White Chicks ;P

Comedy, oh comedy. I honestly couldn't wait till we got to this section. I love to laugh especially when the movie is just plain "in-your-face" comedy. For the movie that just kept me rolling on the floor was the 2004 Wayans movie White Chicks. When a movie is so well made that you can quote it at odd times you know it's worth it to spread the word. The movie is basically about two FBI agents who have messed up for the last time and decided to go "undercover" in order to figure out a big scandal. Brothers Kevin and Marcus Copeland played by brothers Shawn and Marlon Wayans, are forever messing up but by disguising themselves as rich white sisters must work because they get the bad guy. The witty humor and fast comebacks along with the dramatic action just pull me back in. Also the camera work is stunning because of how I guess some people believe this movie is a "B" but in all honesty was better then some movies I've paid to see at a theater. All in all this movie is one of the funniest I have seen and definitely can be put back in the DVD player many times again.

I rate this movie: My Favorite! 100!

The Lion King

Over Spring Break, I was so caught up in being Scandalous and having fun that by the time Friday rolled around I realized that I hadn't spent anytime with my little sister. We sat down from seven am until eleven at night and watched movies and joked around. The day was amazing but the movie I remember the most is the 1994 classic, The Lion King. The animation film was always my favorite as a kid and even watching it at 17 I'm still happy with it. Simba (young Simba voiced by Jonathan Thomas and the adult Simba voiced by Matthew Broderick) is tricked into thinking he is responsible for the death of his father King Mufasa (voiced by James Jones) by his power hungry uncle Scar (voiced by Jeremy Irons). As he wonders the the desert and forest Simba meets Timon (voiced by Nathan Lane) and Pummba (voiced by Ernie Sabella) who teach him the lesson on "Akuna Matata" meaning "no worries." The story progresses as Simba grows and reunites with his childhood friend Nala (voiced by Moira Kelly) and she tells him of Scar's leadership and a destroyed Pride Rock. There's no food and no water, all the while Scar let the hyena's take over. Simba is lost and confused because he knows if he goes back he'll be blamed for his father's death. After much convincing from a crazy baboon, Simba goes back to Pride Rock and confronts his fears. The story overall is wonderful and bright. The animation is great (although we did find one part where Simba's eyes are white instead of yellow) and the "circle of life" lesson even better. I love this movie and recommend it to everyone willing to watch.
I'd rate this movie: !

Bowling for Columbine (2002)

Documentaries, all that comes to mind is an hour in history staring blankly as a boring voice proceeds to tell you things you really don’t care about. Ms. Washington changed my outlook so fast I was surprised my head didn’t spin. In her showing of Bowling for Columbine by filmmaker Michael Moore, I couldn’t wait to get to class everyday. His uneven clips of guns and violence beg the question, “Is America Violent?” He tells of a story of how easy it is for people to get guns and how our lives are so violent. The 2002 documentary is an in your face way of explaining the problems. He even goes a step further and visits Canada where he continues to show how violent America is. I mean, they don’t even lock their doors, and here were suspicious of Halloween candy. Moore goes further and examines America’s, “culture of fear, bigotry and violence in a nation with widespread gun ownership.” The only thing that doesn’t make sense to me is that this movie is rated “R.” There is more violence/sex in twenty minutes of a “PG-13” movie then in this entire film. Just begs the question, “Is it ‘R’ because of the actual violence or is it a political thing?”

I’d rate this documentary: *

Sweet Home Alabama

In the holiday film, Sweet Home Alabama, Directed by Andy Tennant is about the faith one has in them self and how they can overcome their fears to find what truly matters to them. A young woman with a white trash background Melanie Smooter (Reese Witherspoon) moves to New York in order to establish herself as a socialite. The only problem is, she leaves a husband in her small town in Alabama behind. In New York she meets a young man Andrew Hennings (Patrick Dempsey) who asks her to marry him. She is worried because, her whole life with Andrew is based on tales she told. He has no idea that her real life in her small town includes a husband and a white trash past. Melanie goes south in order to meet up with Jake Perry ( Josh Lucas) and have him sign the divorce papers. When Andrew's mom, Mayor Hennings finds out about Melanie's past, she immediately sends someone to investigate. The story unravels and it helps Melanie show what kind of person she grew up to be and how some one's past never really goes away. You have to have faith in yourself and the person you are. Overall the comedy and romance movie is a great holiday film and one of my favorites.
I'd rate it : *

Sanctum "The Only Way Out Is Down."

The suspense movie, Sanctum which was written by John Garvin and Andrew Wright along with executive producer James Cameron (Titanic and Avatar) is among my favorites. During an underwater cave expedition the characters come face to face with earth shattering reality as the cave starts to collapse and they are blocked in. The main characters, Frank McGuire (Richard Roxburgh), the father of 17 year-old Josh (Rhys Wakefield), and Frank's financial partner Carl Hurley (Ioan Gruffudd) decide to head further into the cave as its filling up with water. The team gears up and they are on their way. The reality of this movie is the life and death decisions they all have to make when it comes to survival as the team quickly learns. "The crew must navigate an underwater labyrinth to make it out. Soon, they are confronted with the unavoidable question: Can they survive, or will they be trapped forever?" (Universal Pictures). You're immediately thrown into their fear at the tight spaces and darkness. The lighting is beautiful and well played out. In one scene Josh and Frank are so close to the surface and so the cave is well lit and there's even a butterfly in the shot, yet as they realize there's no way for them to get out that way they continue down the low lit dark small cave. The team looses players fast and as they make their way throughout the caves winding mazes, only Frank, Carl and Josh remain at the highlight of the movie. After a harsh betrayal, the father son team start a new relationship learning the strengths of each other and realize they really do love each other. Josh starts and ends the movie with "I never knew my father, but I found him in that cave. He was a hell of a fella, once you got to know him." I have to say this is one of my favorite quotes. Each twist and turn in this movie is well played out and adds to the audiences suspense and relation to all of the characters. The movie is rated R for some language and violence along with some disturbing images.

This movie is a: !

Tangled

The cute animation brings back the story of Rapunzel in the children’s movie Tangled. It’s witty dialogue and charming characters pull the viewer in from the first second. The animation is also well done in a way that looks real without being creepy. Rapunzel, an 18 year-old, is wishing to see the floating lanterns for her birthday, yet as circumstances unravel and the story moves on, she is left to her own devises with a thief, Flynn Rider. They travel their way to the king and queen’s castle in order to see the floating lanterns that are released into the air every year on her birthday. The lighting plays a key role in the movie because of the way it reflects how Rapunzel is feeling. For example when she was contemplating to continue on her quest to the castle or stay at home like she was supposed to, she is faced with a hard decision. In the scenes where she’s arguing it will only be good for her, the tone is free and the lighting is bright and lighthearted. The scenes where Rapunzel is trying to talk her way out of going to the castle, the dialogue is sad and depressing along with the lighting. The viewers cheer on Rapunzel even when she is facing hard choices and even bigger threats. She stays true to herself and even finds true love. As the movie progresses you fall for the charismatic characters of Maximus, the palace horse, Flynn, the thief, and even Pascal, the chameleon. The movie is a great one for a rainy day with younger siblings or even if you’re older. Tangled is a classic that will forever be in our hearts.

Misery

The lost illusion of life and the repeated misery brings us full circle when it comes to mistakes. They say you're human, it's in our make up to loose a few round, the only problem? What if you keep making the wrong choices? What if nothing ever works out and you're still lost in the dark? Can anyone really know how you're feeling? Can anyone really understand? Walking through the dark without a light, leaves you where? Leaves you gone? Leaves you lost? There's so much you want to tell the world, so much you want to yell and scream, but what if no one's listening? Then where does that leave you? It leaves you broken with no one to pick up you back up. You're stuck in such misery, you cannot even find your way out. You can't tell the people you want the truth, because it only makes everything worse. Worse off then the mistake? The misery? The sense of hopelessness? And yet, you still cannot find a way out. You crawl and you climb, but are you really free? You don't want them to win, but haven't they already? Haven't they already torn you to pieces? Haven't they already shoved you into the deepest, darkest corner they could find? Haven't they already destroyed everything you are? How do you come back from that? Where does that leave you? Full Circle.