Drive

Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks

Directed by Nicholas Winding Refn

Rating: B

Part-time Hollywood stuntman, part-time getaway driver, Ryan Gosling plays a mysterious character who's only referred to as "Driver". Though a man of few words, Gosling's character has an underlying sense of power to him.

Gosling's quiet character keeps to himself and manages to stay out of trouble until he meets the next door neighbor, Irene (Mulligan). Her car won't start and he drives her home from the garage he works at, but after a pit stop driving down to a small stream where her son can play. Irene's husband, Standard, gets released from jail and at first he is suspicious of the neighbor's intention.

Standard has some debts to pay that he can't afford and being the good guy he is, Gosling's character lends his getaway driving skills. When a robbery goes wrong, Gosling's character is left realizing he's been setup. He shows no mercy when it comes to protecting Irene and her son and goes the distance to make sure they stay out of any danger.

The first scene of "Drive" sets the pace of the movie; slow but with flashes of action. The film has an eerie sense of real life to it. It's not rushed like most action movies are today, so viewers feel time passing as slow as their own life. "Drive" is based on the novel by James Sallis, which I haven't read so I don't know if the book moves just as slow. The plot, meanwhile, was intriguing and what is worth watching for. Ryan Gosling's character is flat and viewers don't get to know much about him. He barely speaks and doesn't show much emotion, but his motivations are clear. He will protect the ones he grows attached to.

The trailer gives the whole movie away and is misleading. It leads viewers to believe it's fast paced and has lots of action when it's just the opposite. It doesn't mean that it's a bad film because it's worth watching once. It might be more of an acquired taste to fully enjoy it, like Refn's previous films; the style is somewhat similar to "Bronson", slow electro-music completes the soundtrack and a character that may be hard to like. Have caffeine at hand before sitting down to watch "Drive" and it may not be so hard to sit through.

Easy Virtue

Ben Barnes, Jessica Biel, Colin Firth, Kristin Scott Thomas

Directed by Stephen Elliott

Rating: B

When a newly married couple go to stay at the husband's family country estate in England, the impending feud between daughter-in-law and mother-in-law is obvious from the start.

As Mrs. Whittaker (Thomas) learns that her son, John (Barnes), has abruptly married an American during his travels, she immediately finds reason to dislike her. John was promised to a neighbor's daughter that would connect the two families into one large estate. John is young and foolishly in love, but he is blind to his wife's discontent living in the country. Larita (Biel) is a city girl with a need for a faster paced life racing cars. Larita's only other ally is the estranged father of John, Mr. Whittaker (Firth).

Mrs. Whittaker and Larita go head-to-head, trying to show each other who is the alpha in this country home. John's two younger sister's don't help Larita's cause when she accidentally causes embarrassment and harm to the two. John's youngest sister contacts a relative in New York and digs up Larita's dirty past for all to hear.

"Easy Virtue" is a surprisingly enjoyable film. The mother-in-law hates daughter-in-law was predictable but the characters helped move the story along at an easy-going pace. While Mrs. Whittaker had wished for her son to marry the neighbor's daughter, she doesn't force them uncomfortably together as other predictable movies do. John and the neighbor's daughter get along fine enough but there is no blossoming romance to steal the spotlight. Being the new person in the house brings attention to Larita. She wishes that everyone will accept her since she grew up in a different lifestyle. Her fair treatment of the household staff holds her in favor over the residents themselves, who have their rules they stick to.

As a period piece, "Easy Virtue" should not scare away viewers. It's not a depressing drama nor will it bore you with subtle history lessons. There's humor and not an overly-sickening romance like "Pride & Prejudice" to scare the male viewers away. It's also one of the better roles Jessica Biel has portrayed. So if you're looking for a movie that won't puzzle your mind with a confusing story line and are looking for something different to watch, "Easy Virtue" may be the movie you should try.

Magic Mike

Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Matthew McConaughey, Cody Horn

Directed by Steven Soderbergh

Rating: B

Despite coming out as a movie all about male strippers, "Magic Mike" has more plot to it than audiences would think. Judging from the trailer, the movie appears to be all about Mike (Tatum) and his dream of breaking out of the stripping business to having his own custom made furniture store. Instead, you get less strip scenes but enough of almost-nude moments to not be a disappointment.

The movie focuses on three central characters. Dallas (McConaughey) owns a small strip joint in Tampa, Florida where he partakes in a few of his own strip nights. Dallas dreamed of taking the business to Miami where the money would come in larger quantities and he would split the profits with Mike who's been his partner for years. When Mike brings in Adam (Pettyfer), a 19-year-old needing money, and he joins the pack and helps Dallas pull in more money, Mike's partnership gets downgraded.

Adam doesn't know what to do with his life but after bumping into Mike, he gets sucked into the world of stripping and selling drugs on the side. What brings this movie into perspective is Adam's protective older sister, Brooke (Horn), who disapproves of the party lifestyle and only wants the best for Adam. She finally gives him the boot from her apartment when she can't stand seeing how his life has gone downhill.

What "Magic Mike" manages to do is get audiences to care about the characters, which is why by the end of the movie it's no surprise that there could potentially be a "Magic Mike 2". The movie manages to pack in good amounts of comedy and drama, similar to the fashion of "Bridesmaids" and "Horrible Bosses". Before I first saw this movie, my expectations were it would be a disappointment. Instead, it proved to be worth the watch and was a personal reminder not to judge movies on their premise.

Twelve Monkeys

Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, Brad Pitt

Directed by Terry Gilliam

Rating: B

Time traveling, an army of 12 Monkeys, and a virus set to kill five billion people makes for a promising movie. Oh yeah, and Bruce Willis plays the lead character in this mind-twisting sci-fi thriller.

Time traveling movies may be predictable but in this one, director Terry Gilliam has viewers guessing all the way up to the last twenty minutes. It may become a bit confusing when James Cole (Willis) is sent back and forth in time to feed information to future scientists about a rebel group called the 12 Monkeys. At first Cole is sent six years earlier than his set date of 1996 and finds himself in a mental institution for beating up police officers in a post-time jump haze. Add some mumbling and an insane Brad Pitt come the next scene, viewers may be questioning why they are still watching it.

It's not until a few time jumps later and a psychiatrist once held hostage by Cole that he starts to get help trying to prevent the destruction of mankind. It's up to the two to find the 12  Monkey's and grab a sample of the virus to prevent the oncoming apocalypse.

Similar to this movie is 2012's "Looper" where events come full circle, which seems to be the pattern in time traveling movies. In both movies, Bruce Willis comes back in time to change future events and what drives him to try doing so is to get his life back. In "Twelve Monkeys" Cole is a prisoner volunteering to reduce his sentence by going on a mission to find the 12 Monkeys. It shows a serious acting skill to see Willis in a role as a man who is sane but appears to be insane. Brad Pitt is equally frightening as a mentally unstable person in this movie, who gets worked up as he goes into a spiel about life.

While it may seem slow in the beginning and a little confusing, "Twelve Monkeys" is worth sticking out to the end. Chances are if you liked "Looper", "One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest", or "Children of Men", then "Twelve Monkeys" is the sci-fi thriller for you.

The Five-Year Engagement

Jason Segel, Emily Blunt

Directed by Nicholas Stoller

Rating: B-

Tom (Segel) proposes to his year-long girlfriend Violet (Blunt) but staying engaged is something that becomes too easy for them. Violet gets accepted at Michigan University to be a part of the department of psychology team, something she has been working years at. So she and Tom uproot their San Franciscan lives to move to Michigan, where talented chef Tom can only find work as a sandwich maker at a popular cafe in town. The couple finds various reasons to prolong their wedding, only to come to the important question staring them in the face: what is more important- getting ahead in Violet's career or finally tying the knot?

Just another romantic comedy of the year, "The Five-Year Engagement" is an unexplored story line of a couple who keep putting off their wedding. With some cliches and predictable drama, it's still a film with a promising tagline to reel in the viewers. Judging from the commercial, this movie appears humorous and with actors Segel and Blunt as the leads, it could be potentially worth seeing.

While Tom struggles to accept the path his life is taking, Violet gets drawn deep in her dream as she sets out to what she's been working towards. Though the couple claims to know each other better than anyone else, they have trouble talking about the obvious, Tom's downward spiral of what his life has become and the never-ending engagement. The movie takes on a realism that most romantic comedies don't. It deals with the hardships that would delay a couple getting married, like Tom's resentment of what his career has become over the potential of what it could have been.

"The Five-Year Engagement" actually feels like a five-year engagement when viewing this movie. Only at a running time of two hours, viewers go through the stages of boredom and entertained numerous times. The film opens up and introduces the characters and their excitement of getting engaged. Then as conflict after conflict keep reoccurring, it reaches a slow point. It's hard to predict the outcome when it feels like it should be ending any minute but there's actually thirty minutes left. Then finally the ending arrives, though a bit rushed it comes off as spontaneous and works out.

In the end, I would recommend waiting for "The Five-Year Engagement" to be released on DVD before spending money at the movies to see it. It depends on your movie tastes, because those who are a big fan of "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" and "Bridesmaids" might actually enjoy this a lot then someone who is looking to be entertained but doesn't really care about the premis.

Atonement

James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, Saoirse Ronan
Directed by Joe Wright

Rating: B+

"Come back, come back to me."

13-year-old Briony Tallis (Ronan) is not quite old enough to understand love and the unspoken meaning behind actions. She misinterprets a moment between her older sister Cecilia (Knightley) and a servant's son Robbie (McAvoy) that lead to a downward spiraling of events to take place. Briony is horrified by the scene in which she enters upon, finding Cecilia and Robbie in a compromising position in a study. Her image of Robbie's perfection is shattered and when a turn of events take place after a family dinner, she takes part in condemning Robbie for a crime he did not commit. It's only years later that she realizes the grave mistake she had made and goes about her way trying to make amends.

Based off of Ian McEwan's novel about the loss of love during a war, Atonement captures the harsh realism of war and how not every romance has a happy ending. Robbie chooses to go the military path instead of rotting in a jail cell, and he is taken far away from any chance of happiness. Cecilia alienates herself from her family, disgusted with how easily they could ruin an innocent life over a lie, and works with hospitals, nursing those who return from the bloody fields of war. The film shows glimpses of the rare time Robbie and Cecilia get together before he is deployed back to France. It's a heartbreaking scene when after three years they reunite, changed after all they had been through.

Atonement is a dramatic love story in which the characters all have their own sympathies from Briony's youthful naivety to Robbie's innocent love and to Cecilia's hidden feelings for someone she felt she shouldn't love. It's a movie that brings viewers to tears.

The American

Matthew Modine, Diana Rigg, Aisling O'Sullivan, Andrew Scott

Directed by Paul Unwin

Rating: D

Christopher Newman (Modine) is an American who travels to France a fresh start after the Civil War has ended in America. Many of the French refer to Newman as "The American" who is ignorant to the French customs and is searching for a wife. Newman sets his eyes on unattainable Claire Bellegarde (O'Sullivan), who's old family name prevents her from marrying just anyone. The Bellegarde's live a proud life, where everyone knows to leave them in peace.

"The American" does not give a good first impression at the start. The film is cheaply made, which may be a result of it being a product of PBS Pictures. The film is "supposed" to take place in France but none of the area in which the film takes place looks it. Everyone in the film has an accent other than France, so where are the French people of the film?

Christopher Newman, the main character, who is snobbish and because he has money, thinks he can get what he wants. He's determined to speak to Claire and gets her brother, Valentin (Scott), to help. There was nothing admirable about Newman, except maybe that he wouldn't give up on Claire when she admits she loves him.

The only reason I watched this film was for Andrew Scott, who's character is a little reckless. He's tired of living the life his family is used to and is the rebellious one in the family. This wasn't the best role Scott has played but if you're as infatuated with him as I am at the moment, then he makes it worth watching at least once in your life. I don't recommend this movie for anyone to watch unless you're trying to watch all the Andrew Scott movies. At least "The American" isn't a long movie and the ridiculous ending makes up for it.

Once

Glen Hansard, Marketa Irglova

Directed by John Carney

Rating: A-

"Once" is not a true story, though it gives the appearance of one. Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova aren't named in this movie besides "guy" and "girl" but these two are what make the movie worth watching. Glen Hansard is a singer/songwriter, playing guitar on the streets of Dublin while also working with his dad at a vacuum repair shop. Marketa is entranced by Glen's music and is happy to find out he can fix her broken vacuum cleaner. While the two get to know each other, Marketa mentions she learned to play the piano from her father. When the two enter a music shop, the real chemistry grows between them when they play and sing one of Glen's songs. Marketa isn't looking for a relationship, as she's raising a little two-year-old girl with her mother, and Glen is troubled between his new feelings for Marketa and going back to an old girlfriend he loved.

What I loved about "Once" is the music you hear all throughout the movie. You hear a few songs repeatedly but they find a way to stay in your head and refuse to leave. From the lyrics to the melody, these songs are in their way romantic. That's one word to describe this movie. "Once" makes you want to hear more from these two and you can. Glen and Marketa went on tour together for a little while, forming the band "The Swell Season".

I highly recommend for anyone to watch this movie, but you have to watch it twice. (Or at least listen to the soundtrack a few times to appreciate the music before watching.) The first time around is a little bit slow, mainly because you're trying to figure out if there's any plot and what kind of movie it is. After you get to listen to the songs in the movie, the second time you watch it is best because you're familiar with the songs and it means more to you than the first time. "Once" doesn't have a plot besides a musician who misses a woman who left him but it does leave you with a morose, yet satisfied feeling at the end.

Catfish

Yaniv Schulman, Angela Wesselman

Directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman

Rating: C

In late 2007, Yaniv Schulman began corresponding with an eight-year-old girl, Abby, and her mother after seeing her paintings she drew based off his photographs. Yaniv made regular phone calls with the mother, Angela, and began getting involved with the family, making contact with Angela's oldest daughter, Megan, and talking on Facebook. After eight months of getting to know each other, Yaniv starts to become suspicious when a song Megan claimed she wrote sounded exactly like another artist. Yaniv decided to visit Megan, Abby, and Angela in Michigan to get the story straight.

"Catfish" is a real documentary and sheds light on how easy people can deceive you through means of Facebook and phone calls. Yaniv would call Megan fairly regularly and they had a romantic relationship through talking on the phone and texting, yet they have never met each other. Yaniv starts to put the pieces together after investigating Abby's art gallery and finds out the building is vacant.

I think in most situations, people wouldn't have handled Yaniv's situation as calmly as he did. Yaniv finds out that Angela is the one who painted the pictures and while Abby and Megan are really her daughters, Angela hadn't talked to Megan in years. It's sad and it makes you pity Angela for the life she lives and for making up such a huge story. She led Yaniv on to think Megan was really someone interested in him but it makes you pity her because she must be a desperate person to do that. Yaniv doesn't think so. He spends a few days with her, getting the story straight but never expressing anything other than sympathy.

I'm not quite sure why anyone would want to watch this documentary. It's a little slow and in the beginning there's not much of a point to watch it until you get wrapped up in the drama. I wouldn't recommend watching this unless you want to experience the drama yourself.

The Hot Chick

Rob Schneider, Anna Faris, Rachel McAdams, Matthew Lawrence

Directed by Tom Brady

Rating: B

A popular young high schooler trades bodies with an older man and learns that her popularity has cost her quite a bit with her mean comments on students. Jessica (Schneider) reveals herself to her three close friends and they help her track down the person responsible for causing the switch, along with a few tough lessons on how to be a better person.

"The Hot Chick" is the movie to watch if you grew up watching TV shows in the 90s. This movie has a range of familiar characters from Anna Faris, who is no stranger to these ridiculous comedies, to Tia and Tamara Mowry from the Disney channel show "Sister Sister", to Matthew Lawrence who played older brother to Shawn Hunter in Disney's "Boy Meets World".

"The Hot Chick" is like your typical Adam Sandler movie (who also cameo's in this film). It's slapstick humor yet if you've been a high school girl, you can sympathize with Jessica's problem. It's humorous because as a girl you can sympathize with her having to adjust to a man's body, especially one who is older than her.

Rob Schneider steals the spotlight with his comedic impressions of being a young teenage girl. He portrays a believable character of a girl stuck in a man's body. Though his performance may not be "Oscar" worthy, Schneider does a pretty good job with his role.

Overall I think the movie had some pretty funny parts, albeit some were kind of gross. It's definitely worth watching and I think it fits more with the younger generation.

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island

Dwayne Johnson, Josh Hutcherson, Vanessa Hudgens, Michael Cain, Luis Guzman

Directed by Brad Peyton

Rating: B

Having to pick up your life and start it somewhere new is never easy. Sean (Hutcherson) has a new step-father he would rather not take the time to know and a mission to accomplish. Sean is looking for a new journey and when he hears an encrypted message play over the radio waves, only his step-dad, Hank (Johnson), can help him out. The message is from Sean's grandfather who has disappeared for years and Hank agrees to let Sean go find him if he can come along. Reluctantly, he agrees and the two embark on a mission in addition with a pilot and his daughter to a mysterious island where things are not as they appear.

"Journey 2" brings new adventures and a mysterious island that is on the brink of going under water. I think this sequel pulled it off well and kept the excitement alive of watching the main characters find an uncharted island. While the characters may have some cheesy lines, like Hutcherson trying to impress the pilot's daughter and Johnson making his pecks 'dance', the movie has a decent plot to keep it interesting.

It might be necessary to watch "Journey to the Center of the Earth" before watching the sequel because there are a few moments that make you wonder what you missed. Sean repeatedly mentions how the men in his family don't stick around and it's been a while since I last saw the first movie. I can't remember what happened to the father and it's mentioned that the grandfather has always been searching for an adventure rather than being there for his family.

This sequel brings along new scenery, new animals (large animals are small and small animals are large!), and a volcano that erupts gold. The characters are put in danger and take to flying bees to reach their destination. "Journey 2" is not just a movie for children, but for those who are fans of classic literature like "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" or "Gulliver's Travels". This film brings a different kind of thrill that you can't get from repeated plots such as the over-done vampire movies or action films. I would recommend giving this movie a try if you can handle some cheesy lines and enjoy lost continents (Atlantis!).

Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellan, Sean Astin, Orlando Bloom, Liv Tyler

Directed by Peter Jackson

Rating: A-

Frodo Baggins (Wood) is entrusted with an ancient ring, he soon finds that it takes him on a journey beyond what he could possibly dream of. The ancient ring turns out to be the ring of the dark lord Sauron, and it is agreed that the ring should be destroyed. Frodo volunteers for this dangerous journey and is joined by his three hobbit friends, Gandalf (McKellan), Legolas (Bloom), Aragorn (Mortensen), Gimli ( John Rhys-Davies), and Boromir (Sean Bean). They know it's not an easy path they take and they face many hardships along the way.

In this first installment of "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, director Peter Jackson does a brilliant job bringing the story to life. This movie is perfection (though I have not read the books and don't know how readers of the series feel). So why is it perfection? The cinematography looks amazing. From the New Zealand landscapes to Mordor, it creates a believable setting for the movie to take place. The cast fit their roles and do justice to portraying their characters. You can see the fear in their eyes and the toll their burden takes on them.

While the movie is a bit lengthy, it makes for a great movie night. It's also fun to commentate on because of the faces Frodo makes and some of the lines are fun to quote. Or that could be just me who likes to do that. I definitely recommend watching this movie. It's one of those movies you have to watch before you die, even if magical action movies don't interest you. Even if you end up disliking it (not possible!) at least you can say you saw it without people scoffing at how ridiculous you are for not watching it.

Anton Chekhov's The Duel

Andrew Scott, Fiona Glascott, Tobias Menzies

Directed by Dover Koshashvili

Rating: C

Two young people have fallen out of love. After living together for two years the excitement and novelty has worn off. When Laevsky (Scott) receives a letter saying that his mistress', Nadia (Glascott), husband has died, he feels she will expect them to marry at once. So, he hides the letter until he can leave her. Nadia has been a busy lady in their new town, flirting with men and playing games. Von Koren (Menzies) can't stand to be in Laevsky's company, detesting the man for his laziness and gambling. It finally comes down to having a duel between the two, but neither want to participate.

"The Duel" was fairly good. For a majority of the movie there is no action and the plot is weak. It revolves around the relationship between Laevsky and Nadia. He obviously doesn't like to be around her but in certain moments tries to overpower her. He spends his time planning an escape, where he can be free and leave Nadia alone and penniless. Von Koren seems to be the only person to have a problem with Laevsky, despite his abrupt mood-changing ways.

"The Duel" probably reads as a good book but the adaptation doesn't do it justice. I haven't read the book myself so I don't know how true to the book the movie is. While the movie lacks in action, at least it's not boring to look at. The characters have a chance to develop and you're not sure whether to like or hate Laevsky or Nadia.

A plus side is that this movie isn't long; about 90 minutes. So if you're looking for something random to watch and don't necessarily care if there's lots of action going on, I would recommend this movie. It's on instant watch on Netflix. Also, Andrew Scott does a great job at playing an insecure, moody character. He's a pretty good actor, and if you like him then you'll enjoy watching him in "The Duel".

Dead Bodies

Andrew Scott, Kelly Reilly, Darren Healy. Katy Davis

Directed by Robert Quinn

Rating: D-

Tommy (Scott) is going nowhere in life. He lives in an abandoned house, can't hold a job down, and just as things couldn't get worse, his ex-girlfriend moves in. Jean (Davis) wants to give the relationship another try but  Scott doesn't. When Scott's annoyance with Jean escalates they argue and Jean falls back, hitting her head on the coffee table. Scott doesn't know what to do so he buries her but when the police are informed about a dead body in the park, they start digging. Not only do they find Jean's body but another one, long decayed since. Tommy is under suspicion but he claims he's innocent.

"Dead Bodies" does not give a very promising start. It tries to hard in the beginning to be a suspenseful thriller but in reality the first forty-five minutes are boring. It's very tempting to stop watching then and there but the end makes up for it. It doesn't mean it's a great movie all of a sudden but at least it gives you some suspense. The plot is very weak and Tommy's boring life bores the viewer.

The movie takes a new direction when Tommy becomes the suspect for the second found buried body. A woman missing eight years ago turns up in the same grave as Jean's and the original suspect, her husband, turns on Tommy. Tommy and his friend Noel decide to take care of this problem which results in a suspenseful and unexpected ending.

The only reason I spent eighty-five minutes watching this movie was for Andrew Scott, who plays the criminal mastermind "Moriarty" in BBC America's "Sherlock". Scott plays a lethargic role and it's a little hard to feel sympathetic for his character. He keeps digging himself in a hole and by the end of the movie there is no way out. "Dead Bodies" is definitely worth watching once, if you really like Andrew Scott as I do, but only once. I doubt I will be watching this again because there are better movies out there.

Love Actually

Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Hugh Grant, Bill Nighy, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Laura Linney, Martin Freeman, Keira Knightley

Directed by Richard Curtis

Rating: A

An ensemble movie with a huge cast, "Love Actually" tells the stories of different people's love stories during the Christmas holidays. Jamie Bennett (Firth) finds out the hard way that his girlfriend is cheating on him -with his brother- and he takes to France during the winter holidays to write. Daniel (Neeson) just lost his wife and has a young stepson who locks himself in his room all day. Daniel tries to connect with him, since they both lost someone very important in their lives. Hugh Grant plays the British Prime Minister (he doesn't have a proper name in this movie) and is distracted from his job by the one of the household staff, Natalie (Martine McCutcheon).

"Love Actually" is a great movie to watch for any occasion. It's a great Christmas movie to watch, perfect for Valentines Day, and to watch during the summer when you're craving a good British film. "Love Actually" isn't the average cheesy romance that we tend to see in the U.S. It has substance, humor, a great cast, and yes, romance. It's not just a "chick flick" because there are actually a good handful of guys who appreciate this movie too. So there! It's great for all audiences but it does have some rated "R" moments so anyone under sixteen might have to wait.

"Love Actually" doesn't bore you with one straight plot line. Instead you follow different characters (and it's not too confusing to remember who's who but you might have to watch it a second time). This is one of my favorite movies of all time (number two!) and you can never go wrong gathering some friends and watching this for a fun movie night.

The Grey

Liam Neeson

Directed by Joe Carnahan

Rating: B-

Ottway (Neeson) is a wolf hunter up in Alaska. On his way home, his plane goes down and only eight survive the crash. Ottway in the others make camp in the freezing cold of Alaska, trying to keep it together. Surviving the crash is one thing, but surviving the wolves that keep hunting them down is a complicated task when they have nothing to do protect themselves with.

"The Grey" is a simple movie to describe. At the heart of it, it's a survival movie and pretty predictable. Liam Neeson is the leader of the group (why wouldn't he be when he is a wolf hunter and knows how they prey?). Liam's character and the group decide staying by the plane might be a poor decision since the wolves keep coming back so they trek to the woods in hopes of finding shelter.

This film is a pretty intense movie and by the end of it, you don't know how to feel about it. The ending is what you gets you. "The Grey" could have easily moved from a "B-" to a "B" or "B+" if the director had expanded the last scene instead of cutting it short. Or perhaps made an alternate ending. While it's been a while since a fight for survival has been in theaters (unlike "Haywire" but more fighting against nature) it's a nice change from the action movies.

"The Grey" was more of a movie you would watch at home and definitely better to rent than buy (unless you're a sucker for Liam Neeson films and survival genres). Personally, I thought it was a good movie. Maybe not the best one made but it was different and Liam Neeson wasn't too disappointing.

Immortals

Henry Cavill, Mickey Rourke, Freida Pinto, Luke Evans

Directed by Tarsem Singh

Rating: C+

King Hyperion (Rourke) is raising hell throughout Greece, on a mission to seek the legendary Epirus bow. If placed in the wrong hands, the Epirus bow is one of the most powerful tools to win a battle. Theseus (Cavill) is just a poor young man and when he loses his mother at the hand of King Hyperion, he is determined to get back. With the help of the Oracle (Pinto), Theseus steps up to fulfill his role that Zeus (Evans) hoped he would to fight Hyperion's army.

"300", "Clash of the Titans" and "Immortals". While the latter two have more in common, those three are all similar in nature. They all have a big fight against an enemy with a bigger advantage: whether it's a bigger army or a fight against the titans. "Immortals" was a decent movie but was an average fit in the old Greek myth category.

"Immortals" did capture viewers attention at least and was not boring. However the main thing that saved this movie from being called a bad movie was the choice of actors. For women at least, Henry Cavill was the best part of this movie. Cavill is the reason why I would even call "Immortals" better than "Clash of the Titans". Even the Greek gods Zeus, and some of his sons, weren't all that bad looking.

The plot could have been more interesting. Zeus was a pretty angry character, who refused to help the mortals and it was a fatal mistake if any of his children went to their aid. After watching "Immortals" I couldn't look at Joseph Morgan the same way again when watching the CW show "The Vampire Diaries". Morgan's character, Lysander, was weak and a traitor. Not very flattering when he plays bad boy Klaus on the CW show.

I would definitely recommend renting this movie to watch with the girls, if they don't mind some gory scenes. The male leads are definitely worth watching this for. As for guys, I think they should give it a shot but watch with no expectations of it being amazing.

Midnight In Paris

Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Marion Cottilard, Michael Sheen, Tom Hiddleston

Directed by Woody Allen

Rating: A-

Gil (Wilson) just wants to enjoy Paris without having his soon-to-be-wife Inez (McAdams) flirting with her old professor, Paul (Sheen), the whole time. While Inez spends her days and evenings with Paul and his girlfriend, Carol, Gil takes to roaming the Parisian streets at midnight. Little did he realize it would take him back to the time he wished he could have been a part of -the 20s- where he meets F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemmingway, and a young French woman whom he falls for.

"Midnight In Paris" is an enchanting movie that captures Paris in a beautiful way. Watching this movie, you can't help but fall in love with the city as Gil does. Woody Allen did an amazing job with this film. Gil is a character most people can relate to, or at least those that wish they had lived in a different time period. When Gil discovers he can go back to the French 1920s at midnight, at first you question whether he's just dreaming or maybe it won't happen one night. Each night he is transported into the time where he meets up with F. Scott Fitzgerald and Adriana, who tends to date the artists like Picasso and Hemmingway.

I was really pleased with how "Midnight In Paris" turned out. While it had its slow moments, it's definitely a movie I'd like to buy someday. This movie may not fit everyone's tastes but I would definitely recommend it if you are in love with life other than your own culture and exploring the past. If you're looking for a fast-paced action movie, this is not the movie for you. If you're looking for romance, wonder, and losing yourself in the moment of the film, this is the movie for you.

The Woman In Black

Daniel Radcliffe, Roger Allam

Directed by James Watkins

Rating: B-

Arthur Kipps (Radcliffe) is a single father trying to keep providing for his young son. Arthur is a lawyer and has to travel to a secluded village to finish up surveying an empty house after the tenants had died. His son is due to arrive in the village a few days later, accompanied by the nanny. The villagers are upset with Arthur disturbing the peace, as they believe that the house Arthur is to inspect is haunted. Whoever sees the "woman in black" brings danger to the villagers, as she causes the children of the area to die. After staying in the home to finish up work, Arthur begins to notice the woman in black and tries to find a way to help her move on before she decides to take his own son.

A fun scare, "The Woman In Black" is not a very serious horror movie. While it does give in to suspense and scenes that make you jump in your seat from fear, the movie itself is not that scary. The plot is kind of simple: villagers hate Arthur, Arthur sees the woman in black, Arthur tries to figure out why she is haunting the place. "The Woman In Black" does a good job with setting up the scenes but it lacks the necessary scare factor to make it really feel like it deserves to be called a horror film. For example, more scare scenes would have made this movie better like seeing the dead children or the woman in black more. Having toys wind up on their own and the rocking chair make noise is a good start for a creepy scene.

Radcliffe is the main star of the film. He definitely knows how to break out of the mold and shake off being forever labeled as "the guy that played Harry Potter". His portrayal of the widowed father showed how versatile he can be. I think I would go so far as to say that Radcliffe is one of the main reasons I liked the film. He's probably also the main reason many people went to go see it. "The Woman In Black" didn't earn much in the box office, so hopefully Radcliffe will move on to other projects. As it is, he is currently filming another period-piece due to premier in 2013. Let's just cross our fingers that period-pieces will not be all he will work on. (Though personally I love period-pieces, I'd like to see him try a comedy or drama, let him break out of the "Harry Potter" mold.)

I believe "The Woman In Black" is worth seeing if you're brave enough. I think it would be a fun movie to get friends together and watch in a dark room at night. This movie is not one to take seriously so if you enjoy suspenseful movies, add this to your movie list!

Haywire

Gina Carano, Ewan McGregor, Antonio Banderas, Channing Tatum, Michael Fassbender

Directed by Steven Soderbergh

Rating: B+

Mallory (Carano) is not your average black ops agent. After completing a successful mission in Barcelona to retrieve a kidnapped journalist, Mallory is sent to Dublin where she is supposed to go undercover with an MI6 agent, Paul (Fassbender). However, Paul has different orders and tries to kill Mallory after the job. Mallory has to fight for her survival while any police force is on the lookout for her and find the people responsible for her planned execution.

Haywire is an action thriller that Hollywood has taken a new spin on. This film is not the average action movie where people can fight and escape with minimal cuts and bruises. When Mallory gets hit, she gets hit hard and it shows. When she falls down after climbing down a building, she doesn't get up and run like it didn't affect her. She stumbles and the audience can obviously see that it was not easy to get up and keep moving.

Haywire's plot isn't over-dramatized. There isn't enough time in the film for character build up so it's hard to get the audience to sympathize for Kenneth, Mallory's ex, or Paul, who is just trying to do his job. The film follows Mallory as she tells her story by starting with her getting closer to the people trying to kill her. She explains to an innocent bystander who ended up being carjacked and taken hostage by her how she ended up running from the police as she hunts for her former boss. The suspense keeps building up as Mallory gets closer to her enemy.

Carano is someone audiences should look out for in the future. Haywire is one of the first few films she's appeared in, though it isn't her first action fighting film. In 2009 she was played a part in Blood and Bone, an underground fighting club type of movie. Next year she'll be appearing in the sequel to Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

While Fassbender may have a brief role in Haywire, as an actor he is busy enough. After appearing in four films in 2011, Fassbender has a few projects up his sleeve for the coming year. He's proven to be a versatile actor, from portraying a classic Mr. Rochester in a remake of Jane Eyre, to being "mutant and proud" in X-Men: First Class, and playing a troubled man with an addiction in the film Shame. Fassbender is an actor worth remembering to watch out for.

Back to Haywire, if you're looking for a good action/crime thriller to see, this is worth checking out. Don't be fooled by the "R" rating because there is not enough in this film to be truly "R". Yes of course there is action, but is there an absurd overuse of cursing? No. There is no sex scenes, only a brief kissing scene. Other than that, this movie should really be rated "PG-13". It's short and to the point, so it can't be a complete waste of time.

Sleeping Beauty

Emily Browning, Rachel Blake

Directed by Julia Leigh

Rating: C

Lucy (Browning) is just trying to pay her bills and go to school so she takes whatever job is offered. From cleaning up tables, to being a lab rat, Lucy finds an ad in the paper for lingerie waitresses. Clara (Blake) is the employer who tells Lucy there is always room for promotion, which the next step would be becoming a Sleeping Beauty. Clara sees that Lucy is ready for promotion and invites Lucy to her house for her next job. All Lucy has to do is drink a brew that will put Lucy to sleep for a few hours. What Lucy doesn't know is what goes on while she is asleep. It isn't until she becomes overwhelmed with her life that she wonders what is happening to her while she is sleeping.

My first reaction after watching Sleeping Beauty was that it was one of the most interesting movies I have seen. The film is a bit slow and it feels as if there are many holes missing because we don't know who Birdman is in relationship with Lucy or how they met. Neither do we know why does her roommate's boyfriend have such a problem with her? The movie focuses on Lucy's jobs. We get a glimpse that she is desperate to make ends meet by participating in an experiment and cleaning up tables.

Playing Lucy could not be an easy role. Emily Browning's portrayal of a young college student struggling to make ends meet is heartbreaking. She gives up her body to be able to pay the bills by letting old men gawk at her in lingerie, and then later having a few hours alone with her while she's unconscious. Browning does an excellent job making Lucy come to life. We see how she holds it all in but after so much that has gone wrong, she lets it out with bursts of screaming at the end. It gives the audience a glimpse that everything is not all right with Lucy.

Sleeping Beauty may be a difficult film to get through for those who are not interested in the genre. I would definitely recommend it for those who like independent films like Beginners or Hunger. If you are in a courageous mood for something different, then I would think that Sleeping Beauty is worth checking out.

The Girl Who Played With Fire

Michael Nyqvist, Noomi Rapace, Lena Endre

Directed by Daniel Alfredson

Rating: B

The Girl Who Played With Fire is the sequel to The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, however, this is the sequel to the Swedish version. Lisbeth Salander (Rapace) is wanted for a triple murder, something she has nothing to do with but everything to do as well. Her prints are on the murder weapon and the police are hunting her down. Blomkvist (Nyqvist) is one of the only people to think she is innocent and he does everything in his power to find proof supporting that as well as finding out who the real murderer is.

Over my winter break, I decided to get into the Millenium trilogy so I could watch the American version of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo before it hit theaters. (See my review for it here.) Since the American version for the sequel has yet to be made, it was great that I could still see the sequel, even if it is in Swedish.

Daniel Alfredson did a good job with placing what is important in this sequel. The book has a lot of information going on so it is hard to choose what to show. The Girl Who Played With Fire has a fast pace to it and does not drag on forever so viewers don't feel like turning it off. The book mainly shows the police side of the investigations which was omitted in this film. It might have been interesting to see their point of view instead of just Blomkvist's. Both the police and Blomkvist are doing their own investigations so it would have been interesting to compare how far they both go.

Rapace did a great job as Salander. It does not seem like an easy role to play. Rapace portrays a believable character that makes the audience wonder how she does it. Salander does not have a big role in this sequel, as she is mainly concerned with hiding out.

I would recommend reading the book rather than seeing this version though because the book gives more information and can help visualize what is going on. The Girl Who Played With Fire was definitely an interesting watch. If you don't mind reading subtitles, then give this movie a chance.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgard

Directed by David Fincher

Rating: B

When the Millennium trilogy hit bookstores, the author Stieg Larsson became a hit, only he was not alive to see it. Larsson died of a heart attack in 2004, leaving an unfinished fourth novel incomplete. However, the trilogy has done profitably, according to his website. The series has sold over twenty million copies and Larsson was the second bestselling author in 2008.

In 2009, director Niels Arden Oplev first came out with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in Sweden. Now two years later, American director David Fincher has successfully produced an “American” version with better known actors to play main characters Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo takes place in Sweden, where Mikael Blomkvist has been deemed “guilty” for libel against Hans-Erik Wennerstrom. The best thing for Blomkvist to do would be to go under the radar. Henrik Vanger has an interesting task for Blomkvist: to find out what exactly happened to his granddaughter Harriet and which one of his family members killed her. Seen as a waste of time in Blomkvist’s eyes as the mystery occurred forty years ago, Blomkvist takes the job as Vanger promises to give him what he wants: a secret to take Wennerstrom down.

Anyone who has read the book could only imagine how difficult a task it would be to get into character with Lisbeth Salander. White-as-a-sheet, piercings everywhere, no respect for anyone, Lisbeth is her own boss. Rooney Mara, who takes on this role, does an excellent and convincing job. Mara immerses herself in the role; actually getting the piercings Lisbeth has in eyebrows and private parts. She loses a little bit of weight to look like the skeletal Listbeth and cuts off most of her locks. Mara’s acting deserves to win an Oscar.

Daniel Craig steals most of the movie as the leading male character, Mikael Blomkvist. While Craig plays a reasonable role, the one factor that could not fully convince me of his character is his accent. While yes, viewers in English-speaking countries are watching it in the natural language, Blomkvist is supposed to be Swedish. Craig speaks with his natural English accent, not Swedish. Most of the characters convince you of their role because they make an effort to have some sort of Swedish accent.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo does have some very explicit scenes which could make some viewers uncomfortable. While the movie is quite lengthy, almost three hours, the pace is fast enough to keep viewers from checking for the time. The plot really pulls the audience in so that viewers are not yawning too many times. Like many films based off of novels, this particular film strays from the path a bit. Overall, David Fincher did include scenes not shown in the Swedish version which makes this up-to-date film more appealing.

Overall, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is rated “R” for a reason but that should not keep adults from watching it. It is an exciting, fast paced thriller worth the watch.

Tangled

Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, Donna Murphy

Directed by Nathan Greno, Byron Howard

Rating: B

This is a story about Rapunzel (Moore) and how she came to live in the tall tower. Just as Rapunzel was being born, her mother was dying. There was a magical flower that heals people not far from her town and people went out to look for it to save the queen. When they found it, they brought it to the queen and soaked it in water for her to drink. It saved her and Rapunzel was born with healing powers through her hair. Mother Gothel (Murphy) steals Rapunzel so she can keep living forever. One day Rapunzel meets Flynn Rider (Levi) by accident after he hides from guards in her tower. Rapunzel is dying to leave her tower to see the magical stars that appear every year on her birthday. She must persuade Flynn to take her out or he'll never see what he stole again.

Since Tangled came out in movie theaters, all I've heard is how great it was. It wasn't until this past January that I finally saw one of the most highly recommended movies from my friends. It's safe to say my expectations were high. Tangled was nothing like I thought it would be. I had no idea what the movie was about but I didn't realize Flynn would be a thief or that Rapunzel's hair had healing powers. It was a fun movie to watch but I couldn't say it was the best movie ever.

In my opinion, there was too much singing. Of course, what else could I expect from a Disney movie? It was cute and Pascal, Rapunzel's pet chameleon was funny. Rapunzel herself was full of innocence and had learned quite a few skills after living in a tower for almost eighteen years. Flynn was your average thief-turned-good at the end of the movie. Tangled had the humor and action that kept an audience interested but it won't be on my top favorite movies.

Tangled is fun for children as well as adults. It's worth buying because it is a movie children probably would want to watch over and over again. I should probably re-watch it to judge it again.

The Adventures of Tintin

Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Daniel Craig, Nick Frost, Simon Pegg

Directed by Stephen Spielberg

Rating: B+

Tintin (Bell) is a reporter with quite the talent for investigating. Rackham (Craig) is on the hunt for buried treasure and takes Captain Haddock (Serkis) as hostage. Haddock's ancestor is responsible for the buried treasure and has given clues as to where it is. Tintin helps Haddock escape and they both travel around the globe with Rackham not far behind.

The Adventures of Tintin is a fun movie to watch. Not only that but there are so many reasons to go see it! First of all, read the cast list. Tintin has an impressive list of celebrity voices. Second, Stephen Spielberg is the director. Just look at how many great movies he's directed and been involved with: E.T., Jaws, Jurassic Park, Super 8. Third, the animation in Tintin is incredible. It is styled so realistically that audience members aren't sitting in there seats watching pure animation (like Shrek). Instead, viewers almost forget that it isn't real people doing the stunts but characters. That is one of the best parts of animation; you can get away with more crazy stunts than you can in real life. For example, in one scene Tintin is flying a plane that runs out of gas. Captain Haddock then gets out of the plane, sits in front of the windshield and burps into the engine. That can't happen in real life.

Many people might misjudge The Adventures of Tintin because they have never heard of it before. On the contrary, many people in French speaking countries (or grew up around French people) will have heard of it. Tintin was a comic book created by Herge in 1929. In fact, Spielberg even premiered The Adventures of Tintin in French speaking countries a few days before its release in the United States.

Don't let the theatrical trailer fool you. The Adventures of Tintin is definitely worth seeing and is fun for all ages.

Beginners

Ewan McGregor, Mélanie Laurent, Christopher Plummer

Directed by Mike Mills

Rating: B-

Oliver Fields (McGregor) grew up with bad examples of what a happy marriage should look like. He tends to be the one to leave a relationship, even if it was not so bad. Then his mother dies and a few months later his father, Hal (Plummer), decides it's time to come out of the closet and experience a lifestyle he's suppressed for so long. Oliver soon loses his father to cancer and is battling his own sadness until he meets Anna (Laurent). She is an actress and leaves Los Angeles some short months in order to work. This is a relationship Oliver wants to work but will he decide to leave her too?

The reason why I wanted to watch Beginners is because I saw this huge movie poster at the movie theater and it looked kind of artsy. Plus it had Ewan McGregor in it, who in my opinion, is a great actor who knows how to not get type-casted into the same role. He has played the singing role (and has a remarkable voice in Moulin Rouge), the gay role (I Love You Phillip Morris), and even a jedi (Star Wars). This man has talent.

In all honesty Beginners is slow enough to put viewers to sleep and has, in the case of watching it with my parents. It's one of those movies viewers need to pummel through but it is worth it. I stuck with it to the end, paying attention, and it was good. The movie is visually appealing; by that I mean it's filmed like an artsy, indie-film. The chemistry between Oliver and Anna is not the typical romance we find in most movies. They are both sad but there is something there between them that makes it work. They make each other happy, though not typically "curing" each other of their sadness. There is still some ground that needs to be covered between the two.

While Beginners may not be the funnest movie to watch, Focus Features (which produced this film) has produced other great movies. When I find out a movie has been made by Focus Features, I get excited because I know that most of the time it will turn out to be a great movie. So if you have the patience to sit through a slow movie (and at least an hour and a half so not too long!), then I definitely recommend renting Beginners. I have a feeling that Beginners is going to be one of those movies you won't want to watch for another year but find yourself in the mood for it six months later.