Just Wright

Goolphipp Award: 3.5 (See the Cheap Matinee)

Phipps:
Confession – I own a couple Queen Latifah movies, and I've seen most of her movies at one point. I've come to the conclusion that you can count on Ms. Latifah to deliver an decent movie. And this one is no different. I have a feeling I will eventually buy this one, just because I identify so much with Leslie's (Latifah) character. Again, this movie is pretty mainstream, but isn't stale. It's still funny and charming. I personally was bummed out because Leslie was always the gal pal, and it took her until she was 35 to find the right guy. Oi – it's like arsenic to a single lady such as myself. But my personal depression aside, this movie is worth seeing. And multiple generations will appreciate it...and will not be offended in the process. It's a good time. What I liked most about this movie was the depiction of the different types of women – it's a little too true. I'm thinking that most people will find something to like.

Phipps overall: 3.5
For all us Leslies out there.

Goolsby:
I love Queen Latifah. Last Holiday is one of my favorite movies, her and Gerard Depardieu just make me smile. Phipps mentioned the different type of women this movie depicts. So true. Ugh. Those conniving women who will say and do anything, but push come to shove, they cant hack it. Latifah's character Leslie is real and down to earth. I loved her hooptie car with its special dimple (major dent). One of the things in this movie that really kinda peeved me is Leslie's mother. There is this scene when the mom is about to hand over these special earrings that she met her husband in to one of the girls, and she hands them to the skanky liar of a cousin instead of her own daughter. Poor Leslie. You really get invested in this character. But what erks me is the fact that the mother never really seemed to apologize or own her wrongs in front of Leslie. You see the mother watching the TV and realizing just how special her daughter is, but never to her face. I thought Leslie's father LLoyd, played by James Pickens Jr. (who is known as Dr. Webber on Grey's Anatomy), did a great job. He really owned the more mature father role. Oh... I don't really follow rap music, but the main guy is the rapper Common. Can he act? Yea, I guess. It wasn't an amazing performance, but convincing enough.

Goolsby overall: 3.5
Solid movie.

Letters to Juliet

Goolphipp Award: 2.8 (Wait for DVD)

Phipps:
I was seriously excited for this movie. Two reasons: I'm a sucker for sap and I think Christopher Egan is a good looking chap. On the subject of the latter – he walks funny. On the subject of the former, well, I wasn't disappointed. This movie is everything you think it is...the trailer doesn't lie or mislead you. It's a chick flick, which if I'm being honest, will eventually worm it's way into my collection. What's nice about this movie is that it's a family movie. I don't remember a single thing that I wouldn't want my grandma to see. Letters is, of course, really predictable, which is always the number one complaint of critics. News flash, most people who watch chick flicks don't care. It's all about the sap. The dialogue was delivered with some snap. Franco Nero is a studly older guy. I must confess that being one of Juliet's secretaries would be a dream job. Overall, it's a safe bet for conservative audiences. It's a solid Girls Night Out movie.

Phipps overall: 3

Sapfest...and I liked it.

Goolsby:
Phipps is right. I have no idea why critics complain about predictability. Girls see these movie (and occasionally boys that get pulled along). These formula movie are staples to the movie world just like flour is to the kitchen. Aside from my supportive rant, I agree, this movie was good. Gave me what I expected and wanted. I was also happy to see that Gael Garcia Bernal who plays Victor, is getting some more mainstream American roles. I also thought that Vanessa Redgrave who plays the older role of Claire delivered some really touching moments with Amanda Seyfried. The cheese was a bit much for me to stomach. I'm more of a comedy girl and quirky movie person, but this movie was manageable. There is a scene in this movie where tourist who pay Juliet's balcony a visit in Italy can rub a statue of Juliet. This status really does exists, and it is good luck to rub her breast. True story. Looking back though, not really many memorable moments.

Goolsby overall: 2.75
For the cheesy balcony scene.

Babies

Goolphipp Award: 3 (See the Cheap Matinee)

Goolsby:

This is a documentary that follows babies from birth to 1 year in 4 very different places - Mongolia, San Francisco, Namibia, and Tokyo. Hands down I loved the kid from Mongolia. He was adorable. This movie had no subtitles, but wasn't really about any dialogue anyway. It was about the cute things babies do! And oi! They are cute. It was really interesting to see how different babies are raised - from huge metropolitan cities to the rural yurt homes. No matter where babies are, they are cry and laugh. Oh goodness. This film was adorable. There is a scene where the Mongolian baby is pulling on a cat's ear pretty roughly, and that cat just doesn't mind at all, it was just precious. This movie is not life changing, but I think it would touch a certain soft spot in most women's hearts.

Goolsby overall: 3

I loved watching the first steps of all the babies.

Phipps:

This documentary was fun. I know I shouldn't have favorites, but I loved Bayar, the baby from Mongolia. He was hilarious...and mellow. My one issue with this film is you only see the good times. Not the 2 AM feedings or the spit up. But I suspect that was the point. It was neat to see how similar child rearing is across the globe. Of course, there were also moments that were dissimilar, and was really interesting! Raising a kid in Namibia is hardcore! I think the filmmakers did a good job weaving all the footage together. Like Goolsby pointed out, there was hardly any dialogue, which to be honest, I kind of missed for the first half. Then I accepted it and moved on, but I wanted to know what people were saying! Overall though, it was just a fun experience. There were so many "awww" moments. I laughed too. It was sweet.

Phipps overall: 3

Yup. Everyone loves babies.

Iron Man 2

Goolphipp Award: 4.25 (Worth 11 Bucks)

Here comes the sequel: Consistent

Goolsby:
This movie was what I expected of the awaited sequel. At some parts I felt it was long, but I'm sure it was just the more lengthy plot. I felt the characters were in line with what was delivered the first go round. I knew Terrence Howard was not returning as Rhodey Rhodes, but I was still sad to see him missing. Don Cheadle was a good replacement, and I particularly liked how the first lines he spoke sort of alluded to the fact he was replacing Terrence. I thought that Paltrow gave a little bit more in this performance as Pepper Potts - loved it.

Phipps:
I thought it was a decent follow-up. I really loved the first one...and I think it's still better. I talked to a friend of mine beforehand, and he mentioned that while the technology surrounding Iron Man is obviously futuristic, the first movie really tried to be as realistic as possible. Whereas Iron Man 2, just plays with lot of fun futuristic technology that's really too advanced for even a hint of realism. I agree. I get that it's a superhero movie...and is supposed to be out-of-touch with reality...but I think they took it a little too far. But honestly, that's my only complaint - other than the ridiculous height of Pepper's high heels.

Action Sequences: Fast and hard

Goolsby:
Some of the car scenes were a bit sharp on the edges - meaning I think they could have done better. Perhaps some cleaner green screen work? The scene in particular that comes to mind is when Ivan Vanko, played by Mickey Rourke, is walking towards Iron Man with all these cars crashing into each other behind him. Needed a tad bit of work. I also noticed towards the end when the droid Iron Mans attack. Oh, and did anyone else think the atrium scene looked like the Kill Bill nature scene?

Phipps:
I thought it was decent, although, I stand by the fact that the first is still superior in this area. They were meticulous about it. This one...while still looking good...is just a tad lazier on some of the details.

Delivery: Who can play a better narcissist?

Goolsby:
Robert Downey, Jr. plays a stellar Tony Stark, and at his second pass, he seems so comfortable on screen in the role. You just have to love him in spite of yourself. He's dashing and witty, and I'm sure most girls swoon a bit. I really felt that he gave a great performance.

I also felt on the opposite spectrum that Sam Rockwell's performance as Justin Hammer was a bit... annoying? I know the character isn't supposed to be loveable, but come on... his portrayal of the character just didn't sit with me the right way. Anyone else feel this way? Or am I missing something from the comic?

Phipps:
Of course, Robert Downey, Jr. is the only one that could play Iron Man. He's already cocky. Paltrow was great as Pepper Potts. I'm not a fan of Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow. I didn't really believe she actually did all her action sequences...other than the "pause for effect" moments. Don Cheadle was a good replacement - I certainly don't blame him for stepping in - but seriously! Terrence Howard was a good Rhodey. Don't replace people - unless the actor in question is lame (like Katie Holmes in Batman Begins - Maggie Gyllenhaal is much better). Mickey Rourke freaked me out as a creepy Russian...thanks to whomever did his wardrobe and makeup. Sam Rockwell. What can I say? I normally like his performances, but I didn't quite buy it this time. As Goolsby says, he's annoying. I wish he had more of an edge - he's capable of breaking people out of jail. He should have a crazy side showing.

What was the best? The prospect of The Avengers movie!

Goolsby:
I loved Samuel L. Jackson in this movie. I don't claim to be a comic person, but I know the general basics. Iron Man, Thor, The Hulk, Captain America, and according to wikipedia Ant-Man and Wasp. I've never heard of the last two, but I know of the others. I'm way excited for this. I know it will take forever to come, maybe 5 more years? Perhaps more? But I'm so excited. It is going to be awesome!

Phipps:
Actually, The Avengers movie is slated to come out sometime in 2012. Captain America and Thor next year, and I'm pretty sure they'll just introduce Ant-Man and Wasp (who I've also never heard of) in the big Avengers movie. All the leads from the movies are on board, because that's part of the deal. I'm super stoked as well. Midnight showing anyone? One more thing, I loved that Nick Fury and team were more apart of the storyline. It's a good lead-up into the Avengers.

Goolsby overall: 4.25
I really liked this movie. It was what I wanted and expected. It didn't surprise me which was sad, but it satisfied me. Oh, oh! Mickey Rourke's fingernails, I just hope that a makeup artist is behind those gross looking things. Eck.

Phipps overall: 4.25
You know I'm going to buy it. Not as good as the first, but pretty darn good for a sequel.

Goolphipp Award: 4.25 (Worth 11 Bucks)

The Losers

Goolphipp Award: 1.3 (Total Tanker)

Goolsby:
I went to this movie for Phipps. I wasn't happy with this movie. The saving jokes and comedy were too far and few between. This movie is based on a comic, I haven't read the comic, and I'm curious to know what people who have read the comic think about this movie. This movie basically had problems left and right. The biggest one being the fact that if a man is shot in both this legs (whether it be the kneecap itself, or below the knee) he will not be able to walk. They mention this fact in the movie, but then break their own rule! They've got this guy up and walking, climbing walls, and doing crazy stuff after his legs get bandaged. Not going to happen. Perhaps the only good thing about this movie - the amazing explosions and Chris Evans' character Jensen. He was funny and witty, but it couldn't compensate for the horrible wreck of the rest of the movie. Bad plot, bad characters, bad acting, just bad. I did however like a sharp shooter named Cougar played by Oscar Jaenada, but perhaps that because he only said maybe 10 words the whole movie.

Goolsby overall: 1.25
Sad day.

Phipps:
Yep, it was a trainwreck. It had potential, but it was just bad - tanker status. As Goolsby mentioned, Chris Evans and Oscar Jaenada were the best parts of the movie. I'm a fan of Chris Evans, and I'm super stoked that he is going to be Captain America, but this was a bad choice. I could have done without the rest of the cast.

The plotline was your basic framing for a crime. Instead of really focusing on their expertise as a team, it was "poor us." There were witty moments combined with sharp shooting, but not enough. Fact: no matter how big or accomplished the man, you take out his knees and it's over.

So I suppose the bottom line here is that it's a crappy movie. The worst I've seen in a long while.

Phipps overall: 1.5
Evans and Jaenada tried...but it was a sinking ship.

Date Night

Goolphipp Award: 3.75 (See the Cheap Matinee)

Goolsby:
Tina Fey and Steve Carell as husband and wife, throw in some Mark Wahlberg and James Franco and you can count me in. I went into this movie with pretty high expectations given the two leading roles. I wasn't disappointed, but I think I would have appreciated it more if I wasn't single. This movie is general enough for all people, but I'm sure it really hits home for long-time couples and married people.

This movie had quite a few random moments in there. At times the supporting cast stole the show. Which is understandable considering you've basically got a shirtless (actually insistently shirtless) Wahlberg. James Franco and Mila Kunis were great paired together. I loved the volatile chemistry between them.

The action scenes... believable I guess. You don't examine them that much considering this is a comedy movie. This movie covered all your comedic bases though - physical, mildly crude, and dry sarcastic.

Goolsby overall: 3.5
Good laughs.

Phipps:
I have not run into a person that hated this movie. Date Night is built on chemistry: Tina Fey and Steve Carell, James Franco and Mila Kunis, Fey and Wahlberg and Carell. And the banter was stellar - and believable. I shouldn't be surprised, since Tina Fey is the queen of banter. Because I am unmarried, I can't really comment on the portrayal of a married couple, but I have a feeling that it's pretty close to reality (sometimes, anyway). You go through all this crap, but at the end of the day, it's worth it - which really is the end message. And apparently getting chased by dirty cops all night revives a struggling marriage. I just loved Fey and Carell together. Overall, this movie is pretty clean. Full of "dad" jokes. And I think a bunch of jokes related to New York City culture, which of course, went right over my head. One inconsistency drove me batty - Tina Fey's ridiculous high heels. One minute they are off - because they were running through the park - and no one appears to be holding them...and the next minute she's running on concrete with them on. Come on, ladies, you know we would have ditched the shoes...and they would have stayed ditched. I'm guessing it won't be long before this is running on TV. It's pretty mainstream. It's a complete package. I'd watch it with my parents. I'd peg the audience for 14+. If your kids watch The Office, they can watch this.

Phipps overall: 4
For Tina Fey and Steve Carell.

She's Out of My League

Goolphipp Award: 4.3 (Worth 11 Bucks)

Goolsby:
I love this movie. Hands down, I love this movie. Everything about this movie was pretty much perfect for me. It gave me unexpected elements, very unexpected - I'm talking about the out-of-left-field shaving scene involving two men. But even this unexpected scene was done with some bit of class. There was no unnecessary nudity and there was enough humor to cover up any awkwardness.

I loved the story line. A 5 guy dates a 10 girl. I loved the message at the end of this movie, that numbers don't matter. I loved the supporting cast too. Leading man Jay Baruchel plays Kirk and the British Alice Eve plays Molly (by the way, she did a pretty good job covering up her accent). I'm a fan of the gangly Baruchel. He knows how to own his geeky awkwardness.

This movie is all in the details. You would think they might have problems with the cliches of the basic plot line, but they side stepped all of the gimme moments and packed the movie full of "Did that just happen?!" moments. There is a scene where Kirk's ex-girlfriend clotheslines him. He goes down like a bag of hammers, and I couldn't stop laughing. I have to give some props to Nate Torrence who plays Kirk's friend Devon. Torrence has some amazing comedic ability and I'm so glad he was part of this movie.

The only bad part? One of Kirk's other friends Stainer, played by T.J. Miller reminded me of Napoleon Dynamite too much. Perhaps it was just his looks, but his character just had that annoying jerk quality that I couldn't embrace. Maybe too much jerk and not enough redeeming loveableness.

Goolsby overall: 4.75
This movie will someday soon be part of my collection.

Phipps:
This movie did horribly at the box office, and that's too bad. It actually was worth seeing. Like I've said before, I'm really wary of comedies, because they tend to be overly raunchy. While this movie had those moments - all the other moments far outweighed them. I laughed through most of the movie...good mix of physical comedy and wit. Disney jokes were made. People fell. But most of all, the movie had some heart. The characters were pretty ordinary with ordinary hang-ups - crazy families, webbed feet, and ex's you can't get rid of. One thing I'm grateful for is airport accuracy in this movie! People can't run through the airport to chase down the love of their lives anymore (unless you know people in TSA). As I think over this movie, I realize how much fun I had watching it. I don't have too many complaints. As Goolsby said, there were unexpected moments, but all in all, I think it was as tastefully done as possible. I wouldn't watch it with my parents, but I sure had a good time. If I remember right, the soundtrack even contributed to some laughs. As far as audience, I would say 16-18+. It's not squeaky clean, but it's probably as close to a "made for people in their 20s" comedy as it gets.

Phipps overall: 4
Pretty darn funny.

How to Train Your Dragon

Goolphipp Award: 4.3 (Worth 11 Bucks)

Goolsby:
Phipps and I saw this separately. I saw this after her, and was excited because she told me it was really cute, and it's true, this movie is super cute - and surprisingly teaches a really good lesson I thought. I loved the characters. The whole movie I was trying to figure out the voice of Hiccup. I could not for the life of me place Jay Baruchel's voice. Baruchel is know for his roles in Knocked Up and the recent She's Out of My League. The animation was great. I saw this in 3D and was happy with the 3D moments, but not overly impressed. Being an animal lover, I guess my love extends to mythical animals too - I absolutely loved Toothless the Night Fury dragon. The friend I saw the movie with said she was surprised to see how much of the dragon's characteristics were similar to a dog. It's true, but it didn't bother me at all. I loved his personality. I liked how the Viking world was depicted and I think this story sends a good message to kids. The one shocker though, the ending. There was one detail about the ending I didn't see coming at all.

Goolsby overall: 4.25
Sign me up for dragon flight lessons!

Phipps:
I really liked this movie. Lots of jokes and action. The animation was good. I'll probably end up buying this movie someday. It is pretty violent, and some of the dragons are scary, so I'd say audience would be 6+. I saw this movie with a 10-year-old boy, who ended up really liking the movie also. Again, know your kid. I have two things more to discuss. First, I thought it was really interesting that the older generation of Vikings actually had accents, while Hiccup's generation didn't. It struck me as strange. Second, the ending. What the dirty. Totally unexpected. I can't help but wonder, was it necessary? Bottom line, How to Train Your Dragon is a good movie. See it.

Phipps overall: 4.5
You can't beat dragons.

Kick-Ass

Gool Award: 4.75 (Worth 11 Bucks)

Goolsby:
I saw this movie with another friend, but I have a feeling Phipps would like it too. I loved this movie. I knew what I was getting into, and I was not disappointed. Actually, I was expecting far worse, well, as far as language and inappropriateness goes. The violence was just about how much I thought there would be.

Kick-Ass is the story of normal people who decide to take a stand and become crime fighters - super heroes. These people have no special powers and can bleed and get hurt just like us.

This movie is not a kids movie. It is rated R for a reason. And I know that being a rated R movie only attracts more teenagers to it, and they will probably sneak in anyway. It's really not the younger generation that has a problem with this movie, I think the older generation (40 and up?) might agree with Roger Ebert in calling this movie "morally reprehensible." If you have heard about this movie in the news then you know all the controversy comes from an 11-year old girl kicking ass like a superhero does and cursing like a truck driver all along the way. She throws down the "C" word, and I think that's where all the hoopla comes from.

I saw a teaser trailer online that was a snippet of a fight scene with Hit-Girl, played by Chloe Moretz. I remember being a bit shocked by the cursing child star, but I was intrigued anyway. By the time the movie came out, I couldn't remember any of the details of the explicit trailer, but was prepared for much worse than delivered.

The real hoopla should be about the sound plot and excellent ensemble. This movie has superheroes that you are proud to root for, and bad guys that demand to be hated. All the action scenes were amazing! Fast paced and loaded. I'm sure if I knew more about weapons I would have been in heaven, but having no knowledge of weapons I was still impressed. From bazookas, knives, hand held guns, to a very well placed amazing weapon contraption (I'm not spoiling this so sorry for the vagueness). The fight sequences were on point.

The heroes: Aaron Johnson plays Kick-Ass and does it so well. Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Fogell from Superbad and Role Models) plays Red-Mist and pulls off a cape. Hit-Girl is played by the young and talented Chloe Moretz. Hit-Girl's father Big-Daddy is played by Nicolas Cage.

We saw this Friday opening day, and I was very very surprised to find that the theater was not packed. Tell everyone you know to go see this movie. It is amazing and hardcore and I love it.

The best parts - The car scene with Kick-Ass and Red-Mist. A fight scene involving a strobe light type of thing. I also loved all of the little jokes in between the major dramatic parts. Just when you can feel this movie getting way too heavy and more involved than you bargained for, a strategically placed joke rescues you.

This movie is not for the weak. If you don't mind cursing and major violence, go give it a shot. This movie is based on a comic and makes me wonder if it stayed true.

Goolsby Overall: 4.75
A bazooka, are you serious? Yup! Amazing.

Clash of the Titans

Goolphipp Award: 3.75 (See the Cheap Matinee)

Goolsby:
So the original Clash of the Titans came out in 1981 - I wasn't even born yet. But, I do remember watching it later on VHS as a kid. Of course my older brother loved it, and I remember I did too. However, I haven't seen the original for a long time. I wanted to rent the original and watch it before we went to see the movie, but we just didn't have time. So I'm starting off with fond memories of the original and random details - like the metal owl!

First and foremost, the owl was the most important thing to me, haha. I'm a sucker for all things puppets, and the owl used to be basically a puppet or prop. I am glad to say the owl was paid homage in this movie. I literally threw my hands up and cheered a silent yes.

I liked this movie. I had fun watching it. Heck, its' a well known fact that I've got a thing for Liam Neeson. And boy oh boy was I happy, he looked a least 10 years, if not more, younger in this film. The makeup job was done very well. He played a very stoic commanding Zeus and I loved it. The whole cast did a really good job I thought. It was a good mix of people. Ralph Fiennes played Hades, and once again proved that he can be the ultimate villain (he also plays Voldemort in the Harry Potter films).

The action was intense and super fast. I had a hard time keeping up. Very quick. I loved the scorpion scenes. The CG was decent. There were only a few times where it felt the technology was being pushed to its limits. I guess we are having a theme of great wings this week, but once again, we were given amazing CG wings. The Pegasus had these beautiful black wings. Everything about that horse was spot on perfect. No complaints from me, gets an A+ in my books. Medusa on the other hand... her CG wasn't as seamless and left something to be desired.

I enjoyed the film, but it felt there was something missing. It needed some extra sense of umph, but I'm not sure where or how they could have given us that extra zing.

Goolsby overall: 3.75
Almost a 4.

Phipps:
I remember watching the original Clash of the Titans in elementary school. What I remember most is thinking, "that looks fake." But despite being slightly crippled by effects, because the technology just wasn't there at the time, the original had something special. It's been a while since I've seen it, but it had heart.

For this version, all the effects were in order, with the exception of Medusa. Stellar wings again. Everything looked right...and even with all the big names...there was no sparkle. While I normally love Sam Worthington, I just wasn't feeling it...from most of the performances. The exceptions: Ralph Fiennes (as Hades), Pete Postlewaite (as Spyros, Perseus' adoptive father), and Gemma Arterton (as Io).

I appreciated the obvious nod to the original with the robotic owl, and I'm sure there were more that I didn't catch.

This movie was a solid action adventure. There was clean action, comic relief, short skirts, and crazy creatures. It's entertaining. It's appropriate for the family with older kids.

That being said, the X-factor wasn't there. It has to be the performances, because there is no blaming the effects. Give me Harry Hamlin any day.

Phipps overall: 3.75
There was something missing.