Elysium

Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley, Alice Braga

Directed by Neill Blomkamp

Rating: B

In the distant future of 2154, Earth has been so overpopulated that the wealthy have moved off the planet to Elysium, a space station that is reachable by shuttles in nineteen minutes.

It's no secret that even today, the income gap between the rich and the poor keeps increasing (Face the Facts USA) and that the world's population today is climbing up to 7.1 billion people (US census). "Elysium" takes a real-world concern and puts a theatrical spin to it. By 2154, there is no middle class. Blomkamp's Los Angeles is a run-down city where no decent homes are left standing. On Elysium, the wealthy can live forever by using medical machines that can cure cancer in less than five minutes.

"Elysium" follows Max's (Damon) story. As a kid, he learns about Elysium and promises himself and his friend he will get them there. Grown up, Max has a criminal record (auto-theft, resisting arrest) and works at a low-level job working with machinery. When a complication arises at work, Max gets a death sentence after being exposed to a high dosage of radiation. With only five days left to live, his only hope to survive is by getting to Elysium.

Desperate, Max will do anything to keep living and that includes a dangerous job extracting important information from a billionaire's mind. This billionaire is the CEO of the company he worked for and also has the reboot information for Elysium in his head. This information was written for Delacourt (Foster), a government official with a better idea of how Elysium should be run under a new president who will give her more power.

I liked how "Elysium" had a realistic view on the future. While I'm not too sure how realistic technology will get by the year 2154 (machines that can cure cancer?), "Elysium" is a good sci-fi thriller. It's as gory as "District 9" and the camera does not shy away from exploding people. It's violent and is rated "R" for good reason, but fans of action, post-apocalyptic worlds, and Matt Damon will not be disappointed.

The World's End

Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Martin Freeman, Rosamund Pike

Directed by Edgar Wright

Rating: B

The comedic duo Pegg and Frost continue their community themed films in this pub-crawl, apocalyptic fest. 

As in "Shaun of the Dead", "Hot Fuzz" and now "The World's End", the main characters end up in a village where it's "them" against the community. Be it elderly people, or as the villains are called in the newest movie "the network", the recurring theme is a utopian community. The town has finally rid the wrongdoers and almost everyone is peaceful. The wrong are put right and there are no worries, until Pegg and Frost come along.

"The World's End" is another buddy movie with Gary King (Pegg) and Andy Knightley (Frost) who start the film at odd ends but by the end have patched up their best friendship. Gary is facing his mid-life crisis in rehab when he realizes his life never got better after one legendary night. His solution? Call up the gang to finish the golden mile pub crawl in their hometown. It takes some convincing for his grown up friends with wives and successful jobs to join him when they all hold grudges against Gary.

After the first of twelve pubs, the gang runs into mayhem in the bathroom when they discover the townspeople aren't human. They bleed blue ink when Gary pops the head off of a robot (which they insist they are not). Using Gary's own logic, it would only make sense for the group to march on to the last pub, The World's End. They just have to make it to the end without tipping off the townspeople they know their secret.

The movie sticks to the same humor as in "Shaun of the Dead" and "Hot Fuzz", so past fans shouldn't be disappointed in the latest product of Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg. Lines are sprinkled with pop culture references like Legoland, and Starbucks. The film also makes a statement on franchising and updating the old with the new. Their old town has modern art, the pubs look more like family restaurants, and crime has gone down.

Overall, "The World's End" does not disappoint and for those looking for a good British comedy, this is the one to spend a movie ticket on.

Man of Steel

Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Russell Crowe

Directed by Zack Snyder

Rating: B+

Don't be fooled by the blue spandex and red cape, this Superman reboot is actually worth watching. With a little help from producer Christopher Nolan, "Man of Steel" feels like another "Dark Knight" movie but is far from it.

In this new Superman film, the audience gets a little more background on the planet Krypton, where Kal-El (aka Clark Kent) (Cavill)  is from. The movie starts out with Jor-El (Crowe) warning the higher authority of Krypton that the planet is about to be destroyed, and that he can save their race by sending his natural born son to a safe place. Jor-El's confrontation with General Zod (Shannon) is fatal, but he has at least saved his son from the same fate the planet will soon suffer.

Skipping ahead to his adulthood, Clark briefly flashbacks to important events during his childhood, mostly where his adoptive father warns Clark not to use his powers in public. The world isn't ready for someone like Clark, until danger from outside the planet threatens human existence. General Zod's appearance picks up the pace for the film, but it's not just Zod who takes the spotlight. Faora-Ul (Antje Traue) was one of Zod's soldiers trapped in a black hole as punishment for treason on Krypton. Faora is one of Zod's only soldiers to go out and kick butt. Lois Lane (Adams) is another female role that isn't primarily a damsel in distress. Lane isn't a soldier, in combat she needs saving. Her attitude isn't helpless, she goes back to the action rather than avoid it, but Lane is the one to help Clark defeat Zod.

At two-and-a-half hours, this movie is either going to drag on for some viewers or the time will fly by as fast as Superman can. It's hard to accomplish Clark Kent's background and get to the villain soon without rushing a few of the story lines. Snyder could have eased on the heavy-action packed scenes towards the end to focus more on Clark's childhood discovering his powers, or the treason committed by Zod in the first place. During Superman and Zod's up-in-the-air battle, they smash each other into city buildings and ruin the parts of Metropolis that hadn't been damaged by Zod's gravity machine.

Not quite a masterpiece, "Man of Steel" is still a better reboot compared to DC's previous try with "Superman Returns" in 2006. It's the most realistic of Superman movies. This film leads to a potential sequel either with Superman himself or the "Justice League" that isn't due for a release until 2015. It's hard to ignore the Nolan influence integrated in "Man of Steel" from Hans Zimmer's soundtrack to the stunning cinematography. Also using Zod as the main villain was the perfect set-up for a potential sequel, where Metropolis lies in ruins and Lex Luthor could be the next candidate as villain while he helps rebuild the city.

So unsure of whether to go see "Man of Steel"? Ask yourself this: if you liked the tone of Nolan's Batman trilogy, you will probably enjoy this reboot.

The Host

Saoirse Ronan, Max Irons, Jake Abel, Diane Kruger

Directed by Andrew Niccol

Based on the book by Stephanie Meyer

Faithfulness to the book: 9/10

Rating of movie: B

In Stephanie Meyer's sci-fi novel, Earth has been taken over by friendly aliens in the form of a silvery floating orb. These orbs are implanted in the spinal cord and take over human bodies. Earth no longer has wars, crime, or rude people. Sounds like Utopia, right? The humans who have managed to escape being taken over don't think so. Melanie (Ronan) fought tooth and nail not to be taken by the Seekers (humans taken over by aliens who search for those still truly human). Melanie's love for her brother and the group of survivors she hides with is what keeps her mind conscious despite having her body taken over.

Though Melanie can't speak for herself, she mentally fights the alien called "Wanderer" who has taken over her body. Wanderer helps the Seekers give up information on where Melanie's group of friends are hidden, but as Wanderer ends up finding the hidden place herself she learns these people are worth fighting to live for too. Only one Seeker (Kruger) won't give up looking and starts to show a little humanity as she grows desperate by firing a gun.

I think it might be a little generous to give "The Host" a "B" rating when the book, and movie adaptation, were both flat. One thing about Meyer's writing not just in the "Twilight" series but in "The Host" as well is that she has a way of making the worlds feel very realistic (despite vampires and aliens not being real). The group Wanderer sticks with are, for a majority of the film, in a cave. They only resort to violence against the Seekers when confronted and even that doesn't happen often. There is no real conflict, while Wanderer figures out a peaceful solution to their troubles and how to get Melanie back to her own body.

Looking at it from from a non-subjective perspective, it was a well-made movie. It leans more towards romance and is a little more mature (like "Breaking Dawn") than her usual audience is used to. I would recommend that anyone who enjoyed "Twilight" or young adult novels to watch and read "The Host". I have to admit that the movie is pretty faithful to the book which is refreshing since most adaptations are as faithful as keeping character names and setting but changing things around.

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.

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Danny Elfman, Catherine O'Hara, William Hickey, Glenn Shadix

Directed by Henry Selick

Rating: A

Jack Skellington (Elfman) is tired of being the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town. In fact, he's tired of the same tricks and same scares every Halloween. After celebrating Halloween one night, Jack goes on a walk with his dog, Zero, and stumbles upon a door with a Christmas tree on it. Curious, he goes through the door and finds himself in the wonderful land of Christmas Town. Enchanted by the snow, joy, and presents, Jack wants to bring Christmas to Halloween Town. Jack goes about and gives a task to each person to make toys or work on Christmas good. Sally (O'Hara) has a bad feeling about this because it's not natural for Halloween Town to do this. She tries to warn Jack but he simply won't listen.

The Nightmare Before Christmas is one of the best Halloween movies to watch around this time of year. Tim Burton, the writer for this movie, did us all a favor by making this movie. The best part about this movie is that it can be watched in any decade. Even now in 2011, it is still a great movie to watch around Halloween. The characters are all interesting, from Jack as a skeleton to Sally with all her body parts sewed together to the Mayor with two faces.

This is a classic Halloween movie for any ages and I highly encourage watching it around Halloween time. Christmas works too as that is involved with the movie! It's not too scary so even young kids (of perhaps six and older) can watch this without being too scared.

Casper

Bill Pullman, Christina Ricci, Malachi Pearson

Directed by Brad Silberling

Rating: C

Casper (Pearson) is just a friendly ghost stuck haunting a house with his three uncles Stretch, Fatso, and Stinkie. However, Carrigan finds out that after her father has passed away a treasure is hidden in the house that he left her. Unfortunately she can't get to the treasure do to Casper's mischievous uncles so she hires Dr. Harvey (Pullman), a ghost therapist, to help these ghosts with their unfinished business and move on. Dr. Harvey's daughter Kat (Ricci) befriends Casper and helps him deal with Carrigan.

Casper has the potential to be a good movie but the general audience to want to see this film again is probably under ten. At first the film captures your attention but then after Dr. Harvey and his daughter move into the house to deal with these ghosts, the movie starts to falter. Dr. Harvey tries to help the three rude ghosts move on but instead gets pulled into their schemes. Kat allows her whole class throw a Halloween party at her house on her first day of school which is totally unrealistic.

The plot has a way of quickly being resolved and the ending leaves you unsatisfied, thinking, "that's it?" Apparently each Casper movie following this first one gets just as bad a rating. This film was rated 5.7/10 while the next two receive 4/10. You would hope that Casper would be a great choice to watch Halloween night but you're better off watching The Nightmare Before Christmas or Halloween Town.

Good Will Hunting

Matt Damon, Stellan Skarsgard, Robin Williams, Ben Affleck
Directed by Gus Van Sant

Rating: B

Will Hunting (Matt Damon) is an exceptionally smart person. However, he spends his time as a janitor at MIT in Massachusetts. When Professor Lambeau (Skarsgard) asks his students who can solve a particularly difficult problem that could earn them an award, Will solves it on a blackboard in a hallway. The professor is impressed and when his students admit none of them solved it, he goes to find out who did. When Will is found out for his intelligence, Professor Lambeau seeks to help him see his true potential. However, Will has some issues and finds himself at court quite a few times. This is when Sean Maguire (Williams) comes in, as he has a similar background to Will's and as his psychologist can connect with him.

Will has a hard time letting people into his life. Growing up, he moved around foster homes where some of the foster fathers were abusive to him. Will meets a girl but eventually pushes her away, all because he wants to avoid being abandoned by someone he cares about. Sean can see himself in Will and helps make a bond with this unconnected young man. Will learns to trust Sean and finally see's the his own potential.

Good Will Hunting is a movie worth seeing. Matt Damon portrays a believable character and one that the audience can sympathize with. Viewers want to see Will have a happy ending because in the end he deserves it. This was an interesting film to watch because Will has two choices: live life on the high end with a job that pays very well or he can do what makes him happy. It's a hard choice to make when you can potentially earn a six-figure salary but with the help of his psychologist, Will learns to do what is right for him.

Fried Green Tomatoes

Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy, Mary Stuart Masterson, Mary-Louise Parker

Directed by Jon Avnet

Rating: B

Finally having her son growing up to leave home, Evelyn Couch (Bates) has a void to fill. Her husband, Ed (Gailard Sartain) doesn't appreciate the time they have together, preferring to eat dinner in front of the tv than talk to her. During a visit to see Ed's aunt in a nursing home, Evelyn meets Ninny Threadgoode (Tandy). Ninny starts to tell Evelyn a story about a strong, independent woman she knew growing up but doesn't get to finish because Ed was ready to go home. Evelyn comes back to visit Ninny and hear more about Idgie (Masterson) and Ruth (Parker), two best friends who have survived an abusive husband and some attacks by the Ku Klux Klan.

Fried Green Tomatoes is really just a sweet story about friendship and loyalty. The movie goes in and out between Ninny's story and Evelyn's growth of independence. Through Ninny's story about Idgie, Evelyn is inspired to change what she doesn't like about herself and to fix her marriage. Evelyn struggles with aging and gaining weight and after trying out some support groups, the best support she can get is from Ninny. Soon, Ninny becomes like family to her.

What I really liked about this movie was how Ninny takes you back to the 1920's Alabama. You get to hear about a different time and different people. Idgie is a tough girl who has preferred to be on her own since her older brother died. Ruth comes back to town and tries to reach out to her, not giving up until one day they are able to make a connection. Their friendship grows (while apparently in the novel they are actually "lovers") and they take care of each other. In the end, something tears them apart but the movie doesn't end unhappily. I would recommend this if you enjoy sentimental, inspirational, and heart-warming movies of the kind.

A Clockwork Orange

Malcom McDowell, Michael Bates, Patrick Magee

Directed by Stanley Kubrick

Rating: C

Alex (McDowell) is a young, rampant, violent, sex machine. He and his group of "brothers" go about stealing, fighting, and raping about in England until one day they don't want Alex as the leader and leave him to be picked up by the police. After murdering a woman, Alex is charged with a fourteen year prison sentence. After two years of good behavior, he convinces the governor to be picked for a new experimental treatment that cures bad men of their habits to never doing a bad thing again. After two weeks of a sickening process, Alex can't stand violence or sex or even Beethoven's "Ninth Symphony", driving him mad. Alex is the government's pawn in leading England free of crime.

A Clockwork Orange is a disturbing movie that crawls under your skin. It's intentions are to make the audience uncomfortable right from the first scene. Alex stares at the camera for a lengthy time; that's the only thing viewers see. The camera zooms out to reveal a room that Alex and his friends are sitting in, white plastic models of naked girls in uncomfortable positions leave watchers feel like averting their eyes. While Alex goes through a reformation process he is still slightly disturbed, retching and making belching noises when confronted with violence or sex.

Alex is a hard character for viewers to sympathize with. After seeing what he's done with his life, even after he has been "reformed", viewers don't feel so sorry for Alex. The audience may still think he may not have gotten what he deserved for all the wrong he has done. True, viewers might feel bad when his parents don't let him come live back in their house, but besides that, Alex is an unsympathetic character.

This is a movie that is loved or hated between many viewers. I think it deserves a "C" rating because on the whole, it's a very disturbing movie. I've always wanted to see it just because the name pops up every now and then but this is a movie you rarely watch. I would recommend this movie to those who are okay with uncomfortable movies, like The Black Swan or Trainspotting. While viewers may ponder if the main character, Alex, will ever be okay, the real question is, was he ever okay to begin with?

Juno

Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman

Directed by Jason Reitman

Rating: B

16-year-old Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page) finds out she's pregnant. The father who is her friend, Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera), doesn't participate much in the goings-on of her pregnancy. Unsure of what to do, Juno finds an advertisement for a couple wanting a baby. Juno goes to meet Vanessa Loring (Jennifer Garner) and her husband Mark (Jason Bateman) to see if they would be a good match to adopt her baby. Vanessa could not be more thrilled while her husband doesn't seem to be ready for parenthood. Juno and Mark make bond over music and she goes to hang out with him a few times. However Mark seems to have the wrong idea and recklessly decides he does not want to continue his marriage.

Juno was a popular movie amongst the teenagers when it hit theaters but isn't a film that connects with all ages. Juno is one of those movies that fits in a specific category of movies that are popular among a specific group of people. For example, Napoleon Dynamite appealed to a mass group of teenagers, where many liked to quote from it but the popularity quickly died down. There's simply not much to like about Juno. A teenager girl gets pregnant and this film portrays what she goes through while she decides to give up her baby.

It deserved a "B" because while it was shortly popular, the movie was pointless. The dialogue was nothing special to comment on, the humor was short-lived, the movie overall did not keep interest. I would recommend this film if you enjoyed the humor of Napoleon Dynamite, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, or Gentleman Broncos.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Evanna Lynch, Ralph Fiennes

Directed by David Yates

Rating: B-

Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) and Professor Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) are the laughingstock of the Wizarding World when they proclaim that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named (Ralph Fiennes) has returned. The Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge (Robert Hardy), refuses to believe it and makes the Daily Prophet newspaper spread lies that Harry and Professor Dumbledore are crazy. After forming Dumbledore's Army (also referred to as the D.A.) Harry, Ron (Rupert Grint), Hermione (Emma Watson), Neville (Matthew Lewis), and Luna (Evanna Lynch) all go to the Ministry of Magic to stop Lord Voldemort from taking the "secret" weapon.

The first Harry Potter movie directed by David Yates proves not to be the best of the four he directed. There was some disappointments being that Order of the Phoenix is the biggest Harry Potter book written, therefore the director must have had some hard decisions on what was to be cut out. Continuing the dark theme that the previous movie Prisoner of Azkaban was starting, this fifth film was just as dark with evil characters rising to the spotlight. One of the most evil characters introduced was Professor Umbridge (Imelda Staunton). Professor Umbridge was just as evil as the Dark Lord though her aspirations differed from the latter. She strongly believed in whatever the Minister of Magic had to say and had a firm hand in changing Hogwarts rules. Imelda Staunton did an amazing job with her character. She made Professor Umbridge feel like a truly evil, frustrating woman and it was very easy to hate. From her "hem, hem's" to that innocent-sounding voice when she makes Harry carve "I must not tell lies" into his hand with a quill, Professor Umbridge is someone you want to meet a bad end.

The movie did have some light humor spread throughout it. Sick of Professor Umbridge and all her rules, Fred and George Weasley (James and Oliver Phelps) have a little fun during the fifth years O.W.Ls (Ordinary Wizarding Levels). Seated upon broomsticks, the Weasley twins release their magical fireworks that creates chaos in the halls and zoom out of the castle, leaving Hogwarts behind.

While the Order of the Phoenix book is filled with many things happening, the director David Yates did a good job condensing the movie a little by moving the plot along through the use of the wizarding newspaper. Headlines would flash to let viewers know what was happening so that the plot could move on instead of lengthening the time for this already long movie.

In the end, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was a movie that could have had a few improvements. A good choice of actors to portray characters like Luna Lovegood and Professor Umbridge may have saved this movie from being a disappointment.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Robert Pattinson, Ralph Fiennes

Directed by Mike Newell

Rating: A-

The Triwizard Tournament is the big news of whats happening at Hogwarts this year. Students from Beauxbatons and Durmstang wizarding schools are brought to Hogwarts to enter their name in the Goblet of Fire. This magical goblet will choose one student from each school to participate in this dangerous tournament. Harry (Radcliffe)'s name comes out of the goblet, making him the fourth contender when only three are supposed to be chosen. The headmasters of the two foreign schools are upset since Hogwarts has two contenders to win the cup. Only, Harry didn't enter his name and he has no idea who did. The tasks prove to be challenging and come the last task, Harry may not make it out alive.

Personally, I like to call Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire the Year Of Good Hair. This is particularly because almost everyone is having a very good hair year. Harry, Ron, the Weasley twins Fred and George all have long hair which looks good from Azkaban's awkward hair cut. Director Mike Newell successfully got the movies back on track with this film.

The opening scene captures your attention upon seeing Voldemort's plan to rise. Wormtail (Timothy Spall) is helping Voldemort get his body back while another unknown Death Eater gets instructions for his mission. Newell continues the trend Cuaron started with the darkness of the film. Goblet of Fire was not a light film to watch as it begins the trail of deaths Voldemort leaves behind. However, dark is balanced by light with the help of the Weasley twins and Harry's first crush on Cho Chang (Katie Leung).

It was disappointing that Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) didn't have much of a role. He finally meets Harry in Azkaban and you'd think Harry would talk to someone who is like family to him more. The Yule Ball was entertaining and brought light to a challenging situation Harry is in with the tasks. Goblet of Fire was well made and deserved an A- because it brought back a little more magic that the previous movie had lost.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Bonnie Wright, Tom Felton, Jason Isaacs

Directed by Chris Columbus

Rating: A

Another year older, Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) returns for a difficult year at Hogwarts. When Dobby the house elf (Toby Jones) warns Harry he must not return to school, Dobby goes through great lengths to try and get Harry to leave. Hogwarts is his home, so Harry does not want to leave. However, on a few occasions he is caught at the wrong place and the wrong time. A bloody message is left on a wall alerting students that the Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Half the school believes Harry is the heir of Slytherin and it didn't help his case when he unknowingly spoke Parsteltongue (snake language). Students are afraid for their lives as fellow students get petrified. It's up to Harry, Ron, and Hermione to figure out who opened the Chamber and how to save the rest of the school from Slytherin's "monster".

Another brilliant film from Chris Columbus, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets brought the magic back for another year. You can see that the young actors are improving. A chilling scene for instance is near the end when Lucius Malfoy (Jason Isaacs) tells Harry something like, "Let's just hope Mr. Potter will always be around to save the day." Harry replies, "Don't worry. I will be," which was chilling because the scene had been improvised and Radcliffe was not aware that was going to happen. Again, the cinematography was similar to the first movie. The Chamber of Secrets was really neat looking and Slytherin's "monster" was just as realistic looking. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets did not disappoint.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Richard Harris, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane

Directed by Chris Columbus

Rating: A-

Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) spent ten years of his life living under a cupboard in his relatives home believing he was just a normal boy. However, he is far from normal. Harry is a huge celebrity in the wizarding world for vanquishing He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, a very evil wizard who was taking over. Upon his eleventh birthday, he finds out from a friendly half-giant named Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) that he is a wizard. His aunt and uncle had kept this a secret in hopes that he would grow up to be "normal". This is the happiest moment of his life, for Harry gets to leave the Dursley's (his relatives) home to go to a magical school. Upon Harry's arrival at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry he easily makes friends and an enemy on the first day. While Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry soon becomes home to Harry, trouble still lurks around the corner. Professor Dumbledore (Richard Harris) is hiding something at Hogwarts for protection but one of the teachers is after it. Harry and his friends spend the year trying to unlock the secret and find a way to get to the sorcerer's stone before it can be stolen.

Who wouldn't want to receive an acceptance letter to Hogwarts by owl? Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone does immense justice to the book. It's one of the movies that is most like the book and for this reason, it makes the movie feel a little too lengthy. However, it doesn't stop it from being a great film. Looking back to where it all started, all the young actors (Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint) look so tiny! Their acting was very convincing for ten- and eleven-year olds; though in the movie scenes had to jump to the next one since they had trouble with their lines. Part of what makes this movie such a success is the cinematography. This movie makes Hogwarts look so legit. Gringotts, Hogwarts castle, the Great Hall, everything looks so real. It makes the movie so much more believable, it takes you away to a whole new world. Another contributing factor that adds to the success of the movie is the screen writing. Steve Kloves (the screen writer) kept in touch with J.K. Rowling, the author of the celebrated series, to make sure he was on the right track. The movie has some memorable scenes from Harry and Ron saving Hermione from the troll to one of the most popular quotes from Dumbledore upon eating a Bertie Botts Every Flavor Bean, "Alas, Earwax!" Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone brings the magic to life and is definitely one of the better movies in the series.

Easy A

Emma Stone, Amanda Bynes, Penn Badgley, Dan Byrd

Directed by Will Gluck

Rating: C+

When Olive (Emma Stone) finds that she is invisible in her school, she decides to shake things up a bit by pretending she is someone quite opposite of her true nature. Marianne (Amanda Bynes) takes up Olive as someone she can help see the light and fix the errors. Instead, Olive is helping out the male population of her high school by spreading rumors that she slept with, kissed, dated them if they pay her by gift cards or cash. By ruining her reputation, Olive gets caught in a nasty rumor and the guy she wants probably thinks all the rumors she spreads are true. Poor Olive.

Easy A is a newer version of Mean Girls. The plot may be different but Emma Stone's character is very similar to Lindsay Lohan's character. They both change themselves for a cause and everyone at school either fears them or admires them. Easy A isn't a bad movie though. The reason I thought it deserved a C+ is because of it's similarity to Mean Girls and the fact that it's overall nothing special. Easy A has it's funny moments and it's a movie worth owning. It's nothing sophisticated, it's just another one of those teenage movies. It doesn't mean adults wouldn't enjoy it though. They probably would rather watch it then a kid movie. In the end, I would recommend this to those who enjoy movies like Mean Girls, 17 Again, etc.

Thor

Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston

Directed by Kenneth Branagh

Rating: B+

On the eve of Thor's Day, trouble brews and Thor and his friends go off to fight enemies who tried to steal a precious object. While Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is seen as arrogant and impulsive, his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) decided to teach him a lesson by casting him away from their realm of Asgard. Thor is sent to Earth, separated from his hammer (which gives him powers). Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and her friend are out studying the anomaly that has been occurring in the night skies to record in her scientific journal when she fins Thor. Not completely understanding Thor and thinking him a little mental, Jane ends up helping Thor to find his hammer but while doing so forms a friendship that evolves to a late romance. However, the plot does not stop there as Thor needs to return home and battle his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) who is not everything he seems.

Thor was a really good movie which brings comic book heroes into modern society. It had an interesting plot line that doesn't leave your mind drifting during the movie and Chris Hemsworth is nice to look at for two hours. What was good about Thor is it's entertaining for everyone. I think that even if action, comic book movies aren't your normal standards to watch, you might enjoy Thor. That depends on your taste of movies of course though. Personally, I could see myself buying this movie in the future. It looks like their will be a sequel (watch the end of the credits) but I don't think there will be a Thor 2. Thor is coming back in the 2012 movie, the Avengers which contains more comic book characters (like Iron Man and the Hulk). I definitely recommend Thor for those unsure whether they want to watch it or not.

The Time Traveler's Wife

Eric Bana, Rachel McAdams

Directed by Robert Schwentke

Rating: B+

Claire Abshire (Rachel McAdams) has known Henry DeTamble (Eric Bana) since she was six years old when she met him in a field behind her house. Henry has come in and out of Claire's life in different ages because he is a time-traveler. Somehow, his world seems to revolve around Claire by the fact that he mostly reappears around her. It isn't until she reaches her twenties that Henry re-appears again. This time their relationship changes to a more romantic one, now that Claire is old enough. Only, being a time-traveler, Henry gets a sneak peek into his future and it's not as pleasant as it should be.

The Times Traveler's Wife is a really good book. The movie did a good job and as you can probably tell from the title, it's a chick-flick. I believe most girls would enjoy this movie. It's got romance, drama, a bit of a teary-eyed ending; if you like any of those things in a movie you will enjoy The Time Travelers Wife. I thought it deserved a B+ because it's got good quality and like I mentioned before, I think most people will like it. I did read the book after I watched the movie and there was some things I wish had been included but I took the movie as it was. If you liked this movie, I would definitely recommend reading the book because you will enjoy it even more than you did the movie. In my opinion the book is rated young adult while the movie has a PG-13 rating, the movie is not too inappropriate (though there is cursing). Not to pick on the stereotype of girls, but if you need a girls night out, invite the girls over and watch this!

Water For Elephants

Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon, Christoph Waltz

Directed by Francis Lawrence

Rating: 4 stars

Jacob Jankoski (Robert Pattinson) is in training to be a veterinarian when the death of his parents leaves his penniless and homeless. Unsure of where his future lies, he hops aboard a train and is accepted to work for a circus. August (Christoph Waltz) the ring leader gives Jacob a job cleaning up and feeding the animals. When Jacob's talent is noticed by August, he is appointed teacher of the new attraction, an elephant. Marlena (Reese Witherspoon) is to ride the elephant and be part of the show. While Jacob handles the elephant, he and Marlena form feelings for each other though they can't acknowledge it because Marlena is married to August.

Though the movie may be a disappointment to those who read the book, I really enjoyed Water For Elephants. The cast was simply brilliant and  this movie redeems Robert Pattinson's acting qualities. It was an entertaining movie though had some upsetting scenes. This isn't a movie to bring the family with (unless maybe they all read the book). What I'm trying to say is, don't bring your kids. August is a brutal character with some mental problems that he inflicts pain on the animals and is abusive. I think this movie deserved four stars because the acting was impressive, it's easy to get lost in the movie. I don't want to spoil the movie so I would definitely recommend this movie. However, if you get uneasy at scenes with animal abuse or fighting, you may want to approach this movie with caution.