Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio (Cobb), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Arthur), Ellen Page (Ariadne), Tom Hardy (Eames), Ken Watanabe (Saito), Dileep Rao (Yusuf), Cillian Murphy (Robert Fischer, Jr.)
For complete info, see IMDb's Inception page.
What an interesting movie! I really enjoyed Inception and I'm glad it was the first movie I saw with a D-Box motion seat synchronized with the movie. There were some scenes the seat definitely improved for me.
I did have one HUGE continuity problem with this movie, which I won't mention, since I don't want to give anything away, but I think they really dropped the ball with the ending scene. If you'd like to know more after you've seen it, contact me and I'll explain.
For the most part, I liked that Inception was a fairly complex movie that entertained and surprised me quite a bit. It's a pretty long movie (2:20), but I think most of that is necessary for setting up the story and going deep enough into the complexity of the plot. I didn't sit there wondering when the movie would end and probably wouldn't have realized how long Inception took if I didn't know it was long heading into the movie.
If you like Sci-Fi action movies, Inception is one you should definitely see in a theatre. I'd suggest going for a theatre with perfect digital clarity and D-Box motion seats or the closest IMAX theatre. I'm sure both will enhance the experience of Inception greatly.
Grade: A-
Labels: 2010, action, Cillian Murphy, Dileep Rao, Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ken Watanabe, Leonardo DiCaprio, movie, mystery, sci-fi, thriller, Tom Hardy
Reviewed by Kat at the 10:00 AM show | 0 screams
Cast: Brad Pitt (Benjamin Button), Cate Blanchett (Daisy)
For complete info, see IMDb's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button page.
This movie about a man (Benjamin Button) aging in reverse was more interesting than it sounded to me initially. I really only rented it, since Brad Pitt & Cate Blanchett were in the cast and they normally make good choices. Some of the aspects of aging in reverse were done differently than I expected and at times they made choices that seemed to contradict with the idea. However, the story was well done and if you're going to buy into the idea of someone aging in reverse, why not buy into the parts that may not make complete sense?
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is worth renting if you missed it in a thetare.
Grade: B+
Labels: 2008, Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, drama, fantasy, movie, mystery, romance
Reviewed by Kat at the 7:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Steve Carell (Maxwell Smart/Agent 86), Anne Hathaway (Agent 99), Dwayne Johnson (Agent 23), Alan Arkin (The Chief)
For complete info, see IMDb's Get Smart page.
I loved the TV show, so I was a little wary about the Get Smart movie. The fact that The Pink Panther was so horribly done made me even more cautious. I didn't get around to seeing Get Smart in a theatre, but it worked out really well. I got to watch it with my dad (who had introduced me to the Get Smart TV show). Both of us really enjoyed the movie. They did a very good job bringing this movie to the big screen. They kept the all the quirky aspects of Get Smart that I loved and I appreciate that. Steve Carell did a great job as Maxwell Smart - the whole cast was well chosen.
Grade: B+
Labels: 2008, action, adventure, Anne Hathaway, comedy, crime, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, movie, mystery, romance, Steve Carell
Reviewed by Kat at the 12:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Angelina Jolie (Christine Collins), John Malkovich (Rev. Gustav Briegleb), Gattlin Griffith (Walter Collins), Jeffrey Donovan (Capt. J. J. Jones)
For complete info on this amazing cast, see IMDb's Changeling page.
Other than the fact that Changeling is based on a true story and that Christine Collins' son got kidnapped and the wrong boy was returned, I didn't know anything about the true story portrayed in this movie. Though I've seen many movies involving the corruption of the LAPD around the time the events of Changeling took place, I was still blown away by the things the police were able to get away with doing. The fact that Changeling is based on a true story really blows me away.
Renting Changeling would have definitely been fine and was my original plan. A friend really wanted to see it before it left the theatre, so we checked it out on the big screen instead. I definitely highly recommend renting Changeling or seeing it in a theatre. In spite of all the blockbuster movies that have opened up recently, Changeling is still in theatres.
Angelina Jolie really shows her range in this movie, which she doesn't always get to show in her action movies. A Mighty Heart and Girl, Interrupted also display Jolie's talents very well, but Girl, Interrupted was almost 10 years ago and although I thought it was a good movie, A Mighty Heart didn't do very well.
I definitely recommend adding Changeling to your rental queue if you don't see it in a theatre.
Grade: B+
Labels: 2008, Angelina Jolie, crime, drama, John Malkovich, movie, mystery, true story
Reviewed by Kat at the 12:40 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Christian Bale (Bruce Wayne/Batman), Heath Ledger (The Joker), Aaron Eckhart (Harvey Dent/Two-Face), Michael Caine (Alfred Pennyworth), Maggie Gyllenhaal (Rachel Dawes), Morgan Freeman (Lucius Fox)
For complete info, see IMDb's The Dark Knight page.
This movie is as good as everyone else is saying it is. Go see The Dark Knight (preferably in IMAX, so it takes over almost your entire field of vision) in a theatre! I thought the switch back and forth between the scenes filmed for IMAX (which take up the entire IMAX screen) and the rest of the movie. Due to the fact that the film was very well remastered for the IMAX screen, the difference is not as drastic as it would seem and most of the scenes that were filmed in IMAX are the scenic skylines, Batman flying in, etc. Fortunately, a couple fight scenes and the one big chase scene were also filmed in IMAX and those are amazing!
I've heard a lot of people talking about Heath Ledger getting the Oscar this year and I can definitely see why he would. So far, I haven't seen a performance I'd rank higher this year. I don't see as many movies in a theatre as I used to see, but I do still rent a lot of movies. One of my friends argued that he didn't think Heath Ledger should win, since he's dead. Although I don't think the fact that he's dead should increase his chances of winning, if Ledger had the best acting performance of the year, he deserves the Oscar. Can you imagine anyone wanting to win the award this year if they didn't actually do a better job than Ledger? They'd always be thought of as the one who won the Oscar, since Heath was dead. That makes no sense to me. Award the best performance whether the person is alive or not at the time of the awards ceremony.
The costumes, makeup, scenic design, orchestrations, acting, ... are all wonderful. I'm sure if you love Batman you've already seen The Dark Knight at least once, but if you've somehow missed it, go see it now. It's great!
There are also many amazingly funny lines in The Dark Knight, which I won't ruin for you. Enjoy!
Grade: A
Labels: 2008, Aaron Eckhart, action, Christian Bale, comics, crime, drama, Heath Ledger, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, movie, mystery, thriller
Reviewed by Kat at the 12:30 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Nicolas Cage (Ben Gates), Diane Kruger (Abigail Chase), Justin Bartha (Riley Poole), Jon Voight (Patrick Gates), Helen Mirren (Prof. Emily Appleton), Ed Harris (Mitch Wilkinson), Bruce Greenwood (the President)
For complete cast info, see IMDb's National Treasure: Book of Secrets page.
I'd heard some good and some mediocre things about National Treasure: Book of Secrets. I have to say I agree with those on the mediocre side. This movie wasn't nearly as good as the original and I'm glad I didn't bother to see it in a theatre. It was worth watching at home while doing some other stuff, but if I'd given it my full attention I probably would have been bored at points.
The cast is still great and everything is well done, the second movie just seems to be missing something. I didn't find it nearly as interesting as the first movie.
Grade: C
Labels: 2007, action, adventure, Bruce Greenwood, Ed Harris, Helen Mirren, Jon Voight, movie, mystery, Nicolas Cage, thriller
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Jeff Bridges (Barney Cousins), Kiefer Sutherland (Jeff Harriman), Nancy Travis (Rita Baker), Sandra Bullock (Diane Shaver)
For complete cast info, see IMDb's The Vanishing page.
I'm a huge fan of Jeff Bridges and Kiefer Sutherland, so I had to check this out when I noticed it when searching the movie channels. It's probably one of my least favorite Jeff Bridges performances, but the movie was still very entertaining. It's amazing how little Sandra Bullock has changed over the years. She looks exactly the same in the most recent movie I saw her in (Premonition).
The Vanishing initially seemed like it was going to be a movie just about abductions. Then, it seemed like it would concentrate on revenge. However, this mystery/thriller managed to stay interesting throughout the movie, since you never really knew exactly where it was going. It's a bit dated, but definitely worth watching if you get the chance - even if it's just to see a younger Kiefer Sutherland.
Grade: C+
Labels: 1993, Jeff Bridges, Kiefer Sutherland, movie, mystery, Sandra Bullock, thriller
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Sandra Bullock (Linda Quinn Hanson), Julian McMahon (Jim Hanson), Shyann McClure (Megan Hanson), Courtney Taylor Burness (Bridgette Hanson)
For complete info, see IMDb's Premonition page.
Once I saw Julian McMahon and Sandra Bullock, I was sold on this movie. I didn't expect it to be as interesting as it was, though. The way the movie goes back and forth between one reality and the other and all the confusing things that happen to Linda makes it confusing at times and puts you into the shoes of the woman going through the madness of trying to figure out what's going on in her life. I can't say too much about it, since I do think it was an interesting movie and if I say too much it'll ruin parts of it.
I definitely recommend renting this one, it's interesting and worth watching.
Grade: B
Labels: 2007, drama, Julian McMahon, movie, mystery, Sandra Bullock, thriller
Reviewed by Kat at the 9:15 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Edward Norton (Eisenheim), Jessica Biel (Sophie), Rufus Sewell (Crown Prince Leopold), Paul Giamatti (Chief Inspector Uhl)
For complete information, see IMDb's The Illusionist page.
What a great movie. I wish I had made the time to see this movie in a theatre (as Avra told me to - I should have listened!). If you missed this in theatres also, I highly recommend it. By the time our theatre room is built, I'm sure we'll own this movie.
The Illusionist is a wonderful combination of mystery, romance, and special effects that comes together perfectly. The cast is amazing. The story is interesting and holds your attention until the very end of the movie. The special effects are very well done and the cinematography is gorgeous. If you or someone you know has a theatre room or very large LCD, watch The Illusionist there. It's worth watching this on the biggest screen you can. Perhaps they'll even re-release The Illusionist on the big screen before the Oscars if it's nominated for enough awards.
Grade: A
Labels: 2006, drama, Edward Norton, Jessica Biel, movie, mystery, Paul Giamatti, romance, thriller
Reviewed by Kat at the 7:23 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Hugh Jackman (Peter Lyman), Scarlett Johansson (Sondra Pransky), Ian McShane (Joe Strombel), Fenella Woolgar (Jane Cook)
For complete information, see IMDb's Scoop page.
I'm not a fan of Woody Allen, but since I enjoyed Match Point so much, I thought that Scoop had a chance of being okay, even though he is in this one. Fortunately, I was right. Scoop is a very entertaining movie.
The cast is wonderful. Even Woody Allen wasn't too annoying. The story is interesting and very well developed. I highly recommend renting Scoop if you missed it when it was in theatres.
Grade: A-
Labels: 2006, comedy, fantasy, Hugh Jackman, movie, mystery, Scarlett Johansson
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:49 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Paul Giamatti (Cleveland Heep), Bryce Dallas Howard (The Lady - Story), Jeffrey Wright (Mr. Drury), Cindy Cheung (Young-Soon Choi), M. Night Shyamalan (Vick Ran, author, & director)
For complete info, see IMDb's Lady in the Water page.
I hadn't read the reviews, but I had looked at the ratings in Entertainment Weekly and People and saw the negative title for the CNN review. So, I wasn't expecting much, in spite of Lady in the Water being created by M. Night Shyamalan, who has done some good movies (and one that I'd argue is great).
Perhaps it's because I wasn't expecting much, but I enjoyed Lady in the Water. Sure, it was never truly scary, but I kept expecting it to be, which allowed the sprinklers to get me every time. Fortunately, it was clear the same thing happened to others in the theatre.
The way the bedtime story from long ago that had been told to one of the occupants of The Cove turned out to be real as Cleveland tried to figure out how to save Story was pretty interesting. I'm not sure it's necessary to see this one in a theatre, but it's worth renting.
I think it's easier to enjoy it if you realize that this isn't a typical M. Night Shyamalan movie. It's not truly scary, but it is suspenseful at times and pretty interesting.
I also think that if they'd made it clear that the part about Lady in the Water being a bedtime story by M. Night Shyamalan was true (and not a joke as I thought it was when I saw the first preview that ended by saying it was a bedtime story by M. Night Shyamalan), expectations of the movie would have been more in line with the movie. Realize that it really is a bedtime story (you can even buy it on Amazon), originally written for M. Night Shyamalan's kids and you'll go into the movie expecting the right thing and be able to enjoy it.
Grade: B-
Labels: 2006, Brad Pitt, Bryce Dallas Howard, fantasy, M. Night Shyamalan, movie, mystery, Paul Giamatti, thriller
Reviewed by Kat at the 2:45 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Robert Downey Jr. (Harry Lockhart), Val Kilmer (Gay Perry), Michelle Monaghan (Harmony Faith Lane), Corbin Bernsen (Harlan Dexter)
For complete cast info, see IMDb's Kiss Kiss Bang Bang page.
I'm not sure what I expected of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang exactly, but I guess I didn't expect it to be as good as it is. This is a very entertaining movie. Harry's narrating and commenting on the events that happen (typical movie ploys, plot devices, etc.) was hilarious! It's nice to see a movie that's different. It doesn't take itself too seriously, and it's very entertaining!
The cast is wonderful, the script is hilarious, and the overall package is fun to watch. It was unusual and fresh. Any movie that starts out by a thief getting out of a tight spot by auditioning for a movie where the character is going through what he just went through in real life, it's going to be a great ride and that's how this one starts.
I definitely recommend renting Kiss Kiss Bang Bang!
Grade: B
Labels: 2005, action, comedy, movie, mystery, Robert Downey Jr., thriller, Val Kilmer
Reviewed by Kat at the 7:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Steve Martin (Insp. Jacques Clouseau), Kevin Kline (Chief Insp. Dreyfus), Beyonce Knowles (Xania), Jean Reno (Gendarme Gilbert Ponton)
For complete cast info, see IMDb's The Pink Panther page.
I knew the reviews for this version of The Pink Panther were horrible, but with Steve Martin and Kevin Kline, I wondered how bad it could really be. Perhaps I shouldn't have... I love Steve Martin, but this wasn't even close to his normal standard. The same thing goes for Kevin Kline. Definitely disappointing. If you want to relive the days of The Pink Panther, rent the original. It's still funny. Stay away from this one.
Grade: C-
Labels: 2006, comedy, crime, Kevin Kline, movie, mystery, Steve Martin
Reviewed by Kat at the 7:40 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Samuel L. Jackson (Lorenzo Council), Julianne Moore (Brenda Martin), Edie Falco (Karen Collucci), Ron Eldard (Danny Martin)
For complete info, see IMDb's Freedomland page.
The concept for this movie was great. In fact, until I saw Freedomland, I was a bit bummed that I didn't get to see it in theatres to make the thriller extra scary. But, now that I've seen it, I know Freedomland was an okay rental.
I can't believe anyone classified this as a thriller. Perhaps if I knew what I was getting into, I would have enjoyed the movie more. The plot wasn't that great, the scenes in Freedomland itself (once they finally got there, though the previews made it seem like this was a large part of the movie, as does the title) were not scary or in the least bit frightening as the previews implied. There was nothing scary in this movie. It was more of a minor mystery, if that. Since the movie is very easy to figure out, I'm not sure it can even be called a mystery.
I wouldn't recommend Freedomland. I'm sure there are many more interesting movies to see. It's not a thriller or a mystery, which takes out everything it seemed to be aiming at, so why bother with it?
Grade: C
Labels: 2006, crime, drama, Julianne Moore, movie, mystery, Samuel L. Jackson
Reviewed by Kat at the 7:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Leigh Whannell (Adam), Cary Elwes (Dr. Lawrence Gordon), Danny Glover (Detective David Tapp), Ken Leung (Detective Steven Sing)
For complete info, see IMDb's Saw page.
I'm normally more of a fan of thrillers than horror films, so when I saw this listed as horror, I had no intention of renting it. Then, a friend whose husband is really into horror films said that this one really wasn't that bad and that it was more of a thriller. Having seen it, I can see why it was labeled a horror film. However, I agree with my friend that it's not that bad of a horror film. There were definitely scenes where I looked away, but overall I thought Saw was a good movie. I even added the sequel, which was also rated highly by my friends, to my Netflix list.
If you're a thriller or horror fan, I think this is something you should rent. Very interesting story, though definitely a bit gruesome at parts.
Grade: B
Labels: 2004, Cary Elwes, crime, horror, movie, mystery, thriller
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Ryan Phillippe (Simon Cable), Sarah Polley (Clair), Piper Perabo (Anna), Stephen Rea (Doctor Newman), Robert Sean Leonard (Peter Cable)
For complete cast info, see IMDb's The I Inside page.
I'm a big fan of Ryan Phillippe & Robert Sean Leonard, so it's always great to see them. This movie was a bit like a less coherent Butterfly Effect. Figuring out where it was going was a bit taxing at times, but the movie held my interest. Even my husband never got sick of it, so that's a definite sign that they didn't go too far over the edge.
I liked seeing a scipt that was a bit more complex than the average Hollywood offering. However, the film ended in such a way that you never really get all the answers you'd like. This was pretty frustrating. I can't really say that I recommend the movie, but it was interesting. Perhaps if you go into it knowing you won't get all the answers you want it'll be a better movie.
Grade: B-
Labels: 2003, crime, movie, mystery, Ryan Phillippe, sci-fi, thriller
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Naomi Watts (Ann Darrow), Jack Black (Carl Denham), Adrien Brody (Jack Driscoll)
For complete cast info, see IMDb's King Kong page.
Seemed like the longest movie I've ever seen. I'm SOOO glad we didn't see this in a movie theater. If we had, I would have fallen asleep and wanted my money back for the time I wasted.
The first two hours were wasted with a ridiculous (and sometimes almost non-existant) plot and many scenes that were long and drawn out.
How in the world would they get King Kong into the theatre without anyone knowing so that he could break out and run through NYC? Granted, I didn't see the original, so perhaps this is direct from the original script, but either way it goes way beyond a little suspension of disbelief.
Grade: D
Labels: 2005, action, adventure, drama, Jack Black, movie, mystery, Naomi Watts
Reviewed by Kat at the 7:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Tom Hanks (Robert Langdon), Audrey Tautou (Sophie Neveu), Ian McKellen (Sir Leigh Teabing), Jean Reno (Captain Fache), Paul Bettany (Silas)
For complete cast info, see IMDb's The Da Vinci Code page.
With the exception of the strange choice of Tom Hanks for Langdon, The Da Vinci Code was very well cast! No one I know who read the book agreed with the choice of Tom Hanks, but you can't deny his overall box office appeal, in spite of some recent flops. James and I think that Michael Vartan would have been perfect - he plays an American on Alias so the fact that he's actually French shouldn't have mattered. Of course, he's not nearly on the level of Tom Hanks in terms of box office guarantees go, so I can understand the choice they made.
If you haven't read the book, I'd say see this in theaters definitely - especially if you don't plan to read it. If you always choose to either read the book or see the movie and you read, what have you been waiting for? Get the book and read it.
Although the movie was good, it definitely lacked something. It wasn't as intense or interesting as the book. Perhaps it's just because I knew the story, but I've been re-reading the book and found it just as captivating, so I don't think that's the answer.
Ron Howard did a great job of following the book. Some things were changed, but most of them were pretty minor changes that allowed for skipping some of the story due to time constraints and didn't change the story much. There was really only one major thing they changed that I thought was critical to the plot (and wouldn't have taken up much time), but on the whole they followed the book I love very well.
The cast was (for the most part) amazing and the direction and special effects were well done. I even jumped at some of the crucial suspenseful points of the movie, in spite of the fact that I knew what was going to happen.
Spoiler alert for the 5 people who haven't read the book...
Seeing the tomb made me understand why it took them a bit to figure out that the rosy orb had to be an apple when we were talking about Newton. When I was reading the book, I felt like yelling at them, "It's an apple, you idiots!" When you see it in the context of the movie, one can understand why it might take a bit longer to figure out, since the apple was not on the tomb and there was definite pressure to come up with the answer quickly, which can make it more difficult to think.
...end of spoiler
The Da Vinci Code movie is definitely worth seeing and will be much better and more exciting on the big screen, so see it before it leaves theaters. I'm sure this gives you months, since it's the second-highest grossing film for the opening weekend internationally. It didn't do as well as I thought it would in the US, but I'm sure that it'll be around for quite a while.
Grade: B
Labels: 2006, drama, Ian McKellen, movie, mystery, Paul Bettany, thriller, Tom Hanks
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:00 PM show | 1 screams
Cast: Mark Wahlberg (Bobby Mercer), Tyrese Gibson (Angel Mercer), Andre Benjamin (Jeremiah Mercer), Garrett Hedlund (Jack Mercer)
For complete cast, see IMDb's Four Brothers page.
Four Brothers was a very well done movie. The movie held my interest the whole time, and I had a migraine, so that's saying a lot. The only issue I had by the end was that I didn't know why their mother was wanted dead. Perhaps this is due to the fact that I had a migraine, but my husband didn't know the answer either, so I'm not sure that was it.
If you've seen this movie and can explain that one part to me, I'd appreciate it.
Grade: B
Labels: 2005, action, crime, drama, Mark Wahlberg, movie, mystery
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Jodie Foster (Kyle Pratt), Peter Sarsgaard (Carson), Kate Beahan (Stephanie), Erika Christensen (Fiona)
For complete cast, see IMDb's Flightplan page.
This story of an engineer (who designed the plane she's flying on) whose daughter is kidnapped in mid-flight is a great thriller. Can you imagine waking up over an ocean with your daughter missing when every single member of the crew claims that she never boarded? I'd definitely flip out at that point, which is pretty much what Kyle did. She handled herself a lot better than most would if put in that situation and the movie was very good and exciting. It really gets you wondering what really happened and what you really know about Kyle and her daughter.
Grade: B+
Labels: 2005, action, drama, Jodie Foster, movie, mystery, Peter Sarsgaard, thriller
Reviewed by Kat at the 1:00 PM show | 0 screams