Cast: Kristen Stewart (Bella Swan), Robert Pattinson (Edward Cullen), Taylor Lautner (Jacob Black), Billy Burke (Charlie Swan), Ashley Greene (Alice Cullen)
For complete info, see IMDb's The Twilight Saga: Eclipse page.
In ways, I think I enjoyed The Twilight Saga: Eclipse movie better than the original Twilight movie. Though I thought it was horrible that they recast the role of Victoria, I do think Bryce Dallas Howard did a much better job as Victoria. Also, they clearly spent a lot more money on the special effects for New Moon and Eclipse than they did the original movie. Since they followed the story of the book as well (if not better), the result was definitely a more enjoyable movie.
They did a great job with the story and didn't leave out as many key components as they seemed to in the first movie. I'm really looking forward to the Breaking Dawn movie when they release that. If they do as well with that movie, it should be amazing.
If you like the Twilight series, you've probably already seen this movie, but if not, see it soon. It'll probably leave most IMAX theatres this weekend when Inception is released. So many more movies are being released in IMAX these days. They're clearly trying to get to people like me who don't see many movies in theatres that aren't released in IMAX and/or 3D.
Grade: B+
Labels: 2010, Anna Kendrick, Ashley Greene, drama, fantasy, IMAX, Kristen Stewart, movie, Robert Pattinson, romance, sci-fi, Stephenie Meyer, Taylor Lautner
Reviewed by Kat at the 11:00 AM show | 0 screams
Cast: Amanda Seyfried (Sophie), Vanessa Redgrave (Claire), Vanessa Redgrave (Charlie), Gael Garcia Bernal (Victor)
For complete info, see the IMDb Letters to Juliet page.
I haven't read the book and I don't think I will, though it's probably better than the movie. Letters to Juliet was pretty much what I expected - a typical chick flick. I enjoyed it for the most part. The music was good, the cast is really good, it's a sweet concept. The movie was a bit too predictable (and not just the main story line - I knew that would be completely predictable). So many times when a character walked into the room you knew they'd end up doing something that was clearly set up by the scene and that got a little annoying by the end of the movie.
Still, if you like romantic comedies, I'd recommend renting Letters to Juliet, which is what I would have done if I hadn't had a girls night out and ended up seeing it in a theatre with friends.
Grade: B
Reviewed by Kat at the 5:10 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Rachel McAdams (Clare Abshire), Eric Bana (Henry DeTamble)
For complete info, see IMDb's The Time Traveler's Wife page.
I loved the book, so I had to see the movie even though I didn't expect it to be very well done. I was pleasantly surprised. They did a great job with The Time Traveler's Wife adaptation. A few story lines were completely eliminated, but that's to be expected any time a book is made into a movie. I don't think anything major was changed and the changes they made seemed to work well for the movie. I missed some of the plot lines, but I understand why they had to be cut due to time constraints.
The special effects were done a lot better than I'd expected. The disappearing and reappearing happened a lot more slowly than I'd imagined it and it looked really neat in HD. I definitely recommend renting this in Blu-ray if you have it.
Grade: B+
Labels: 2009, adaptation, book, drama, family, fantasy, movie, romance, sci-fi
Reviewed by Kat at the 9:45 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Meryl Streep (Julia Child), Amy Adams (Julie Powell), Stanley Tucci (Paul Child), Chris Messina (Eric Powell)
For complete info, see IMDb's Julie & Julia page.
I might not have enjoyed the parts of the movie with Julie as much as I did if I hadn't heard such horrible things about those parts, but I thought all the parts of the movie were about at the same level. Meryl Streep did an amazing job as Julia Child. I didn't find the story all that interesting (either one, actually), but the cast was great and the story was well done. If you're really into cooking and like Julia Child, the movie will probably be more enjoyable for you.
Grade: B-
Labels: 2009, Amy Adams, biography, cooking, drama, Meryl Streep, movie, romance, Stanley Tucci
Reviewed by Kat at the 9:30 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: George Clooney (Ryan Bingham), Vera Farmiga (Alex Goran), Anna Kendrick (Natalie Keener), Jason Bateman (Craig Gregory)
For complete info, see the IMDb Up in the Air site.
I'd heard mixed reviews about Up in the Air and while I didn't need to see it in a movie theatre, I'm very glad I rented it. I think Up in the Air was very well done. The cast is amazing and the story is well thought out.
If you missed this in theatres, I definitely recommend renting it. The story isn't just about a guy who loves his jet setting lifestyle and is fighting to keep it. The movie is much more interesting than that.
Grade: A-
Labels: 2009, Anna Kendrick, drama, George Clooney, Jason Bateman, movie, romance, Vera Farmiga
Reviewed by Kat at the 7:30 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Anika Noni Rose (Tiana), Bruno Campos (Prince Naveen)
For complete info, see IMDb's The Princess and the Frog page.
This is the best non-computer animated movie Disney has put out since they first partnered with Pixar to make the amazing computer animated films. It's also the first Disney movie I bothered to see in a theatre that was not made by Pixar for ages. I don't have children, but I worked for Disney and I've always loved animation. Bolt was the first non-Pixar movie by Disney I truly enjoyed in years.
The Princess and the Frog has the first African American princess and one of the first hard working Disney princesses in a long time. I guess since Mulan, though she wasn't technically a princess. There have been a few other Disney princesses who didn't wander around looking for a guy to solve all their problems, but none of them has had as much spunk as Tiana. I loved the main character and the story had some cute twists and turns that made it a bit different from the typical story of the princess and the frog where she kisses the frog and he turns into a prince - end of story.
The animation was very well done, the story and music are great, the voice talents are wonderful... If you haven't seen The Princess and the Frog yet, it is still in a few theatres and I recommend catching it. If not, rent or buy it. I'll definitely own it on Blu-ray disc.
Grade: A-
Labels: Anika Noni Rose, animated, comedy, Disney, family, magic, movie, princess, romance
Reviewed by Kat at the 12:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Sandra Bullock (Margaret Tate) & Ryan Reynolds (Andrew Paxton)
For complete info, see IMDb's The Proposal page.
There's definitely nothing surprising in The Proposal, but it's a cute romantic comedy. If you like romantic comedies, you should definitely rent The Proposal and clearly if you don't you wouldn't even consider it. The ads made it clear that this is a standard romantic comedy. It's cute and has a great cast, so I definitely recommend renting it if you like those.
Grade: B-
Labels: 2009, comedy, movie, romance, Ryan Reynolds, Sandra Bullock
Reviewed by Kat at the 6:30 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Constantine Maroulis (Drew), Kerry Butler (Sherrie), & a wonderful cast.
For complete information, see the official Rock of Ages Broadway site.
Whe I first heard about Rock of Ages, it sounded like a pretty stupid show and one that didn't interest me at all. Having seen it (and purchased the soundtrack, which says something), I'd still say it's a pretty stupid or silly show (almost no plot, completely predictable), but that's the charm of the show. I think Rock of Ages is a very fun show. They hand out little LED lights in the shape of lighters so you can hold them up and sway and the whole show is designed like a rock concert.
The narrator even tells the audience that the show has a weak plot. They make fun of themselves throughout the show and do great arrangements of earlier rock hits. If you like 80's music and musical theatre, you should see this show. I'm sure I'll see it again. I mostly went to see Rock of Ages because of Constantine & Kerry, but as soon as I entered the theatre I had a feeling I was going to enjoy myself.
I'm sure this show will go on tour and do very well, since it's a fun show with great music. If it's near you or you head to New York, I highly recommend it.
The only down side of the show is that since it's set up like a concert some people (including the drunk and off key women to the left of us) think they can sing along at any time at the top of their lungs. There are points where those on stage ask you to sing along, but if it's not one of those times please be respectful of those around you and the money they paid to see and hear the stars on stage perform. I had to talk to the women next to us at intermission, since none of the looks we (or those in front of them) threw them got through. Thankfully, they were much better behaved for the second act.
Grade: B+
Labels: Broadway, comedy, Constantine Maroulis, Kerry Butler, musical, rock, romance, theatre
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Cheyenne Jackson (Woody Mahoney), Kate Baldwin (Sharon McLonergan), Jim Norton (Finian McLonergan)
For complete cast info, see the official Finian's Rainbow site.
I'd never seen Finian's Rainbow before and I really enjoyed seeing Cheyenne Jackson in Xanadu, so I was interested in this production. I'm glad I saw it. The cast is wonderful, the sets, costumes, lighting, etc. are all very well done. There's good dancing and pleasant music. It's a very good old-time musical. A simple plot with a happy Broadway ending that everyone is able to enjoy.
If you're looking for a deep show, this isn't it. If you want to have fun and just enjoy a light, happy musical, this may be the perfect show for you.
Grade: B
Labels: 2009, Broadway, Cheyenne Jackson, comedy, dancing, Jim Norton, Kate Baldwin, musical, revival, romance
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Kay Panabaker (Jenny Garrison), Naturi Naughton (Denise Dupree), Megan Mullally (Ms. Fran Rowan), Bebe Neuwirth (Ms. Kraft), Debbie Allen (Ms. Angela Simms), Kelsey Grammer (Mr. Martin Cranston)
For complete info, see IMDb's Fame (2009) page.
When I heard they were going to remake Fame, I was worried that they might use too much of the original and try to copy the movie. Thankfully, they didn't do that. The new movie is a different group of (mostly unknown - at least to me) actors playing the students and teachers that (for the most part) people will recognize. I'm glad Debbie Allen was in the movie, since she was in the original movie and the TV show based on the original movie. Clearly, her part isn't nearly as focal as it was in the TV show, but I liked seeing her in the new movie.
The cast is a very talented group of performers and I think they did a good job selecting everyone for the movie. The music is very good and almost all a different style - even the remake of the song Fame, which had to be included in the remake, was very well done and updated.
If you like the performing arts, I definitely recommend renting this one. Do you need to see it in a theatre? No, but it wouldn't hurt. It's a fun movie. It's not quite as good as the original or the TV show, but that's to be expected. As long as you're not expecting it to be the most amazing movie you see, I think you can enjoy the movie and the performances.
Grade: B-
Labels: 2009, comedy, dancing, drama, family, movie, musical, remake, romance
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Paul Rudd (Peter Klaven), Rashida Jones (Zooey), Jason Segel (Sydney Fife)
For complete info, see IMDb's I Love You, Man page.
I'm a huge fan of Paul Rudd and really like Jason Segel on How I Met Your Mother, so I was sold on I Love You, Man as soon as I saw the cast. This hilarious movie did not disappoint me. If you like romantic comedies, this one is great. Nothing super special about it, though the idea of a guy trying to find men to be friends with and to be in his wedding is definitely a little different.
If you like romantic comedies and haven't seen this one yet, what are you waiting for? It's out on BD & DVD. Rent it now.
Grade: B+
Labels: 2009, comedy, Jason Segel, movie, Paul Rudd, romance, weddings
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Katherine Heigl (Abby), Gerard Butler (Mike), Bree Turner (Joy), Eric Winter (Colin)
For complete info, see IMDb's The Ugly Truth page.
I had this on my rental list and it's where I suggest you put The Ugly Truth. It's definitely worth seeing and is a lot funnier than I thought it would be based on the premise and the one ad I'd seen for it.
For the most part, The Ugly Truth is your typical romantic comedy. The story is predictable, but it's a cute movie and though it's far from great I don't understand why the reviews have been so horrible. Is it a great film? Nope. Will it win any awards? Definitely not. Was it amusing throughout and hilarious at times? Yup. So, by my standards, it's worth renting or (as in my case) seeing with a friend just for fun. It was my friend's choice, but I really enjoyed the movie. As long as you go to the movie or rent the movie knowing that you're going to see a typical romantic comedy and that's what you're in the mood for, The Ugly Truth will entertain you for a bit.
Grade: B+
Labels: 2009, comedy, Gerard Butler, Katherine Heigl, movie, romance
Reviewed by Kat at the 12:10 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Amanda Peet (Phoenix) & Dermot Mulroney (Griffin)
For complete info, see IMDb's Griffin & Phoenix page.
I liked the actors playing the two main characters and figured I couldn't go wrong renting Griffin & Phoenix. I was right. It's not the typical romantic comedy, since the two main characters are both facing their deaths due to terminal illness and don't tell each other about their situations. That definitely puts a slightly different spin on the typical romantic comedy (even counting the ones with one terminally ill character). There are a lot of hilarious moments in this movie and (clearly) a quite a few times when those who get emotionally involved might tear up a bit.
I highly recommend renting Griffin & Phoenix if you didn't see it in a theatre.
Grade: B
Labels: 2006, Amanda Peet, comedy, Dermot Mulroney, drama, movie, romance
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:15 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Josh Groban (Anatoly Sergievsky), Adam Pascal (Frederick Trumper), Idina Menzel (Florence Vassy), Kerry Ellis (Svetlana Sergievsky)
For complete info, see IMDb's Chess in Concert page.
As a huge fan of the musical Chess (and a firm believer that the potential in the show has never been realized in a full production), I was really excited about the new concert version. Sir Tim Rice was involved in this production and said he wanted it to be the definitive version.
This version of Chess has gotten some very harsh reviews and I definitely see many of their points. The graphics in the show are pathetic, there's a huge flaw in the only real set piece, and cheerleaders for merchandise? Ridiculous! However, I think they did a very good job for the most part. I knew they would change a lot of the lyrics and many other aspects of Chess. Most of the horrible reviews seemed to want everything exactly as it was in the original concept album. Not only is that unrealistic, but there are some changes that really improved on that concept album.
Some of the lines being changed from one character to another really helped the show. Clearly, a lot of the changes in the lyrics were not for the better. However, a lot of the changes in the show were for the better - even some of those made to the lyrics. Some of them make a little bit more sense now. I'm so glad they finally had Svetlana sing Someone Else's Story (my best friend and I always thought it would make more sense for Svetlana than Florence). Enjoy the latest version of this great show. It's difficult to hear new lyrics to songs we know so well, but I think they did a very good job with this one. If you like the musical Chess, give this version a chance.
The only problem I had with the cast of this show is that they chose three people with musical theatre backgrounds (Adam Pascal, Idina Menzel, & Kerry Ellis) and one who's a singer and has never acted (Josh Groban) as the main four characters. The rest of the cast also seemed to have acting experience. I think with some acting lessons Josh Groban could have done a good job with the acting needed for Chess. However, since he didn't seem to have the time for lessons and hasn't really acted in the past, Groban ended up looking like he didn't belong in a musical theatre cast. If you can get past his lack of acting skills, the cast is wonderful and the story of Chess is better than ever.
Grade: A-
Labels: 2009, Adam Pascal, chess, concert, dancing, drama, Idina Menzel, Josh Groban, Kerry Ellis, musical, romance, sports, theatre, Tim Rice, TV
Reviewed by Kat at the 7:00 PM show | 4 screams
Cast: Isla Fisher (Rebecca Bloomwood), Hugh Dancy (Luke Brandon), Krysten Ritter (Suze), Joan Cusack (Jane Bloomwood), John Goodman (Graham Bloomwood)
For complete info on the amazing cast, see IMDb's Confessions of a Shopaholic page.
It's not often that I enjoy the movie version of a book more than I liked the book. However, I think Confessions of a Shopaholic was a better movie than book. I enjoyed the book a lot and read it quickly, but when making the movie they seemed to make all the right choices of what to include in the movie and what to leave on the cutting room floor. The extras on the DVD revealed that some of the scenes cut from the book had been filmed, but got cut.
Isla Fisher is a wonderful actress and she does an excellent job of bringing Rebecca Bloomwood to life in a way that makes you absolutely adore the character. If you didn't read the book, this movie is a great romantic comedy - very well done. If you did read the book, they did a wonderful job bringing the book to the big screen. Either way, I highly recommend renting Confessions of a Shopaholic. It's a fun movie.
Grade: B+
Labels: 2009, comedy, Hugh Dancy, Isla Fisher, Joan Cusack, John Goodman, Krysten Ritter, movie, romance
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Owen Wilson (John Grogan) & Jennifer Aniston (Jennifer Grogan)
For complete cast, see IMDb's Marley & Me page.
I read the book Marley & Me before seeing the movie, since I tend to prefer the books to movies. I think they did a good job selecting what to keep and what to cut out of the movie of Marley & Me. Clearly, not everything from the book could make the cut, but I think they did a very good job with the story. I was a bit surprised that they made John someone who hadn't had a dog before, but I can understand cutting out the sad opening of the book. I don't think that would work as well in the movie - especially the way it was marketed for the holidays.
If you enjoyed the book and are willing to accept that changes have to be made when making a movie, I think you'll like the movie. If you haven't read the book, Marley & Me is definitely a good heartwarming movie and well worth renting.
Grade: B
Labels: 2008, animals, book, comedy, drama, family, Jennifer Aniston, movie, Owen Wilson, romance
Reviewed by Kat at the 7:30 PM 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: Dustin Hoffman (Harvey Shine), Emma Thompson (Kate Walker), Eileen Atkins (Maggie Walker), Kathy Baker (Jean), Liane Balaban (Susan)
For complete info, see IMDb's Last Chance Harvey page.
Dustin Hoffman & Emma Thompson are wonderful in this movie. It's a very touching story about a man whose life is falling apart until he finds someone who turns his life upside down. You definitely miss nothing by seeing this on the small screen, since it's all about the relationships. Traveling to London for a wedding from America is stressful any time, but when it's for your daughter's wedding and she seems closer to her step father, I think the trip would push almost anyone to the edge.
I definitely recommend renting Last Chance Harvey if you missed it in a theatre.
Grade: B
Labels: 2008, drama, Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson, Kathy Baker, London, movie, romance, weddings
Reviewed by Kat at the 7:30 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Anne Hathaway (Emma), Kate Hudson (Liv), Candice Bergen (Marion St. Claire)
For complete cast, see IMDb's Bride Wars page.
This movie is exactly what you'd expect from a romantic comedy with Anne Hathaway & Kate Hudson. It's a cute movie that's very funny and well done, but don't expect an amazing film you'll tell all your friends to rush out and see. It's entertaining and worth renting, but wasn't worth seeing in a theatre - I made a good call there. If you like romantic comedies, I'd suggest adding it to your list.
Grade: B
Labels: 2009, Anne Hathaway, Candice Bergen, comedy, Kate Hudson, movie, romance, weddings
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:45 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Dev Patel (Jamal K. Malik), Anil Kapoor (Prem Kumar), Freida Pinto (Latika)
For complete info, see IMDb's Slumdog Millionaire site.
If you haven't seen Slumdog Millionaire yet and it's not on your rental list, you should add it. There is definitely a reason it won so many awards. I'm still not sure I'm happy about it winning best song, but I can understand the Academy voters getting caught up in the movie. It's definitely not a movie you need to see on a big screen (in fact, some of the scenes made me pretty happy I was seeing the movie on a smaller screen than theatres offer) and it's a very well done story about an average guy trying to reconnect with the woman of his dreams. The story is very well done and the acting is amazing. Everyone in the movie is sure to get a big boost for their acting careers.
Be sure to watch the credits. They were just as good as the movie (in fact, I watched them twice).
Grade: A-
Labels: 2008, crime, Dev Patel, drama, Freida Pinto, movie, romance
Reviewed by Kat at the 7:45 PM show | 0 screams