When in Rome

Goolphipp Award: 2.25 (See the Cheap Matinee)


Phipps:
Well, I did see the cheap matinee of this movie, and I wasn’t disappointed. It was a typical romantic comedy, but I had fun. I laughed, mostly at Josh Duhamel, who used this movie to show off his comedic timing. He was arguably the best part of the movie. His performance was solid. Props to Danny Devito, he’s a real pro. The rest of the cast was sufficient. I’ll probably end up buying this movie, if that makes a difference to you. It’s a prefect movie for a Girls Night. Guys will probably hate this movie (in all honesty). I will say that this movie made me want to go to Rome, and toss a coin into a famous fountain…and hope for the best.

Phipps overall: 2.5
Charmed by Duhamel.

Goolsby:
I saw this separately with my mother. I was disappointed. I didn't find the physical humor that great. The previews showed most of the funny moments, and the rest was hit or miss. My biggest complaint for this movie is that it was so slow. It took forever to start. With funny movies you have to hop right in and keep the punches rolling. This film did not do that. Phipps is right that Devito Stole the show. All in all it was a little slow paced and run-of-the-mill. Honestly, I think I saw my mom nod out a couple times.

Goolsby overall: 2
Passable.

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Valentine's Day

Goolphipp Award: 3.1 (Worth 11 Bucks)

Phipps:
This movie was alright. I'm not a fan of vignette movies (not even Love Actually won me over), so if you like them, you will probably like this movie too. I have to say, I liked this movie better than Love Actually. I think this movie did a better job of connecting all the stories. Everybody and their brother (including both McDreamy and McSteamy!) was in this movie...all giving solid performances, except Taylor Swift. It was like the girl was on uppers. I did like where things landed at the end - spoiler alert! I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised that the 18-year-olds did not have sex...and that it was okay to wait (for a bit at least). In this society, I was quite shocked by that (although, I really appreciated it)! I think my favorite moment was the Moorpark Blvd. discussion, being that I live fifteen minutes away from Moorpark, California, and where everyone seems to get that Moorpark spelled backwards is "kraproom." It was a local joke and I laughed very loudly! And I did appreciate Taylor Lautner's falls and jumps in the movie - I'm always impressed by how talented the kid is. Overall, this is a fun watch. Don't overthink it.

Phipps overall: 3.25
A fun, fluffy movie.

Goolsby:
I'm a huge fan of Love Actually, so this movie was right up my alley. In these types of movies you always like some stories more than the others. I really like Julia Robert's story and Ashton Kutcher's too. This movies gives you a wide range of the walks of love, and I liked being able to see all of them.

Here is a complaint, in Love Actually the story of father-son duo, (Daniel) Liam Neeson and (Sam) Thomas Sangster is the basic little boy in love plot. The girl that the little boy goes after is Indian. In Valentine's Day, we've got the same plot down to the Indian girl! If Hollywood if trying to be "diverse" then why not make her some other race? Goodness. So I was a little upset to see some all too similar plot lines when compared to Love Actually. I guess when a good formula works, you use it.

I like this movie, not as much as other similar types though. Oh... I had heard some stuff before seeing the movie about Taylor Swift's poor acting chops. I'm afraid everyone is right. I know she was supposed to be playing a ditz, but if we look to Anna Kendrick, who plays a ditsy teenager in Twilight, the comparison is easy to read. You can play a ditz but still act- Anna Kendrick wins that race any day.

Goolsby overall: 3
Good laughs.

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Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

Phipp Award: 3.75 (Worth 11 Bucks)

Phipps:
When Greek mythology invades the 21st century, you'll find me there. It's an interesting idea. I think the only real compliant is Percy doesn't completely fall apart after his mother disappears (and presumed dead). I'd be inconsolable for a while, and Percy doesn't freak out - he's oddly stoic about the entire thing. I suppose it could be argued that he was in shock combined with information overload, but even that doesn't fly well. I thought the performances were solid. Cinematography wasn't sensational, but also solid. Sometimes Pierce Brosnan's centaur effects looked awkward, but it wasn't enough to really complain about. I'm a fan of Sean Bean and I'm glad that he landed Zeus...I wouldn't want to be on that kid's bad side. This movie in general does a decent job of refreshing it's audience of Greek mythology - I'd feel stupid, and then the movie would explain it. Overall, I think it's worth seeing on the big screen. Give it a chance, and you'll have fun. I also have a sneaking suspicion that I will like it much better the second time around.

Phipps overall: 3.75
Nicely Done.

Dear John

Goolphipp award: 3.8 (Worth 11 Bucks)

Goolsby:

We're suckers for a good love story. I really enjoyed this movie. I understand why they marketed this movie the way they did - with it following in the footsteps of the now classic Notebook, but I felt the real gem of this movie was not the main romance. The on screen bond between Channing Tatum and Richard Jenkins was really special to watch. Jenkins plays John's developmentally challenged father. It was never clarified if the father was autistic or suffered from Asperger's Syndrome, but either way, Jenkins did a stellar job. Whenever the two were on screen together they stole the whole shebang. Kudos for one of the best father-son performances I've ever seen. I would also say that their relationship was more profound and intense than the chemistry between Tatum and Amanda Seyfried. I must say, the father-son duo brought the most water works from me.

I have never read a Nicholas Sparks book, but I enjoyed the current plot setting of this story. John meets Savannah while on leave, and ends up enlisting for a further stay. We get to follow his journey through the 9/11 attack and onward. Unlike a period piece, I think this story hit home a bit harder for some people.

The soundtrack was also well placed and matched. It never felt too over powering or interfered with the movie.

Goolsby overall: 4.25

Bring the tissues.

Phipps:

I liked this movie. I definitely cried...and probably would have bawled like a baby if the group of ladies in front of us hadn't been talking up a storm. I think what I liked most about this movie is it didn't feel fake. I mean, the characters didn't do anything extraordinary...they weren't super special. Instead, they felt like ordinary folk living an ordinary life, which is in no way a dig. I like romances that are realistic (as well as sweet). I don't think this movie matches The Notebook, and I don't think it will be as widely embraced by men. So, it might be best to keep this a Girls Night Out movie...then you can let yourself get all splotchy from crying. As Goolsby said, the father-son aspect of this movie was amazing. It was difficult to watch, but you understood why things were the way they were. One more thing, Channing Tatum is a pretty decent crier, and that's important when you are trying to build your career. I would like to see him in a role that incorporated less action, even though he excels in projecting emotion through action. As a whole, Dear John didn't disappoint.

Phipps overall: 3.5

A snapshot of real life.

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The Book of Eli

Goolphipp award: 3.5 (Worth 11 Bucks)

Goolsby:

When I watched this movie I was not focusing on the religious aspects.

The plot was fine. The acting was great. The shooting style fit well. All in all though, I expected more. I did appreciate the little details. I liked how the water source was provided by cave lakes. The post apocalyptic world that was created was in sync and complete. I appreciate the survival aspect of this movie. I also liked an old couple that we meet towards the end of the movie. I love resourceful characters.

Phipps and I had to agree to disagree when discussing the ending of this movie. I won't give it away since it is the main point of the movie... but I would be interested in what other people had to say about Eli's revelation.

From a non-religious view, I think the ultimate message or messages, that this movie gave were well portrayed and placed. What I took from it was - What do you have left when everything is gone? What do you really need when everything is gone?

Goolsby overall: 3

Solid movie.

Phipps:

I thought this movie was out together well. Everything made sense from the post-apocalyptic point of view. I've heard people complain about the color palette, but it makes sense if this certain "flash" bleached and burned the world. The cinematography was highly stylized, and that bugged me through most of the movie, until the plot explained it. Although, the fighting in this movie was smartly choreographed and planned. It was quick and dirty. Let's talk plot. Yes, this movie is about the last Bible on earth, but this is not a religious movie. The Book is merely a plot device, and it works well. It doesn't beat you over the head, yet the Book of Eli won't offend Christians. It walks the middle of the road quite well. Of course, the cast was top notch with Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman leading the pack. Okay, now that I've talked about all the main points, I'm going to get a little more personal. I'm going to own this movie someday. I was a little afraid of the use of the Bible in any way, because historically, films have done an amazing job at misrepresentation. This movie did not misrepresent the Bible, which I appreciated, being a Christian kid myself. I was simply amazed at this movie. It reminded me of the power of God, and I prayed and cried all the way home. This movie just made me love God more. I want to say more, but it would spoil it. All I can say is this movie is worth seeing.

Phipps overall: 4

Taught me something, it was smartly done, and I'm going to buy it.

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Up in the Air

Goolphipp Award: 3.4 (Worth 11 Bucks)

Phipps:
We've all heard the hype around this movie in some way or another. Could be you've heard that George Clooney did a stellar job, and they would be right. Clooney has the Cary Grant sparkle and charm, which is perfect for this movie. Could be you heard about all those awards nominations for this movie, and just might want to watch it to see if it deserved all of them. While I don't think that it was the best movie this awards season, I have to say that the script (aside from the ending...or lack thereof) was pretty great. It had the humor jabs juggling the drama without being cheeseball. (I do have to say, the idea of downsizing all our material possessions in our "backpack" is absolutely a splendid idea. It kind of inspires me to clean out my house.) Let's address the ending - warning! spoiler might be on the horizon - I hate movies where nothing really changes. I suppose the kid learns something...but it doesn't seem like he decides to really make an effort to reforge relationships with his family or have more of a life. Ryan (Clooney) just seems resigned to his life in the sky. What a downer. And that lady was a jerk.

Moving onto other points, Anna Kendrick, of the Twilight Saga fame, shows she has something to bring to the table as far as acting chops. I was impressed, and I hope she continues to enhance her repertoire.

It was good to see Sam Elliott, too.

This movie was well-done in all respects - cinematography, sound mixing, acting, directing, writing - except the last 5 minutes made it a downer. I don't anticipate a lot of DVD sales on this one, folks. Nobody wants to be stabbed in the heart twice.

Phipps overall: 2.75
I can't see past the nose-dive at the end.

Goolsby:
Phipps has already warned you of the not so great ending. I'm okay with endings that don't always end up on the bright side of things, but this movie seemed like it was headed somewhere else. The whole movie builds up this character Ryan. We see that his life is isolated and always in transit. He really has no roots. Even when he visits his family, he has been removed too long to even connect at first. I think this movie tries to show that relationships, no matter what kind, take work. Lots of it.

The backpack Phipps talks about above is a neat concept in the movie. The constant moving Ryan is a motivational speaker who sends the message, what really matters in life? When it comes down to it, his travel size carry on is really Ryan's backpack. The things that he cares about turns out to be all about his transatory life.

The point I'm trying to make is that this movie builds up Ryan's realization, but he ultimately - spoiler - does nothing with his realization. He ends up alone. Thinking back on this movie though, I guess it is realistic. Some people end up alone, in spite of even realizing they have other options. I don't think I would want to see this again, but as I write this, I've decided it was a good message. Perhaps it will inspire me to make the other decision - to live a connected life.

Oh, and one more thing. There is a speech given by Alex (Clooney's love interest), played by Vera Farmiga, that basically outlines everything she looks for in a man. The whole scene surrounding this list hits home, and hits it hard.

Goolsby overall: 4
Hmm, I won't see it again, but I can't give it less than this. I took a lot from this movie.

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The Lovely Bones

Goolphipp Award: 4.4 (No Peanuts Chucked)

Phipps:
The Lovely Bones made me tear up and made my chin wobble. Let me be honest, I haven't read the book, so I don't know if Peter Jackson did it justice, but I do know that his version, however different it is from the novel, is a movie worth seeing. The blurring of heaven and earth, called the "in-between," where the spirit of Susie lived, was done well - cohesive and interesting. All the necessary parts were foreshadowed in an balantly obvious way, but the pieces couldn't be put together until we (and Susie) were ready.

Performances in this movie were just wonderful. The very Irish Saoirse Ronan brought Susie Salmon to life, and did a phenomenal job with the range of emotion expected of her. Susan Sarandon stole all of her scenes as the grandmother, who smokes and drinks throughout. Stanley Tucci. What can you say about him? He was nominated for a Golden Globe for this role, and it is well-deserved. He was the perfect serial killer. In fact, I think all the performances were great.

As a whole, this movie is intense. I walked out of the theater overwhelmed and discombobulated. It is an experience. I came to care about the Salmon family, and I wanted to see Stanley Tucci take a long walk off a short pier. I don't know if I'll ever watch this movie again, because it's so intense and emotional, but I don't think I'll ever forget it.

In fact, the only thing I have against the movie is that the climax of the movie is a kiss, which is more of a book issue anyway.

Phipps overall: 4.75
My chin actually wobbled...doesn't happen for just anything.

Goolsby:
I wasn't as excited for this movie as Phipps. I was curious, but that's about it. That being said, I went in pretty blank. I think Mark Wahlberg plays a great father role in this movie. he brought just the right amount of emotion for his fallen daughter. On the other hand I thought Rachel Weisz was missing the "it" factor. She did a good job, but I didn't feel her performance matched her on screen husband's performance.

What I really like about this movie was the score and music selection. I thought the music added a nice cherry on the top for the movie. It was perfectly woven in and the main song really reflected the "in-between" world.

Maybe someday I'll read the book. Imagine how hard it would be to write the "in-between" world. Oi.

Goolsby overall: 4
I welled up, didn't spill over though. Commanding, but not the full hype.

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Leap Year

Goolphipp Award: 2.75 (See the Cheap Matinee)

Goolsby:

Goolphipp has been to Ireland. That is the main reason we wanted to see this movie. We wanted an Ireland fix. We got what we wanted, but I might say we were both a bit frustrated. I have two problems with this movie: geography and shoes. I had a hard time following the logic that went behind Anna, played by Amy Adams, and her crazy journey. If she hired a boat from Wales to take her to Ireland - with the goal of getting to Dublin, then why in the world was she diverted in a storm to Dingle?! How does that even happen. Maybe my lack of sea skills and knowledge is to blame, but this just doesn't make sense. This whole issue would have been rectified if they could have put in a little map overlay that showed her journey points- like Indiana Jones style. Then the shoes! Oh gosh, how in the world would a fashion forward woman only bring one pair of shoes, and high heels at that? She knows it rains in Ireland, are high heels a good choice? No! This may seem like a ridiculous complaint (more so for our male readers) but traipsing around country roads in Ireland with 3 inch heels is not even feasible or possible! We know!

Okay, so after my some what long rant, lets point out some other things. I loved the portrayal of Ireland. I thought it was true to how the people and land actually are. I loved the old men in the pub, and I loved seeing the picturesque landscapes. I thought Matthew Goode played a good Irish lad named Declan. He did a good job hiding his British accent from an American's ear perspective. I thought that Adams and Goode gave great lovesick performances. We saw Goode this weekend in Watchmen and were surprised to see him without facial hair.

On another note, this movie is predictable, but you know what I say, what movie isn't? I think for the most part, any romantic comedy is predictable, and I'm fine with that. There are other good reasons to see this movie, the Irishness.

Goolsby overall: 3

Go for Ireland.

Phipps:

Boy meets girl...and poof! They fall in love. That's a romantic comedy. And this one is no different. I read a review before I saw this movie that said (paraphrasing), "the animosity between Matthew Goode and Amy Adams is too believable, and makes the idea of love between them ridiculous." And I agree...the animosity between them was believeable, but I disagree with the believeability of falling in love with someone that gets under your skin. Remember grade school? Fight one day, and in love the next. I felt the bonding moments were significant enough push Declan and Anna past the animosity. As a kid who has been to Ireland, the countryside does cast a spell over you...add in a good-lookin' bloke...well, what more do you need? And honestly, I loved the scene where Declan and Anna made dinner at the B&B. Never underestimate cooking as a bonding tool. At any rate, I believed it enough.

But I stand by what Goolsby said, the shoes Amy Adams wore were impossible. Who only packs one pair of shoes? Not any girls I know. Now lets talk about the geography craziness! I swear someone thought we were really stupid when they were writing this movie. It just wasn't explained at all. You'd think that if they hit a storm, they would just fly into Shannon Airport on the West coast of Ireland - it's closer than Wales. Anyone that knows anything about where things are in Ireland and the U.K. will be thoroughly turned-around.

Okay, but my complaints aside, it was still a decent watch. It was fun to see Ireland again. It was fun to see the bits of culture these filmmakers got right. I came out of the movie with a hankering for a properly poured Guinness.

Phipps overall: 2.5

Decent...but the geography drove me to distraction.

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Daybreakers

Goolphipp Award: 3.9 (Worth 11 Bucks)

Goolsby:
I grew up with Ethan Hawke as Jack from White Fang and Troy from Reality Bites. You can say I'm a fan. Put him opposite Willem Dafoe (who plays Elvis) and add some vampires, you know I'm going to be there. I thought this movie was clever and had more to offer than just being another "vampire movie." Directors and writers Michael and Peter Spierig created a whole world where vampires are the norm and humans are the minority. This movie was horror first, drama second. The blood and guts were done well. I hate it when horror or action movies over use the gore factor and then use cheap blood to boot. We had realistic looking blood for the most part and awesome action moments. Plenty of "boo" moments for all. I appreciated the under story though. The drama between Hawke's character Edward and his military brother Frankie was well delivered and placed. I really liked all the details. Vampires need to drive in the daytime, so we've got modified cars with multiple driving cameras and black windows. There were subwalks (similar to a subway) for the vampires to walk around during the day. There were also coffee stations that served blood mixed with coffee.

I really liked this movie. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it gave me more than I thought. Give me a "smart" movie where the characters make smart life saving decisions and I'm good to go. This movie made us think and I always welcome that. This movie is not for the faint of heart. Daybreakers also had its faults, but they were minimal and easy to overlook.

Goolsby overall: 4.25
"We're the ones with the crossbows."

Phipps:
I generally like vampire movies. I wasn't as pleased with this movie as Goolsby...and I suppose it's because it is a horror movie. I'm not a fan of those. I felt it had too many boo moments. They were unnecessary, the plot was enough to keep me interested. But I liked the details of the movie, especially the tricked-out Chrysler with the sun shades.

This particular movie had different pieces from vampire movies that came before it. The golden eyes were most likely pulled from the Twilight movies. The swearing was akin to Blade, as was the blood and gore. I thought the CGI was on the same level as Underworld. While these are some of the similarities, I still think that Daybreakers had something special. With all the "cool" vampire movies out, where characters want to become the undead, this movie was a refreshing change. What if everyone became a vampire? An intriguing question.

So, I guess, at the end of the day, I would watch it again on DVD. It was done well. Heck, I even dreamed a couple nights later about staking the starving bat-like vamps in Daybreakers. For the record though, Ethan Hawke makes a better human than vampire.

Phipps overall: 3.5
For Willem Dafoe...the original ex-vampire.

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Sherlock Holmes

Phipp Award: 3 (Worth 11 Bucks)

Phipps:
This is my first solo review. I saw Sherlock Holmes with my sister. We were really excited about it. And would you believe it, I didn't like this movie. Let me rephrase, I liked this movie as an action movie, but not as a Sherlock Holmes movie. You could have called the main characters Bert and Ernie...and the movie still would have worked, still would have been exciting, well-made, and in some respects, well-acted. It was, at the very core of it, an action movie. I've come to expect a little more brain with my Sherlock, and less reactionary headless chicken. Let me explain, I grew up with a movie called Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking. Rupert Everett is Sherlock Holmes, and is, in my opinion, one of the best portrayals. He combines the intelligence and the sarcasm, drug-user and strategist - and does it well. This is entirely my own opinion, and I'll be honest - most people disagree. In fact, a coworker looked at me and said, "Were you not entertained?" (Quoting Gladiator, of course.) I had to admit then, parts of Sherlock Holmes did entertain me. Jude Law as Watson is brilliant. If you watch this movie for no other reason than Jude Law, it's worth it. He's the best Watson I've seen. As I said before, this movie was put together well. The CG-Imaging of Old London Town was integrated well, and I thought the use of a dull color palatte was historically accurate. It sounds stupid, but I thought it was just missing something...some Sherlock X-factor. Go ahead, see it for yourselves, and then let us know what you thought of it.

Phipps overall: 3
For Jude Law.

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