The Karate Kid

Rating: PG

Movie Release Date: June 11, 2010

DVD Release Date: TBD

Plot 411: A kid from Detroit moves to Beijing and must adjust to a foreign culture and lifestyle.

Review: I think it's ridiculous that they keep the old movie title in this remake when the main character Dre (Jadan Smith) doesn't even learn karate. But whatever. When his mother (Taraji P. Henson) is transferred to Beijing for work, Dre must adjust to all things foreign. The language, culture and societal rules are all new to him. But, what crosses all barriers is bullying, which Dre experiences first hand. When some school bullies take him on six to one, Dre's building maintenance man Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) agrees to train him. Much like the relationship between teacher and student, Dre and Mr. Han grow to respect each other deeply. Despite hating the name, the movie was actually pretty good for what it was trying to do. I think it effectively portrayed good values for the kids and is a nice way to spend a couple hours (The movie's pretty long!). I think there were some mess ups in the continuity of some scenes and parts were pretty cheesy, but overall it wasn't as bad as I anticipated.

Watch It: If you've got kids because it's one of those movies where I think both parent and child will enjoy.

Skip It: If you're a die-hard fan of the original. I don't think Chan does the "Mr. Miyagi" role any justice.

I Can Do Bad All By Myself

Rating: PG-13

Movie Release Date: September 11, 2009

DVD Release Date: January 12, 2010

Plot 411: A woman must taken in her niece and nephews when their caretaker, her mother, goes missing.

Review: This is the worst Tyler Perry movie I've ever seen. I think the script was really bad. Most of Perry's movies possess a deeper meaning that is relatable to most audiences. You are able to pull something from it no matter where you are in your life. The plots all seem to have a purpose that is fulflled by the end of the movie. However, the pace of this movie was just dreadfully slow. Instead of building up emotionally, like most of Perry's movies, this one seemed to drag along and I found my mind wandering. Major character development seemed to stagger forward instead of evolve. Some of the lines were cheesy as all hell. Taraji P. Henson plays April, a nightclub singer who doesn't possess the ability to love anyone. She lives her life apart from her family and is in a relationship with a married man (Brian J. White), thus creating a barrier between herself and the world. When her mother, the guardian of her sister's children, goes missing, she is forced to take in her niece and two nephews. She also takes in Sandino (Adam Rodriguez), on the advice of her paster, because he is down on his luck. I think Rodriguez should stick with CSI: Miami instead of going to the big screen. He doesn't exude the pressences of a leading man. The film made good use of Gladys Knight, Marvin Winans and Mary J. Blige by killing an unknown number of minutes by giving them solos.

Watch It: Maybe if you enjoy Tyler Perry overall. If you don't like him, this movie will make you hate him.

Skip It: Because Madea is barely in this movie and I've gotta say that she's probably the best part of the film.

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

Rating: PG-13

Movie Release Date: December 25, 2008

DVD Release Date: May 5, 2009

Plot 411: The life story of a man who ages backward and how this affects his interactions with people.

Review: The main reason for my watching this movie was because the main concept of this plot was intriguing. It is about a man who is born with all the physical characteristics of someone in his 80s. Throughout his life, Benjamin (Brad Pitt) physically regresses toward infancy but his mind matures toward adulthood. This simple idea could be explored in so many different ways that I was curious to see how it would be developed. The why of Benjamin's condition is not explained at all in the movie, which is a little disappointing. It just is. Overall, I thought they could've done a better job with the storyline. I felt as though some of the obstacles weren't resolved in a satisfactory manner. Perhaps it's just me but I'd prefer to have a reasonable explanation for the events that occur. This movie failed to provide them despite being over two hours long. On a positive note, the cinematography of this movie is just breathtaking. The contrasts in Benjamin's life are stark and revealingly reflected in the film's color palette. The gorgeous golden hues used when he's in love with Daisy (Cate Blanchett) are even more beautiful when compared to the steely blue of a hospital or the dark browns of a cellar room. This was just one of those movies that are truly beautiful to look at. I loved the scenes with snow fall. Gorgeous. Besides Pitt and Blanchett's performances, a notable actor is Taraji P. Henson, who plays Benjamin's mother. She exudes such a belieavablely caring, maternal nature that it's really a departure from her character in Hustle & Flow.

Watch It: For it's great visual beauty, including its choice of lead actors.

Skip It: If you're looking for answers. There are none. It's just the story of his life, and often lives aren't wrapped up nicely.