Hot Tub Time Machine

Goolphipp Award: 3.25 (See the Cheap Matinee)

Goolsby:
I think I was a little too excited for this movie. John Cusack and Clarke Duke (who plays Dale on "Greek"), and I was hands down ready to see this movie. For some reason, I have no idea why, I thought they were going to go back in time to more than one decade. I guess I was channeling Bill and Ted memories. They only go back to one point in time, 1986. Bright colors, Alf, cell phones as big as shoes, and some of the best music on earth! Who doesn't have a crush on John Cusack?

Anyway, back to the movie. I thought it was overall a good movie. They included more 80's references than I could even count of keep track of. They owned the cheesiness and I appreciate that. I thought the cast was a good dynamic. Duke definitely helped round out the cast, well done Duke, well done. Cusack still has it, and I was glad to see him in this role, it seemed very fitting.

So a bad thing? Some parts just seemed unnecessary. Projectile vomit? More than once? Really? I think there were at least 3 puke scenes in this movie. Not needed in my opinion. The nudity is understandable I guess, given the target crowd for this movie. Talk about drug use though! Wow, that was a lot.

I liked the movie as a whole. My 80's thirst was quenched with a quick throw back to the Karate Kid - "Get him a body bag! Yea!" I doubt I'll own this movie, but it was a gooder.

Goolsby overall: 3.75
How could I forget! There is a long awaited moment in this movie. You literally are waiting for a guy to lose his arm the whole time. Classic.

Phipps:
I laughed with this movie. I do like the premise. It was like a mash-up of a bunch of different movies from the 80s. Heck, even Red Dawn was paid homage.

I think they went to a lot of trouble to make sure everything was authentic, and it showed. I appreciated that. The movie was super colorful. (Haha.) I also really enjoyed that these older guys were inhabiting their younger bodies, which eliminated the need to sneak around avoiding themselves.

My main complaint, as always with mainstream comedies, is the unnecessary raunchy moments (and/or projectile vomit). I think this movie could have been a classic if they would have cleaned it up a bit. Less sex (and certainly no nudity), less language, and less drug-use. What's left? You still get to make fun of the 80s. You still get four losers going back in time and learning some stuff. I also felt like making an energy drink based on Chernobyl was a little sick. It goes over the target audiences' heads, because we were all a little too young to remember. Goolsby didn't have a clue about it, and I only knew about it because I have friends how work in environmental science. Overall, I felt that the plot had potential, but dropped the ball with all the crap. If you don't have a problem with these things, you will probably really like this movie. Like I said, there's a good framework.

One more thing, this movie has the perfect cast for the plot.

Question: do these guys have both sets of memories from the two time lines? (Movies about time travel seriously mess with my head.)

Phipps overall: 2.75
Bummer. Good idea tarnished by lame sex and language.

The Last Song

Phipp Award: 3.25 (See the Cheap Matinee)

Phipps:
I saw this movie with another friend, and just before the movie started, I said, "who do you think dies?" I mean, come on, with a title like The Last Song, what do you expect? And I wasn't disappointed. I don't think it was the best Nicholas Sparks movie, but I liked it. The acting was decent, and the storyline was probable. Bobby Coleman as the kid brother stole quite a few scenes. He made my chin wobble with his crying abilities. This also was a good transition movie for Greg Kinnear - into older dad roles - and Liam Hemsworth - into the US film industry. Miley Cyrus got the job done as well. I don't think she was stellar, but she wasn't awful. (Although, I do like her song contribution to the soundtrack.) I suppose what I'm getting at is this movie was a little better than average, but not much.

Phipps overall: 3.25
Huh. I liked the turtles.

The Secret of Kells

Goolphipp Award: 2.8 (Wait for DVD)

Goolsby:
Phipps and I were drawn to this movie because of Ireland. Clearly our trip overseas left an impression of us. I would say this is the second recent Ireland-based movie we have seen frankly, just cause we need an Ireland-fix. So, while we were in Dublin we went and saw the Book of Kells exhibit at Trinity College. The book is amazing. For a tiny tiny background of the Book of Kells, Wikipedia gladly supplies us with this description, "...an illuminated manuscript in Latin, containing the four Gospels of the New Testament together with various prefatory texts and tables. It was transcribed by Celtic monks ca. 800."

We got to see select pages of the book on our visit. And let me tell you something, it was pretty amazing. The detail! So we were pretty stoked to see this children's cartoon story surrounding the Book of Kells.

The basic idea - a boy helps in the creation of the Book of Kells, and gets into quite a bit of adventure along the way.

This cartoon was actually semi-hard to follow. I think it would be best to go in to this thinking of it more as a fable or oral history, not a movie cartoon. I have to say us State-side people have been exposed to fewer types of cartoons or animated movies. We have a simple plot and goal laid out in the very beginning of the movie. This movie however, sort of wandered around. It was a solid story, filled with scary moments, amazing symmetry which mirrored the insanely detailed book itself. I say just sort of sit along for the ride in this movie, don't expect anything at all.

Oh... and a bit of a tidbit if you do go see this movie, wolves went extinct in Ireland around 1773.

Oh! There was a black man depicted in the film that bordered, no, straddled the racist line. Did he really need that big of lips?

Goolsby overall: 2.75
To quote Phipps during the first 3 days of our trip to Ireland, "I don't get it." Which is sad to say, and I wish I connected more with this film. Where's someone from Ireland when you need 'em?

Phipps:
I don't get it. This movie was spectacular visually, but plotwise, I pretty confused. I felt like I needed an Irish brain to get all the references. This is definitely a piece of Irish culture, because like most things in Ireland, nothing is outright clear (from street signs to movies apparently). The roots of this (I was told) is fear of invasion, which is actually depicted in this movie with faceless buffalo-like Vikings. It boils down to a story about fairies and magic...which helped write a transcription of the Christian gospels. Paradoxical, right?

This is not a kids movie. The meandering plot combined with very serious and scary animation scenes - I would suggest 10+ (or 12+ to be on the safe side) on this one.

This movie did get an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature, which is well-deserved for the actual animation. The visuals were wonderful, and they all had their roots in the Book of Kells itself. The entire movie was full of filigree motifs and geometric pattern design. Frankly, it was amazing, especially because I have seen the real book in person. I got that part of it. The character Brother Aidan, was the spitting image of Willie Nelson as a cartoon...with an Irish voice. Absolutely hilarious. I felt like the people in general were funny looking - what was up with the notches on the ears?

Bottom line: Not for kids, tough to follow, but worth a watch for the visuals. Read up on the Book of Kells before viewing.

Phipps overall: 3
Interesting, but I was too lost to fully enjoy it. That 3 is for visuals alone.

Goolphipp Award system update

Hey readers,

So we have decided to update our rating system. We noticed we were never giving movies a 0 rating, so we made some adjustments.

As of April 2010 we will be using a new scale:
1 = Total Tanker
2 = Wait for DVD
3 = See the Cheap Matinee
4 = Worth 11 Bucks
5 = Opening Night Excellence

Our previous rating system was:
0 = Total Tanker
1 = Wait for DVD
2 = See the Cheap Matinee
3 = Worth 11 Bucks
4 = No Peanuts Chucked
5 = Opening Night Excellence

Keep reading and let us know if you want to see anything special.

Goolphipp

Our Family Wedding

Goolphipp Award: 2 (See the Cheap Matinee)

Phipps:
Unfortunately, I had some expectations for this movie, which is probably why I was disappointed. The biggest letdown was by far Carlos Mencia, who should never try to act in a movie again. His character was a huge part of the movie, and he was a horrible actor. This is another case of sacrificing the role for a big name.

In general, I feel like the screenwriter didn't take advantage of the clash of cultures. The focus of the clash was hurling insults in the dialogue between the fathers...which was funny for the first 2 minutes and then got old. The grandmother was by far the best character - although, I didn't pick up on most of the Spanish...which probably should have been subtitled. I don't think there is much else to say. I wasn't that entertained. The movie wasn't that memorable. In fact, I think the only thing I'll remember was being jealous of America Ferrera's clothes.

Phipps overall: 2
Just didn't cut it.

Goolsby:
The gist of the movie - Mexican girl gets engaged to black guy; families collide. I agree with Phipps. Mencia was a let down. I was pretty excited for this movie. We had seen the trailer and it looked golden. The grandmother fainting in the preview was the best part of the movie. So it looks like we might have another Just-Watch-The-Trailer movies. Which is sad. I'm reminded of Did You Hear About the Morgans.

I caught a good chunk of the Spanish, but didn't realize Phipps didn't know what was going on till about half way through. I thought the families depicted were great. Poor Mencia just didn't compare to Forest Whitaker's father role. It's pretty sad when the minor characters upstage the leading roles.

Goolsby overall: 2
Had so much potential.

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Remember Me

Goolphipp Award: 3.6 (Worth 11 Bucks)

Goolsby:
Well, it's no wonder why we went to see this movie. Pattz and the promise of a teaser trailer for Eclipse - we're suckers.

This movie sort of grows on you, but only after you forgive it for it's extremely slow place. This movie takes its sweet time on getting to the point. I would say that this movie doesn't follow a typical plot line. It is more of a snapshot of someone's life. Sure, you get the background like any plot, but it's only in the interaction between characters that it all comes out. Once you accept the slow meandering pace, it starts to get good.

Who stole the show? A little girl. Ruby Jerins plays the younger sister Caroline to the lost older brother Tyler, played by Robert Pattinson. Every scene she was in, she steals the stage. I was reminded of Jae Head from The Blind Side. These up and coming actors are grade-A all the way.

The ending packed a punch for me. I had done no research on this film and was a little surprised at how it ended. The title of course hints at someone dying... Remember Me... "Someone's got to die," is what we kept saying during the previews. I won't spoil anything, but it was handled very well.

Some odd things, Pattz's kissing style is exactly the same as in the Twilight series. It was strange to see him opposite someone other than Kristen Stewart. Emilie de Ravin played the role of Ally Craig, Tyler's love interest. I'm familiar with her from Roswell, but hadn't seen her in a while. All the performances were okay. Pierce Brosnan plays a strong father role, and I was impressed with his ability to cover up his accent. Kudos. I wish there were more similarities between the son and father.

Goolsby overall: 3.75
I was expecting horrible and was surprised.

Phipps:
Well, as Goolsby said, you go into this movie knowing that someone is going to die. So, I wasn't all that surprised, but I felt that it was done well...and respectfully, I might add. I think that covers the biggest point of controversy for Remember Me.

As Goolsby said, the pace was incredibly slow. So slow that we pretended to slit our wrists a couple of times, which is actually quite disrespectful since one of the themes in Remember Me is suicide. I felt like I lost two years of my life in this movie. That being said, I've sat through worse...such as The Assassination of Jesse James (which made watching paint dry sound like attending the Superbowl). The cause of the slow pace was lack of plot, this movie is completely character driven.

The actors portraying those characters did a great job. I swear, Pierce Brosnan never gives a bad performance, and it was a good transition role for him too - playing the older guy/dad roles. Pattz is learning, and my one complaint is that he needs to learn to quit looking away on important lines/scenes. In life, when people deliver those lines, we generally look people in the face. That's about my only complaint. Ruby Jerins reminded me of Dakota Fanning in terms of acting ability. I agree with Goolsby, she stole every scene.

At the end of the day, I cared about the characters. And while the ending was tough to watch, all the conflict had been wrapped up in a tidy bow, which made the ending tragic, but not senseless. In fact, I'd say the last 5 minutes of the movie were the best moments.


Phipps overall: 3.5
For the last 5 minutes.

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It's Complicated

Phipp award: 3.5 (Worth 11 Bucks)

Phipps:
I saw this movie with a bunch of women I go to church with. And we all laughed a lot. It's Complicated was a solid good time. This was a good transition movie for Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, and Steve Martin. Caters to the older crowd, but the humor was basically universal. It was a good look at divorce, and how it affects people in general...and how it affects your kids. I think my favorite character was Harley, played by John Krasinski, the future son-in-law and the only one privy to all the secretive happenings. He made me laugh. Overall, it's a fun movie. It's not as raunchy as you might think...for those who are worried about it. And it was nice to see a bit of Santa Barbara...which reminded me of Ojai. Anyway, if you have a chance, see this movie...it's actually a romantic comedy that lives up to the genre.

Oh, and one more thing, I'd kill to have Jane's (Streep) kitchen before the remodel. It was amazing.

Phipps overall: 3.5
A good time.

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Alice in Wonderland

Goolphipp Award: 4.3 (No Peanuts Chucked)

Where we stand: Excited fan and general watcher

Goolsby:
Call me the excited fan. I love Alice in Wonderland. When I was about six, my parents bought me an Alice dress from Disneyland, and I never understood why my hair couldn't be blond like hers. I love the story, and I love the characters. I was prepared to hate this film after my bad experience with Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. So I was prepared for the worst. Turns out I didn't need to be so worried...

Phipps:
Honestly, I was never a big fan of Alice. I liked one scene from the Disney movie - the singing flowers. Apart from Goolsby, I doubt I would have seen the movie. From the start, I worried about the abundance of CGI-ness. I like seeing real sky. And, at the end of day, I'm not a fan of Tim Burton. There are very few of his movies that capture my fancy.

Audience: Family with discretion

Goolsby:

I think this movie might be a bit scary for small jumpy kids. I think it's fine for most families, but you never know. So fantasy fighting with monsters and what not.

Phipps:
Yeah, I agree, there are scary monsters and weird looking folks in this movie. Take your kid's personality into account. I'd say the 8-10 bracket of kids is the youngest you should go.

Special effects: Intense

Goolsby:
This movie was dark. The color scheme was dreary which is such a huge difference from what I grew up loving. The punches of color that the movie did have stuck out like headlights, which created an odd color palette. I loved the coloring and movement of the Cheshire Cat, it was on point the whole time. Johnny Depp's contacts were a bit distracting at times, but well done. I did notice the March Hare was a bit strange. He was completely animated and didn't look as well done as the White Rabbit. We did not see the movie in 3D so I cant comment on that aspect, but I have a feeling 3D would be great with this movie.

Phipps:
I was prepared for this movie to be all green screen, and I wasn't disappointed. It was done well. Most of the animation fit together seamlessly. I won't lie, I'm not a fan of green screen movies, but I suppose it was almost necessary in this case for all the wonderland-like components. I think the most successful integration was the work on the Red Queen, who sported a cranium the size of Jupiter - which probably allowed her to steal every scene she appeared in.

Story and continuity: Return to Wonderland

Goolsby:
Sometimes sequels or return movies feel strained or stretched. That wasn't the case of this movie. I appreciated that Alice refused to accept the fact that she was the "right" Alice. The one big complaint that I have with the movie is that I wanted it to return to the bright vivid colors. Once the White Queen came to power I wanted some type of magical transformation to happen in Wonderland. I wanted the colors that I grew up with to come back.

Phipps:
Storywise, I'm glad it was absolutely stressed before Alice was released that it was a sequel, which gauranteed that nobody was sitting there confused. The movie itself was action-packed. And while I don't think I'll ever own this movie, I wasn't bored. I had fun exploring Tim Burton's interpretation of Wonderland. I was wondering why the White Queen never lowered her arms though, she walked around with them slightly raised and away from her body. Reminded me of a ballerina meets space cadet. At any rate, I liked the story and how it developed. Character development was also good. I don't really have any complaints in this area.

What was the best: Cats and Clothes

Goolsby:
As I mentioned, I loved the Cheshire Cat. It was the attention to small detail that I really enjoyed in the film. The Cheshire Cat would be used as a shield by other characters then disappear. Loved it. I think the film did a great job keep all the small bits going. I also enjoyed the throwbacks to the original film -the flamingos and hedge hog made me smile.

Phipps:
Hands down, I loved how they dealt with Alice's clothes. It does stand to reason that Alice's clothes wouldn't grow or shrink with her, and with each resizing, she got a new dress. I thought that was quite clever...and it made for interesting dialogue and situations. A close second is the Red Queen herself. What a character. I have to agree with the rest of the world - Helena Bonham Carter is the real star of this movie.

Goolsby overall: 4.75
Call me an elitist if you want... almost perfect.

Phipps overall: 4
I like seeing real skies. Not my cup of tea (pun intended).

Goolphipp Award: 4.3 (No Peanuts Chucked)

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The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Gool Award: 4 (No Peanuts Chucked)

Goolsby:

I saw this movie by myself and really enjoyed it. Overall this movie has a strange feel to it. I'm not sure if it was seeing Heath Ledger in his last acting role, or if it was the content of the film. I didn't have any strange dreams which is good, considering this movie is like consecutive acid trips. I knew that it would be like that coming in, so I was prepared. The movie is full of color and character. Good, evil, imagination, and reality. This movie constantly forces opposites together.

The basic plot - Dr. Parnassus can expose people to their full imagination by letting them pass through a mirror into an imagination reality controlled by his mind. Dr. Parnassus uses their imagination and multiplies it by a million. Once in the imagination world they are presented with an opportunity, here comes the good versus evil part. The plot pivots on a bet Dr. Parnassus makes with the devil.

Dr. Parnassus is played by Christopher Plummer and Tony is played by Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell. Ledger died mid-way through filming and this movie used the imagination world to accommodate his passing. Every time Tony passes through the mirror into the imagination world his appearance changes. It was seamlessly done, and explained well in the very beginning of the movie.

This movie was dark and bright all at the same time. Ledger's performance was very strange. The character Tony is this sort of abandoned misguided guy.

Randomly, there were quite a few funny parts, and I appreciated that. I say go see this movie if you are up for a random crazy ride.

Goolsby overall: 4

I wonder what my imagination world would look like...

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Tooth Fairy

Phipp Award: 2 (See the Cheap Matinee)

Phipps:
I saw this movie because The Rock usually makes decent movies. They aren’t wonderful, but they are fun and light on crude. I also saw this movie because of Julie Andrews – she’s a legend. That being said, this was on the low end of good movies. It was a formula movie, but I was okay with the recycled storyline because it was a cute idea. The Rock in tights…strange and hilarious…and I have to say…he kind of rocked them. The wings were kind of lame looking – too papery. I get that fairy wings are different from bird wings, but come on, people! There was nothing cool about them – they didn’t move at all...a glorified Halloween costume. Everything in this movie seemed a little hollow. Performances weren’t solid. Overall, it could have been better.

Phipps overall: 2
Something was missing.

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