Blog: DesieLiz

As you can see, I'm back to my old self and posting 2 weeks late. Luckily, I've been getting so ahead of the theaters that a lot of these movies are still out, and some aren't even release yet! I just got back from a week and a half of "vacation." I spent 4 days at a ridiculously intense marketing conference and then headed to Washington, DC for the weekend and walked about 39209 miles. Overall, it was seriously good times, and A LOT of information, but enough about all that...let's get to the movies. I was intensely tempted to blow off commenting on any other movie besides Inception because, well, nothing else really deserves it, but for my love of movies here is the whole list.

7/1/10: Cyrus This movie has pretty much come (if you can say that) and gone by now and there's nothing sad about that. It's just another mundane and awkward character study with a weird cast. Each of the actors, including John C. Reilly, Jonah Hill, and Marisa Tomei, have talent, but this plot is just not good.

Bottom line: Watch Inception

7/6/10: Despicable Me Haha, just recalling this movie makes me want to sing that bad ass hip hop song they made as a theme. This movie is cute, and definitely a winner for families. It's not Toy Story 3, but it's worth a trip. The characters are really cute and it's a nice spin on the traditional kids movie format.

Bottom line: Leave your children in the theater and sneak into Inception

7/8/10: The Sorcerer's Apprentice You can read my official review here.

Bottom line: Wait for the video and go watch Inception.

7/11/10: Predators I hate movies where crap coined "impossible" becomes ridiculously possible for no reason at all. This movie needs a huge "meh" stamped all over it. I'm honestly bored thinking about it. The acting is okay, the "twists" are stupid and predictable and the ending is unfinished.

Bottom line: Watch Inception.

7/12/10: Inception *sigh* I'm so glad to finally be here. There is seriously a smile on my face. You've already heard that this is the most epic and intelligent movie to come out...ever. I have nothing bad to say. There are no holes, nothing left unexplained, just pure and complete creativity, action, and thought sewn together into an oral and optical masterpiece. I've already seen this 3 times and I'm ready for another. The way Christopher Nolan can imagine manipulation of time (Memento anyone) and piece everything so seamlessly together is a sign of utter brilliance. The acting is great, the story is great, and you end the movie wishing it would start again.

Bottom line: Watch Inception, then again, then rent Memento and watch The Dark Knight

7/14/10: Charlie St. Cloud This is a solid film, especially if you are a fan of Zac Efron sans shirt. The story is all about grief, life, and moving on. It's not too sad or predictable and really does have a nice message about life and death. The plot really keeps your interest and is definitely worth seeing.

Bottom line: Watch Inception, then this.

7/15/10: The Kids Are All Right Lesbians, no. Organic food, no. Mark Ruffalo, yes.

Bottom line: ^^^, watch Inception

7/20/10: Salt You can read my official review here.

Bottom line: You know what to do.

7/24/10: The Last Exorcism This movie isn't released until October, so I can't write about it until then. What I can say is that Eli Roth is the shit (not a necessarily reflected in this movie)

Bottom line: Watch Inception.

7/26/10: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World You can read my official review here.

Bottom line: Watch Inception.

7/27/10: Step Up 3D I love the Step Up movies. What more do I need that hotties tearin' up the dance floor? Hotties tearin' up the dance floor in 3D?! YES! The 3D elements of this is surprisingly cool and the dancing is sick as usual. The plot does a nice job of stringing together the previous stories and is quite charming.

Bottom line: You should have seen Inception by now and if you liked the other Step Ups, you'll be into this one.

7/28/10: Dinner for Schmucks I have no idea what anyone was trying to do when making this movie. It is really long, really dumb, and just an overall fail. There are some lol moments, but mostly just out of embarrassment. Steve Carell's character is COMPLETELY forced and extremely annoying and no one else in the movie helps his case.

Bottom line: Watch Inception again because you will much happier than if you watch this.

Total count for 2010: 65

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Enjoy!

We're officially halfway through the year and I'm more than on track to my 100 movie goal. June was the busiest yet, most likely due to my internship which let's me watch all of them for free and sometimes get paid for it. The summer box office hasn't been doing so hot, but I have to say June was a pretty enjoyable movie month. For the most part, all these flicks are still in theaters so read on and choose wisely :)

6/2/10: Solitary Man You probably haven't heard of it, and don't worry, you aren't missing out. This is an indyish character study starring Michael Douglas. It leaves a lot to be desired and carries an unwarranted shock value that leaves you unsatisfied.

Bottom line: Wait for Wall Street.

6/4/10: Splice I'm legitimately upset with myself for forcing me to relive this atrocity. SPOILER ALERT: This is how it goes...two scientists who happen to also be a couple create a human/alien/beast baby, Adrien Brody has sex with the a fore mentioned alien beast, alien/beast TURNS INTO A MALE and RAPES HIS G/F impregnating her and killing everyone else. AND if that baby thing is destined to be screwed up enough the alien beast is made of her DNA so it's incestuous too. I walked out of the theater feeling like everyone how has been subjected to this movie needs to come together for a therapeutic dialogue. Hi I'm Desiree, and I watched Splice.

Bottom line: ^^^ Need I say more?!!!

6/6/10: Killers You can read my official review here. As well as how high-maintenance of an actress Katherine Heigl is and how Lionsgate kept Killers from the critics.

Bottom line: Although it's trailer was a marketing fail, this really isn't half bad when you realize what they were trying to do.

6/10/10: Karate Kid This movie is long, but good. Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith are really cute together and the story is enjoyable. The acting is good from everyone and the karate...er I mean kung foo fights are pretty legit. This is a knock out for kids and adults.

Bottom line: "It's called kung foo, not karate"...oh wait.

6/12/10: The A-Team Legit. Three huge operations, a good cast, and acceptable twists and turns make this into the stuff summer movies are made of. I don't know why this failed so miserably at the box office, but it wasn't deserved. I mean seriously, who doesn't love Liam Neison? Can't say it's me that's for sure.

Bottom line: I love a good special ops movie and this one is really good.

6/16/10: Jonah Hex You can read my official review here.

Bottom line: I'm willing to completely dismiss this movie and do my part to contribute to the downfall of Megan Fox's career.

6/18/10: Toy Story 3 *sigh* Where to start? Like all Disney Pixar movies, this one's a gem. Just as good as the first two classics and perfect timing for those of us who remember Woody and Buzz as kids. I love Disney for it's universal age appeal. It has the cutest characters and great dialogue.

Bottom line: Classic and wonderful

6/19/10: Knight and Day Hands down best June movie-(that-isn't-Toy-Story). So funny, so clever, so interesting. Tom Cruise is crazy in real life which can only make for a great character in a fantasy world I mean c'mon it's pure logic. Cameron Diaz and Cruise are adorable together and if people payed any attention to all the rave reviews this is getting, it really could have been Cruise's comeback movie. Knight and Day is one of those movies that makes you realize while people are stars in the first place.

Bottom line: Great plot, great acting, and funny/interesting as anything.

6/19/10: Robin Hood I will say this is one of those movies you expect to be boring, and it is. However, the story is pretty cool when it comes down to it. This is the pre-Robin Hood tale of the events that led up to the legend. I'm always intrigued by story twists like that. I pretty much only saw this because I had seen every single other movie that was out. There is really no need to get excited about this one.

Bottom line: I'm bored just thinking abouuuu...Zzzzz....

6/22/10:Grown Ups Apparently when you put the top 3 most annoying actors, top 2 second most annoying actors, Salma Hayak, and that always pregnant in movies other chick in the same movie it somehow turns into a comedic masterpiece. I went into this thinking it was going to be over-the-top stupid and just annoying all around. I mean really David Spade, Rob Schneider, and Kevin James? No thanks, but to my surprise I was laughing the whole way. This movie is actually pretty tame and really, really funny. It has some great family themes and the raunchiness is pretty mellow. I'm not saying I hate raunchiness, I just hate stupid anything.

Bottom line: If you like Adam Sandler and [insert other 8932 cast members here], you were already going to see this, if not, you should see it and be pleasantly surprised.

6/28/10: The Twilight Saga: Eclipse You can read my official review here.

Bottom line: I don't care what you think, I liked it! Team Jacob for liiiiife.

6/29/10: The Last Airbender I don't give a crap about the supposed racism in casting this movie, nothing could have saved this crap. It's boring, slow, and choppy. I do like the two main child actors who brought a lot to what they had to work with but once again, I have no idea what Shyamalan was trying to do. If only he'd stopped at The Village...

Bottom line: Don't watch this, just rent Unbreakable. Trust, you'll thank me.

Total count for 2010: 53

Enjoy!

It’s that time again! I’m a few days late, as usual :), but here is 1 Year, 100 Movies: May Edition.

5/1/10: Why Did I Get Married Too?

Thanks to my boyfriend I have a continuously growing love for Tyler Perry. How someone can put so much comedy and so much tragedy into one film is truly a talent. I never saw the first Why Did I Get Married movie, so I can’t compare the 2 but this one was thoroughly enjoyable. It explores every marital problem in the book, including the untalked about female emotional affair. The acting is good and the humor is entertaining.

Bottom line: As with any Tyler Perry movie, you are in for a roller coaster of emotions.

5/7/10: Babies

What more does a girl want than 1 and a half hours of adorably cute babies doing all the stuff adorably cute babies do? Not babies doing the weird things babies do. This documentary arguably as like all documentaries, is nothing spectacular. It is cute and keeps up the pace, but I’m not going to lie my American born and raised socialization made some of it a bit uncomfortable. I’m not really sure who this movie was made for, but if you’re interested more power to you.

Bottom line: I love babies, but I didn’t so much love Babies.

5/8/10: Iron Man 2

First and foremost, I was notsoimpressed by the original Iron Man movie, gasp I know. I really didn’t find it action packed or tech heavy enough for my liking. Iron Man 2 however, succeeds everywhere is original counterpart failed. Bad ass action, American soil setting, over the top technology…FTW. Robert Downey Jr. is amazing and the guy who replaced the greedy sidekick guy from the first one didn’t make me miss greedy original sidekick guy at all.

Bottom line: R Downs is a BAMF.

5/15/10: Letters to Juliet

You can read my official review <a href=http://www.gotchamovies.com/news/letters-to-juliet-review>here</a>.

Bottom line: Cheesy central love story, cheap set, not worth your time.

5/16/10: Just Wright

I will start by saying I frickin’ love Queen Latifah. Unlike certain pro real women celebrities *cough* Tyra Banks *cough* Latifah is a true woman with curves making it in Hollywood. This story is fun, cute, and entertaining from start to finish. This is an ugly girl gets the guy story we can actually believe. Leslie Wright (Queen Latifah) is a strong women, who refuses to compromise herself for love. She’s neither desperate, nor lacking in self-esteem which creates a loveable character and enticing story.

Bottom line: Super enjoyable, deserves a lot more credit than it got.

5/18/10: Get Him to the Greek

Get Him to the Greek was just release this week (June 4th), but I saw the film at an advanced screening on campus. It’s no Forgetting Sarah Marshal (i.e. best R-rated comedy of all time, and yes I’ve seen the Hangover), but this one is funny. I think [insert what even P Diddy is going by these days] is pretty funny, Russel Brand does his things, and Jonah Hill plays his part really well. Of course the story is over the top and a lot the film relies on stupid comedy, but it does what it does.

Bottom line: Get Him to the Greek is what it is, an overindulgent comedy that provides laughs…but not much more.

5/23/10: Shrek Forever After

You can read my official review here.

Bottom line: I’ll miss Shrek, truly I will.

5/30/10: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

Don’t go looking for the next Pirate’s saga and you will be in for a treat. It has a good story, good actors, good action. It’s plot is interesting and not something we have seen before. Prince of Persia deserves a viewing and enough of a following to warrant a sequel. I’m bummed it’s being swallowed up by other, much less worthy releases.

Bottom line: Keep the prince alive!

5/31/10: Sex in the City 2

Honestly, you can all guess what I’m going to say. This movie is ridiculous and it sucks. It’s not even good for what it is. SJP is hideous (granted this is no new news), Cattrall’s age is catching up to her, and by her I mean her boobs, and the other two are too good to be in a film like this. Move on ladies, move on. If rumors of a SATC 3 are true….omg. I don’t even care about the blatant offending of the Middle East, but it definitely doesn’t add any charm to this black hole.

Bottom line: No…just no.

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Sorry for my delay once again, May will be up soon I promise!

The Last Song
You can read my full review here.

Bottom line: This movie is good for what it is, worth a rental.

Date Night
Steve Carell and Tina Fey are ridiculously hilarious. They have great on screen chemistry and a believable relationship. This movie is hilarious without being over the top (often a turn off for me when it comes to Carell’s performances. You'll crack up the entire time.

Bottom line: Fun and entertaining and of course I have to say it, this movie would make for a great date night.

Clash of the Titans
It’s a rare day that I will pass up the 3D version of a film. Maybe I’m getting accustomed to it or will finally believe 3D isn’t that great unless stuff is literally popping out at your face (not usually the case with live action 3Ds). I enjoyed this film in plain old 2D. The action was good, the Avatar guy did a better job than he did in Avatar and you can’t go wrong with a good Greek mythology oriented plot. I’m not going to lie I enjoyed the modern twist on mythology that was Percy Jackson a little better but this film is no where near the atrocity a lot of people claim it is.

Bottom line: It was good. Worth it on the big screen, but I don’t think 3D would have done anything for me.

The Joneses
If you read/listen to one thing I say in your life make it this... This is a movie EVERY person should see. It tells the story of consumerism and debt in our culture. I’m no anti-materialist or crazy technology-is-killing-the-world activist, but this movie offers a real portrayal of today’s world. The plot is about us, right here, right now. It brilliantly meets you right where you are and forces us to think about how we live our lives. The acting is great. Luckily there are actors like Demi Moore and David Duchovny to read scripts and realize potential and substance worthy of putting their work into. Take your kids take your friends, you’ll be changed. Plus, it’s damn entertaining.

Bottom line: Every person should see this movie. Seriously, forget the rest of this post and go now.

Kick-Ass
You can read my full review here.

Bottom line: I wasn’t impressed, guys eat this shit up and I’m not sure why. Mind you, this is coming from the girl who is way down for guns and yelled “CUT IT OFF!!!” during Saw

The Back-Up Plan
Oh J Lo how far you have fallen. I long for the days of Maid in Manhattan and even Jenny from the Block. This movie is terrible, even for romcom standards. It relies on physical humor, which I want none of since this is about having babies. Her actions and decisions make no sense, even for a hormonal preggo and the relationship evolution is terrible. The onscreen chemistry between Lopez and the guy we’ve never heard of is nearly non-existent and her SPOILER ALERT ginger babies are disturbing and scientifically impossible.

Bottom line: NEXT!

The Losers
I love these kind of movies. I’m all for plans, heists, betrayal. I don’t care about the clichés or the predictability. The Losers is a great action flick. The acting is acceptable, the characters are fun, and the story is entertaining.

Bottom line: Solid action flick. Supposedly it’s based on a comic but I don’t know about all that.

Oceans
I love the Disney Nature series. Oceans is just as good as last year’s Earth.  I’m not going to lie, I’m no green advocate, which is why I like how they do these movies. There’s a message but it’s not so PSA it’s annoying. I don’t like being told to save the earth but when I see the earth like this it definitely makes me think twice, which is exactly what the film makers are going for. The shots they got are unbelievably stunning.

Bottom line: See it and I’ll see you next year at African Cats.

A Nightmare on Elm Street
I’m too young to remember the original Nightmare on Elm Street, but I’m curious to add it to my Netflix queue and check out the differences. A Nightmare on Elm Street isn’t entirely bad. It’s pretty good for the scary movie genre. It takes a lot to scare me and I can’t say this movie accomplished that but it was entertaining. What saves this film is the underlying mystery and secrets you want to discover. It gives the plot a dynamic sense most horror films fail to accomplish.

Bottom line: I assume the original is better, but this one’s pretty good.

Total count for 2010: 32

3/5/10: Alice in Wonderland I had been anticipating the release of this film since I first heard it was coming out a few months ago. Now, I’m not advocating the use of controlled or illegal substances, but if I was more into that I definitely would have done things differently. I was most entertained by the 3D element in the credits which tripped me out. I’ve never read the real book, so this movie REALLY made no sense. I know Alice isn’t supposed to make sense, but it’s at least supposed to be fun. This one just felt dark and depressed.

Bottom line: Don’t get your hopes up, it’s not as cool as it looks.

3/2/10: She's Out of My League You can read my full review here.

Bottom line: This movie is seriously hilarious. Fun, brainless, and entertaining, watch it.

3/8/10: Hot Tub Time Machine Everywhere She’s Out of My League succeeded, this crap epicly failed. I’m so happy I saw this at a free screening because I really would have walked out, something I’ve only done once in my entire movie going life. You also need to keep in mind that I find John Cusak super hot so if he doesn’t do it for you there are literally no redeeming factors in this film. The humor is stupid, the acting mediocre, and the clichés run rampant.

Bottom line: If I ever meant this more, it’s now…Don’t see this, you’d have a better time actually attempting to travel back in time.

3/14/10: Remember Me You can check out my full review here.

Bottom line: You’ll leave feeling it lacked in a lot of areas, but it makes you think enough to be worth it.

3/18/10: Brooklyn's Finest You gotta love a good flick about the NYPD, and you gotta like a mediocre one, Brooklyn’s Finest fits the latter. It’s cast is pretty good and there is some power to the performances. There are some good action scenes and, like I’ve said before, I’m a sucker for ensemble stories where everyone connects. I wasn’t happy with how depressing everything was in the end (I like a few happy endings when there are so many stories tied together) and there wasn’t a shred of authenticity to the location or NYPD.

Bottom line: Not bad, not good. Overall, it’s not really worth a trip to the theater.

3/19/10: Repo Men You can check out my full review here.

Bottom line: I’m not gonna lie, it was kinda cool… but it just gets weird, then a little too weird.

3/20/10:The Bounty Hunter This movie has a dazzling lead couple and interesting premise. I liked the story, despite its predictability. Jennifer Anniston is adorable (as usual) and Gerard Butler is hot (as usual). They have good on-screen chemistry and are the only reason a movie like this isn’t a complete mess.

Bottom line: It’s a meh-worthy romcom that doesn’t pull out any tricks.

Total count for 2010: 23