Takers

Rating: PG-13

Movie Release Date: August 27, 2010

DVD Release Date: TBD

Plot 411: A con reunites with his crew after serving four years and wants in on the game one more time.

Review: This movie tries to lure in its audience with the ensemble cast of beefcakes. From Paul Walker (John) to Idris Elba (Gordon), Hayden Christensen (A.J.) to Chris Brown (Jesse), there's gotta be a bad boy for you. Even the cops are notable heartthrobs - Matt Dillon (Jack) and Jay Hernandez (Eddie). However, even this isn't enough star power to rock this movie. Oh, it was okay for a shoot 'em up flick, but it didn't have the same charisma as Ocean's Eleven. There was just no style or clever humor in this one. I don't think anyone, even Elba, could command a stage like George Clooney. The movie opens when Ghost (T.I.) is released from prison after serving his time for a robbery. He immediately contacts his boys and offers up an armored car job he's been planning since prison. The crew is hesitant, but the money is good (isn't it always?). They decide to risk it because that's what they do their entire lives. There's some great hand-to-hand action by Christensen (during which time I realized how thin he is). Chris Brown also does a good parkour act as he evades capture. But, some of the acting is really bad. The lines are pretty stilted. I mean, you can't necessarily blame T.I. for this because he's a newbie and all, but what excuse can the others give?

Watch It: For some ramped up action toward the end.

Skip It: Because despite the big names there are other movies of this ilk that are more exceptional.

Up In The Air

Rating: R

Movie Release Date: December 4, 2009

DVD Release Date: March 9, 2010

Plot 411: Ryan's job is to fire people and it takes him across the country all year long. When new technology is introduced, he finds himself grounded with the definite possibility of becoming obsolete.

Review: As a one man firing squad, Ryan (George Clooney) is hired by companies to let their employees go. Because of this, he travels the U.S. extensively and is rarely home. He is working his way toward becoming a very distinguished frequent flyer. Ryan likes his life in the air and lives without many connections to people. He is even distant from his family, preferring instead to interact with people he meets briefly while waiting for his plane. Unfortunately for Ryan, a young gun named Natalie (Anna Kendrick) has proposed a new firing system to their boss (played by Jason Bateman). With this system, people like Ryan will be grounded because firing will be done via webcam. This will eliminate the need to fly and decrease overall expenses for the company. Because management is eager to roll this new system out, Ryan is tasked with showing Natalie the ropes of their biz and testing out the new system. On first glance, the concept of this movie is pretty lackluster. Who cares about the implementation of new technology and some guy's attempt to earn frequent flyer points? But, this movie will definitely surprise you. Underneath all the petty superficial stuff is a movie with a real message that'll make you think about your life and make you reevaluate your life choices. As Ryan says, "What's in your backpack?" Depending on where you are in life, I think you'll find Ryan's philosophy either intriguing or completely moronic.

Watch It: For its Chinese fortune cookie wisdom about life and the great twist at the end.

Skip It: Because it was Oscar-fare and those flicks are usually pretty boring if you're not into that kinda thing.

The Men Who Stare At Goats

Rating: R

Movie Release Date: November 6, 2009

DVD Release Date: March 23, 2010

Plot 411: A reporter meets a psychic superman and follows him from Kuwait to Iraq during the War on Terror.

Review: George Clooney is pretty much my hero. He has managed to have a successful career doing major blockbuster films as well as small, independent movies that inspire him. He doesn't seem to drown in the money or fame like other celebrities. Instead, he puts in his time doing mainstream projects, then distributes some more meaningful affairs. In this latest film, Clooney plays Lyn Cassady, a former Army soldier who was selected to serve with an elite group of men. These men, led by Bill Django (Jeff Bridges), were tasked with using alternative methods to win wars. This includes psychic powers, shape shifting and mind control - basically all paranormal activities available. Pretty out there stuff, right? While in Kuwait, Lyn meets a budding journalist named Bob (Ewan McGregor) and teaches him some of the techniques. The audience just tags along with Bob and mimics his awe and disbelief. Can this really be true? The movie definitely isn't for everyone, with it's far out premise and wry humor. I enjoyed it though. Interestingly enough, it's based on a book and research, so it appears the military really did look into this type of technology (can you even call it that?). Also in this film are Kevin Space and Stephen Root.

Watch It: If you like Burn After Reading. It sorta has that same vibe, but the humor is definitely more dry and delivered in a dead-pan manner.

Skip It: If, after watching the trailer, you're already bored. This movie is pretty dialogue heavy without much action.

Burn After Reading

Rating: R

Movie Release Date: September 12, 2008

DVD Release Date: December 21, 2008

Plot 411: A confidential disk is found by gym workers and is used to blackmail a former CIA analyst - affairs occur, the government is perplexed and National Security may or may not be compromised.

Review: This movie really wasn't what I expected. I thought this was an outright comedy. (I mean, c'mon. Have you seen Brad Pitt in the trailer?) It turned out to be more of a dark comedy or tragic comedy. There were still some pretty funny stuff happening but it was more subtle. I guess you could describe this film as partly being a government/spy movie satire and an ill-fated love story. Besides the few humorous scenes though, I thought this movie was really slow. I haven't seen a lot of Ethan and Joel Coen films, but I imagine their humor must be similar to this one. I watched "No Country for Old Men" and loved it, but I suppose this is a different type of movie. The one person I loved in this movie was John Malkovich's character because you could see him slowly falling apart in every scene. It was brilliant.

Watch It: If you're a Coen fan and to see Brad Pitt's dance moves (though not as good as Tom Cruise's moves in "Tropic Thunder.")

Skip It: If you don't have the patience to wait for this one to develop. It takes a while for things to fall into place.

Trailer: