Movie Review #26 - "What To Expect When You're Expecting (2012)"

Movie Review #26 - "What To Expect When You're Expecting (2012)"

So ... I had a request to review "Chick Flicks" ... So, instead of trying to be "the man", I thought it might be a good idea to show my softer side ... (Thanks Mary!)

On IMDB: "What To Expect When You're Expecting (2012)"

Okay ... So, it's a year or so old ... It was released in May 2012 ... And since it's highly unlikely that I'll go see a "chick flick" in the theatre, I usually hide in my office and secretly watch these ... shed a tear maybe ... have a spot of tea and a biscuit ... Seriously, a lot of the so-called "chick flick" movies are great instructional films for men ... Without further ado, my review ... (Wait, I rhymed ... )

Benny's Tabasco Rating:  7 / 10 Tabasco Peppers

Synopsis:  A group of slightly-interconnected people are having / trying to have children ... The film deals with the challenges and stereotypes of getting pregnant, being pregnant, having a baby, and adopting a baby ... 

Cast:  Well ... This one is the typical ensemble piece ... Usually, I have trouble with these types of casts ... However this one works rather well ... Elizabeth Banks (from Scrubs, Hunger Games, etc.)  plays Wendy who is a baby specialist.  In fast, she owns a store called "The Breast Place" ... Her character is married to Gary Cooper (no, not the actor, played by Ben Falcone (probably known for "Bridesmaids). Gary dad is Ramsey Cooper (played by Dennis Quaid) and his basically barely-legal bride, Skyler (played by Brooklyn Decker).  Jennifer Lopez plays Holly who is photographer married to Alex (played by Rodridgo Santoro -- he played "Carl" in "Love Actually"  ... the ladies will appreciate his looks) ... Unforunately, Holly can't have a baby and they adopt a baby from Ethopia.  Then, there's Cameron Diaz who plays Jules on a reality show like "The Biggest Loser" ... and she meets Evan (played by Matthew Morrison from Glee) ... They aren't married and tend to have these petty arguments until the baby's arrival.  And finally, Anna Kendrick (from End of Watch and Pitch Perfect to name a couple) plays Rosie who hooks up with Marco (played by Chace Crawford ... Another good looking man ... but hasn't done much work) ...

There are a notable set of characters called "The Dudes" which are a bunch of men who have babies with the wives and go to the park on Saturdays to "hang loose and drink beers" while managing to take care of the kids ... Chris Rock is the defacto leader of the gang and has some really funny lines ...

Whew ... That's the problem with these ensemble casts ... Lots of names to remember ...  However, it actually works well ...

Writing:  This screenplay was adapted from a book by Heidi Murkoff.  The two screenwriters, Heather Hach and Shauna Cross actually make this work ... While the writing is not really that deep, it has some very strong comedic moments.  Banks character, Wendy, actually loses it while a baby convention ... Chris Rock's character delivers some poignant and fairly close to the truth comments about how men raise a baby ... 

Direction:  Kirk Jones shows us his lighter side ... He directed "Nanny McPhee" which then again is another light film ... It's a bit campy ... But I liked the humor in it ...

Cinematography:  While it was crisp and clean, there weren't any moments that you were so focused on the shot that you forgot about the story.  It was like having the lemon for your iced tea ... It was a nice compliment to the story, but it is was a different lemon, you really wouldn't have noticed ...

Overall Synopsis:  I really enjoyed this film.  Not as much as let's say ... "Love Actually" (I'll review that one next because there's really good stuff in there) ... It's not a deep film ... It's not a tear jerker ... But it is pretty cool how the relationships overlap and in the end "All is well in Babyland" ...

Would I pay $10.50 at the theatre with my wife?  Doubtful for this one.  Since we have Netflix, we've have watched a couple of times and have enjoyed it ... For those of us with older kids, it makes you want to have your children back with a pacifier in their mouths ... (at least for me) ...

This would be a good Saturday night stay at home, search Netflix and find it kind of movie .. It does have quite the all-star cast at the right time ...

And by the way, Anna Kendrick is the bomb ... I'll review "Pitch Perfect", another "chick flick" to tell you why I think she may be the next true up and coming actress to make it big ... 

Movie Review #25 -- "Blackfish (2013)" *Documentary

Movie Review #25 -- "Blackfish (2013)" *Documentary

On IMDB:  "Blackfish (2013)"








WARNING:  Please ... Please ... Please ... Don't let children watch this ... 

Benny's Tabasco Rating:  9 / 10 Tabasco Peppers

Synopsis:  This is a documentary about Killer Whales (i.e. Orcas) that are held in captivity and the deaths associated with the training of Killer Whales for our amusement.

This was and is the most powerful documentary I have ever seen.  Most of my friends know how much I love the ocean, surfing, kayaking in the ocean, etc.  Unfortunately, this ain't "Free Willy" ... It's more like Willy got mad and killed some folks ...

The footage usage in this film was the actual footage that occurred when Orca trainers were killed.  It literally made me sick to my stomach.

I went to SeaWorld with the family around 1997-ish ... Of course, we saw the vast amount of sea life including many species of fish, sharks, rays, dolphins, and of course, Shamu ... or like I called him "Shampoo" ... 

Well ... I think that this is one film worth the watching.  It was extremely eye-opening and made me cry to think of the damage that we do to these beautiful creatures ... 

I will never ever ever ever go to SeaWorld or support any place that traps and trains Orcas or dolphins ... I can't believe I am saying this ... But you know how they have the ASPCA commercials with the sick puppies and kittens ... They need a commercial for Orcas using this film ...

It's a must watch but I will warn you in advance ... Be prepared to see some pretty gross stuff ...

Movie Review #24 - "Elysium (2013)"

Movie Review #24 - "Elysium (2013)"

First, let me start this lovely review by saying that I truly enjoy most of Matt Damon's work.  He's smart, cunning, funny (at times), and just a good actor ... Unfortunately, this wasn't the right film choice for him ...

On IMDB:  "Elysium (2013)"

Benny's Tabasco Rating:  2 / 10 Tabasco Peppers

Synopsis:  Earth is basically a waste land that's controlled by rich people that live on a "space station" orbiting Earth.  Yawn ... On "Elysium" (i.e. The Space Station), no one gets sick and life is bliss ... Yawn ...

Are you asleep yet? Please ... I beg you ... Read on ...

Cast:  Matt  Damon plays the lead as a down and out man who is basically given radiation poisoning and has a very short life span.  His character is not what I would call very deep ... It's a phone-in role for Damon as far as I am concerned ... I was not impressed by this ... And why doesn't Matt's characters every smile?

Jodie Foster plays the Secretary of Defense for Elysium.  She's cold, calculating, and disciplined ... She actually does a decent job ... But I place blame on the writing ... 

No one else really sticks out ... Matt's character (see how memorable his character was) has a love interest that you really don't care about ... There are bad guys and good guys ... But the writing makes this film so forgettable ...

Writing:  Neill Blomkamp wrote this mess of a script ... I think about twenty more re-writes later, this might have been a decent film ... There won't be any accolades that I can see in the near future for this work.  He was a writer on "District 9" which was decent ... But not exactly Oscar material ... 

Direction:  Again, Neill Blomkamp directs.  I think he did a pretty good job with Jodie Foster.  However, I really didn't care who lived or died in the film ... That's not a good thing ... There seemed to be such a disconnect between the characters and the audience ... 

Cinematography:  Too much CGI.  I know that this is a futuristic film, but come on ... Enough ... Can't we ever see something real anymore?  Make some mock-ups!!! Get cheaper actors ... Build sets ... 

Yes, I know we live in the Digital World ... But I'm a material girl ... Wait ... man ...

Overall Synopsis:  I'm not a fan of this one ... I actually went to see this one on the big screen .. and I rented it once it went to DVD ... I'm not sure why ... I thought that maybe I wasn't in the right frame of mind in the theatre ... So, rent it .. And I did ... I had the same reaction .. No connection whatsoever ... 

Find something else ... Watch "Alien" or "Flash Gordon" .. :)

Movie Review #23 - "2 Guns (2013)"

Movie Review #23 - "2 Guns (2013)"

I don't know about you guys, but sometimes I like to be completely and totally surprised by a movie ... So, I saw a smidge of the trailer for "2 Guns" on TV when the film was released ... I like to see Mark Wahlberg act ... Check one! Denzel! Check Two!  Weapons, fighting, etc. Check Three ... Then, I got busy with work and shoulder surgery ... I completely forgot about this year ... And based on the numbers, a lot of other people forgot too! 

On IMDB:  "2 Guns (2013)"















Benny's Tabasco Rating: 8 / 10 Tabasco Peppers

Synopsis:  Two gangsters hook up to rob a bank ... Except both of them are undercover for different agencies and don't realize that they are only setting each other up ... That's the short version ...

This is a very well told story about two guys working undercover and neither of the two agencies in charge know that the other guy is undercover as well.

The story takes place in Texas near the Mexico border.  The boys (Denzel and Mark) team up to rob a bank with three million dollars in it ... They are trying to steal from this drug lord .. (It's a little more complicated, but you get the picture ... hopefully) ... They end up robbing the bank, but instead of getting three million dollars, it's over $40 million ...   So, who's money is it?  I like this film so much that I am not going to spoil it for you ... Redbox or Amazon has it ...

Cast:  Denzel Washington. Mark Wahlberg.  I usually associate both with either hard-core action adventure films or deep-meaning type films ... Maybe not for Wahlberg ... However, this movie is truly funny ... The back and forth banter between Denzel and Mark is spot-on .. Great timing ... Great laughs ...  I have watched this film several times because I was laughing too hard in some spots that I missed lines in the film ...

Bill Paxton is also in the film as a CIA jerk ... While I usually don't like him very much, he really pulled his weight.  I might be starting to like him ... The only other thing that he was in that I like him was "True Lies" ... 

There are a couple of other bit parts that include Edward James Olmos, James Marsden, and Fred Ward (Remo Williams:  The Adventure Begins, Timerider, Sweet Home Alabama, The Right Stuff, etc.)

Writing:  Blake Masters does a fantastic job (in my opinion) of taking the graphic novel by Steven Grant to film.  The writing is sharp, funny, and interesting ... There are some excellent plot twists and back-stabbing that don't appear until the conclusion of the film ... Excellent work there!

Direction:  Baltasar Kormákur directs.  I don't know much of his works because he's from Iceland ... Yes, Iceland ... So, it seems like he's a first-timer here ... I'm really glad that the studio allowed him to do this project ... Again, direction was spot-on!!!!

Cinematography:  Oliver Wood is the DP.  And you are saying, "Who is he?", right?  ... Well ... You might recognize some of his other works ... The Bourne Series (excluding Legacy) is the majority of his work ... The shots are crisp, connected, and well-done.... I couldn't figure out why I liked the "look" of the film so much ... But now I know ... The Bourne Series including Legacy is one of my favorites ... 

Overall Review:  I love this film.  It's funny, different, unusual, and unexpected.  The actors plays these roles to near perfection.  It's a must see in my book ... And I'm kind of mad that I didn't see it on the big screen ...

I rented it from Redbox for $1.29 ... It's worth a lot more than that .... 

A small departure from the movie reviews ... A Review of the TV Series - "The L.A. Complex (2012)"

A Review of the TV Series "The L.A. Complex (2012)"

First ,,, Let's recap ... It's a quiet time in the Mouton House ... I'm off a number of days from work for vacation that I hadn't used up ... And I'm bored ... Shoulder is still recovering ... So, not a lot of sports activities ... So, I pull out my Nexus 7 Tablet and proceed to play all of the free games that I could find that were entertaining .. After a day or two, I started watching movies and TV shows ... Not one or two.  I spent pretty much days and nights watching the rectangle in my office or the living room ... Blast out these extreme audio video nausea ... 

Well ... Vacation is over ... I've working the past couple of days since the 1st and frankly, it's time to spill the beans on a number of TV shows and movies ... (mostly movies, of course!) ...

So ... Earlier today, I wrote my review of "Serenity / Firefly" ... A movie and short-lived TV Series that I truly enjoyed the cast, the writing, the direction, and most of the cinematography ... And Jewel Staite ... The actress who played "Kaylee" in "Serenity / Firefly" ... Nothing wrong with a little crush ... In my quest to find more titles with Jewel Staite, I went to your local IMDB and searched ... Then back and forth to Netflix ...

Well ... Long story all ready too long ... I found this TV Series ... "The L.A. Complex" ....  Hmmm ... 19 episodes ... Hmmm again ... Jewel Staite ... Nobody else that I knew ... Well ... Once exception was a 2 or 3 episode arc for Alan Thicke ... Yes, I said it, Alan Thicke ... Robin Thicke's dad ... "Growing Pains" ... Yes ... him ... 

It should have been the warning shot across the bow of my "movie / tv watching boat" ... But, instead, I had to see this ... Jewel Staite!!! I had to see her act again ...

Here's my overall review (short version):  Watch anything else.  If you want to read more, please feel free to do so .. There was a couple of surprises (meaning good acting, good writing), but they were so few and far between ... I'd like you to continue reading.  However, I won't be offended if you don't.

The premise of the show sounded sort-of okay ... I guess ... It's about a bunch of people trying to make it in acting / comedy / music in Los Angeles ... Jewel Staite plays Raquel Westbrook ... A seasoned actress who's only remember as her part in "Teenage Wasteland" ...

I didn't know anyone else in the main cast ... No one ... Nyet ... Nein .. No ... Zero ... But alas, I continued ...

The show tries to show you the insecurity and emotional edge of becoming an actor / comedian / musician .... It tries ... and well ... falls a lot flat ... 

I read other review that actually liked this ... I know that I am old ... But when I have to repeated look up the main character's names between episodes, there's a problem ... 

I told you if you kept reading, I would reveal the good or the "surprise" of the series ... There is a rapper / hip-hop artist on the show named "Kaldrick King" (played by Andra Fuller) ... This dude can ACT!! He plays the typical tough thug gangsta boiiiY! ... However, he's gay ... Yep ... I said that ... "Kaldrick King" is gay ... It was such a beautifully told story line ... The struggle to remain in that gangsta world ... Pretend to like women, but be attracted to men ... Andra Fuller was BRILLIANT!!! I really don't care what his real life sexual preference is ...He was amazing ... He acted with conviction and truly committed for this role ... Hats off to you, Andra Fuller!!! Hope to see you in more amazing roles ... Not just gangsta thug ...

The rest of the this series is mostly filled with sex ... Honestly, it was sad that the writers didn't have enough real material to prop up this show ... I could have given many many many different twists to the characters in the show ... Instead, it is a revolving door of sleeping partners and how rough it is in L.A. trying to make it ... 

Crap, it's tough in Virginia too!!!!

As I wrap this up, I chose poorly on this one ... If you feel the need to make your life seem better, watch one episode ... The acting is awful, the scripts are pathetic, and worst of all, it's like they tried to make "Skins (UK Version)" but instead in Los Angeles ... Really?   So sad .... Could have been done a lot better ...

And I have learned something from this experience (yes, a 19 hour experience).  Just because you have a crush on an actor/actress, it doesn't mean that everything that they are in will be good!

:)

Movie Review #22 - "Serenity (2005)"

Movie Review #22 - "Serenity (2005)"

Yes ... I know ... I am reviewing a movie that is almost nine years old ... Sorry that I am so late to the game ... But ... You'll understand why I am reviewing this film and its associated TV Series first ...

First ... Let's get the IMDB link out of the way:

 On IMDB:  "Serenity (2005)"

Okay ... Let me get this out of the way ... This is one of my most favorite science-fiction/fact movies of all-time ... There are so many good things that I hope I can convince you to at least watch the movie if not the series ("Firefly (2002)").   So, without further ado ... 

Benny's Tabasco Rating:  8 / 10 Tabasco Peppers

Right now, you are probably saying, "Benny is an idiot" ... He says it's one of his all-time favorites but doesn't give it 10 Tabasco Peppers ... Well, you're right ... There are a couple of things that I'll reveal soon ... (I promise)

Story:  This story takes place in the future where there is a battle for a new planet since we messed up Earth so bad ... There are sides chosen, a battle enrages, and well ... the cast of the ship, "Serenity" lost in the battle ... The crew of Serenity are basically scavengers and thieves ...  Stealing their way across the galaxy ... Not to mention the controlling planets deemed "The Alliance", they have to deal with a group of wacked-out, nasty, flesh-eating, self-mutilating humans called "Reevers" (and no ... not pot smoking people ... but that would be interesting to watch this stoned ... ) 

The crew of Serenity go into a space port on one of the planets to trade out "merchandise" and fill-up ... (That's my version or opinion).  They pick up several passengers to carry and make some $$$ ... They end up picking up a "government weapon" in the form of a human named "River" (played by Summer Glau) ... Along the way, they encounter "Reevers", the Alliance, a priest like man named "Shepherd Book" ... Again, most of the story takes place in space ... They also have a companion (i.e. prostitute) except that in these times "companions" are basically considered royalty.

There are plot lines of action/adventure, love, trust, faith, hope, courage, etc.  As I write about the story, it's really better than an 8 /10 Tabasco Peppers ...

Benny's Revised Tabasco Rating: 9 / 10 Tabasco Peppers

Cast:  When you read (past tense) in 2002 (when the series started) or 2005 (when the movie came out), the cast didn't seem to impress very much ... Nathan Fillion plays Captain Malcom "Mal" Reynolds ... He is very captivating as the leader of the Serenity.  Currently, Nathan plays the lead role on "Castle".   This man has the gift ... He's believable and humorous without being stupid or slap-sticky (not a word, but go with it) ... His right hand man is a woman named Zoe Washburne played by Gina Torres.  You might know her from a variety of things ... She's on "Suits" (USA Network show) ... Again, another solid performer ... Zoe's husband is the pilot named Hoban "Wash" Washburne (played by Alan Tudyk) ... He's pretty good at the role ... He plays a very good supporting role as the pilot and the husband ... River Tam (Summer Glau) and Dr. Simon Tam (Seah Maher) plays the stoways from the Alliance.  River is the malfunctioning government weapon (almost sounds like a Bourne movie) ... Dr. Tam becomes a vital member of the crew ... When someone needs patching up, Dr. Tam to the rescue ... 

There are a couple of other cast members ... The bad guys from the Alliance, the Reevers, etc ... but really not worth getting into ... They do "OK" ...

Finally, the "jewel" (sorry for this) of the film is Kaylee Frye played by Jewel Staite (again, I apologize) ... She really brought out something in a nothing role as the ship's mechanic ... She becomes Dr. Tam's love interest ... She really impressed me as this was my first encounter ...

Wait ... Forgot about Inara, who plays the "Companion".  Morena Baccarin (also in "Homeland") is AWESOME ... Beauty, style, sophistication ... Stunning ... Moving on ...

Direction:  Joss Whedon.  Do I need to continue?  Yes, I do ... This cat is awesome in the sci-fi genre ... He got his start with "Firely" ... Then did "Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)", "Angel (TV)", "Dollhouse (TV)", and maybe you remember that HUGE Marvel vehicle ... "The Avengers" ... Yes ... that's him ...

Put it this way ... He's the man ... 

Writing:  Joss Whedon.  Done ... Well ... No ... If you watch "Firefly", the characters take on more depth ... But I think he did a pretty good job trying to recap the TV Series into a film ...

Here we go with the spoiler (so to speak) ... You start watching the movie or the TV Show saying to yourself, "Great.  Another Sci-Fi to watch" ... But Joss Whedon turns it on its head and really makes this a western ... It's a Western in space ... I know, when my son turned me on to this, I was like "Really?  That doesn't sound so good!".  His reply, "Go Watch" ... It really is amazing to see what good writing can do ... And Joss does it so well with this project ...

Cinematography:  A lot of CGI as to be expected ... The chase scenes are pretty cool ... But overall, this is the one spot that I wasn't over the top impressed ... At the end of the film, there are a couple of cheesy things that I was like ... "Really?  Fireworks?" ...

Overall Review:  Yes, I'm 9 years behind ... But maybe some of my friends and followers haven't seen this ... Or want to chime in ...  It's a great watch ... But ... If you do, watch "Serenity" first, then binge-watch "Firefly" ... Both of them are on Netflix and maybe Amazon Prime ...

Here's the really cool fact about the film, "Serenity".  The studio cancelled the TV after 14 episodes ... Yes, 14 ... The fans of the show rallied and basically petitioned the studio to make the movie ... There's a really interesting and thought-provoking documentary about how "Serenity" came to be after the TV show was cancelled ... It's called "Done the Impossible: The Fans' Tale of 'Firefly' and 'Serenity' (2006)" ... It really makes you think about how social media and a strong and convicted fan base can be ....

It's Saturday ... It's cold ... Watch it if you haven't seen it ... Then, binge-watch "Firefly" ...

Movie Review #21 - "Jake Shimabukuro: Life on Four Strings (2012)"

Movie Review #21 - "Jake Shimabukuro: Life on Four Strings (2012)"

It's Sunday afternoon ... Nothing that I really want to see at the theatres ... So ... Amazon Prime find me a movie ...  There's nothing there that I haven't seen ... Search Documentaries ... No ... I don't want to watch a movie about "Food" ... Then, I stumbled on this one ...

On IMDB:  "Jake Shimabukuro: Life on Four Strings (2012)"

Benny's Tabasco Rating:  8 / 10 Tabasco Peppers (almost a 9)

Synopsis:  This documentary tells the story of a young man, Jake Shimabukuro, from Hawaii who plays the ukulele like Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, or Eddie Van Halen plays a guitar.

Cast:  Well ... Jake ...

Cinematography:  It's well done for a documentary.  There are some nice shots of Jake performing.  The most amazing shots were of Shendai, Japan after the tsunami ... For those of us who saw and maybe went through Hurricane Katrina, these shots were jaw-dropping of the damage that town has suffered.

Overall Review:  First, just watching this guy play the ukulele is incredible.  Seeing and hearing his life story was pretty good as well ... He's a really cool guy ... I would love him to be a friend ...   I don't want to give it all away because you just have to watch this young man play ...  For that alone, it's worth that hour of your time ... I promise you will be telling your friends about this movie / man.