Shrek Forever After

Everyone knows and loves Shrek--at least the first one. Now onto its fourth installment, the Shrek franchise brings their story to a close. The story goes that Shrek is feeling that he has lost his touch and has gone soft. He thinks that he is a sideshow attraction and that everyone is no longer scared of him. Rumpelstiltskin meets Shrek and says that he can give him a day to be a real ogre again in exchange for a day from Shrek's childhood. With Rumpelstiltskin's hidden agenda, Shrek now has 24 hours before his existence is wiped off the face of the earth to break the contract--he has to find true love's kiss. The catch is that his wife, Fiona, nor anybody else knows who he is.

There are a few slow minutes towards the beginning, but it quickly picks up its pace and never slows down. This is the best Shrek movie since the first one. It is hysterical and extremely clever. Rumpelstiltskin is as creepy as ever, in a Joker-from-Batman type of way--you can't get enough of him. The film is full of great messages and enough heartfelt lines that will make you smile without thinking of them as too cheesy.

Let me tell you that you do not have to had seen the 2nd or 3rd films in order to see this one--actually, you don't really even need to have seen the first one (but who hasn't?). I am not giving a grade for this movie based on how well it compares to the ones before it, because it is its own movie. And although it is not quite as good as the first Shrek film, it is the absolute perfect way to close the series.

Overall Grade: A


-Ethan Brehm

A Nightmare On Elm Street

I...Hate...Scary...Movies! I don't know if I can even write a review for this one cause my eyes were behind my hand half the time. Basically, Freddy Kreuger haunts a group of teenagers whenever they fall asleep and if they die in their sleep, they die in real life. The kids spend the movie trying to figure out why its happening and how to stop it.

Freddy looks creepier than before. I can't even look at him now. The acting wasn't all that great, except for one of the kids, Quentin (Kyle Gallner). The storyline was alright. It was creepy and mysterious. Having not seen the original, I do not know if it is the same or not. This movie was really predictable as far as when Freddy was gonna show up. You catch on quick, and they don't even try to fool you with the music. And it was drawn out way too long that it needed to be. **Spoiler Alert** It is also unbelievable how the kids would forget a memory that happened to them when they were 4-years-old. I mean, I remember tons of stuff that happened when I was 4! **End Of Spoiler**

I mean, I guess the story was good considering that you can't always make up a great storyline for these types of films. However, the point of the movie WAS to scare, but honestly, I was good after the first night or two. A REALLY scary movie will keep me freaking out for a week or more!

Overall Grade: C+ (maybe C)


-Ethan Brehm

Just Wright

Those who know me know that basketball has been a huge part of my life since I was basically born. What goes along with that is that I have a soft-spot for basketball movies. There are not really any that I do not like. With that said, I find that this film would have made me like it even if it were not a basketball film. It stars Queen Latifah as Leslie, a physical therapist who isn't stereotypically what men find attractive. However, her best friend, Morgan (Paula Patton), is symmetric enough to be every guys heartbreak. Morgan wants one thing--to date an NBA player. Scott McKnight (Common), one of the best players in the league meets Leslie at the gas station, and invites her to her party. She brings Morgan and Scott McKnight falls for her (Morgan). Then he gets a career-threatening injury and asks Leslie to be his therapist and get him better again before playoffs. You might think that you see what comes next, but I don't wanna say anything.

It was a good movie that made me laugh and smile a lot. Though, once the film gets going, it gets somewhat predictable (ok, maybe that's an understatement). Also, Morgan makes you really angry throughout the film, to the point that you could slap her silly.

It was nice seeing Phylicia Rashad in this film as Scott's mother because The Cosby Show is one of my favorite shows of all time. The film is definitely a formula film, but as one of my favorite critics, Roger Ebert said, "A formula that works reminds us of why it became a formula."

Overall Grade: B+


-Ethan Brehm

Oceans

If you've seen BBC's Planet Earth, don't think that you've already seen this film. It is much different. It is an attempt to understand the necessity to preserve and appreciate life underwater that we may not even know exists.

Narrated by Pierce Brosnan, this epic film explores the unknown abyss of what many people only dream to see in their lifetime. This film is full of incredible shots that seem almost impossible to get and that will literally make you say, "Wow!" But watch out, because if you are tired, this film may relax you enough that you have to keep your eyes from closing.

The only negative thing that I could say about this film is that certain parts are a little TOO relaxing. These parts go for minutes at a time without any narration--which would be fine if the visuals weren't making me sleepy. But maybe it was because I was already kind of tired when I saw this film.

However, the film took a PG rating, and instead of letting it hinder the movie, the filmmakers really made it work, and the movie was, I think, better for it.

Overall Grade: A-


-Ethan Brehm

Iron Man 2

There's nothing better than a superhero that doesn't take himself too seriously--except for a superhero movie franchise that doesn't take itself too seriously. Pretty much everyone has seen the first Iron Man film and loved how enjoyable it was (it was my favorite film of 2008). And although there were not as many action sequences in this one (which I don't have a problem with), there was a perfect balance between story and action. In this film, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) encounters a new villain, Whiplash (Mickey Rourke), while having to be reprimanded by the US government and asked to give his Iron Man technology to them for military use. Stark refuses.

This film still has the humor and uniqueness of the first film. The reason why some may have not liked it would be because they were too spoiled with the first one and wanted something more. But why? I wanted to see what I liked about the first film, except with a different story line--which is what I got. I don't need 2 hours of action to love a movie, I just want to be entertained--and I was. Sure, there may have been a little more suspense throughout the first one, but that's the only thing that separates the two films. But don't get me wrong, there is still suspense and many twists in this movie. Actually, there are probably even more twists in this one.

And by the way, stay till after the credits (which is what I am in support of doing with every film though). I guessed it was going to happen half way through the film when they alluded to it.

Overall Grade: A+


-Ethan Brehm

Babies

This is another non-wide-release film that I wanted to see because I love babies, and so does my girlfriend. It is a documentary about 4 babies--one from Japan, one from Mongolia, one from Namibia in Africa, and one from San Francisco. It begins with each baby from birth, and goes until they learn how to walk. The film is not narrated.

I love how the film compares and contrasts how babies are raised in different cultures and societies. It really depicts the differences well. The fact that there is no narration makes for an even more interesting film, and it helps you focus on what is actually going on in the film and make observations for yourself. The film is all about observing--which is what most people do when it comes to babies--whether it is your own or someone else's.

Although the film is rated PG, there is a lot of female nudity. But I think the reason why it was not censored was because it is in the context of breast feeding, and with the family in Africa, women are always topless--but it is seen as a natural thing. The nudity is not at all in a sexual context.

This was an amazing film that displays some very interesting things. Plus, it kept me laughing pretty much the whole time. And when I wasn't laughing, I was smiling. There was not one dull moment.

Overall Grade: A+


-Ethan Brehm

Furry Vengeance

It's hard to live knowing that 60-year-old men are seriously critiquing children's movies. I mean, yeah you can rate the film on how appealing it is for adults--but some kid's movies are purely for kids. This film is about Dan Sanders (Brendan Fraser) who has recently moved his family from big-city Chicago to rural Connecticut (I think) for a job demand by his boss (Ken Jeong) who wants him to work on tearing down the forest to build acres of houses and shopping malls. Along with his wife (Brooke Shields) and his son (Matt Prokop) who are trying to stop him, the animals of the forest are getting their revenge and showing Dan how much they don't like what he is about to do.

Honestly, the film had some really funny, non-kiddy parts where I found myself laughing out-loud. I mean, the film was unrealistic at all costs, but it served a good message of protecting mother nature. I can see why the animals would get mad and play some pranks on Dan, however, some of the pranks that they played went beyond humorous and drifted into "umm, that's not ok" territory. In other words, some of the things that they were doing to Dan were life-threatening and kind of made you angry at the animals along with Dan. Especially since they were attacking Dan, who was following orders, and seemed to completely ignore his boss--who was GIVING the orders and pretty much threatening Dan to do exactly what he told him to.

If it wasn't for the animals going overboard, I would be happy to give this movie a good grade, however, I don't think that kids will think of these pranks as seriously and realistically as many adults. I think that this film, more or less, accomplished its task of being a solid children's film.

Overall Grade: B+


-Ethan Brehm

The Losers

This film was something else. I really enjoyed it. It had a great cast (yet most names are not widely known, but have been in many films). But it does feature Zoe Saldana in her 23rd film this year (kidding). It is about a group of US Special Forces that are sent into Bolivia on a mission that they find out quickly was a betrayal attempt. They soon realize that they have been misled there by a mysterious man named Max. After the incident there, the whole group is thought to be dead. However, they use this to their advantage as they try to hunt down Max and stop him from his corrupt plan to diminish large masses of land.

This is not your typical action movie. It is both satirical and thrilling--with the perfect balance between each. The story was well thought out, and it is a movie that I could see over and over again. There were a couple of unnecessary sex scenes (which almost made me give it a B+ instead), and there was a part at the end that I thought had a little hint of amateur screenwriting, but that's just because it did not fit with the rest of the film--which was extremely well-written. The characters are very developed and deep--which I always thought is one of the top 3 things that lead to a great film (don't ask me what the other 2 are right now). But this film is full of quotable lines.

In a very good attempt at making a film that is this unique, the writers have done just that. It is a fun watch, and I'm sure I'll be wanting it on DVD when it comes out. I just hope there's a sequel!

Overall Grade: A-


-Ethan Brehm

Letters To God

Now, those who have read many of my past entries, you will know that I am a sucker for God-themed movies. Obviously, this is one of those. It is about a boy named Tyler who has cancer. He writes letters to God everyday and sends them off in the mail. Along comes Brady, an alcoholic mailmain, who sees these letters and gets confused as to how to handle the situation.

There is a heavy religious theme to this film, but you may still like it even if you are not all that religious. Some of the scenes and lines are a bit corny, but it serves its purpose. Also, the acting may not be the best either, but it doesn't really matter in this movie because the tremendous storyline overshadows it. This is one of the most uplifting films I have ever seen, and it will definitely touch your heart (I hope). It is also really funny at many parts and does not take itself too seriously. All the characters show depth, and their strengths and weaknesses are well displayed and conquered over the course of this film--which is quite an accomplishment considering how many characters there were.

This is definitely a film for all ages. It will truly inspire you on many levels and get you to think about your own life as well.

Overall Grade: A


-Ethan Brehm

The Back-Up Plan

Hey, sorry that it's been awhile since my last post--there's just been a lot going on lately. But, nonetheless, I have still been keeping up with my movie-watching. The most recent being the one named above. It stars Jennifer Lopez as Zoe, who can't find the right man for her, but she wants to start a family anyway--so she decides to get artificially inseminated. Later that day she meets Stan (Alex O'Laughlin) whom she falls for. However, she is afraid to tell him that she is pregnant in fear that he will leave her.

Though this film is EXTREMELY predictable, it does not fail to bring the occasional rom-com smile-scenes. But honestly, there were a lot of really uncomfortable parts throughout the film, and Lopez doesn't do the greatest job acting. O'Laughlin's performance, however, was the highlight of the film (along with the refreshing appearance of Tom Bosley). The film was funny at parts, but mundane in general. I think that I'm going to end up giving this movie a better grade than I should give it just because the ending was well-tied-together (but that's how most predictable movies are).

Overall Grade: C+

-Ethan Brehm