Surrogates

Rating: PG-13

Movie Release Date: September 24, 2009

DVD Release Date: January 26, 2010

Plot 411: In a society where people live via their surrogate robot selves, a new weapon is unleashed that can kill the human operators when their robots are killed.

Review: This was an interesting sci-fi thriller starring Bruce Willis as Tom, a cop who is put on an unusual case. He and his partner Peters (Radha Mitchell) arrive at a crime scene with two damaged surrogates, one of them unmarked. They chase down clues to discover that the operators linked to the surrogates are dead. Now the pair must find the weapon and people responsible for this before all of mankind is killed. The idea that people no longer live their lives in their physical form and use robot replacements instead is interesting. It's a comment on our society's reliance on and fascination with technology. The movie highlights how we've actually become crippled by technology as more things are automated and done for us. The deterioration of our human bodies is already reflected in the rise in obesity. I imagine that we aren't too far away from lives as portrayed in the film. Also in this film are Rosamund Pike, Boris Kodjoe, James Cromwell and Ving Rhames.

Watch It: For a glimpse into our future?

Skip It: Because the plot is predicatble. I think they could've done a better job at storytelling.

Cop Out

Rating: R

Movie Release Date: February 26, 2010

DVD Release Date: TBD

Plot 411: Two suspended cops stumble upon a kidnapping when they try to sell a baseball card.

Review: Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan play veteran cops Jimmy and Paul, who have an interesting nine-year partnership on the force. After a drug bust goes bad, they are suspended for 30 days without pay. This throws a kink into Jimmy's plans because he needs the money to finance his daughter's (Michelle Trachtenberg) wedding. Jimmy decides to sell his prized baseball card but is robbed in the process by Dave (Seann William Scott). Tracking Dave down leads Jimmy and Paul to a Mexican drug lord, who is attempting to expand his territory, and a kidnapped woman (Ana de la Reguera). Also featured in this buddy cop comedy are Rashida Jones as Paul's wife, Adam Brody and Kevin Pollak as cops in the gang unit and Jason Lee as Jimmy's ex-wife's second husband. Willis plays the straight man to Morgan's funny man routine in this raunchy bromance. The movie probably deserves a second viewing because Morgan has some hilarious lines that get lost because you're still laughing at his last joke. He also spends a lot of time yelling, which garbles up what he's saying. Throw in Scott and the laughs keep rolling in. I'm sure there are going to be tons of outakes in the Special Features reel on the dvd. The movie took me by surprise. I thought there'd be a lot more action in it, but it was a pleasant surprise that this movie was a laughfest. It ended up being better than I thought it'd be. The plot and everything else is pretty irrelevant though. I just wanted to see more of Willis and Morgan together.

Watch It: For a surprisingly funny flick about two friends just trying to get through the day. It's their ninth anniversary after all.

Skip It: If you're offended by a bunch of swearing or are looking for more of an action thriller cop show.

Alpha Dog

Rating: R

Movie Release Date: January 12, 2007

DVD Release Date: May 1, 2007

Plot 411: When a guy won't pay his debt, his dealer kidnaps his kid brother to get back at him.

Review: I just don't know what went wrong with this one. The previews looked good and the cast includes some of Hollywood's up-and-coming young actors, but this just wasn't a good movie. A young drug dealer named Johnny Truelove (Emile Hirsch), who I think is just a rich poser, is insulted when Jake Mazursky (Ben Foster) refuses to pay his debt and breaks into his house. Truelove and his gang decide to confront Mazursky but run into his little brother Zack (Anton Yelchin) instead. They throw him in a van and kidnap him, but they don't really know what to do with him. The gang kicks back and Zack enjoys their company. He even refuses to leave when given a chance. But things soon get real when Truelove decides to kill Zack rather than ask for a ransom. His gang must man up to the task and try not to get caught or automatically face time in jail if they let Zack go. The script was based on real events that happened in Santa Barbara County. The kids involved were seriously just kids. The oldest was only 21. How could they cause the death of another person? Was it just a disconnect between life and death? Were they so drugged out that they didn't feel remorse or guilt or shame? It's just crazy. What the movie did get right was the nonchalant attitudes that the boys had. Life seemed to be one big party that never ended. Also starring in this movie was Justin Timberlake, Sharon Stone, Fernando Vargas, Lukas Haas, Amanda Seyfried and Bruce Willis.

Watch It: For an interesting look at the inner workings of a quasi-gang atmosphere.

Skip It: If you have a low tolerance for youthful stupidity.

Perfect Stranger

Rating: R

Movie Release Date: April 13, 2007

DVD Release Date: August 21, 2007

Plot 411: An investigative journalist uses technology and good old undercover work to find the killer of a childhood friend.

Review: Halle Berry plays as journalist Rowena Price, a hard-news reporter who goes deep to uncover conspiracies and crime. When a childhood friend is murdered, she uses those same skills to find her killer and bring truth to the surface. With the help of her tech guru, Miles (Giovanni Ribisi), Rowena becomes a temp at a prestigious ad agency owned by Harrison Hill (Bruce Willis), who she suspects is the murderer. Hiding behind online pseudonyms, Rowena tries to prove Hill killed her friend. This is a thriller with so many twists and turns that you'll come out of it dizzy. Berry is, as usual, beautiful to watch onscreen. Willis and Ribisi both give off equally off-putting and creepy auras that have you suspicious from the get-go. Still, the outcome of this film will surprise you.

Watch It: If you like murder mysteries with a twist.

Skip It: If Willis just creeps you out normally because this will just tip the scales and it'll be over for good.