2008 Movie Reviews

So why do we love to go to the movies? What is it about sitting in a darkened auditorium, among a swarm of rude thoughtless jerks, noisy people, crying babies, cell phones ringing, pigs masticating on snack foods, watching other people's stories on the screen, that so inspires us? Moves us?

Going to the movies is unlike any other form of art. Sure, much of what comes out of Hollywood's absurd system is hardly “art”, but sometimes you come across a film that is a critically acclaimed, or a significant "must-see" film.

The following is a series of capsule reviews of movies that I have seen in the Cineplex Theaters of Las Vegas, Nevada, Lehi, Utah, American Fork, Utah, Cedar City, Utah, St. George, Utah, Honolulu, Hawaii, Kapolei, Hawaii, Lahaina, Hawaii, and Salt Lake City, Utah, in 2008.

The synopsis comments are taken from http://www.rottentomatoes.com/, and http://www.imdb.com/. Most of the sardonic observations are mine, as are the letter grades.

21 (Grade B+) a movie about 6 MIT students, who, by counting cards, take Las Vegas casinos for millions.
10,000B.C. (Grade C+) a prehistoric epic that follows a young mammoth hunter's journey through uncharted territory to secure the future of his tribe.
27 Dresses (Grade C+) this movie is lot like the old pie in the face gag: light, frothy and predictable, but still sort of funny and cute.
Baby Mama (Grade B-) this comedy about surrogate motherhood, is sweeter and smarter than I was expecting.
Band Visits, The (Grade A-) follows the adventures of an Egyptian musical group on a goodwill tour in Israel.
Bank Job, The (Grade B) a tightly wound heist movie.
Beau Jest (Grade B+) when Sarah Goldman, a lovely young schoolteacher in Chicago, wants to please her parents; she invents a boyfriend whom she believes will be the man of her mother's dreams. Then, Sarah hires Bob, an actor, to pretend to be her "beau".
Before the Rains (Grade B) set in 1930s southern India against the backdrop of a growing nationalist movement, Before the Rains is about an idealistic young Indian man who finds himself torn between his ambitions for the future and his loyalty to the past when people in his village learn of an affair between his British boss and a village woman.
Bucket List, The (Grade B+) two-cancer patients meet as hospital roommates and become fast friends. During their stay, the two make a list of everything they’d like to accomplish before they “kick the bucket,” hence the name; and they set out to achieve their goals together.
Charlie Wilson’s War (Grade B+) as political history, Charlie Wilson's War is quite negligent. Charlie and Co. are such (covert) credit hogs that you'd never know that Pres Reagan, had anything to do with the fall of Communism.
College Road Trip (Grade C-) highly formulaic, make-'em-laugh-then-make-'em-cry comedy.
Counterfeiters , The (Grade A-) the true story of the largest counterfeiting operation in history, set up by the Nazis in 1936.
Deal (Grade C-) as an ex-gambler looks to teach a hot-shot college kid some things about playing cards, he finds himself pulled into the world series of poker, where his protégé becomes his toughest competition.
Definitely, Maybe (Grade A-) is one of those rare date movies that I enjoyed more than my wife did. The story is about a political consultant who tries to explain his impending divorce and past relationships to his 11-year-old daughter
Diving Bell and the Butterfly, The (Grade B+) is the remarkable true story of Jean-Dominique Bauby, a successful and charismatic editor-in-chief of FrenchElle, who believes he is living his life to its absolute fullest when a sudden stroke leaves him in a life-altered state.
Drillbit Taylor (Grade C+) three kids hire a low-budget bodyguard to protect them from the playground bully.
Emma Smith:My Story(Grade B+)at the end of her life, Emma Smith recounts experiences of her courtship and marriage to Joseph Smith, and the challenges she faced in being the wife of the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, (Mormons).
Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (Grade C-) This curious documentary sets out to prove that Intelligent Design is a legitimate science being suppressed by the scientific establishment.
Fool’s Gold (Grade C-) a pair of fools, little to treasure.
Forbidden Kingdom, The (Grade C+) story of a bullied teen transported back to ancient China. The plot is niggling, but it's simply a way to get from one kick-ass fight scene to another.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Grade C+) a TV composer is dumped by his girlfriend, then runs into her at a Hawaiian resort with her new boyfriend.
Get Smart (Grade C-) slightly overlong movie that reintroduces the characters from the TV series in a fresh way that does not negate the originals.
Great Debaters, The (Grade A) set against the backdrop of the Jim Crow South, The Great Debaters chronicles the journey of the Wiley College debate team -- coached by professor Melvin B. Tolson. It was Tolson's recognition that the power of knowledge is the greatest advantage of all, which brought these students from underdogs to victors in a time when more than the odds were against them.
Hammer, The (Grade C+) sort of like the latest "Rocky" movie, only it's a comedy.
Happening, The (Grade C+) a movie about some unexplainable occurrence that causes people to inexplicably kill themselves.
Horton Hears a Who (Grade A) I’m no fan of Dr. Seuss, and I generally can’t stand to sit through animated cartoon movies, but frankly, Horton just charmed the socks off of me.
I am Legend (Grade C-) the last man on earth (or in this case, New York City), who, immune to a devastating plague that’s wiped out most of the world’s population, fights to find a cure while battling horribly mutated, cannibalistic survivors.
In Bruges (Grade C+) holed up in Bruges, Belgium after a difficult job, two hit men begin to differ on their views of life and death as they become used to local customs.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Grade B-) nostalgic, predictable, and a bit over the top, with alot of discrepancies.
Iron Man (Grade A-) While in captivity, industralist Tony Stark creates a high-tech suit of armor which he first uses to fight his way to freedom, and then to prevent a dark-minded scientific genius from carrying out his nefarious plot against humankind.
Jumper (Grade B-) a young boy learns he has the power of teleportation that he uses to rob banks and live a jet set lifestyle, ultimately leading to a secret organization of "Paladins" hunting him down.
Juno (Grade A-) faced with an unplanned pregnancy; an offbeat young woman makes an unusual decision regarding her unborn child.
Kite Runner, The (Grade A) based on the international bestseller by Khaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner is a fascinating historical epic set in 20th-century Afghanistan.
Mad Money (Grade D+) three desperate women from very different worlds cook up the most unlikely heist of the century: Smuggle out millions of dollars in worn-out currency headed for a Federal Reserve shredder every day.
Made of Honor (Grade B-) every element of Made of Honor is recycled or second rate, as it scrambles the plotlines of My Best Friend's Wedding and Sweet Home Alabama and changes the locales.
Mama Mia (Grade A)
Married Life (Grade C-) one of those movies that seduces you with great looks and a sexy story, but leaves you feeling empty, and just a little used, once the climax comes - and goes.
Meet the Browns (Grade A-) a funny, moving romantic drama about the power of love and family.
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (Grade B) Guinevere Pettigrew, a middle-aged London governess, finds herself unfairly dismissed from her job. An attempt to gain new employment catapults her into the glamorous world and dizzying social whirl of an American actress and singer, Delysia Lafosse.
My Blueberry Nights (Grade C+) a young woman takes a soul-searching journey across America to resolve her questions about love while encountering a series of offbeat characters along the way.
National Treasure: Book of Secrets (Grade B-) Treasure hunter Benjamin Franklin Gates looks to discover the truth behind the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
Never Back Down (Grade C-) about the sport known as Mixed Marshall Arts (MMA), and an underground fighting circuit for teenagers.
Nim’s Island (Grade A) a delightful kids' fantasy film. For the most part, it's all smiles, sunshine, exotic scenery — and for my grandson, a couple of tears here and there.
No Reservations (Grade B+) a perfectionist chef addicted to her work, Kate, struggles to adjust when her sister passes away leaving her with a little girl to raise and a new soup-chef, Nick, threatens to take over her kitchen with his high-spirited and free-wheeling ways.
Other Boleyn Girl, The (Grade B+) a romanticised account of the life of the 16th-century aristocrat, Mary Boleyn, who was the sister of Queen Anne Boleyn and one-time mistress of King Henry VIII of England.
P.S. I love You (Grade C-) it sounds sticky beyond words, but there's a surprise: this is an offbeat, sometimes charming romantic drama with some unexpected twists. It's a pleasant surprise: a film that's sad, but never morose.
Rape of Europa, The (Grade C) the story of Nazi Germany's plundering of Europe's great works of art during World War II.
Rambo (Grade B-) a 90-minute ride of hand fights, gunfights and bursting heads. Almost everything in this film is beyond realism.
Run, Fatboy, Run (Grade B) lousy title, but an entertaining, and clever British comedy. Great site gags, and naughty one liners!
Smart People (Grade D+) into the life of a widowed professor comes a new love and an unexpected visit from his adopted brother.
Stop Loss (Grade C) a veteran soldier returns from his completed tour of duty in Iraq, only to find his life turned upside down when he is arbitrarily ordered to return to field duty by the Army.
Street Kings (Grade C-) Keanu Reeves is well cast as a mad-dog L.A. cop implicated in the execution of a fellow officer. This is an absorbing crime drama with a real feel for urban grit.
The Year My Parents Went on Vacation (Grade B+) a boy is left alone in a Jewish neighborhood in the year of 1970, where both world cup and dictatorship happen in Brazil.
Then She Found Me (Grade B) is a low-key comedy in which characters always seem just one misstep away from full-out tragedy.
There Will Be Blood (Grade A) an astounding performance by actor Daniel Day Lewis make this movie a must see; in a story about family, greed, religion, and oil, centered around a turn-of-the-century prospector in the early days of the business.
Under the Same Moon (Grade C-) about a young boy who travels alone across the Mexican-U.S. border in search of his mother.
Untraceable (Grade C+) a cop-tracks-down-a-killer who set up a website where people are killed and no one can do anything about it. The graphic death scenes are quite disturbing, and the last act is more than a bit silly.
Vantage Point (Grade D+) Bang, bang, kapow, bang, you’re toast, amazingly predictable film that is as diverting, as it is ludicrous.
WALL-E (Grade B) In the distant future, a small waste collecting robot that slowly begins to become sentient inadvertently embarks on a space journey that will ultimately decide the fate of mankind. Tremendous animation!
Water Horse: Legend Of The Deep (Grade B+) an enchanting tale of friendship and evolving relationships that engagingly grafts coming-of-age movie chestnuts onto Scottish folklore.
Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden? (Grade B) this entertaining travelogue ultimately reveals that people in disparate countries of different religions and wildly divergent ideologies are more alike than not.
What Happens in Vegas (Grade C-) is a perfectly likeable, perfectly forgettable film with a creaky plot and terrific chemistry between its stars, Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher.
Wild Ocean 3D(Grade A) (IMAX) is an explosive, symphonic documentary film about man and nature.
You Don't Mess with the Zohan (Grade C-) an Israeli commando fakes his own death in order to pursue his dream: becoming a hairstylist in New York. Coarse, dirty, and tasteless.