Red Riding Hood

“Oh Grandma, what big eyes you have, grandma what big ears you have, and grandma what big teeth you have”. . . I was waiting for this line throughout the whole movie!!  You can’t retell a classic fairytale without throwing in some of the famous lines!  This movie is exactly what you think it might be . . . if you liked the Twilight movies – you will like this one.  Dark, suspenseful, moody, a creature of the night, and as fear and love intertwine . . you wonder if our beautiful young girl will make the right choice or end up as wolf meat!  Amanda Seyfried plays Valerie, the village girl who is head over heels in love with a childhood friend. They make plans to run away together because she is betrothed to another villager.  Just as they plan to make their escape – her sister is killed by the wolf and the villagers band together to kill the creature once and for all.  But you know fairy tales are never that simple.  Enter in The Wolf Hunter, played by the slippery and slithering, Gary Oldman (he has always given me the creeps since he played Dracula).  From there the chase begins . . . and clues are given to see if you can figure out who the wolf is.  Is it Valerie herself, her lovers, the hunter, or heaven forbid . . . the grandma!!!  A Grimm’s fairy tale is given a modern twist as we watch the story convulse with good versus evil until you come face to face with the wolf . . .then the question is . . .are you ready for the end?  Because in the fairytale the wolf eats the grandma and Red Riding Hood herself and then he himself dies.  But what fate lays ahead for the wolf . . . will it matter who it turns out to be . . . . and what of the young lovers . . . all will be revealed as you come along for the adventure of Red Riding Hood.

Red Riding Hood

Hmmm…  I’m thinking this one didn’t do quite as much for me as it did for Christy.  It was alright, I guess.  I did like it more than I was expecting after the reviews.  They just trashed it – and I didn’t think it was quite “that” bad.  Overall, it did have a big Twilight feel to it, I thought.  It was like watching a grown-up version of the classic fairy tale – there’s a grandma, a red hood, a wolf, etc.  It did keep you guessing as to who the wolf was, and there was some suspense, along with a few twists, too.  To steal a quote from another movie in our blog, I’d say it was “watchable.”  The more I think about it, the more I realize I did maybe like it better than I thought.  I’d probably watch it again.

True Grit

This movie is a remake of the John Wayne classic from 1969.  This one follows the original very closely, and even though I enjoyed the original, I liked this version better!  Seemed like all I heard about when this came out were the big names in it like Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, and Josh Brolin.  Not to say they weren’t good, but, Hailee Steinfeld, who plays Mattie Ross, completely stole the show.  She blew me away (no pun intended!).  She plays a very headstrong, sharp tongued young girl who will stop at nothing to find her father’s killer and avenge his death.  After asking around, she decides Rooster Cogburn is the man to help her find the killer – he has a reputation as the meanest Marshall there is – pitiless and double tough with no fear – a man with “true grit.”  After agreeing to terms, they set out to track down Tom Chaney and have many adventures along the way.  Both characters seemed to be what the other needed at the time and came to know and care about each other through their journey.  You could tell he had softened quite a bit by the end of the film and they had made a special connection that would last a lifetime.

True Grit

True Grit was a blockbuster of a hit at the theaters but for me . . .I wasn=t that impressed by it. There are some roles and movies that should not be redone - and True Grit, with the legendary John Wayne would be one of them.  It wasn=t a bad movie - it stuck to the original pretty well but there were some changes that I really disliked.  The young girl, Mattie is a feisty 14 year old with as much grit at Rooster Cogburn - but at the end of the movie (which is different from the original) she is portrayed as an old almost witch like woman.  I didn=t like how they portrayed her because, to me, this character would not end up alone and bitter - she had too much spunk and you could just imagine what she would become because of  the way she was in the movie.  Jeff Bridges tried to walk in John Wayne=s shoes but I think he overacted, Matt Damon, as his sidekick, was still Matt Damon under all the makeup and like Eric said, Hailee Steinfeld who played Mattie was a standout!  So in the end, it=s not a bad movie to watch - but I still would pick 3:10 to Yuma over this for a better western.

Country Strong

Let’s talk about the movie Country Strong.  In the movie, Gwyneth Paltrow plays a huge country artist that is at the top of her game till her world takes a turn for the worse with several events that changes her course in life.  She is getting out of rehab and her relationship with her husband/manager and the music world is not the same.  Her husband, played by the real country artist, Tim McGraw, is falling out of love with Gwyneth’s character, Kelly.  As we watch the movie unfold, you want to root for them to get back together but the storyline isn’t that strong to support it and you have a feeling that it’s not going to end happily.  This movie shows off some other musical talent not just by Paltrow but by the other two co-stars, played by Garrett Hedlund and Leighton Meester.   There is a twist to the movie – one that I don’t think really fits and the ending just left me blah.  But if you’re looking for something that isn’t a rerun - it’s watchable enough. 

Country Strong

Watchable enough? When I watched it, I remember liking it a lot! I was really impressed with Gwyneth Paltrow's performances and VERY impressed by ALL of the music in the film. I thought Garrett Hedlund was great. I wanted to listen to the soundtrack as soon as the movie was over. And I did! It's a good story and I thought you could really feel her pain as she struggles with trying to pull her life together - while it's completely falling apart...

Unstoppable

What do you do when there’s an unmanned, runaway train, carrying toxic chemicals, that’s speeding for a highly populated area???  Try to stop it, of course!!!  Denzel Washington and Chris Pine take us on a non-stop, heart-racing, nail-biting thrill ride as we watch them try to stop the unstoppable train.  Denzel plays an experienced engineer that knows more than the people running the operation and Chris is a new conductor on his first run – and what a first day it is for him!  Together, they have to figure out how to stop this train that is bearing down on a town and will cause a fiery crash if something isn’t done.  The story is based on actual events and the intensity builds and builds until everything comes to a head.  It’s definitely an exciting film and the action doesn’t ever let up!!!  I would highly recommend it!

Just Go With It

So here’s the scoop . . . this is a horrible movie!! Just Go With It with Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler is a flop . . . a dud . . . a complete waste of time!!  I didn’t have high hopes for it to begin with, but with all the hype that came with it I thought I would give it a try.  I wasn’t wrong – within 5 minutes I was ready to turn it off and I thought, “no – I’ll give it a chance.”  Well about an hour into it . . .I had enough!!  Oh my goodness . . .first off – Jennifer Aniston cannot act!!!  She plays the same role in each movie . . .why even bother?  Adam Sandler is hit and miss for me . . .I really liked him in Grown Ups but this movie . . .was another waste.  No chemistry between the actors, the lines were so lame, there was no acting and the storyline . . . .dumb!  I would rather watch paint dry than try to watch this movie again!!

Just Go With It

Why don’t you say what you really thought about it, Christy?  Jeez.  All kidding aside, it was NOT good!  Setting up of the storyline was ridiculous, the whole movie was TOTALLY predictable, and just felt like a complete waste of my time!!!  The story was “beyond” not believable – it was just stupid!  Like he’d be SO in love with this woman THAT fast and even just how outrageous the lies everyone told were and the characters just went along with everything like they didn’t really have a choice.  I guess it’s nice it had a happy ending, but you can tell who’s gonna wind up with who from the start!  I almost NEVER turn off a movie and seriously thought about it with this one!  DUMB, DUMB, DUMB!!!  If you have the choice, I’d say just go “without!” 

Confessions of a Shopaholic

I must admit, sometimes the only thing that can fix my mood is a little retail therapy.  I mean who doesn’t like the thrill of spending money on a little bit of this and a little bit of that?  That=s the main character’s problem in the movie . . . she loves shopping . . .to the point of over spending and having creditors hounding her!  How does a storyline like that make this a wonderful, funny, movie - the main character is why.  Rebecca Bloomwood is played by the enchanting Isla Fisher and her life is in an uproar because of her shopping issues.  She has big dreams of being a fashion columnist and she tries to get a writing job at a fashion paper but instead winds up writing for a finance paper!!!  Unbeknownst to her, her column, the “Girl with the Green Scarf” takes off!  Her boss, the delicious Hugh Dancy, takes notice of her, but she also gains the interest of the creditor she=s been trying to avoid.  This is a romantic comedy that is a feel good movie.  You will fall in love with Rebecca and find yourself rooting for her and in the end, it=s exactly what you wanted and what you’ve been waiting for the whole time. 

Confessions of a Shopaholic

First off, my name is “Eric” and I am NOT a shopaholic!  I don’t get any “thrill” out of buying things or spending money.  But, I did like the movie.  This was another one that Christy “forced” me to watch.  It was cute and fun and had a nice story - kind of a chick flick type thing – which I don’t really mind all the time.  It was nice there was an actual story and she really seemed to “grow up” during the course of the film.  Like Christy said, you do find yourself rooting for Rebecca and hoping everything turns out alright for her!  I wouldn’t call it a “classic” or very realistic by any means, but it was just a fun movie to escape life for awhile.

It's Complicated

Can I say how much I absolutely loved this movie!! It’s Complicated was a movie that made me say, “Finally, a movie for adults with brains and humor!”  This movie has such a beat of true life in it that you can’t help but laugh out loud!  Meryl Streep plays a well-rounded divorcee that has a great life with great kids.  Her ex-husband, played hysterically by Alex Baldwin, wanted a younger woman but he comes to find out . . . life is not always greener on the other side.  The comedic situations take a turn for the hilarious when the two get together for their son’s graduation, drink a little too much, and in the morning, find themselves in a familiar situation.  Hilarious hookups, a possible new guy, (played oh so well by Steve Martin), and a newfound freedom forces them to once again ask the question . . . were we meant to be or is there more to my life now?  This movie has smart dialogue, witty lines, and a storyline that reminds us how human we all are no matter the age.

Into the Wild

Have you ever dreamed of just leaving your current life behind and starting a new one?  That is exactly what Christopher McCandless does in this movie – completely!  I had been wanting to watch Into the Wild for a long time and finally got the chance.  I LOVED it!  He’s a new college graduate and can already see his future mapped out for him and doesn’t like the look of it.  He decides to give away everything he owns, donates all of his savings to charity and hitchhikes to Alaska to “live off the land.”  The trip is filled with many interesting people and adventures, along with some unforeseen problems, but seems to be exactly what he was looking for!   It may not have the “happiest” of endings, but I think I liked it so much because that’s the type of thing I’ve always dreamed of doing myself and identified with so many of his feelings along the way.  Along with the story, the filming and scenery were breathtaking!  This film is definitely a great way to get away from it all for awhile – or at least imagine it!!!