The Last Airbender

Directed by M. Night Shyamalan

2010

Date Viewed: Tuesday June 29, 2010

Let me just preface this by saying that I'm not a huge fan of the cartoon that this movie is based on. I've only made it through 1 1/2 episodes (which has taken me more than a month to get through) and I just cannot stand the goofy cheesiness. One of the things that I liked about the movie is that is was darker and more serious than the cartoon seems to be (granted, I am only 1 1/2 eps in, so I don't know if the tone changes later on). There were a few super cheesy parts, but that was kind of to be expected (and one of them was right away in the beginning and made me wonder how I was going to sit through the entire movie if it went on like that). So for those of you who don't know the story line, I will try to sum it up as best as I can... The Avatar is someone who can "bend" air, earth, water and fire. (to bend means to control basically) The Airbenders have been killed off by the Fire Nation (fire benders) and so the last airbender (who has been lost for 100 years) is the Avatar. Katara and Sokka (brother and sister from the southern Water Nation) stumble upon Aang who, they discover, can bend air. He reveals that he is the Avatar, but he ran away before he could learn to bend the other elements. So Katara, Sokka and Aang travel to the Northern Water Nation so that Aang can learn to bend water (Katara is a mediocre water bender, and the only water bender in the Southern Water Nation). Meanwhile, the Fire Nation is searching for Aang and enslaving other elemental bending villages. Also, Prince Zuko, who is the exiled son of the Fire Nation's king is trying to get to Aang to win back his father's favor.... Basically this movie crams a lot (an entire season) into one film...

After talking with Nate (who hated the movie by the way) I will post some of his objections to it.
1. There were quite a few voice overs, which is a huge film no no. You're supposed to show it, not say it. I felt like the voice overs were used because they couldn't cram a whole season into one movie and so they couldn't show us EVERYTHING because it would've been way too long. So they used Katara as a storyteller for the most part. There was one lame/weird scene in which Prince Zuko's backstory is told by him asking a boy what he knows about him....
2. It cut too much out. Well, I don't know what it cut out, but I do know that what it kept in made for a good intro to the series.
3. The 3d was HORRIBLE. Yes, I agree. Don't see a movie in 3d unless it was filmed in 3d or unless it's CGI.
4. M. Night Shyamalan is a horrible director.... Well, Nate and I have quite a few differences of opinions on M. Night's movies......

All in all I think I'd award this movie a B

Bridge To Terabithia

"Just close your eyes, but keep your mind wide open."

Directed by GaborCsupo

2007

Date Viewed: Monday June 14, 2010

This movie was waaaaaayyyy different than I thought it would be. I thought it was going to be the standard children's fantasy movie where two kids fall into a hole in the space time continuum and fall into some other dimension and they have to escape or something like that... But it's totally not. Jess is a maybe 6th grader with 4 sisters who lives on a farm and who's parents struggle to make ends meet. He's a total loner and kind of a sad boy. Then he meets Leslie who moved in next door and is very unique and full of imagination. Together, they discover a secret forest that comes alive in their imagination. I loved how they used imagination to occupy their time and all the adventures they had there. So much better than watching tv or playing video games. It brought me back to all the ways that I used my imagination as a kid with my siblings and how we'd play together for hours with nothing but a bucket, some weeds, some water and a shed (we were orphans who lived in a shed and made weed soup...) The two lead actors are so great and sweet and the supporting actors are lovely as well for the most part. This movie definitely gets a solid A

Slammin' Salmon

"Sounds like you're from the UK, are you in a band like Oasis or Herman's Hermits"

Directed by Kevin Heffernan

2009

Date Viewed: June 24, 2010

Slammin' Salmon is the latest from the comedy troupe Broken Lizard, but it's definitely not the greatest. Slammin' Salmon is a restaurant owned by Cleon "Slammin" Salmon, a former heavyweight boxer. He owes $200,000 to the Japanese for a bad bet and so he tries to get his incompetent staff to make the money in one night in the restaurant.  Shenanigans ensue... I think this is just a lame rip off of Waiting... which is a much better and funnier restaurant shenanigan movie. It's not really that funny, although it tries very very hard. My brothers were very disappointed that I wasn't laughing every 2 seconds like they were... I think that Super Troopers is still the GREATEST Broken Lizard movie. So Slammin' Salmon gets a D

Alice in Wonderland

"'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe: All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe."

Directed by Tim Burton

2010

Date Viewed: Sunday June 13, 2010

Before I watched this movie I had heard so many bad reviews for it. Part of those reviews was that it didn't really follow the books. So I went into Wonderland with an open mind and low expectations. Turned out that I really really enjoyed the whole Alice In Wonderland experience. Visually, it was stunning. I love the worlds that Tim Burton creates. I love the darkness and the creepy looking trees and then the random bright colors that pop out at you. I love how everything is just a little bit off. I also thought the Cheshire cat effect was super awesome. I also just loved Johnny Depp's telling of the Jabberwocky. That poem was a childhood favorite. It did get a little bit long and, lets face it, Tim Burton's movies all look the same for the most part. So I knocked off a few points for that. I wish I had had time to write this review right after I saw the movie instead of a week and a half later so it was fresh in my mind.... Oh well... B+

Tron

Directed by Steven Lisberger

1982

Date Viewed: Sunday June 6, 2010 (not a first viewing)

I remember LOVING this movie as a kids. It has such an awesome look and the lighting and the cool motorcycle things and those frisbees..... Re-watching this as an adult made me realize that most of that makes up for about 2 % of the movie.... (ok so just the cycles and the frisbees, but those were the COOLEST part as a kid). *sigh* I was very sad to find out that Tron is actually a kind of boring movie. It is always fun to see actors that you know in their earlier movies. Jeff Bridges was so young that he was almost unrecognizable. Then he'd speak and his voice and delivery make you go "ah, there he is..." I don't really know what to say about this movie. I just thought it was kind of slow and boring. It was however, super cool to look at with all the dark lighting and the lights on their costumes and stuff. Awesomely 80s. C

Nine

Directed by Rob Marshall

2009

Date Viewed: Monday May 31, 2010

Dear Rob Marshall,

            Be more creative. Just because Chicago was such a hit for you does not mean that we want to see Chicago in Italy. Having Penelope Cruz, Fergie, Marion Cotillard etc. writhe around in their underwear  does not make an entertaining movie. Better Luck next time. -Megan

                                                 

Moon

"You look like a radioactive tampon"

Directed by Duncan Jones

2009

Date Viewed: Sunday May 30, 2010

Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) has a 3 year contract for Lunar Industries to live alone on a lunar base and do something that has to do with harvesting clean energy. His only companion is GERTY, a robot with an emoticon for a face. His contract is coming to an end and Sam is very eager to return home to his wife and young daughter. Then things get a little crazy.... And I can't reveal the crazy.... I really enjoyed this movie. Sam Rockwell did an AWESOME job considering he had to carry the entire movie himself and had to be entertaining while talking to himself and doing everyday tasks. It did get a little bit long in the middle, but then it picked up and got really interesting again to the end. Its hard to write a review without giving away key plot points and since I HATE when reviews ruin the movie I will just leave you with this: This movie is great. Watch it. B+