2012

Rating: PG-13

Movie Release Date: November 13, 2009

DVD Release Date: March 2, 2010

Plot 411: The end of the world has come. Run for your lives!

Review: This film was pretty similar to all the other end-of-the-world/apocalypse/disaster movies that came before it. Most audiences who enjoyed those will also like this one. The idea of actually enjoying a disaster flick is pretty twisted when you really think about it, but that's for some other blog. In this one, we talk about movies so I'd say the CGI both made and broke this film. With such a gigantic scope as the of the world, audiences are already prepared for a whole lot of CGI. This component is probably the most significant aspect of the film, even beyond the actors, which included the likes of John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Amanda Peet (whose face is quite odd looking in this movie), Danny Glover (Mr. President), Thandie Newton (cute as ever), Oliver Platt and Woody Harrelson (playing a nutjob . . . surprise, surprise). The massive earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis and complete destruction of society as we know it was definitely a huge undertaking for all those animators. It really is amazing to see little people dangling off of freeways and toppling buildings, chunks of earth and lava hurtle toward you and famous landmarks crumble to the ground. However, despite all their efforts, the quality of the CGI is still not advanced enough to render a good image. It's completely obvious that these events were created on a screen. There's absolutely no doubt that they didn't use practical effects. The fact that we can tell is the disappointment. As for the plot, refer back to the 411.

Watch It: On a large screen with surround sound if at all possible to get the full effect.

Skip It: Because if you've seen one of these types of movies, you've seen 'em all.

She's The One

Rating: R

Movie Release Date: August 23, 1996

DVD Release Date: October 3, 2000

Plot 411: Two brothers face the ups and downs of love in New York City.

Review: Edward Burns is Mickey, a cab driver and the elder of two brothers whose life was turned upside down when his fiancee Heather (Cameron Diaz) cheated on him. Francis (Mike McGlone), Mickey's younger brother, is a successful, though very arrogant, stockbroker and constantly trying to prove his worth to Mickey. Drama unfolds when it's revealed that Francis is cheating on his wife Renee (Jennifer Aniston) and Mickey has married Hope (Maxine Bahns), a girl he picked up in his cab. As the plot developed, I found myself cracking up at the dry humor shared between the brothers and their father, played by John Mahoney. Mahoney constantly refers to his sons as girls in a way only a manly man of a father could do. Their blue-collar upbringing contrasts with Francis' superficial outlook on life. It was so blatant that I was confused for a while as to the time period of the film. I thought it might've been set in the '80s, but all the clothes were definitely from the '90s. I don't ever remember seeing this rom com in theaters and am not sure how successful it was in the box office, but I enjoyed many of the scenes specifically because of the dialogue. The blunt banter between characters made for some hearty laughs in a way that only New Yorkers could do it. All the actors were shockingly young looking. This was an eazy, breezy film to watch with some good laughs and nothing too heavy. Also featured in this film was an extremely young-looking Amanda Peet and Leslie Mann with her sexy-sounding voice.

Watch It: For a not-so-serious rom com starring actors that were up-and-coming at the time.

Skip It: If you really want to see these actors at their peeks. I gotta admit that some of the performances were kind of bad.

Identity

Rating: R

Movie Release Date: April 25, 2003

DVD Release Date: February 3, 2004

Plot 411: Stuck at a motel in a rainstorm, a group of strangers slowly gets killed one by one. They must discover who done it and why.

Review: This was a well-written movie that I think gets overlooked a lot. It's a thriller, mystery and horror film rolled into one. It really makes you think. People from all walks of life are stuck in a motel as they slowly get picked off one by one. As the audience and the motel guests try to figure out what's going on, a separate drama is happening concurrently in which a death row inmate is being questioned by a psychiatrist in the 11th hour. This movie's ensemble cast makes it really difficult to pick out the killer or to even figure out what's happening. I love John Cusack in this movie because it's so far removed from his other stuff. Amanda Peet, Ray Liotta, John C. McGinley and Alfred Molina also star. If you start this movie, you'll never want to stop it and walk away. You'll need to sit through till the end. But it's definitely worth it.

Watch It: If you're the Sherlock Holmes type who likes to solve murder mysteries. This will take you for a loop.

Skip It: If you're not a big fan of thrillers. This one really gets your heart pounding at some points. The suspense is a killer.

Trailer: