Avatar - WOW!!!

Take a little Braveheart, add some Dances with Wolves, sprinkle in bit of Pocahontas, some Ferngully, a little dash of Gorillas in the Mist, and finish it off with the most insane crazy visual effects and watch with some 3-D goggles for 2 hours and 40 mins and Voila! You have Avatar, one of the best movies I've ever seen. I mean day-ummm!! This movie is absolutely mind blowing! James Cameron has really out done himself which I think is his goal every time he sets out to make a movie. It's only been 12 years since his last motion picture. You guys may remember a small, little known movie called Titanic! Yeah, that is the highest grossing pic of all time and it looks like Avatar will be the 2nd highest. However, in my humble opinion, Avatar blows Titanic out of the water (no pun intended).

Avatar is the first movie of its kind and will change the way movies are made forever. I know the short segments in the previews kind of make it look like its any other CGI-laden, animated, motion capture movie. But its not. Trust me. They used a completely revolutionary technology in which the actors are filmed doing their thing, but the image that is shown on the other end of the camera is a 9 foot tall, blue humanoid creature that looks just like the actor. Its amazing! Its better than motion capture and prosthetics combined. So cool. And not only are the characters amazing to look at, so is the world that James Cameron has created. The colors are hyper brilliant, the creatures and plants in the world of Pandora are beautiful, and most of all the story is incredible.

I hope that all of you know what I'm actually raving about, but for those of you who were born yesterday or don't have any interaction with anything except the wall in front of your face, Avatar is one of the biggest films ever made, and its out in theaters right now. Its directed by James Cameron. He's the guys who made the first and second Terminators, Aliens, The Abyss, and the aforementioned Titanic. So basically he makes bad ass films. It stars Sam Worthington who starred in Terminator Salvation and is looking like he's the next Hollywood bad ass and Zoe Saldana who was in the new Star Trek and has 4 movies coming out this year. She's also hot, but all you see is her as a 9 foot tall blue creature the whole movie. It also has a supporting cast of Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez, and Giovanni Ribisi, to name a few.

Here's what the movie is all about. When his scientist twin brother is killed and because having the same DNA is a requirement, paraplegic Marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) decides to take his place on a mission on the distant world of Pandora. There he learns that his mission will be aiding a greedy corporation in driving off the native humanoid "Na'vi" (the 9 foot tall blue creatures) in order to mine for the precious material buried beneath their homelands. In exchange for the spinal surgery that will "give him his legs back." Jake uses an an "avatar" identity which is a lab-created Na'vi which he can control with his mind while lying in machine that looks like a tanning bed. He agrees to gather intel for the cooperating military unit spearheaded by gung-ho Colonel Quaritch (played by some badass looking dude that I've never seen), while simultaneously attempting to infiltrate the Na'vi people to try and find a peaceful way to mine the material under their feet. Jake begins to bond with the native tribe and quickly falls in love with the beautiful alien Neytiri (Zoe Saldana). Things come to a head when Jake realizes that what the corporation and the military unit are trying to do is evil. Jake is forced to make a choice to continue to help the greedy humans or take a stand and fight back with the alien race that he has infiltrated.

As I said earlier, this is one of the best movies I've ever seen. So I am recommending this movie to every single person out there. Yes, it's long, but you don't feel like it is, it moves fast and you are totally captivated the whole time. Yes, its about 60% CGI, but its so real looking that you forget you are watching "fake" creatures. Yes, its super Sci Fi/Fantasy, but the story is great and the visuals alone are enough to captivate you. I've talked to many people who don't like Sci Fi and who say "I don't like unbelievable movies" or "I just can't get into watching a bunch of blue people run around." Well, I have this to say to you sceptics. Watch this movie anyway. I guarantee you that you will at the very least be spell bound by the visuals and I promise you you will start to get into the story, and you will walk out of the movie theater amazed.

On a side note, when you go see this in the theaters, opt for the 3D version. It's sick! You may feel a little dizzy for the first 5 or 10 minutes but you get used to it and it makes the movie watching experience that much better.

Paranormal Activity - this thing's creepy as $%^#

Okay maybe the tag line for this one is a little dramatic...or actually maybe it's not. This is got to be if not the most creepy movie I've ever seen, then it is at least the second. Regardless of where it ranks in my hierarchy of scary movies, the thing scared me. Not to sound cocky or like a bad ass or something but there's really only been like maybe 5 movies in my life that actually, genuinely scared me. Yeah, I've been creeped out by things and I've certainly done my share of jumping in movies, but only a few have made me have chill bumps, or contemplate covering my eyes, or make me double check the locks in my house, but this one certainly did.

Paranormal Activity is kind of a phenomenon in that it was made for only around $15,000 and has made tens of millions of dollars. I give you that little tidbit for 2 reasons; 1. I'm not the only person who thought this was awesome; 2. To let you know that this isn't some big budget studio film. It's meant to look like this really happened. And maybe it really did...(insert evil laugh). The movie is filmed with one camera which is owned by the people in the movie and the events of this movie are filmed by them. Everything that happens is caught on camera by the people in the movie.

Micah (annoyingly pronounce Mee-ka) and Katie live together in a suburban home in San Diego. Katie claims that she is haunted and has been her whole life, and the haunting has followed her to she and Micah's new home together. So, in order to record these alleged "hauntings" Micah purchases a small video camera with which he intends to film everything that goes on while they are in the house. He especially plans to record them while they are asleep.

I'd say two thirds of the movie is spent during the waking hours where we witness the day to day interaction between the young couple, including their disagreements, and slowly we watch how the relationship is affecting the people in the movie. But the other one third of the movie is creepy as hell. I'm actually getting chill bumps thinking about the stuff that goes on at night while the couple is sleeping and then the things that go on as the "paranormal activity" increases.

I literally got such crazy chill bumps in this movie that the room felt like it got 20 degrees colder. I'm not a screamer or yeller in horror movies, but I literally yelled out loud during one point. My roommate, Timmy, who some of you may have noticed makes it into my reviews occasionally, will be the first to tell you that he doesn't really like scary movies. The day after we watched this one, Timmy asked if I was walking around at 4 am. I wasn't. And neither was anyone else. He was freaked. Which means, this movie was AWESOME!

Paranormal Activity doesn't scare you with in-your-face tactics. Everything is very subtle. Kind of if you blink you miss it sort of stuff. Things are done with little noises and small occurrences. The occurrences build in severity, building to an ending that can only be described as pants s---ing scary. Pardon my french kids.

Obviously, if you don't like scary movies, don't watch this one. This is more of a creepy horror than a jump out and get you horror, and it's not gorey like so many of the "horrors" today are. While I'm on that topic, I hate how "horrors" are just gore fests now. They should make a new movie genre called "gorrors" or something. Anyway. The real scare factor for this one is the fact that it seems real, like really happened, like you would see this on True TV or something. It's filmed similar to The Blair Witch Project without the motion sickness and you can actually tell what is happening and has the creepiness of The Strangers. So if you liked either one of those, you'll really like this one. If you like to be scared, watch it, if you don't stay the hell away!

Jennifer's Body - a comedy horror and it stars Megan Fox

If you are a heterosexual dude and haven't been living under a rock for the past year, you should have at least heard of this one. Its one where Megan Fox plays a very strange role for her...a smoking hot girl. But in addition to playing a smoking hot girl, she is playing a demonically possessed high school cheerleader who feeds on boys in her school.

This movie is as weird as that first paragraph makes it sound. But its also actually quite good and very entertaining. It's written by Diablo Cody. She is the tattooed ex-stripper turned Academy Award winning screenwriter who wrote Juno. Jennifer's Body has the same quirky, hip dialogue that Juno had, it just in a movie about a super hot boy-eating demon. The premise is this: After an encounter with a mysterious, devil worshipping rock band lead by Adam Brody (Seth from the OC), Jennifer (Megan Fox) becomes possessed by a demon and basically becomes invincible as long as she feeds on humans more specifically, males. When she's full, she looks like well, Megan Fox. When she's not, she looks ugly, well, for Megan Fox. The only person who knows Jennifer's story is her impish, dorky best friend Needy (Amanda Seyfried - Mama Mia). The story is told by Needy basically from her cell in a Mental Hospital, and through the course of the film, we find out why she is actually there. While we are on the Needy's character, she is actually the one that carries the movie, and it's her struggle that gives the movie the humanity that it needs to not be some weird horror flick. I have a feeling we are going to see a lot of Amanda Seyfried in the future.

While the movie is pretty gruesome at times, and definitely has a very dark premise, it is actually pretty funny. But since its a funny horror movie, its basically just weird. It's weird because you go from being kind of scared and grossed out to laughing all at like the same time. Diablo Cody's characters have the weird but humorous way of talking to each other, and don't react the way a normal person would react to the situations they are put in. It almost gives it a campy feel, which it completely done on purpose.

I actually liked this movie a lot more than I thought I would. I mean, I'm not going to try to pretend that 95% of the reason I rented it was to see Megan Fox, and I know she's not exactly the best actress out there, but she honestly did a pretty decent job, and I'm not just saying that. I was surprised, really. I think if you don't take the movie seriously (the movie doesn't even take itself seriously) then you will really enjoy this one. What I'm about to say is not me trying to blow smoke up your butts, but I would not recommend nor do I like crappy movies that star a super hot girl, so my recommendation that people should see this movie is actually based on the fact that it was a decent, entertaining flick. It's definitely different and quirky and bloody, but I think you guys would really like it.

(500) Days of Summer - an awesome non-love story

(500) Days of Summer is a quirky, off beat romantic comedy that tells the story of the relationship between Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt - 3rd Rock from the Sun and not the guy with the squinty eyes, Timmy) and Summer (Zooey Deschanel - Elf) and the 500 days that they were a part of each other's lives. It is presented in a non-chronological format, each scene being introduced by which of the 500 days it is. You go from day 488 to day 67 to day 2 for example. I don't know if that's the order, but you get the point. It's not really a love story in the conventional sense because, and I'm not ruining anything because this isn't the point of the film, the relationship between Tom and Summer doesn't work out. The 500 days are Tom's reflection on what went right and wrong in their relationship.

While that sounds like a strange and pointless story. It is actually one of the most cleverly told movies that I've ever seen. The two leads are absolutely magnetic, and the way Summer is described in the movie has exactly the same magnetism as the actress who plays her. This movie has both very funny and very heart breaking parts. I mean, it is a story about then ending of a relationship. Because the film is told in a non-chronological format, you never get bored with the story because you don't know what kind of a scene you are going to see next, thus there isn't the continued frustration or feeling of knowing what is coming next. This makes watching this movie a very refreshing movie. Now guys are probably like a love story is a love story and I don't watch chick flicks. And yes this movie is about love, it isn't a chick flick so don't try to be all tough and say you aren't going to watch it because of the love story.

I felt like I had a smile on my face for much of the movie, not just because of the love story but because every scene is great, even the sad ones, and I was just so drawn to the characters. I really felt that break up, empty, hopeless feeling during the sadder scenes, and that giddy, happy, nervous, good-miserable feeling during the happier scenes. And while this movie is about a break up, it still has an awesome ending that I think everyone will love. I know I say that everyone should see some of the movies that I review, but I think if everyone saw this one, you life would not only be better for a little while, the world would be a better place for a little while as well. Go see rent this one ASAP!

Brothers - a trio of amazing performances

Brothers is an American remake of a Danish film by the same name. It stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Tobey Maguire, and Natalie Portman. And its pretty awesome. Its also nothing like I thought it was going to be which I thought was cool. If you have those three actors in a movie, regardless of the subject matter of the film, its going to be pretty dang good. I mean, those 3 don't mess up very much.

Brothers is about human relationships to its very core. Its about husband and wife, mother and child, father and child, friendship, but most importantly, brotherhood. Tobey Maguire plays Sam, a Johnny All-America type guy. A great father, a great husband, a great son, a great brother and a great soldier. Jake Gyllenhaal plays Tommy as is Sam's brother and is basically the total opposite of his brother. The film opens with him getting out of prison and you learn very quickly how NOT like Sam Tommy actually is. Natalie Portman rounds out the trio as Grace, Sam's wife and mother to their 2 young daughters. While Sam is fighting in the Middle East, his helicopter is shot down and he is presumed dead. All of his family grieves for him. Tommy then steps in and helps Grace and the kids get through the hard times and in doing so, finds the good in himself that he had lost. Grace, Tommy and the girls develop a bond during all this and form a kind of de facto family. Well, Sam isn't dead after all, and finally makes his way home but not without suffering through some terrible atrocities that scar his soul and his psyche deeply. He is not the same man that he was, and because of that there is some very serious tension.

I thought this movie was absolutely great. Every scene is played brilliantly by all involved. It is slow and methodical but you are never bored. The actors create a tension between each other, that, depending on the scene, is either good or bad, and this in turn makes you constantly wonder what is going to happen next. I was glued to the screen. I don't even like Tobey Maguire at all, but I thought he was brilliant in this, and had some of the best scenes I've seen in a while in this movie. If you were like me and read that Jake Gyllenhaal was playing the scum bag, ex-felon, loser brother, and was like "what?? That's bad casting" then you will really see why he got the part. He plays the part with a subtle vulnerability, that only he could embody I think. You forgive him for everything bad that he does and you really believe in his transformation. Of course there's Natalie Portman, who I re-fell in love with. She can really do no wrong if you ask me, and you really feel every thing that she feels in this movie.

If you like deeply felt movies with amazing performances, you'll like this one. And honestly, who's going to say they don't like to see movies like that. It's a heavy flick, so you are warned about that, but it is really good all the same. It is a tear jerking movie and in the end, the message that family bonds and the love for your family is still stronger than anything that can be thrown at a person, is very comforting and heart warming. I recommend you all see this one, just see it when you are in the mood to be moved emotionally.

The Road - haunting, depressing, but great

If you are planning on seeing The Road at any point in your life, I have 2 suggestions for you. One, don't watch it if you feeling seriously down in the dumps and two, don't have any really great plans afterwards because your mood is just going to be a lot more depressed after you see this movie. So actually, you might want to ignore suggestion number two and actually plan something super awesome so that you will get in a better mood.

You are probably reading this and thinking, "Why would I want to watch something that is going to depress me so much?" And, my friends, that is an awesome question. The reason is that while the movie tells a very sad and depressing story against a bleak and stark setting, the theme of the movie is one undying love and unwavering hope, which pretty much always makes an emotional, and usually great film. In addition to the theme, the film is ridiculously well acted and the story expertly told.

The Road is based on a novel by Cormac McCarthy who is the same author that wrote All the Pretty Horses and No Country for Old Men. So basically the dude can write. The Road is a post-apocalyptic tale that follows a father and son trying to survive by any means possible. The Man (played brilliantly by Viggo Mortensen--Lord of the Rings, A History of Violence, Eastern Promises) and The Boy (played probably more brilliantly by Kodi Smit-McPhee--who will probably be the kid in every movie made for the next few years) are trying to get to coast while traveling across a burnt-out, ash-filled, freezing cold, grey, dead America. Along the way they have to fight of gangs of cannibals, thieves, and their own fears and nightmares. It is dark and depressing most of the time, but The Man's love for his son and the son's love for his father are so strong that they bring a lot of warmth to the usual coldness of the setting.

The movie is primarily the Man and the Boy, but also stars the beautiful Charlize Theron as the Mother who is seen in flashbacks. Robert Duvall also has a great part and is almost unrecognizable except for his absolutely recognizable voice.

While the movie has a somewhat hopeful theme, it is still very dark and depressing and serious. At the end of the movie, not a single person in the theater said a thing for a few minutes. It's one of those kind of movies. I loved it because of the strong performances and the incredible story, but I can totally see where someone would not like it because of the bleakness of the story. I know this movie isn't for everyone but I honestly think that everyone should see it because I think it is a story everyone should experience and know. Just be warned that you aren't going to walk away with a smile on you face, but you will, I think, be glad that you saw it.

Carriers - billed as a horror but not one

Whoever decided to label Carriers as a horror film must have only read the plot synopsis and then labeled it as such because if you read a plot synopsis of the movie then that is exactly what it sounds like, but its not a horror film at all. It is a tense character piece set against a situation that could be the makings of a horror film.

Carriers is a pretty decent little flick though. What this is, is a deliberately paced drama about a group of survivors led by a roguish Chris Pine (Capt. Kirk in the new Star Trek) in a world plagued with a virus that's pretty much killed everyone and the hard decisions they have to make on their way. It could be a companion piece to The Road almost, a sort of prequel set a few years before. While it is "slow" and "deliberate" it is only about 84 minutes long.

There are no zombies or supernatural happenings. It is a study of human character and what people will and won't do just to survive. While I was a little confused when the movie wasn't the "horror" I expected, but I was certainly pleasantly surprised when it ended up being what it was.

Because the film is slow moving and deliberate without any crazy action, I can see where some would get a little bored with the movie. However, the acting is actually pretty dang good. The characters are all very relatable if not kind of despicable at times. There are quite a few very emotional and tense scenes as well. While I wouldn't recommend this movie to people with short attention spans, I would recommend this to anyone who appreciates a good character piece, or anyone who likes to watch movies that makes them think, "what if I were in their shoes?"