Movie Review: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of Crystal Skull

OK, I have been anticipating the release of this movie for a year now, when I first heard that there would be a fourth. I must say I was not disappointed, however a fifth would certainly be pushing it. Like many children of the 80's Dr. Jones is one of my heroes and isn't so bad to look at either! I of course never saw the first three in theatres since I was less then 10 years old when the last one was released, I do however own the box set which I watch quite often. The fourth one, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of Crystal Skull, was an older more mature Dr. Jones yet still had the adventure and excitement of the previous three. I really enjoyed the subtle references to the previous movies and thought that they really incorporated past characters into the plot well. The supernatural theme that is in the past movies was very present in this one as well, a little too much for my taste, but still keeping with the trend. It fit nicely with the time period that the movie is set in so it worked. Harrison Ford was charming as always and Shia LeBeouf was nice eye candy as well. All in all I can't complain. I went in expecting an exciting movie and it delivered.

Movie Review: I Am Legend in the IMAX

Another one of the tickets I won was to see I Am Legend at the IMAX theater. When the movie was released back in Dec. I was slightly neutral about whether or not I wanted to see it, but when you get free tickets why not? The big plus for this movie is that Will Smith was the main character, and in fact the only human in many of the scenes. The premise behind the movie makes you think, but I didn't realize how violent it would be. The whole idea is that you are the last human on Earth when you discover that in fact you are not really the last one. It was amazing to see the scenes of a completely baren NYC. The scientific ideas in it were interesting as well. While this movie was on a special showing at the IMAX, it was not in 3D, which was probably a good thing. I normally enjoy a scary movie, but I wasn't thrilled by this one. I must be going soft! It was just too violent scary.

Movie Review: Juno

So, I have wanted to see Juno since before it got noticed. Then it became this quiet masterpiece and got nominated for all these awards and has done really well. I finally made it and am in love with it! I absolutely adored this movie. The writing was so clever and witty. Every detail was taken care of. I saw an interview with the writer and some of the cast on Oprah, and the writer Diablo Cody actually had a hamburger phone as a teen (you will understand when you see it, and you must go see it). It was that kind of detail that showed in watching this movie. Ellen Page did a magnificent job of portraying this character; the entire cast was perfect in fact. I haven't been this excited about a movie in a while and I am just head over heels for this one! Is it noticeable?! There is not a single thing that I think could have enhanced this movie to make it better. I thoroughly enjoyed the soundtrack as well. Nicely done, Juno!

BTW, I am writing this post using Microsoft Word 2007 and posting from there, so we'll see how this turns out.

Holiday Movie Review: Alvin and The Chipminks

For our 2nd Annual Family Fun Christmas Movie we went to see Alvin and The Chipmunks. I am a big fan of the little guys from my childhood and was actually wanting to see the movie before we settled on it for our family movie. I must say it was pretty cute. You gotta love those adorable little guys. The animation was pretty good as far as my untrained eye can see too. I certainly don't think it will win any awards but it was a fun movie for the holidays. I always like to check out the movie websites for the extras and with this one you can "Get Munked" and create your own chipmunk character with voice recording. Try it!

Movie Review: Polar Express in IMAX 3D

WOW, what an experience! Being my first trip to an IMAX theatre I figured it would be great, but this went well beyond. The Polar Express is such a great movie even not at the IMAX, but seeing it there really brings it to life. The snow flakes seem as if they are going to land right in your hands and the train ride actually feels like a magical roller coaster. And then there's Santa's village that is just incredible. If you need a little help getting in the Christmas spirit this movie, or book even, is a must. Making it's way to becoming a new Christmas classic, if it isn't already, I assure anyone this magical movie will help children of age 5 or 50 remember the magic of believing! Be sure to check out the website for the movie where you can build your own snowman and even board the train itself! The website is just a cool as the movie with lots of interactive ideas.

Movie Review: I'm Not There and Into the Wild

Well this one was interesting to say the least! I'm Not There is a look into the life and times of American icon Bob Dylan and this movie really took a journey. Several big name actors and actresses portrayed Mr. Dylan in the many roles that his real life character took on. I wish I knew more about him and his life because it really would have made the film more coherent for me personally. What little I did/do know of him and his life/music made it interesting, but I was slightly lost at other times. Overall it is an artsy film that I think is much more appreciated by those that are more informed. I now have some research to do so I can put it all together!

Another movie that I failed to mention when I saw it is Into the Wild. This was a beautiful movie directed by Sean Penn, whom I thought was in it as well, until I saw it. It is based on a true story that chronicles the journey of a recent college grad trying to find himself. This young adventurer leaves his conventional life of fortune and seeks one of less "worldly" prosperity on the road. His adventure leads him to Alaska where he learns how to survive in the wild and discovers an important lesson about life. WARNING: This movie is very intense and will leave you thinking. I would like to read the book that it is based on by Jon Krakauer of the same name. I have heard that the movie follows very closely to the book.

Movie Review: Becoming Jane

Went and saw Becoming Jane the other night. I thought it was a lovely movie portraying her life. I found it fitting that I see the movie while I was making my way through her novels, even though I haven't gotten very far. Anne Hathaway (also in the Princess Diary movies) did a great job in her role, as did the other lead (don't know his name). I really got a sense of how she wrote her novels based on life and the many triumphs and heartaches she experienced. I definitely suggest this movie, even though it only got mediocre ratings.

To add a little product placement, strictly for females, I tried the Veet bladeless shave kit this weekend. The kit comes with the bladeless razor and cream that is supposed to work in as little as 3 minutes. The results were decent but not quite what I expected. It got a little messy waiting for the cream to set but it did leave my legs smooth. It is not going to save me any time compared to regular shaving and it has only been 2 days and I am already stubbly when I thought it was going to keep them smoother, longer. I don't think I will waste my money with it again, just my opinions though.