Charlie St. Cloud

This film, starring Zac Efron as the title character, is about Charlie who becomes conflicted in his life because of the promise he made to his dead brother to meet at a certain spot everyday to spend time with him.

Critics are comparing this film to all those Nicholas Sparks films. Just because it is a movie about love and deeper meaning does not mean that it is all the same. I really liked this film. It has a great message to it. It is full of genuine relationships. Some of the acting may not be superb, but it gets the job done. It was a very cool concept that keeps you highly entertained. Many times we become too critical that we miss the point of the film altogether.

This movie is like a puzzle that is being pieced together in different places to form one big picture in the end. It was well-done, and I'm confused why it didn't get better reviews.

Overall Grade: A


-Ethan Brehm

Salt

I love movies like this! Ones with so many twists and turns that you don't know who to trust anymore. You gotta be attentive! It stars Angelina Jolie as Evelyn Salt, a CIA agent who is interrogating a Russian defector who declares that Russian president will be killed by Russian spy, Evelyn Salt--who happens to be her. Salt is very confused, as she has been loyally working for her country of the United States for most of her life.

This is such a great thriller. It keeps you guessing the whole time and is never too cluttered with special effects. I don't care for Jolie too much as a person, from what I've seen in interviews and whatnot, but she is a heck of an actress. She is totally believable. The film is like a combination of The Fugitive and Paycheck. It's a great film from start to finish and never slows down.

Overall Grade: A


-Ethan Brehm

Ramona and Beezus

This film, based on the Beverly Cleary books, starring Selena Gomez (Beezus) and Joey King (Ramona) as sisters who have a love-hate relationship, as Ramona is on an everlasting quest to do something right--especially when it's coming to helping her family save their house after her dad loses his job. Her imagination is very vivid and active.

This is a very unique kid's movie that will remind many people of how they were when they were kids themselves. The humor is that of a film from 10 or more years ago--yet it is very modern in its own way. This film should make you laugh or something is wrong with you. The acting is terrific throughout in this film, and the chemistry between actors is perfect. It portrays a very real version of how families interact with each other. It recognizes their imperfections as well as displays a genuine example of the typical interactions of the American family.

The film is full of great messages to take risks and "color outside the lines"--among others. It has great lessons for kids, and adults should like it as well. couldn't find anything wrong with this film.

Overall Grade: A+


-Ethan Brehm

Predators

Surprisingly, this was pretty good. At least better than I thought. Starring Adrian Brody and Topher Grace as 2 of the eight strangers that land in this strange forest. They have to survive and figure out why they're there in the first place.

This film is full of mystery and suspense and twists. It never takes itself too seriously--I mean, how could it with Topher Grace as one of the stars. The acting is tremendous, and it gets even better with the brief feature of Laurence Fishburne. It's really violent at parts, which is kind of expected. But overall, the story is pretty good--in fact I really liked it. The only Predator film I've seen is Alien vs. Predator, so I don't know a whole lot about these films. The only part that I didn't like was the scariness of it (which wasn't too bad) and it wasn't scares for scares sake--it was all pretty much involved with the story.

The film had a good message and it's just too bad sometimes that films like this never get any long-term recognition. As far as movies go, this one's not bad.

Overall Grade: B+


-Ethan Brehm

Inception

The acting is superb in this big-time blockbuster. You definitely will be talking about this film for awhile. There's not a whole lot to say about this movie's plot without giving something away. All I can say is that it stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Ellen Page, and it has to do with the futuristic art of "dream constructing" and getting into other people's dreams.

Since this sort of thing (dreams) always interested me, I found this film very intriguing. It sort of creates its own rules as far as dreaming is concerned. The movie is full of twists and turns (so pay attention). The acting was excellent all the way through, and so was the dialogue. In a movie like this, you have to expect to get a little confused. Though the film is about 2 and a half hours, it does not seem merely enough to explain everything there is to explain. Though they did try for the most part. Some parts towards the beginning, I felt, were occurring with very little concern of the fact that the audience didn't know what was happening. But I cannot really criticize this because I think this was intentional. The film is about dreams and planting ideas--when that is exactly what the movie is doing to the audience. It's really cool. You're just gonna have to watch it more than once. It's a beautiful piece. I just wish certain parts were more clear and didn't feel like I was playing catch-up for parts of the film.

Overall Grade: A-

P.S. After you see this movie, leave me a comment about the "big question" in this film.


-Ethan Brehm

Standing Ovation

Ok, I have to be completely honest. Much of watching this film consisted of me wondering who would have taken their money and funded this film. But as the movie unfolds, I realize that it does have a good heart. It's a film about a group of junior high school girls who have a dance group. They must make a music video and compete for a million dollar prize. However, they are the underdog to their rival group who happen to have twice the resources and popularity that they do.

In this film of no-name actors, I found it very low-grade. The acting was hokey for the most part (with the exception of the leading female role). The dialogue was terrible and terribly directed. At times it seemed like a film that the little kids at the day camp I used to work for would make. Some scenes and bits were awkward and random, and completely out of the belief range of what junior high kids are capable of (which would be understandable if it were a sci-fi kids flick). However, the film had a great message for kids and adults, and had an interesting twist to its substory. I would never buy this film on DVD, but it was definitely one of the most memorable films I've seen for a myriad of reasons ranging from its extremities. There was something about it that never let me hate it.

Overall Grade: B-


-Ethan Brehm

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

This film was amazing! I was looking forward to seeing this movie so much and wasn't disappointed at all! It stars Nicolas Cage as Balthazar (Merlin's student) and Jay Baruchel as Dave (Balthazar's apprentice). Dave was chosen to wear the ring of Merlin and defeat Morgana who plans to destroy the world.

There is literally nothing bad that I can say about this film. It is entertaining from start to finish. It's a solid and refreshing film that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The movie doesn't take itself too seriously--and neither do the characters, as their humor provides the perfect balance to the intensity.

Alfred Molina, who plays the treasonous Horvath, is one of my favorite actors, so it's good to see him in this film. And Jay Baruchel is becoming one of my favorites as well, as I like him in every film he is in. However, I am not usually a Nicolas Cage fan, but he was great in this movie!

By the way, stay until after the credits (assuming you always do anyway).

Overall Grade: A+


-Ethan Brehm