Death At A Funeral

If you've seen the original British film from 2007, you will know that the concept and events of this film are hilarious within themselves. Now, although the events of both the new adaptation and the original films are the same, the portrayals of these events are very unique to each film. For instance, if you've seen the original and didn't like it, you may very well like this one still. Each film has a respective cultural spin on the story. The basic synopsis is Aaron (Chris Rock) and Ryan's (Martin Lawrence) father's funeral is being held and everything you could possibly imagine is going wrong.

Personally, I think I liked this version the same as the original (although many people disagree with me in one way or another). Actually, if you have already seen the first one, it may enhance your viewing pleasure of the new one.

Another thing, usually when films have an overwhelming amount of well-known actors, the movie gets a little bit too screen-sardined. However, the balance between each actor was perfect for this movie and couldn't have fit better together. (Other names in this film include Tracy Morgan, Danny Glover, Zoe Saldana, Luke Wilson, James Marsden, and Columbus Short).

I haven't laughed this hard at a new film in awhile, and even though I have the first one on DVD, I am definitely going to buy this one as well.

Overall Grade: A


-Ethan Brehm

Kick A**

Ok, I'm a little confused on how the title of this film passed so easily without any second thought about it, considering Kevin Smith's Cop Out was originally called "A Couple of Dicks" but changed it due to the idea that people would be offended. But anyway, this is a film about a high school "nobody" named Dave, who decides to make something of his life and become a real-life superhero. He realizes soon enough that it's not as easy as it seems--especially when his costume is made from cotton.

This film is very funny throughout and extremely entertaining. It may not be the most hilarious thing you've ever seen, but it's not just the comedy that keeps your attention, it's the very unique and interesting storyline. However, there are many things about this film that can be distasteful, such as the gross violence and the profanity coming out of an 11-year-old girl's mouth. Also, there was a couple of deaths that were played off too quickly as humor.

Yeah, sure, parts of it are unrealistic, but that's the point--it's supposed to be like a superhero film and a real-life comedy all at the same time (and it accomplished that). It is a great concept, and I'm really curious to see how the sequel is going to turn out (if there is any).

Overall Grade: B+


-Ethan Brehm

How To Train Your Dragon

Wow! It was purely amazing! I don't even know the words to describe how fantastic of a movie this is! When a movie brings you tears of joy, you know they're doing something right. In this animated film about a boy viking who doesn't have what it takes to kill a dragon in a society where vikings are at war with the dragons, he meets an unlikely creature that will change his life forever. While this film never misses a beat, I can't stop watching it! At times you even forget that it's an animated movie. People ask me to compare it to Up, but I don't think you can because they're so different from each other. This movie is perfectly done, well scripted, and has a great message. It's the best movie I've seen all year! It truly is a beautiful film. Just go see it!

Overall Grade: A+

P.S. If you watch it and don't like it, don't blame me--something is just wrong with you!


-Ethan Brehm

Greenberg

Now, I know this is not a wide release film, but there are several indie films out right now that I want to see. And though I don't need to blog about them, I will anyway. This is a film about the socially awkward (and brutally honest) Roger Greenberg, played by Ben Stiller, who recently moved to Los Angeles from New York to house sit for his brother for several weeks. Growing up in LA, while he's there he rekindles old relationships and meets his brother's assistant, Florence (Greta Gerwig). He also has recently lost his job as a carpenter and does not want to find a new one. I should also mention that he has just gotten out of a mental institute for having a nervous breakdown. Throughout the film, he analyzes his life and tries to live in the present instead of the past.

It was a well done film. It was really funny, well-written, and very unique. Stiller does an excellent job playing the unusual role, and is extremely believable throughout. Greenberg is not necessarily the most likable main character, but that's what makes this film interesting. His tendencies are hilarious and uncalled for.

There were a couple of unnecessary nude scenes and a seemingly nonchalant reference to an abortion that wouldn't have changed the film if the mother decided to keep the baby. If you've been reading my past blogs (which I hardly doubt) you know that I'm pretty conservative. It was downplayed so much that I didn't even realize that it happened at first--and may be overlooked by many people. Some other scenes can be kind of awkward, and none of the characters really seem to be likable, but I think that is part of the point of this film.

The film concludes with a couple of issues unresolved, which may have just been an artistic insistence more than anything else. Although I would have felt much better otherwise, I always say that you have to view the film as the creator's vision, and if he or she accomplishes that vision, it can make a seemingly bad movie turn good.

Although the abortion aspect kind of ruined the film for me, I will try not to let it influence my overall grade (just know that it would be a lot lower than what I am going to put). It really is a well done film and provides great juxtaposition of two different generations, two different cultures, and two different types of people--but somehow showing they're similarities all at the same time.

Overall Grade: B


-Ethan Brehm

Date Night

This is a great movie starring Steve Carell (who is one of my favorite actors) and Tina Fey play Phil and Claire Foster, who are a married couple from New York that realize that their marriage consists of routine activities and may be becoming a little boring to them. Their best friends, they recently discover, are getting a divorce because they realize that they are just "really good roommates" but nothing more. Although they are in love and have some fun traditions already, Phil and Claire do not want to be like their friends, so they attempt to spice up their relationship by going to the nicest restaurant in town instead of the usual steakhouse. The restaurant is booked, so they steal another couple's (The Tripplehorns) reservations by pretending to be them. What they don't know is that this couple is wanted by mobster Joe Miletto (Ray Liotta) who has hired two hit men to find the Tripplehorns and make them give back a flash drive that they have stolen from Miletto's house. The hit men don't believe Phil and Claire when they say that they are not the Tripplehorns, so there begins the chase as Phil and Claire attempt to uncover the mystery behind their problem and the mysterious flash drive, while at the same time, try to solve the case for themselves.

It was a great movie and laugh-out-loud funny (however, Steve Carell can do anything and I would think it's funny). But honestly, it was well written, well cast, and has a great message about always being positive about your marriage, making the best of it, and learning about each other from your mistakes. It may not be the best Steve Carell film, but it still has his same style that many of his fans love about him. Fey and Carell's chemistry is seamless throughout the film, and for a second, one may forget that they are not actually married.

I like how there weren't any unaddressed problems within Phil and Claire's marriage, and that they worked out every aspect of it that needed working out. I feel like their issues were realistic to many married couples, especially nowadays when technology may seem to distract us and force us into repetition at times. However, their love for each other is still very much obvious, although they may be lacking some excitement in their relationship. They are still good to one another.

Some of the action scenes were a little childish (not that I mind), but were saved by the humor that prevented the film from taking itself too seriously during those sequences. I also didn't like the how Claire seemed to be obsessing over one of her clients, Holbrooke (Mark Wahlberg), because it was not only unrealistic, but unnecessary--and it makes you feel bad for her husband.

Anyway, I loved the film and recommend seeing it very much. I would definitely buy this movie on DVD.

Overall Grade: A-


-Ethan Brehm

Why Did I Get Married Too?

This film, by Tyler Perry, is about the marriages of 4 different couples and their problems and issues within their marriages. They meet every so often at their time share in Colorado to discuss with each other why they got married. It is a sequel to Why Did I Get Married? released back in 2007. I think it is about as good as the first one, though, the first one seemed a little bit more realistic and had more realistic scenarios. I must admit that Perry has talent when it comes to creating interesting scenarios and funny scenes. However, many of the scenarios in this particular movie are unrealistic and unbelievable--yet, they keep your attention and wonder of what happens next. I also like how he develops the characters well in this film.

The only problem I have with this movie is that certain mess-ups that one partner makes, their husband/wife forgives them way too easily. Also, the ending is a little bit overboard and kind of a spit in the face of the film's objective (you'll see what I mean).

Sure, the acting may not always be that good, but Perry does a good job of not creating substories that are irrelevant to each other and that get too carried away. But, once again, some scenarios are a little overboard, and the way certain characters handle their problems makes you say "yeah right" at times.

But I do have to admit that Perry is a good filmmaker that knows what attracts the attention of his audience. It continues in his usual unique and conversation-based path of making films. However, this won't prevent you from getting frustrated and annoyed at half of the characters in this movie for what they do or say.

Overall Grade: B

P.S. You don't necessarily have to see the first one in order to see this one.


-Ethan Brehm

Clash of the Titans

If you think that I have seen the original, I haven't, so sorry if I can't compare it (on the plus side, I won't have any preconceived notions of how I feel the movie should be). And I didn't see it in 3-D either, so there won't be any bias when it comes to how cool I thought it looked three dimensionally. Because if I saw it in 2-D and liked it, then you might think it would be even better in 3-D, but if I saw it in 2-D and DIDN'T like it all that much, then you would either not see it or just see it in 2-D. Anyway, this film is about Zeus' half-human son, Perseus (Sam Worthington), who is leading an army of Argos warriors who are declaring war on the gods. However, Perseus wants to avenge the death of his human foster father by killing the god of the underworld, Hades. But Perseus thinks that Hades is taking the side of Zeus in the war against the people, so Perseus joins the Argos warriors in the battle against all of the gods. If it sounds confusing, it won't be if you see it.

Though I'm Catholic, I have an interest in the ancient Greek gods--not unlike my fascination in Bigfoot, though. If you have seen Percy Jackson and the Olympians, which came out a month and a half ago, the events were similar to the ones in that movie, and the main character was Perseus, but at a younger age, and he was Poseidon's son instead of Zeus'.

I do have to say, the effects were pretty cool. But most people know that it's not the effects that make the movie. The dialogue had some good lines in it, and the lines that were too corny seemed to be put into check by some self-criticizing humor. The film doesn't take itself too seriously, which is good. However, it was missing some sort of zeal that I can't quite put my finger on. The acting was good, but maybe it was the fact that I liked the Percy Jackson movie better. Or maybe it's because I expected Medusa to be scarier looking. I mean, she was creepy, but not realistic looking enough.

It was cool how the film came together in the end, and it keeps you decently emotionally attached. It was greatly entertaining and aesthetically pleasing, so I would say seeing this might be worth your while if you have already seen the other movies that you wanted to see more, first. And by the way, 2-D might just be the way to go with this one.

Overall Grade: B


-Ethan Brehm

The Last Song

If you already don't like Miley Cyrus, this movie won't convince you otherwise. In this Nicholas Sparks book-based film, Ronnie (Cyrus) and her little brother, Jonah (Bobby Coleman), are forced to visit their estranged father (Greg Kinnear) for the first time in 3 years at his beach house in Georgia. Ronnie is a piano prodigy and has been accepted to Julliard Academy but doesn't want anything to do with music ever since her father left them. She is miserable in the new town and bitter towards everyone around her. A popular guy, Will (Liam Hemsworth) falls for her, but she isn't too sure about him.

This film has not proven anything about Miley Cyrus that we don't already know. In fact, I personally think she did a better job in the Hannah Montana: The Movie. She was not the right person to play this role, and I think she was just chosen because of her notoriety and popularity in hopes that it would attract interest of a bunch of kids that will beg their parents to fork over the money to see this. Honestly, I think that the girl who played Ronnie's friend, Blaze (Charlie Chaikin), would have been a better choice for the role of Ronnie. The story was good, but not one of Sparks' best. It was full of too many characters that were never followed up on.

As for the good parts of this film, Greg Kinnear did an excellent job as Ronnie's father. Also, Bobby Coleman, as Jonah, was very cute in his role as Ronnie's little brother--and his relationship with his dad was very well demonstrated, and he had the best lines in the whole film (which, in fact, almost contributed entirely to preventing this film from being a complete flop). Also, Kinnear's verbal perception of music to his daughter and relating it to life was another plus.

I didn't become emotionally attached to Ronnie throughout this film because she just wasn't believable enough. I did hold back a tear at one point--mainly because of Kinnear and Coleman's characters, though.

The flirting taking place between Ronnie and Will were painful to watch at times because of how unreal they seemed. The chemistry didn't seem to be there all that much. Hemsworth did an okay job, but something just seemed a bit off about this whole film. I liked Dear John a whole lot better.

Overall Grade: C-


-Ethan Brehm

Repo Men

Ok, just when you though I've become less picky about movies, I bet you're happy to know that I finally saw one that I will probably never watch again. And I realized something--for me, a movie can be completely horrible to the point where I know I'm going to give it a bad rating while watching it, but then it has a good ending and I suddenly become sympathetic towards it--I gotta stop doing that! However, this film, which takes place in the distant future, did have a decent message of never putting money before your morals. In this film, the future is a place where, instead of having to wait til someone dies when you need their liver or heart, you can buy a synthetic one that performs the same task. However, the price range is over half a million dollars. In comes Remy (Jude Law), whose job is to track down people who are overdue on their payments. He knocks them unconscious and then takes out whatever body part they bought (i.e. In some cases, they die). Then, suddenly, Remy needs a new heart, and the hunter becomes the hunted. He knows not whether to trust his long time partner, Jake (Forest Whitaker).

Although this sounds like an interesting concept for a movie, it did not live up to expectations. Law does an okay job, but certain things seem a little too unrealistic, the lines are less than average, and the storyline feels way too rushed. Also, there is a completely unnecessary sexual affair that goes on that is not just unnecessary but unrealistically played out.

This film was painful to watch in ways other than the fact that it is gory beyond belief. There are way too many pointless fighting scenes. It gets to the point when you literally say, "Really?? Another one??" I don't like rolling my eyes at the movie while I'm watching it. It just takes itself too seriously.

So, despite the good message (which actually gets undermined) and the really clever ending, I have to look past it and say that if you come across this movie on TV and Hannah Montana isn't on, watch it.

Overall Grade: C


-Ethan Brehm

Hot Tub Time Machine

Ok, so I will admit that my favorite type of movies are time travel movies--as you can tell by the fact that the two films that I can't live without are Back to the Future and Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure(American Graffiti too, but I don't think that counts). So anyway, I am a sucker for these types of films. This one, in particular, is about a group of 3 friends, plus a nephew, that wants to relive the best years of their lives by going back to their favorite hangout, up at the ski resort. Mind you, all 4 of them have lives that they would want to completely turn around. However, as they get up to the once-party-town, they realize that it has become a dump. When they get to their room, they realize that their hot tub is--yes--a time machine (sorry if I spoiled anything). It takes them back to the 80's, to a day that had a major impact on the older three's lives (the nephew hadn't been born yet, but he still exists). They get an opportunity to either change their lives or live everything the exact same way that it happened on that memorable night in order to avoid chaos happening in the future.

This movie was hysterical. Funny throughout. And I enjoyed how the cast was not a predictable one--the two most recognizable being John Cusack and Craig Robinson. It is interesting to see the choices that they make and how the night unfolds (or re-unfolds). Also, it was great how the trailer for this film didn't really give away anything crucial to the main plot, nor did it give away any of the funniest jokes. I hate when trailers have all the funniest parts in them.

I enjoyed how they really stressed the concept of the butterfly effect (essentially, that changing even the slightest thing--like killing a butterfly--will change the future completely). It was cool how they emphasized how every choice you make is crucial to the outcome of your life and where you are at today. I don't know if the writers meant for this to be stressed all that much in a comedy of this unseriousness, but I'm convincing myself that this was the message.

Though this was a great movie, I could have done without at least half of the F-bombs. Also, the end result wasn't how I would have hoped, but it IS just a comedy, so I'm not expecting it to be up to the sincerity standards of Back to the Future. Speaking of which, it was cool to see Crispin Glover (Marty McFly's dad in Back to the Future) make an appearance in this film as the resort's bellhop.

Great film--just don't take your kids to go see it. And remember, it's just a comedy--try not to take the end result too seriously.

Overall Grade: A-


-Ethan Brehm

The Ghost Writer

If you know anything about Roman Polanski--try to look past it when watching this movie (even though he did do a horrible thing). However, this movie is extremely well-written and well-cast as a drama-thriller. In allusion to ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair, this film calls out to his too-friendliness with the United States. In the film, Ewan McGregor plays the ghost writer (whose name is never given) to the much hated British Prime Minister, Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan). He is actually the replacement ghost writer after the previous one suspiciously was found dead, washed up on the shore of Martha's Vineyard (where Lang's estate is). Throughout the film, McGregor's character is trying to rewrite Lang's memoirs that were never finished, as he begins to suspect some secrets from the Prime Minister's past.

This was a beautifully directed and written movie. The acting was fantastic and it kept you emotionally attached the whole time. There are some points that can get a little hard to follow because it's a lot to take in at once, but it all comes together in the end. And if it doesn't, just search on Google for answers to any questions that you might have. Also, the film wasn't too serious the whole time--as there were many intentional instances that will make you chuckle in your seat.

There was only one part of this film where I questioned its necessity, and that is a particular sex scene--even though they don't show anything. But I was wondering how and why it was necessary to the storyline. But that is the only thing that is preventing me from giving this film an A.

This is a tremendous film. I think it could be an early Oscar prediction!

Overall Grade: A-


-Ethan Brehm