Movie Info:
Writers: Michael Ferris, John D. Brancato
Director: Jonathan Mostow
Cast: Bruce Willis, Radha Mitchell, Rosamund Pike, Boris Kodjoe, James Francis Ginty, James Cromwell, Ving Rhames, Jack Noseworthy, Devin Ratray, Michael Cudlitz
Rating: PG-13
Studio: Touchstone Home Entertainment

Release Info:
Original Theatrical Release Date: September 25, 2009
DVD Release Date: January 26, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $23.49

Bruce Willis is good at high action, thriller-intensive movies. He’s also good at psychologically messed up Sci Fi. One of my favorite Willis movies just happens to be 12 Monkeys, which isn’t a standard Bruce Willis action flick. Willis is one of the few true blue action heroes that can actually act. Back in the day, I remember watching him on Moonlighting, which showed the guy could be funny and could act, but somehow between then and now, he’s transformed into this bad ass action flick actor who is overlooked for the true talent he has.

For fans who have been fans of Willis as long as I have, you’ve seen the evolution of his career and look forward to nearly everything he’s in. You can guarantee they’ll be action, usually a decent plot, if not, the movie is at least watchable. I knew that I would want to see Surrogates not just from the cool and intriguing trailer, but also because Bruce Willis plays the lead character. I had a feeling I’d like the story behind the movie and I was right.

Going into this review, the only thing I knew about the movie was what I learned from the trailer. I knew the movie was futuristic and I knew people had surrogates, but I had no idea the depths this story would go to, when explaining the purpose of surrogates. As someone in a wheelchair, the entire idea of having a chance to live vicariously through a healthy body is an interesting prospect. While I’d never be able to go to the lengths these people went to by constantly controlling surrogates and having no outside contact with the world, the entire idea of having my own surrogate for when I wanted to experience things I couldn’t due to my chair makes me almost giddy at the thought.

Truth be told, we have our own version of surrogates right here on the web. Online, we can be whoever and whatever we want. While we are not afforded the visual and physical connections to a surrogate, the internet still allows us to live vicariously through the persona(s) we create online. This movie takes all of that to a whole new level and shows how dangerous things could be if everyone had their own surrogate and never had to leave their homes, for anything.

Initially created with physically disabled people in mind, the concept goes out of control, and that is exactly what would happen if surrogates were real in our world. It would ruin interpersonal relationships, keep people locked up and sequestered and destroy the face of the Earth, as we know it. Surrogates would be a game changer, and not necessarily in a good way. I feel this film aptly demonstrates why, as well as why technology (in all the goodness it does provide) should not be used nefariously nor be abused.

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Written by Dominick - Visit Website
Dominick Evans is in his late 20's. He spends his days working as a full time writer/editor and a part time musician/composer. His passions in life include music, directing films, watching movies, reading books, watching sports, wheelchair football, politics, his religion (Hellenic Reconstructionism) and spending time with his family (fiancée Ashtyn, son Robert, and shih-tzu Oliver). Other interests include being an advocate for the disability and GLBT communities.

Movie Info:
Writer: Alan Burnett
Director: Lauren Montgomery
Cast: Christopher Meloni, Victor Garber, Tricia Helfer, Michael Madsen, Juliet Landau, Olivia D’Abo, Richard McGonagle, John Larroquette, Kurtwood Smith, William Schallert, Larry Drake
Rating: PG-13
Studio: Warner

Release Info:
DVD Release Date: July 28, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $19.99

I’m a comic book geek. I wasn’t much of one as a kid, but I am now. I watched comic based superhero cartoons when I was younger, but I don’t think I ever correlated these heroes with the comic books in which they were originally formed and developed. I lived in a small town, and it didn’t have a comic book store, so I didn’t really get into comics until college.

I’ve been a huge fan of Batman since I was a kid. I also liked Superman. These days, I’m as into Marvel as I am DC, but it is the DC comics I grew up with, and with whom I am the most familiar. One of the DC comic book characters I knew the least about was Green Lantern. I’d heard of Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern, but other than fighting crime with a glowing green ring, I knew just about nothing in relation to this DC superhero.

When Warner teamed up with DC to start releasing high-quality, direct to DVD animated features, I was like a kid in a candy store. Since the first release, I’ve had the chance to review Superman: Doomsday, Justice League: The New Frontier and Wonder Woman. All of these were pretty good though my favorite is still Superman Doomsday. Green Lantern appeared in Justice League: The New Frontier. In this movie, his origin story is explored. I was intrigued by this story, and was looking forward to a more expanded look on Hal Jordan’s life as the Green Lantern in First Flight.

Well, now that First Flight is here I can actually discuss my feelings on the Green Lantern. The character is interesting. However, I cannot say I am madly in love with the story behind Green Lantern: First Flight. Yes, the story was interesting, but the plot was a little too predictable, Sinestro was a little too annoying and I was expecting a little more of that darkness we’ve seen in previous DC Original Animated Movies. The previous titles, I felt, were more geared towards the adult and older teen audience these comics have, and Green Lantern: First Flight seemed a little more kid friendly, not that this is a bad thing. I was just expecting more.

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Written by Dominick - Visit Website
Dominick Evans is in his late 20's. He spends his days working as a full time writer/editor and a part time musician/composer. His passions in life include music, directing films, watching movies, reading books, watching sports, wheelchair football, politics, his religion (Hellenic Reconstructionism) and spending time with his family (fiancée Ashtyn, son Robert, and shih-tzu Oliver). Other interests include being an advocate for the disability and GLBT communities.

Movie Info:
Writers: Michael Nitsberg, Kevin Elders
Director: Greg Marcks
Cast: Shane West, Edward Burns, Ving Rhames, Yuriy Kutsenko, Sergey Gubanov, Martin Sheen, Steven Elder, Tamara Feldman, Jonathan Pryce
Rating: PG-13
Studio: Paramount

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: March 12, 2009
DVD Release Date: July 21, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $27.99

It’s hard to screw up an action picture. The guidelines are fairly simple. There has to be plenty of explosions, a pretty girl, and some semblance of a plot (generally meaning a beginning, middle, and end). Most importantly, the movie needs to be at least semi-plausible and it can’t be boring. Echelon Conspiracy fails in the action genre for a number of reasons. These issues are a million little things and when you put them all together it just means that this movie was never worth being made in the first place.

Greg Marcks is a relatively new director. He received some Indy acclaim for his work on 11:14, but Conspiracy is his first bigger budget action flick. I know that every director has a film in their lineup that ends up being one of those…”What was I thinking” kind of films, but it seems a little early in his career after winning a student Academy Award and receiving such acclaim for his first movie to end up with something so flat.

If this were to keep up he might not end up doing many action flicks or at least not any major ones. The director always gets the brunt of the bad review because it is their job to make sure the movie as a whole comes out looking good. Marcks seems to overlook the glaring plot holes, the sinkholes of boredom, and the lack of interest in each of the characters. You can explode as much as you want, but at the end of the day it doesn’t mean much if people want the entire movie to explode just so it will end.

The acting was touch and go. Shane West was completely unbelievable as the computer expert. He couldn’t even manage to trace a cell phone call. Not to mention you barely see him working on a computer at all in the movie. For a few minutes you see him finishing up a job and swinging some electrical cord, but other than typing you don’t get anymore computer action from West. Burns is a little more believable as the lawman turned casino security head. Of course, this is a part, in some way, that we have seen him play before. He’s tough, loud, and no nonsense. All good, but you can’t save a movie with one guy.

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Movie Info:
Writers: David Simon, Ed Burns, Evan Wright
Director: Susanna White, Simon Cellan Jones
Cast: Alexander Skarsgård, James Ransone, Stark Sands, Lee Tergesen, Jon Huertas, Jonah Lotan, Rudy Reyes, Billy Lush, Chance Kelly, Eric Nenninger, Michael Kelly, Owain Yeoman, Marc Menchaca
Rating:
Studio: HBO

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: July 13, 2008
DVD Release Date: June 16, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $45.99

Once in a while a mini-series or television show will sneak on and off before I even knew it was there in the first place. This is what happened with Generation Kill. In fact, I knew very little about it when I was offered it for review. I decided to review it based on my experience with past HBO shows. After I requested it I figured out what it was about. During the first phase of the Iraq War in 2003, a reporter was allowed to ride along with the US Marine Corps 1st Recon Battalion as an embedded reporter. For about a month, Evan Wright rode along with 1st Recon like he was a soldier, as well. He wore the protective gear, got caught in battle, and had to deal with the same things the soldiers had to experience.

This experience not only spawned his original article, it went on to create the book, Generation Kill. Eventually the creators of The Wire wanted to get involved and together with Wright, David Simon and Ed Burns made the story television friendly. HBO picked it up and they decided to run it as a seven episode mini-series, which premiered in July 2008. The results are nothing short of remarkable.

Generation Kill is television at its best. This sits in a place at the top of the hill amongst other great war movies. It probably deserves more accolades because unlike many great war tales, this one really happened. Hell, it’s probably still happening to someone out there right now. The story is about a bunch of real life soldiers from the Marines 1st Recon Battalion.

The reason Generation Kill is such a success is because it does an excellent job of showing the shit (pardon my lack of better word) that these soldiers have to go through. Not only do you see them wrestling with their own moral conscience, they also have to deal with lack of equipment, constantly changing orders, and inept superiors that put them in harm’s way more often than not. It is a wild ride, some of which is pretty unbelievable, and it gives a good look to those sitting on the outside, of what it is like to be on the inside where war is concerned.

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Written by Ashtyn - Visit Website
Ashtyn Evans is a writer, advocate, free thinker, and all around cynical person. Always quick to find the negative in anything pop culture, she loves being a part of that which she despises. Ashtyn and Dominick own numerous blogs together, as well as a full-time writing business. In her spare time she is a full-time college student studying History and Psychology. She plans to one day give up her freelance career and be a full-time blogger, novelist, and domestic goddess. She can be contacted for writing projects, fan mail, or just to say hi. She really is friendlier than we make her look.

Movie Info:
Writer: Frank A. Cappello
Director: Frank A. Cappello
Cast: Russell Crowe, Helen Slater, Etsushi Toyokawa, Michael Lerner, Kyusaku Shimada, Kristopher Logan, Kelly Hu, Andrew J. Ferchland, Ian Ziering
Rating: R
Studio: Sony Pictures

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: December 20, 1996
DVD Release Date: June 16, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $18.49

I am almost torn in my decision (or lack thereof) to tell you to run screaming for the hills rather than watching this movie. No Way Back goes by in a blur. The characters are, for the most part, uninteresting and unrelatable. You understand that there is a struggle and that things need to be done to save lives, but you really don’t care. It’s impossible to care with writing as bad as this. In fact, studios should think long and hard before letting Frank A. Cappello have any of their cash. He’s definitely not worth it.

Being fair, I will state that Cappello wrote Constantine, which was by far his biggest hit. He didn’t direct that though and I think that this is where this goes from bad to worse. As bad a writer as he may be, he’s worse when it comes to directing.

I was shocked to find that Cappello is not listed as a producer for this because it’s just plain awful. Everything about it sucks. This film only has one redeeming quality. Helen Slater is the only thing that makes this movie worth watching. I remember watching The Legend of Billie Jean over and over when I was younger. I absolutely loved that movie and loved Slater because of her part in the film. She is actually the main reason that I wanted to review this. Something told me that if all else failed Slater would make it watchable. Boy, was I right on that one. I don’t think she saved the movie, but she made it bearable if nothing else.

I’ve been a fan of Russell Crowe for awhile and generally like his work. I could be nice and say that he tried his best, but I think the more accurate thing to say would be that he’s come a long way. It’s hard to give your all when your script calls for nothing. If nothing else, I am sure that No Way Back taught Crowe to pick his roles better.

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Written by Ashtyn - Visit Website
Ashtyn Evans is a writer, advocate, free thinker, and all around cynical person. Always quick to find the negative in anything pop culture, she loves being a part of that which she despises. Ashtyn and Dominick own numerous blogs together, as well as a full-time writing business. In her spare time she is a full-time college student studying History and Psychology. She plans to one day give up her freelance career and be a full-time blogger, novelist, and domestic goddess. She can be contacted for writing projects, fan mail, or just to say hi. She really is friendlier than we make her look.

Movie Info:
Writers: Clayton Frohman, Edward Zwick
Director: Edward Zwick
Cast: Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, Jamie Bell, Alexa Davalos, George MacKay, Allan Corduner, Mark Feuerstein, Tomas Arana, Jodhi May, Kate Fahy
Rating: R
Studio: Paramount

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: January 16, 2009
DVD Release Date: June 2, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $24.99

In Hollywood there are a slew of directors that stand out for the controversial and thought provoking films that they make. These are directors that can be named at the drop of the hat. They are directors like Sam Mendes, Oliver Stone, Francis Ford Coppola, and Martin Scorsese. Then there are directors you know, by body of work, but they have a name that constantly escapes you. For me, this is Edward Zwick to a tee. Zwick has directed a few well known films, such as Blood Diamond, About Last Night, and Glory. Having seen and loved all three of these movies, I feel I know the quality of Zwick’s work much better than I know him by name.

I may not have had a clue who Zwick was, but the names of a few key cast members are names not easily forgotten. Two of the main leads are played by Daniel Craig and Liev Schreiber. These two men are well known for their acting ability, so that naturally helps quite a bit. In the beginning, there was only one real problem from what I could tell. Before I received Defiance for review, I don’t recall hearing one thing about it!

After watching the movie I went ahead and looked up more details about the Bielski brothers. Come to find out, some of the story that you see in the movie is true. Granted, much of it (especially the fighting) has been trumped up to make a better picture, but the brothers’ trying to save themselves and other Jews from persecution was on the money. This makes the film more interesting than originally anticipated.

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Movie Info:
Writers: Jean-Jacques Annaud, Alain Godard
Director: Jean-Jacques Annaud
Cast: Jude Law, Ed Harris, Rachel Weisz, Joseph Fiennes, Bob Hoskins, Ron Perlman
Rating: R
Studio: Paramount

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: March 16, 2001
DVD Release Date: May 19, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $17.99

I was not aware of this, but I had the chance to view bits and pieces of Enemy at the Gates before this review. I knew I had to see it due to my fascination with war movies, but I wasn’t sure I had seen it before. In all honesty, there is only one scene that I have watched in the whole movie. Ah, but what a scene it was. I often say that love scenes (now, more easily categorized as sex scenes) are not done the way that they used to be.

Enemy at the Gates may just be the exception. There is only one sex scene in this film and it is quiet, passionate, and hotter than you would expect sex between two fully clothed people to be. Maybe it’s the environment. I don’t know what it is, but that one scene makes the entire movie worth watching.

I shouldn’t say that too loudly though because this really is a pretty good movie from start to finish. The acting is superb. Sporting names such as Jude Law, Ed Harris, and Joseph Fiennes (among others), Enemy is packed with the star power necessary to make this semi-true story an emotional rollercoaster that offers one hell of a ride. Of course, without good direction these actors would not have had the vision of the project to offer such performances, so praise deserves to land with the director, as well.

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Movie Info:
Writers: Christopher McQuarrie, Nathan Alexander
Director: Bryan Singer
Cast: Tom Cruise, Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Carice van Houten, Thomas Kretschmann, Terence Stamp, Eddie Izzard, Kevin McNally
Rating: PG-13
Studio: 20th Century Fox

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: December 25, 2008
DVD Release Date: May 19, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $24.99

I had heard quite a bit about Valkyrie while it was being made. Most of the information had to do with filming locations and Tom Cruise. Apparently, the Germans are not a big fan of Scientology, and as such, they are not a big fan of the poster boy for this pseudo-religion. While I thought that denying camp locations for filming just because of Cruise was amusing, his personal religious beliefs (and the thoughts of the Germans) had no bearing on whether or not I would see this film.

In all honesty, I had to think long and hard about seeing Valkyrie. I have problems seeing movies with actors that fail to captivate me. When I watch a Tom Cruise film, I often have to struggle to see the character. He always remains Cruise to me, and with his more erratic behavior in the past, it’s hard to watch him and not think of those moments. The actual movie gets lost because it is all about Cruise.

The one thing that convinced me to watch Valkyrie was the subject matter revolving around WWII. In my opinion, this is one of the most interesting periods in history. Even though there have been hundreds of movies filmed on the subject, when the next one is released I will probably be in line to see it. So, for me, Valkyrie was a given, even if it meant having to sit through Tom Cruise to see it.

As with most movies there are some good and bad elements to consider. The most impressive aspect is that Valkyrie is based on a true story that hasn’t been talked about much, especially in film. For people that grew up with the misconception that Germans (during this period in history) are all evil, this gives you a chance to see that some knew what the Nazis and Hitler were doing was wrong. Not all of them believed in the Final Solution, and some of those that didn’t were willing to fight for what was right.

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Written by Ashtyn - Visit Website
Ashtyn Evans is a writer, advocate, free thinker, and all around cynical person. Always quick to find the negative in anything pop culture, she loves being a part of that which she despises. Ashtyn and Dominick own numerous blogs together, as well as a full-time writing business. In her spare time she is a full-time college student studying History and Psychology. She plans to one day give up her freelance career and be a full-time blogger, novelist, and domestic goddess. She can be contacted for writing projects, fan mail, or just to say hi. She really is friendlier than we make her look.

Movie Info:
Writers:Luc Besson, Robert Mark Kamen
Director: Pierre Morel
Cast: Liam Neeson, Famke Janssen, Leland Orser, Radivoje Bukvic, Mathieu Busson, Holly Valance, Katie Cassidy, Xander Berkeley, Nicolas Giraud, Maggie Grace, Jon Gries
Rating: PG-13
Studio: 20th Century Fox

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: January 30, 2009
DVD Release Date: May 12, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $24.99

I never start a movie review out this way, but…I just have to say, I loved this movie. Since watching it, I have said that to just about everyone I know. Highly recommended doesn’t cut it. Taken is a must watch film. Action buffs will enjoy it, as will thriller lovers. It has all the elements of a kickass movie and I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed watching it. In fact, I might watch it again when I am done with this review.

From the first viewing of the first trailer I knew I was in this for the long haul. All it took was a small bit of dialogue courtesy of Liam Neeson and I was hooked.

“I don’t know who you are. I don’t know what you want. If you are looking for ransom, I can tell you I don’t have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills; skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my daughter go now, that’ll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don’t, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you.”

Watching Taken gives you a cross between James Bond and Jason Bourne. While I don’t really think of Neeson as an action star, he made this performance look effortless and the movie was simply amazing. Not to sell the rest of the cast short, they also did a good job. I never felt like there was any person in this that couldn’t hold their weight. Everyone got the job done well and provided this new director with an excellent movie to put under his belt. Despite being new, if this is representative of Pierre Morel’s work, he will have a name that everyone knows soon enough.

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Written by Ashtyn - Visit Website
Ashtyn Evans is a writer, advocate, free thinker, and all around cynical person. Always quick to find the negative in anything pop culture, she loves being a part of that which she despises. Ashtyn and Dominick own numerous blogs together, as well as a full-time writing business. In her spare time she is a full-time college student studying History and Psychology. She plans to one day give up her freelance career and be a full-time blogger, novelist, and domestic goddess. She can be contacted for writing projects, fan mail, or just to say hi. She really is friendlier than we make her look.

Movie Info:
Writers: Paul Haggis, Neal Purvis
Director: Marc Forster
Cast: Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Mathieu Amalric, Judi Dench, Giancarlo Giannini, Gemma Arterton, Jeffrey Wright, David Harbour, Jesper Christensen, Anatole Taubman, Rory Kinnear, Tim Pigott-Smith, Joaquín Cosio
Rating: PG-13
Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: November 14, 2008
DVD Release Date: April 21, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $24.99

I have been a fan of James Bond since I was a kid. I used to watch old James Bond movies with my dad. He was a huge fan of the old Bond, Ian Fleming and the Bond book series. It was something we watched while bonding (no pun intended). Just like any other Bond fan, we had our favorite Bonds. Mine was Sean Connery. He personified Bond. He turned Bond into the international sensation he is. For me, Connery is the definitive Bond!

My dad died in 2001. He never had the chance to see Daniel Craig as Bond, so I have no clue how he would have felt about him being in the role. When I heard the blond Craig was taking over the role of Bond I was kind of put off. I know many fans of the series dismissed Craig in the role of Bond. I must admit that I was one of them. First, I wasn’t that familiar with his work and second, there had never been a blond Bond. It seemed almost funny to change his look along with the actor. I didn’t really want to like him, so I avoided seeing Casino Royale.

Still, I am a Bond fan, so I couldn’t stay away for too long. I ended up watching the movie when it came on television and I have to admit it. I am impressed with Daniel Craig. He brings back a lot of the suave flair that Connery brought to the franchise. He has to be one of my favorite Bonds, and I’m sorry I doubted his ability. Craig has made me a fan, revitalizing the series in ways other actors have failed to do so. Needless to say, I was looking forward to Quantum of Solace.

Unlike most of the Bond movies, which stand alone well on their own, Quantum of Solace picks up where Casino Royale left off. I also had the chance to play and review the Quantum of Solace video game (for the Xbox 360), so I kind of had some idea of the direction the film would head. Of course, video games don’t give away too much and part of it was actually scenes from Casino Royale, with flashback mode to Vesper and where what happened with her leads us to the new movie.

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Written by Dominick - Visit Website
Dominick Evans is in his late 20's. He spends his days working as a full time writer/editor and a part time musician/composer. His passions in life include music, directing films, watching movies, reading books, watching sports, wheelchair football, politics, his religion (Hellenic Reconstructionism) and spending time with his family (fiancée Ashtyn, son Robert, and shih-tzu Oliver). Other interests include being an advocate for the disability and GLBT communities.