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Reviews
The Family Holiday (2007)
Kind of bothersome...
Cute premise, but the idea of some guy picking up a couple of kids in the park and taking them home, offering them money for a business agreement, makes me feel weird. We tell our kids not to talk to strangers all the time, let alone go home with them!!! What type of person would ask two kids on the street to come home with him? Other than that, some of the lines are cute, but the kids can have conversations that are adult level then have problems saying "fraternal", especially the girl. It's like they portray her as a bit dumb.
I guess watching it with my 8 year old makes me want to grab her and say "Going with strangers does NOT lead to happy endings!"
Land of the Lost (2009)
Meant to be stupid so it works!
This is the type of film you watch when you want to spend a couple of hours being brain dead and maybe having a few laughs. I loved it. Sometimes we get caught up in having to judge films for the deepness or the message, and it all good, but occasionally it's nice to just relax and watch Will Ferrell at his best, acting like a socially retarded nerd. There was no real message in the film, there was no moral to the story. There were gross scenes, funny scenes, stupid scenes, impossible scenes and outright hilarious scenes. The movie is like all of Ferrell's movies, but that's good. I don't remember the name of his male costar but he's awesome. He's got the best voice, face and personality for these types of films.
So relax and watch it without expecting "art". And don't compare it to the original film, because I'm pretty sure it's not meant to be a comparison!
She's the Man (2006)
Great film, especially for preteens
I watched this with my 8 year old and we loved it (maybe I did more than her because i remember watching the "Amanda Show" with my older daughter). Amanda Bynes is hilarious, and does a great job as a "guy". Some of the scenes are really too funny, like with the tampons. I never thought I'd ever see that done by ANYONE, let alone a Hollywood actress. But you can tell Bynes is not the typical Hollywood actress by watching this. You can see how she puts her unique sense of humor into the film, the same sense of humor that made me (as an adult) laugh at the "Amanda Show".
It's not a probable scenario in the end, but it doesn't detract from the movie as it's really for kids, and kids want fantasy, not reality. They want a world where everything will be OK, and everyone's happy, and they get that in this movie.
The Break-Up (2006)
Depressing
I'm not sure how to review this. I guess i'd have to say that the acting was spot-on,and that it's probably the first time I've actually seen either Vaughn or Anniston really ACT, but overall the film was a bleak hole.
I was led to believe (by publicity?) that this was a rom-com, so that's what I told my daughters before we watched it (they're 17 and 8). How depressing to have two people on the big screen arguing just like mom and dad did last night in the kitchen.
At first I thought it was funny, how the arguments were so similar to what a frustrated couple argues about (i.e. me and my husband) but then it got heavy. We watch films, for the most part, to escape, and this wasn't an escape but a slog through the mire of unhappiness.
There were really no scenes that were funny, nor any that were even cute. Their friends are weak (except for Favreau, who was only scary, and annoying).
Julie & Julia (2009)
Great movie
I watched this movie with my 8 year old daughter and it was perfect. Luckily she missed the part about the "stiff cock" -- I don't want to have to explain that to her! It was great to learn so much about this woman who was a part of my household growing up. I think my dad was secretly in love with her and we had the cookbook, watched her on TV.
The flash back and forth from present to past was great, and the scenes in France were wonderful. Meryl Streep was JULIA, not Meryl Streep---good to see there are still actresses who can really act.
Overall just a really good, well-made film, and I recommend it to everyone.
Peter & the Wolf (2006)
Great film for kids and adults
I loved this, watched with my 8 year old daughter. It has laughs and suspense and sadness and happiness.
The animation is incredible, especially the cat, and the characters are so endearing.
I enjoy having films for my daughter that aren't filled with inane dialogue and cute little witticisms, as there are really so few nowadays that are really funny for kids. She enjoyed just watching and listening to the music, as she was able to comment on what was happening, or what she thought of the characters, without being afraid of missing a line.
We recommend it to all.
The Lovely Bones (2009)
Pretty good
Other than the fact that I was convinced that was Judd Nelson and was then surprised to see it was Stanley Tucci, the film wasn't too exciting for me. I read the book, and enjoyed it, but wouldn't put it on my list of favorites.
Susan Sarandon as the grandmother was so NOT-convincing, and the other actors, other than Saoirse Ronan and Tucci, were way too bland. The scenography was strange, but nice, almost peaceful.
I like how the actual attack wasn't portrayed. If it had been, it would only have been done so for ratings, the shock factor, so I'm glad the director didn't need to go there.
I watched the film feeling like I was waiting for something, and at the end, I didn't feel that that wait was over, so I was left feeling a bit disappointed.
All About Steve (2009)
A waste of time
This movie contains very few laughs that aren't completely forced. The product placement (anyone want to head out to a certain convenience store?) was ridiculously blatant, and I was surprised that we viewers are seen as such dumb-asses as to not be offended by such "in-your-face" commercialism.
I was also embarrassed for the actors, especially Bullock, who was so plainly not comfortable in her role. She didn't give the impression of ADHD as was probably the point, but of a bi-polar in a manic phase, and the viewers were just waiting for the fall into depression. I do not think this was the intention of her character. It was scary.
I felt I wasted an evening watching this film...
Role Models (2008)
Hilarious
Absolutely hilarious film, the concept mix of characters is complimentary and well-thought out. Jane Lynch (scarily hip and psychotic!) and Christopher Mintz-Plasse steal the show, but the others are equally fantastic. Danny Donahue's cynical outlook is easy to relate too, but so is Wheeler's happy-go-lucky attitude. They are the right compliment to each other.
Lots of swearing, so be careful with little kids, but the moral is great, and none of the swearing is used in an aggressive way towards another person, i.e., non-threatening. A lot of sexual innuendos, a semi-nude scene, but in the end, not really offensive. If you're offended by any of it, don't watch the film, but you'd miss out on some great comedy.
All in all, great film.
Music and Lyrics (2007)
Wonderful, fun film
When the film came out I was so not interested in seeing it. I don't go for love-coms at all (and no way does my husband) but we had nothing else to watch, and we chose this.
We loved this it! Hugh Grant was great and adorable as an ex-pop star, and Drew Barrymore was so cute as the plant-girl. They worked well together, really complimented each other. I would never have guessed it, never in a million years have put them together, and we were pleasantly surprised.
There are some tender moments, and quite a few laughs, especially subtle ones coming from a modest Grant.
It was hard seeing Barrymore and Johnston as sisters, as they're so different physically, but it worked, and Johnston was hilarious. I felt bad for her husband tho LOL
The Island (2005)
Good beginning, then falls into usual Hollywood action stuff
I watched this with my family last night and we all we mesmerized by the first 20-30 minutes of the film. The "freakyness" of the world where they live was cool, and we were silent (strange for my family) while we wondered what it was all about.
Then last part of the film is thoughtless, though. It seemed to drag on and on. We all got bored with the car crashes and explosions. There were also a lot of idiosyncrasies: moments where we were wondering how they arrived at a certain point (especially without dying, which would have happened--or at least grave injury--if not Hollywood), or who people were, or why someone was doing something. That really takes away from a film. A film like this does not need to be real--that's why we go see it--but it has to make us believe that it COULD be real to a certain degree. If it starts spewing BS, then what's the point?
Oh yeah, the scene of them boxing with the xbox is stolen straight from Space Odyssey 2001...
And the product placements were excessive...we saw at least 4