reviewed by Kat at the 4:50 PM show | 0 screams