Current Movies Showing in Theaters and on DVD
Titles for the Alpha Dad, Family, and Kids
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Current Movies Showing in Theaters and on DVD Titles for the Alpha Dad, Family, and Kids |
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12/19/07 I Am Legend
Rated PG-13, 1 hr. 40 min. ☆☆☆☆
I Am Legend Part horror story, part human drama, I Am Legend makes for a superbly entertaining movie. The flick is based on a novel by Richard Matheson, written in 1954, with an original setting of 1976. This is the third evolution and update of the story on the big screen. The first two representations were The Last Man on Earth (1964), with Vincent Price; and The Omega Man (1971), starring Charlton Heston. The modern version with Will Smith brings one of the most capable young actors of our time to the screen in a compelling personal story, as well as retaining the elements of an apocalyptic end to humanity. With vampires.
The essential story is that humanity
has been wiped out by a rapidly mutating virus. This subsequent
devastation is a result of a heralded cure for cancer which mutated into
a morbid plague, leaving the few survivors as subhuman cannibals. Will
Smith is Colonel Robert Neville, a military scientist who leads the vain
attempts by the US government to stop the virus from
After two years of solitude, Neville’s sanity is slipping, and his only solace is in his dog Sam, and his work to find a cure for the virus. Even though entirely alone in the city during the day, he must retreat to his fortress of a house by sunset, as the night is owned by the scores of remaining humans, all turned to vampires by the plague. In his excursions across town during daylight – we are treated to Neville racing across the deserted silent city in a Mustang GT 500 – he fills his time mundanely, hunting for game that has begun to flourish in the urban environment, collecting from his Victory Garden, and changing out movies from the video store. He is beginning to crack under the strain of loneliness and lack of human contact. He begins to talk to the mannequins when he is in the movie store, and he rambles at times with his dog.
Though this may sound trite in
abstract, Neville's relationship with Sam is significant, as it is the
last vestige of his previous life, as the dog was the family pet as
puppy, before the catastrophe. Neville has raised the dog as his only
companion sin The time frame of the story as depicted in the movie is short, but Smith is convincing in the lead, giving exceptional character development and exposition in the brief time allowed. He shows it all – fear, despair, loneliness. All in realistic and humane terms. The movie is virtually devoid of any comedic relief, as is common in most of the movies that Will Smith stars in. This does not detract from the movie whatsoever. He takes the role of Neville, and shows in exceptional terms how any person would slip away from sanity in the midst of such abject isolation. Action is more subtle than explosive, but the high-intensity of Smith’s human qualities throughout makes it all the more interesting.
The overall graphic scheme of the
movie is very good, with scenery and environments brought to life
incredibly well. New York as a deserted, desolate place is depicted
superbly in special effects,
There will be no spoilers in this review. Thankfully the splatter level is low, and the movie is driven on story and Smith’s acting rather than overblown gore. Rest assured, this is a forceful drama, inserted into a horror story. Alpha Dad readers should find this an interesting and entertaining movie over the holidays. - AP DEC07
Reference- Pictures and official Warner Brothers Pictures movie website:
12/17/07 The Bourne Ultimatum Rated R, 1 hr. 51 min. ☆☆☆☆ The Bourne Ultimatum
Superbad Rated R, 1 hr. 54 min.
☆☆☆☆☆ Blade Runner- The Final Cut Rated R, 1 hr. 57 min. ☆☆☆☆☆
If you’ve never seen Blade Runner, don’t let this one pass.
Produced before Harrison Ford got kind of weird, before Edward James Olmos went political, and before Rutger Hauer got old, this is one of the greatest science fiction movies ever made. Don’t let that genre put you off; the film is directed by the inestimable Ridley Scott (American Gangster; Blackhawk Down; Hannibal; Gladiator; Alien). Blade Runner was the forerunner to many films following, in building incredible worlds that are imagined as our near future. Great graphics and overall scope of the fantastic civilization created in the film set as the backdrop for a great action story.
Blade Runner- The Final Cut Amazon ASIN: B000UD0ESA
12/11/07 Beowulf Rated PG-13, 1 hr. 23 min. In Theaters and IMAX ☆☆☆
Beowulf
This is the legend of Beowulf, retold in a CGI
full-animation production. This is a presentation of a myth from a story
written in
It is interesting to see CGI renderings of entire movies now. The technology has progressed incredibly since the days of Star Wars. The artists and creators have really gotten static features like buildings and environments down. They appear ‘realistic’ even in a complete fantasy environment. Not so good on modeling people or animals. The complexities of movement in natural animals, to include humans, is so hard to replicate, even in this advanced age of graphic design, the features don’t appear correct or lifelike. This is exactly the case with Beowulf. At times the movie appears more like Shrek – in which a cartoonish feel to the graphics and characters is expected – than a fantasy rendering of realistic characters. I have to say, some of the newer video games, particularly on console, have captured better modeling of humans and animals than Beowulf did.
11/11/07 American Gangster Rated R, 2 hr. 40 min In Theaters A Guest Review by John P, 61 Sr. Executive
American Gangster
No surprises here. In this mangled rewrite of the
'Scarface' series, it is readily apparent that too many cooks spoil the
broth. From a slow start we have the opportunity to watch Denzel
Washington and Russell Crowe crawl across the stage to the final
credits.
-JP 9 NOV
Reference- Promotional poster and official movie website: Universal Studios http://www.americangangster.net/
11/09/07 The Kingdom Rated R, 1 hr. 50 min In Theaters A Guest Review by John P, 61 Sr. Executive
The Kingdom
The Kingdom- The story line is built on a real life incident in the recent past involving a terrorist bombing in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The target of the attack was one of the civilian conclaves for foreign workers, most of whom were US Citizens. Subsequent to the attack on US citizens, a special FBI unit is immediately sent to Saudi Arabia to investigate the bombing. The suspicions, resistance and political issues that surround these types of events are the theme for the story line. Given all the acrimony in foreign affairs and sovereignty, the reality comes forth when Law Enforcement professionals from both countries realize that they are all on the same side in this war.
The action is pretty much nonstop and the only recommendation I can give is to fasten your seatbelt and hang on to the bar. This is not a movie for the squeamish nor those of liberal leanings; rather it takes a hard look of the realities of the warrior and how to directly deal with Jihad. The separation of the good guys from the bad takes some time to become clear in the movie, but when it ends, the final lines make an unforgettable statement. It will leave your heart pounding.
How the solutions unfold and the fair characterization of the terrorists make this more than just another action movie. The casting was brilliant, as the players all bring their own brand of talent to their roles. Definitely a must see.
-JP 9 NOV
References- Pictures and official movie website: Universal Studios http://www.thekingdommovie.com/
10/13/07 The Game Plan Rated PG, 1 hr. 50 min In Theaters/New Release ☆☆☆☆/☆
The Game Plan
The Game Plan- The light-comedy's plot is simple: egocentric pro football quarterback has a life-changing development dropped into his superstar life- he has a seven-year old daughter he never knew about. The comedy comes in as tough-guy, self-involved jock has to evolve into caring, selfless, and responsible Dad. For the viewing and subsequent review of this movie, Dad wasn't able to make it to the theater. However, the junior reviewers took Mom to the picture for her birthday. Thus we'll get Mom's take on the flick, and add in the eight and 12 year-old opinions.
Junior Reviewers- H., age 8- It was a good action movie.
I liked the football hits a lot. The movie was very funny. I liked
two parts- when Peyton (The Rock's daughter in the movie) made a great
big bubble-bath, and The Rock thought she was in there under all the
bubbles, so he jumps in, but she's not in the bathtub; and when Peyton keeps telling the football player over and over that he shouldn't
say 'stupid,' because it's a mean word, and then when the guy on another
team tells him he's stupid, he says 'Don't say that! Stupid is L., age 12- I liked it very much. It was a good birthday for Mom, and both me and H. liked it, so that was fun. But Dad would have liked it, too. I liked The Rock in it. It was a good movie for him. He starts out as a scary dude, but ends up as the gentle giant. The action was kind of slow in the beginning, but it got intense at the end. The graphics were really good - when Joe (The Rock) gets hit really hard, you can see the spit come out of his mouth. That was my favorite part of the movie, too- when he got hit so hard he dislocated his shoulder and broke his ribs, and spit flew out of his mouth. The funniest part was the squirt gun scene, and The Rock scares everyone off. It was a good movie for the whole family. I give it 4-1/2 stars. So, there you have it. Mom thought it was great, the boys thought it was great, and overall it was an entertaining, funny movie with some good action. A good movie to take the whole family to.
-AP Oct 07
References- Pictures and official movie website: Disney Corporation http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/gameplan/
Feature Review- Something Different 10/15/07 District B13 Rated R, 1 hr. 25 min. On cable and DVD ☆☆☆☆
District B13 It’s probably a movie that you’ve never heard of, and it’s already three years old, but it is one of the best action movies I’ve ever seen. A little background here: The movie, District B13, was written and produced by the French director Luc Besson. Besson was the director (as well as producer) of some exceptional intense action thrillers- of note are The Professional, starring Jean Reno; and La Femme Nikita (which reappeared in an awful and watered-down American remake - Point of No Return). Besson also produced the straight action movies- both Transporter installments (starring Jason Statham), and the Jet Li flicks Unleashed and Kiss of the Dragon. Also in his extensive filmography are the anomalous titles (as director) Arthur and the Invisibles (see review here), The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc, and The Fifth Element (a sci-fi action movie starring Bruce Willis, Chris Tucker, and Milla Jovovich).
District B13 The snapshot plot for the movie- well, I won’t take a hand at describing it any better than the official movie description: “In the
near future, the worst ghettos of Paris, France are lit If all that sounds a bit much, it works. Really. The only
feature that may put off this readership is that the movie is in…
French. Stop. Wait- It’s a great movie. Honestly. The movie dialogue
is in French with English subtitles. But it’s a great
For a great description of the stunt styling and form used in the movie, look up ‘Parkour’ on Wikipedia (www.wikipedia.com ); it gives a cool explanation and pix on the subject. It’s an entire form of urban gymnastics and superhuman moves. The actor David Belle is the ostensible creator of this style. Give this great movie a try. Sure, it’s French, and it’s subtitled, but again- it has a good storyline, the action is great, the stunts are incredible. And the overall movie isn’t a caricature (as many American action movies have become; again- see Shoot ‘Em Up review). The movie is now playing on Showtime, and is also available through Netflix, or online from Amazon. I'm interested to hear reader feedback after sitting for this movie. If I was wrong about it, feel free to tell me. If it was great, lend your opinion supporting the flick. -AP Oct 07
Reference- Promo material and screen shots- Magnolia Pictures http://www.magpictures.com/default.aspx
Feature Review 9/27/07 Shoot 'Em Up Rated R, 1 hr. 27 min. In Theaters ☆☆
Shoot 'Em Up
Quick Take- Just like the name says- shoot 'em up. Heavy on the realistic gun violence, particularly shot-kills. I tried to keep an approximate tally, but the body-count was at least over 100. Wave after wave of human bullet-catchers direly attempt to terminate Mr. Smith (Owen), who was apparently a super agent in a previous life. The movie has a pretty good soundtrack (metal-oriented, with a driving progressive / alternative hard rock sound). Storyline (according to New Line Cinema) at right. One-sentence description of the movie- ultra-violent and terribly implausible. Shoot 'Em Up The production company left out a few important notes on story description- in particular a plot that would ostensibly be workable. Big problem- there are so many gun-deaths and thousands of rounds expended (to the extent that the viewer is exhausted by film's end) you kind of forget about the need for a story. I'll try to take it slow, and keep it as short as I can here:
Very
first scene of the movie is Mr. Smith eating a carrot, sitting on the
bench at a filthy bus-stop. Nutty opener, but that's what runs
first. The carrot accoutrement is important, but more on that
later. A minute or so following the opening scene, Smith has a pregnant woman
run past him at the bus-stop, and she's subsequently pursued by
a thug. Smith hesitates to get involved. His conscience gets the
better of him, and he follows the pair into a deserted warehouse. This
is about where the shooting
starts, and seemingly doesn't end until the last scene of the movie. He kills
all the bad-guys pursuing the expectant mom (at this point he has no
idea why she's fleeing), as the single creep turns into a gaggle of
hired attackers on the woman's trail. All this excitement apparently induces lab As Mr. Smith keeps being followed even after escaping with the newborn, we start to realize the baby is core to the story. Just stick with New Line's story description, as it's the only thing that will keep the story's denouement cohesive enough to understand. Enter Giamatti, an Academy Award Nominee, as the lead henchman for this insane, if amateurish, legion of hit-men churning their way through the flick. Giamatti has been hired to find the woman, terminate her, and retrieve the baby. In the movie Giamatti's character describes his profession as a former Forensic Behavior Specialist Consultant for the FBI (he is repugnant to the description 'profiler'). Giamatti's characterization of the heavy in the movie is a strange one- alike to the mad evil scientist in some pictures. Oh, and he has a penchant for necrophilia, fondling the dead mother's breast prior to disposing of her body.
I
won't go too much farther in description of story and introduction of
the script-line or the characters. The only other significant character
of substance in the movie is Monica Berlucci, playing a 'specialty' prostitute
dragged into the plot by Mr. Smith. Her servic If the carrot chomping and wet-nurse prostitute weren't enough, the collection of assassins, thugs, and general criminal types sent to find the pregnant woman, and, subsequently Mr. Smith and his newfound nanny for the baby, were all creepy, crusty characters, dressed fully in black, with black leather jackets. Every one of them. Imagine- Keystone cops, and the criminal in question wearing a black knit cap, black eye bandana, with five-o'clock-shadow- that's the bad guys in the movie. We end up suffering the gratuitous love scene between the female and male leads; their intercourse (thankfully, I think) interrupted by another shootout. Virtually the only neat prop in the entire work is Giamatti's 1964 all-black Lincoln Continental with suicide doors (remember Animal House?). Here is a sampling of the crazy, totally out-there parts of the movie. Okay, I'll say this once so I don't end up repeating myself- I am not kidding when I say: - Apparently not only is Mr. Smith a big fan of the orange vegetable, of course we get two gory kills by carrot, with the carrot as the weapon inflicting death (in bloody, close-up framing). - The newborn baby gets his umbilical cord cut by (an intentional) gunshot (who comes up with this stuff?). - Mr. Smith comes up with the ideal safehouse for stashing away the pursued child and prostitute-nanny. He hides Berlucci and baby, and I have to got say it again- I'm not kidding- in a displayed army tank housed in a military history museum full of people. - Terrible, terrible one-liners throughout the movie. (sigh) Yes, we get the 'what's up doc?' (carrots, remember?). The only line I found humorous in 90 minutes of blood-spattered violence: Giamatti's exclamation after having another 50 of his hired incompetents wiped out- "Do we really suck that bad, or is this guy really that good!?" - Smith setting up a complex trap- a 'fly-by-wire'-controlled shooting gallery comprised of about 20 weapons, from handguns, to submachine guns, to shotguns. He gets the whole multi-weapon contraption together in about 10 minutes, all under the noses of a gun warehouse full of guards and bad guys.
Technical and graphics: The cinematic style was pretty simple, with nothing out of the ordinary. Stunts were awful and overdone (think Asian kung fu movies, with people flying through the air, spinning and chopping superhumanly; same thing in Shoot 'Em Up, only with guns). At least in Jackie Chan movies, the fight choreography is excellent, and I know Chan is doing his own stunts, because you get to see him cracked in the head, the crotch, pretty much all over his body, in outtakes at the end of his flicks. Shoot 'Em Up displayed no adherence to this level of realism or craft. Lastly, the CGI graphics overlaid in the filmed backgrounds were awful (a baby's CGI head being stuck in the scenes, looking fake and kind of creepy). Here's what I think happened- New Line got a (decent) script, probably written as a dramatic action-thriller, like The Bourne Supremacy, signed on some good actors (Owen and Giamatti), and then turned the film over to a director that wanted to be the next Quentin Tarantino (director Michael Davis). What they ended up with is an overblown, steroid-injected, testosterone-fueled, blood-and-gun frenzy. With carrot-killing. I was going to say- completely pass on this movie. But then I got to thinking about it- no, you have to see it. Don't watch it with your love interest (she would never let you pick the movie again). Don't watch it with your kids (you'd be guilty of child-abuse). Save it for a guy's night with your pals. Get the guy in your circle of friends with the biggest TV to host, or invite everybody to your house (after reading this review). Grab a few beers, if that's your thing, or just the chips and dip. Then sit with the guys and watch this insane thing. You probably won't like it, you'll probably find the story a snore; the violence will likely seem overdone to you. But at least you'll get to see what I meant when I said (over and over) "I'm not kidding!" Note- as of this writing, Shoot 'Em Up is still in theaters. It will likely not last there long. If you miss it on the screen, I'm sure it will go to DVD in short order. Then you can torture yourself and your friends with it.
-AP Sep 07
Reference- All pictures and official Shoot 'Em Up Website: New Line Cinema http://www.shootemupmovie.com/
Feature- Something Different 10/07/07 An Article on The Samurai Western and The Works of Akira Kurosawa Snapshot Summary in Manly Arts
Feature Review 9/20/07 Transformers Rated PG-13, 2 hr. 23 min. DVD Release- 16 Oct ☆☆☆☆☆
Transformers If you haven’t seen Transformers, you (and your kids) missed the blockbuster of the summer. With a production budget of $150 million, the movie has earned just shy of $700 million worldwide, with good reason. By comparison, Spider-Man 3 was produced for a whopping $300 million and in my opinion (and that of my two sons), was pretty boring and unimpressive (although it has earned about $900 million). A short history and storyline: Transformers first aired as a TV
cartoon in 1984. The graphics were about what you would expect for that
era. The concept actually made it to the screen a first time in
1987, in an
animated version. The general storyline of the franchise is an
epic struggle of an advanced alien race of
If all this sounds a bit
corny or uninteresting, you clearly have not seen the movie. The
original concept was refreshed and injected with incredible modern-day graphics, a superior screenplay and an enjoyable feature storyline. The CGI
graphics blend exceptionally well with the filmed environments; the
characters, both human and Transformers, are plausible, filled with
humor and emotion, and well-executed in the work. On the graphics-
absolutely phenomenal; truly one of the best screen renditions of
CGI/fantasy characters ever made. Of interest for Dad is the movie showcasing (in the form of an Autobot) the coming Chevrolet Camaro, with a projected 400 horsepower. The car/character are presented in brilliant yellow, with the Autobot figuring largely in the storyline, giving ample scenes to appreciate the car. Also featured is a Decepticon made up of the Saleen Mustang, presented in a police cruiser (with the witty alteration of the emblem motto ‘To Protect and Serve’ of many departments, being transmogrified into ‘To Punish and Enslave’). (For more information on these two serious hotrod machines- http://www.chevrolet.com/performance/ , www.saleen.com) The overall moral lesson
of the movie is a great one for children, with the battle of good vs.
evil, cloaked in a movie feature with excitement, action, and great
graphics. The Autobots work together, along with their human allies to
achieve their objective, with protection of the weak throughout the
movie. As much as we would like to find our children interested in the
moral stories of our generation, this is a depiction that is
exceptionally appealing to kids today. I can't recommend this movie highly enough- for entertainment value, graphics, and moral lessons contained. If you watch the movie (with your children), even if you find the story tedious or not your typical movie fare, your kids should enjoy it immensely. It should also provide the opportunity to make teaching points, and discussion of greater principals (good vs. evil, teamwork, protecting others, etc). I hope you take the opportunity to give the movie a shot. A special bonus- Transformers is showing in IMAX, for a limited run. This movie is highly recommended when it makes DVD release, but if you have a chance to catch it in IMAX, I think it would be even that more impressive and exceptional. (Transformers IMAX) Caveat- extreme intensity of the movie and action, as well as occasional coarse language and mildly mature content, may make the movie too much for young children. Additionally, there is a scene late in the movie that shows the death of one of the Autobots (no gore, but strong scene), which some children may find upsetting. With a family viewing of the movie, it should be acceptable for children 6-8+. BTW- as is common with many movies today, the franchise has made a great new game (platforms- PS2, Xbox 360, PSP), using storyline and characters from the movie. It is a fast-paced and action-filled 3rd person title, with great graphics. It got two thumbs up from the junior reviewers (boys, age 8 and 12) in the family. Dad found it pretty cool, too. (AD Review). -AP Sep 07 Reference- All pictures, and official Transformers website Dreamworks LLC and Paramount Pictures http://www.transformersmovie.com/
Actor Profile 9/23/07
Ryan Reynolds I thought I would bring to your attention a great young actor whose work I enjoy. I hope you'll give some of his movies a look, as most of them are pretty entertaining. You can find more extensive bios and even fan sites on Reynolds, but I wanted to give you the Alpha Dad view of his movies. And the pictures that I posted here are as unassuming as I could find- if you look on any of the fan sites, the pix are apparently for a far younger (and female or gay) set; lots of shirtless buff images (sadly reminding me of my age). In short, from first seeing Reynolds in the campy National Lampoon's Van Wilder, I liked his comedy work. After a few following roles that weren't too noteworthy, Reynolds then completely switched gears as a vampire hunter in the the third installment of the Blade series, Blade Trinity. His role in Trinity was as a serious hard dude, but he retained his smart-ass sarcasm. Returning to his comedic side, Reynolds then starred in the straight-to-DVD title, Waiting. If you haven't been moved to catch this flick after seeing it on the shelf in the movie store, give it a try. Reynolds is exceptional as a quirky, sage young server in a Chili's-type restaurant, whose staff is full of weird and funny characters. This movie is hilarious, but be advised- if you watch it, you may not want to eat out for a while. In the same year (2005), Reynolds was again the comedic lead in the entertaining Just Friends, as a lovesick big-time music producer, returning to his hometown, in the hopes of appearing the conquering hero. He was depicted as a severely overweight child, who had worked himself into a debonair, slim Hollywood mover and shaker. This movie is a pretty safe choice as a 'date movie.' Reynolds came back in his next movie as the lead role in the 2005 flick, a remake of The Amityville Horror. Much more serious stuff, with the movie showing off Reynolds' character intensity, as well as the obvious efforts in his physical conditioning. Smokin' Aces (snapshot review below), the latest movie of note in his filmography, has Reynolds in a more serious role, co-starring with a group of storied and able actors (Ray Liotta, Andy Garcia, Jeremy Piven). There has been conjecture on Reynolds playing the Flash, or perhaps even Sub-Mariner in the rumored screen adaptation of DC Comics superhero characters. A serious fitness buff, Reynolds was the cover model of Men's Health UK edition in 2006. His dedication to training and diet is apparent in his film persona and physical stature. He made controversial statements (and was featured on the cover) in the gay community magazine, The Advocate. I'm not sure how this affected his standing in Hollywood or with his fans. Reynolds is a very able actor- his serious film work and sarcastic comedic talent bear a look. I hope you find his movies as entertaining as I do. -AP Sep 07
Perspectives: the reviewing staff for these movies are: Dad (adult and kid movies), age 42, with significant input from the junior reviewers, the two sons (on the kid movies), ages 8 & 12. Alpha Dad Rating of Movie is ☆-☆☆☆☆☆ Adult and Young Adult Movies
Kids’ Movies
All-time Favorites (more to be added)
Series
Reviews coming Soon
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© 2007 Alpha Dad Web-Magazine. All rights reserved.
Alpha Dad Movie Reviews
spreading
and affecting the entire country. Neville is based in New York City,
where the plague has initially been contained in the US, and the city is
effectively quarantined by the military. Neville is one of the
infinitesimal number of people that are immune to the disease, and is
eventually the last human survivor in NY. 
ce
the disaster. Canines are immune to the airborne form of the
rabies-like virus, but can be infected by direct transmission. In this
Neville is incredibly tense at all times for the safety of the dog.
This fact is compelling, for the viewer needs to become involved in
empathy: imagine being the absolute last person on earth- no one to talk
to, absolute loneliness and despair, compounded by the compulsion to
find a solution or cure as savior to the remnants of the human race.
This brings the story to the more significant point of drama and the
human condition. There is Neville’s insufferable fear and stress,
punctuated by horror and action as is required of most blockbuster
movies in our time.
and
sets the overarching emotional tone for the movie. If you have ever
been to this city, at times it is appealing as shown as an empty place,
with the earth moving slowly to regain itself in the manmade landscape.
There has been complaint in other reviews and opinions on the CGI
elements of the feature – particularly the vampiric humans – as not
being sufficiently sophisticated or realistic. There have been movies
that are better in their effects, but I Am Legend outshines as a drama
and story of man. 
The
latest, and ostensibly the last, installment in the Jason Bourne series.
These books – then movies – are bestsellers, following the action of
Bourne as a super-agent. Bourne loses his memory of who and what he is,
and what he is capable of, after refusing to complete an assassination
mission, and is shot in the process, and ends up in the Mediterranean
Sea.
m,
his training, and his subsequent work, and refused to complete his final
mission, he is considered a liability to the black-ops organization.
700
A.D., which is actually a literary capture of oral narrative over
centuries before this time, with the events of the story taking place
around 500 A.D. The story is actually good: itinerant warrior vassal –
Beowulf – comes to a kingdom in Scandinavia, seeking fame and glory.
Beowulf is charged with killing a monster that comes and goes, wreaking
destruction on the stronghold of the kingdom. Beowulf successfully
dispatches the creature, Grendel, but then the mother of the beast
(voice-over and character model of Angelina Jolie) – a female demon –
exacts vengeance upon him and his band of warriors. Beowulf is forced to
chase the demoness into her lair to save his honor and ensure the safety
of the kingdom. When confronted with the demon, she entices him with
promises of glory, fortunes, and to be the greatest king the world has
ever known. If he will bear her a son.
The
Rock- From college football standout, to professional wrestling bad
boy, to action-movie star, to dramatic actor, to comedic lead. Whew.
Everybody knows who The Rock is (AKA Dwayne Johnson). What you may
not know is that he has starred in movies that altogether have grossed
$360 million. With his mega-watt smile and impressive physique - and now
comedic talent - The
Rock's overall profitability was seen again in the opening weeks of his
latest flick- The Game Plan. As of this writing, it has grossed $50
million.
Mom
(43)- The Game Plan was pretty much the perfect family movie-
entertaining enough for a mom and the two boys. It was very
enjoyable, and managed to build in some good moral lessons in a fun
family comedy. The Dad (The Rock- playing Joe Kingman, a
professional quarterback who is the star of the league) starts out as the selfish and
egotistical athlete, and grows into a loving father. You get the
whole 'teamwork' lesson as well as the rewards of being unselfish.
A very wholesome movie for the whole family, regardless of age or gender,
to enjoy together. 
a mean word.' The best part was when The Rock threw a pass at the
end to the guy he never throws to. [Ed.-
Regardless that I described the Alpha Dad rating
scheme to H twice - give it a rating of one to five stars... - ] H. said
it was great, very funny, and he gave it 5-1/2 stars. [Ha! -Ed.]
As
I watched B13, and found it to be such an excellent action movie, with a
plot and characters that were actually believable, it had been a mystery
to me on how it could be such a good film. When I did a bit of research
on the feature; to find Besson the writer and producer made the
explanation a bit simpler. 
erally
walled off and among the worst is District B13. Controlled by the
ruthless crime lord, Taha, a young righteous punk named Le
action
movie (not terribly overblown like some American flicks; see- Shoot ‘Em
Up), and the plot actually holds up over the course of the picture. A
note on the action- have you ever seen the clips online of guys climbing
buildings with nothing but their bare hands, jumping from rooftop to
rooftop, or making their way down and across stairways, crossing short
walls, etc? Some of the clips are directly from this movie, and some of
the other videos you’ve seen on the net are the same guys (Cyril
Rafaelli as CPT Damien Tomaso and David Belle as Leito in the movie).
or.
In the middle of the (first) warehouse gun battle, Smith helps her deliver the baby.
This is the beginning of the weird and insane part(s) (more on that
in a moment). As this primary shootout wraps up, the
post-partum mother is killed by a not-so-stray bullet, and Smith is stuck with the baby. And his
conscience. 
es, owing to her
specialty- lactation- are needed to
breast-feed the baby subsequent to the mother's death. Berlucci's
Italian dialogue and attendant Italian accent in is insipid in English and
intrusive in Italian. Her sole saving grace is her beauty and
figure on screen. 
I could go on and on with the list of crazy S in the movie, but I won't
bore you.
creatures, in two groups,
good and bad, with earth as their battleground after losing their home
planet. The creatures are capable of replicating any mechanical
structure they come in contact with. The two groups are the
Autobots (good) and Decepticons (bad), with their respective leaders Optimus Prime and Megatron. The human race is protected by the Autobots
in this overarching battle of good vs. evil, while the Decepticons are
callous to the residents of our planet. (If you need a better
explanation of who or what the Transformers are, you can likely get an
adequate explanation from the nearest six-year-old).
