Princess Ka'Iulani (B)

Short version: This movie is set during the time of the annexation of the Kingdom of Hawai'i, later to become the 50th state of the union. The princess is the last hope for the island nation, watch as this movie follows her daring journey. I'm rating with a (B) for the following, it is overall a good movie with good acting, however there are several moments where it felt like I was watching a music video, meaning there was music playing and no dialog., that made it seem slow at times.


Long version: Princess Ka'Iulani(Kay-OOlanee)whom is portrayed by Q'Orianka Kilcher (The New World) is forced to flee her country for her own safety. She arrives in London, where she lives for 2 years or so before returning home. While there, she finds love and friendship but is rushed home because her nation is crumbling. Making a stop in Washington along the way, she meets with then President Grover Cleveland, to try and save her home. 


There are a few recognizable faces in this movie, Barry Pepper, whom oddly plays some what of a villain and Will Patton who is on the fence between being in favor of the U.S. and Hawai'i. This is based on a true story about an actual princess, and seeing as how Hawaii is the 50th state in the union, you can probably guess the ending to the story. 


The United States annexed the Kingdom of Hawai'i, meaning the princess failed to save her country, however this movie is still worth the watch. Plus the views of Hawaii are amazing! 


And you can find it on Netflix or by clicking the image below, which will take you to Amazon.com.

Alex

Cars 2 (A)

Short version:  Well, Disney & Pixar have done it again! Another good movie, although this one is all about Mater. It's a change of pace from the original but overall it's a good movie!

Long Version: Okay, So Lightning McQueen isn't the star in this action packed spy movie. Mater steps up and takes the spotlight here along with a new character Finn McMissile (Michael Caine). Finn who is a spy with British intelligence, is tracking down a criminal and his weapon to wreak havoc, and Mater on the other hand is just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Through many "Larry the Cable Guy" moments Mater somehow becomes a real spy car and his Radiator Springs background creates the perfect cover. Who would suspect an old rust bucket tow truck to be a spy?

We go to Europe following McQueen for a world cup race event where we shift gears to Mater. He and Finn run the show and do a god job of it. The criminal is trying to convince the world that gasoline is better than a new bio fuel, Allinall, and is destroying race cars to show the world that this new fuel is the cause. Using his secret weapon, which is hidden in a video camera, he shoots at race cars as they compete. Putting the fate of Lightning McQueen in the hands of his best friend, Mater. 

This movie is packed with action and fun to watch. There is also a Toy Story short at the beginning and is pretty good. True to form, Pixar has made yet another good movie and short! The acting, or voice talent is good and is also shot in 3D. I don't know that watching in 3D is worth spending the extra money, but either way it won't affect the quality of the movie. A must see for Disney & Pixar fans!

Alex

Black Death (B)

Short Version:  If you like movies set in a more medieval time then you will probably like this movie but it will not blow you away.

Long Version: During the first outbreak of the Bubonic Plague (Black Death) in England is the setup for this movie.  So we are back in the time where the Catholic Church rules supreme as far as religion goes and knights are still alive.  The story line is little common but has a twist that is original or at least it is original to me.  We start out by following this young monk named Osmund that is played by Eddie Redmayne (he does a pretty good job).  Now Osmund lives in a monastery in a city that is pretty small that is being overrun by the plague.  We learn quickly that Osmund is not a perfect monk more on this later.  Then we have a couple nights ride up to the city and this is where we meet Ulrich played by Sean Bean (Boromir in “The Lord of the Rings” movies) who is a knight that has been sent by the bishop to find out if the rumors are true about a city that has not been infected by the plague.  To speed things up they find this city with the help of their guide Osmund the monk and this city has something to hide.  If I tell what they have to hide it would ruin the end of the movie so you will just have to watch the movie to figure out the twist.

The main reason I watched this movie is because it had Sean Bean in it and he is normally a good actor.  In this movie it was no exception he played his part well.  The problem with this movie is that the story line was not the best and the rest of the actors did not always hold up there parts.  This movie even with the twist ending did not wow me.  I gave it a B because the wow factor was not there. 

As always you can click the picture below to buy the movie from Amazon or you can use Netflix which is how I say the movie.  Netflix banner is top right of this page.

Adam

Green Lantern (A)

Short version: First off this movie is based off of a comic book, of which I have not read, so my review is based purely on the movie aspect. It is about a guy named Hal Jordan who is chosen to become a Green Lantern, which is a protector of the universe. There are great special effects and there were a few good laughs. Ryan Reynolds does a great job as the Lantern and I am rating it an (A). The story is interesting and I think well written, acting was good and overall I quite enjoyed it.


Long Version: Okay, so like I said above, Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds) is the main character here. He is one of the best military fighter pilots around and is chosen to do a test against a new pilotless fighter jet. With his "no lose attitude" he breaks the rules of engagement to beat the drones. He takes the jet s so high that they stall, after which he begins to remember his fears of how his father died and nearly dies himself. Overcoming his fear at the last minute, he ejects and saves himself. It is on this premise that he is chosen.


The next scene we see the main enemy of the story, of whom is embodied by pure fear. A Green Lantern legend, Abin Sur, once defeated and imprisoned this enemy. Of course he escapes and wreaks havoc, killing all in his path, including Abin Sur. Sur is injured and travels to the nearest inhabited planet, earth. 


This is where Hal Jordan is selected by the ring to be the next Green Lantern. At first he reluctant to accept the responsibility, but soon has a change of heart after talking with the woman he loves, Carol Ferris (Blake Lively). He is flown away to the Lantern home planet of Oa, where he learns of the Lantern's existence, his powers and responsibility to protect the universe. The lantern has been around for several millennia and Hal is the first human ever accepted into the ranks. This is at first his greatest weakness but also his greatest strength. The ring is his source of power which comes from the core on Oa. The core is harnessed will power, which is the most powerful form of energy in the universe.


Nothing but adventure and action follow. As Hal aka The Green Lantern returns home his planet is now in danger and he must save the world and most assuredly the rest of the universe to follow. He is able to lure Fear away from earth where he finishes the battle in open space. Overcoming fear, he alone manages to defeat the greatest enemy the universe has ever known. 


I would suggest this movie to everyone. It is a great watch and is well made. I hope to have helped in your decision to watch it or not.


Enjoy!

Alex

X-Men: First Class (A)

Short Version: I know what you're thinking, another "good movie" rating! For starters I have yet to see a bad one since we have started this site, I'm sure we will encounter many in the future. So let me say, X-Men: First Class is a First class movie! Best X-Men yet!! They found a perfect cast for this movie, hands down! The acting is great and the story ties in well with the previous films. I give it an (A) because of this as well as the special effects and fun I had watching it. You should definitely take time to go see this one!

Long Version: Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr are just learning about their mutant powers and what they can do. We get to see just how each of them come to be who they are today. But before they made it to being enemies, they were friends, working alongside other mutants. Some that we know and some that are new. Since I never really read any of the comic books I only know a little of the story and something I found interesting is Charles and Raven(Mystique) have known each other since they were very young. Charles caught her in his parent's house stealing food and took her in. They practically grew up together and as the story unfolds you can tell that she has feelings for him, thus resulting in some decisions she makes in the future being what leads her to Erik. 

They share a common enemy from Erik's past, one that absorbs energy and has stayed young for several years. This enemy is played by Kevin Bacon, I was weary at first but he pulled it off good I thought! This enemy unites Erik and Charles and creates the need for an "army." They begin to train one another and Charles helps them all learn to control their abilities. They start out working together with the CIA but Erik makes a stand that only mutants should be searching and making contact with other mutants. In there search we see a familiar face, Wolverine. Very briefly he gives a "dirty yet typical" two word response and that's all we see of him. We also see another blip of an actress from the previous films playing her role. Rebecca Romijn as Mystigue, both of whom are uncredited in this movie.

United they defeat their foe and go their separate ways when Charles believes that humans won't become an enemy. We also see how Charles comes to be in a wheel chair and just whom causes it.

James McAvoy (Wanted & The Last King of Scotland) plays as Professor Xavier and Michael Fassbender (300 & Inglorious Basterds) plays as Magneto. The two have a great chemistry together, I would say better than Patrick Stewart & Ian McKellen. This is a great movie and worth watching. One you can actually enjoy! 

Alex

Super 8 (A)

Short Version: This is a good movie, Go watch it! It follows a group of kids who stumble upon a military accident. The film is set in the late 70's in rural Ohio. There is a lot of language in this movie along with action, suspense as well as some good special affects. I'm giving this an (A) because it has good acting and a believable story line to a certain degree. The whole military coverup part.


Long Version: This movie is packed with a lot of things: action, adventure, mysterious phenomenon, love and comedy too! There were actually quite a few spots where everyone was laughing. The movie starts out with a group of young kids that are filming their own movie. They are set up at an old train station and decide to start recording when a train rolls through. Out of the blue a truck is driving along and pulls out in front of the train which causes a huge accident. The train derails and the kids strangely survived all of this. 


Spoiler Alert** If you haven't seen this movie and want to don't read anymore! It is worth paying to go see!


The train that was derailed belonged to the US Air Force and they were hauling precious cargo. An alien from another planet and it's technologically advanced ship. Of course this alien breaks free of it's cage during the crash and sets off into town. The kids decide that they will tell no one about what they saw and when they get the film developed from their camera they could work the crash into the movie. Waiting on the film to be developed, which takes about 3 days in the 70's, the kids begin to investigate the crash.


Soon people begin disappearing. Several car engines have vanished along with microwaves and generators. The alien has taken them for one purpose, to build a ship. The kids, in their investigation, find the studies of their biology teacher whom knows all about this creature. He formerly worked for the Air Force as a scientist and came in contact with the alien. From the studies the children find out that the alien landed on Earth back in the 50's and the military has had it locked up since. When touched by the creature a connection is made and he can communicate with you. 


This alien creature has been trapped here for nearly 20 years and only wants to go home. But the military has made it impossible for him as well as turned him against the human race. As odd as it may seem, the kids do more to save their town, country and humanity more than anyone else. They manage to save the day.


Also right after the credits start, stick around to see the movie that the kids made! You'll get a good laugh out of it! 

Alex