Watchmen

Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Patrick Wilson

Directed by Zack Snyder

Rating: 4 stars

"Who watches the Watchmen?"

In an alternate 1985 where superheroes existed, someone is killing off the vigilantes one by one. The second generation of Watchmen were forced to retire under a law banning masks. Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley) is suspicious that someone is killing off the Watchmen and goes on his own to find the culprit. On the other hand, Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup) is helping Adrian Veidt (Matthew Goode) on a secret project while America is counting down on the clock to Doomsday, where America is under a nuclear missile threat by Russia.

Watchmen is a movie brilliantly put together. From the special effects to the plot, the director, Zack Snyder, did an overall great job. Though the film is missing some parts from the graphic novel, it stayed pretty faithful to the book. I read the graphic novel after watching the movie and it was so easy to picture it. I would recommend going to the library or buying it. The cast was picked pretty good and they look close to how the characters are portrayed in the novel. Though Watchmen might feel like a bit of a long movie (about two and-a-half hours) it's not a painful length. I really liked it and I would recommend this movie to people who liked 300 or the Dark Knight. Watchmen, for the most part, is full of action and keeps the dialogue going. However, it is rated R for a good reason. The violence is a bit too strong for anyone under sixteen and there are two sex scenes as well as language. Overall, the movie was really good but I would be careful as to letting anyone younger than sixteen view this film.

27 Dresses

Katherine Heigl, James Marsden, Malin Akerman

Directed by Anne Fletcher

Rating: 3 stars

Jane (Katherine Heigl) is a quirky, young workaholic in love with her boss, George (Edward Burns). When her sister Tess (Malin Akerman) comes into town, the younger sister hits it off pretty well with George. So well, that soon enough they are engaged. Jane has a pretty hard time saying no to people so it's no surprise she agrees to being her sister's maid of honor. However, Jane isn't so enthusiastic about Tess getting married to the man she loves. Jane has enough experience about weddings though because she has been the bridesmaid for twenty-seven of them. At one of the most recent weddings Jane participated in, a young journalist is interested in writing a story on her after going through her planner. Kevin (James Marsden) and Jane don't hit it off so great but after spending some quality time together, Jane warms up to the persistent journalist.

27 Dresses is a cute chick-flick where girl thinks she's in love with someone and has no interest in new guy but eventually warms up to new guy in the end. It has a good plot with Tess getting engaged to the man Jane loves and Jane actually agrees to helping with the wedding even though deep down she doesn't want to. There's also Kevin, a cute journalist who wants to get to know Jane. However, Jane is kind-of-sort-of annoying and a dork with all her bridesmaid dresses that she keeps in a closet. 27 Dresses deserves three stars because it is simply just okay. It's not a bad movie but it's also not four star worthy. I think it's a movie worth buying if you like it but after watching it, it's just okay. There's some funny, memorable scenes like when Jane tries on all her bridesmaid dresses and a drunk Jane and Kevin singing "Benny and the Jets". I would recommend this movie for mainly girls who enjoy a good chick-flick. Perhaps if you're a Katherine Heigl fan or James Marsden fan, then I would say this is a movie you should at least watch once. Personally, I did enjoy the film but like I said, there was nothing in the movie to declare it as "amazing" when it's really just "exceptional".