Overview of My First 125 Movie Reviews

Below is a collected list of my first 125 movie reviews (in order of best to worst). The first column is my rating (out of 5). The second column is my answer to "Would I watch it again?" The third column is the name of the movie with a link to my original post.

4.5 - Yes - Hotel Rwanda
4.5 - Yes - Sin City
4.5 - Yes - The Aviator
4.5 - Yes - March of the Penguins
4.5 - Yes - Million Dollar Baby
4.5 - Yes - Cinderella Man
4 - Yes - The Jacket
4 - Yes - Saw II
4 - Yes - Oldboy
4 - Yes - Coach Carter
4 - Yes - Crash
4 - Yes - 11:14
4 - Yes - Stephen Hawking's Universe
4 - Yes - Murderball
4 - Yes - Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room
4 - Yes - Murder on a Sunday Morning
4 - Yes - Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
4 - Yes - Hoop Dreams
4 - Yes - Hide and Seek
4 - Yes - Miracle
4 - Yes - South Park: The Passion of the Jew
4 - No - The Constant Gardener
4 - No - The Island
4 - No - Ladder 49
4 - No - Stevie
3.5 - Yes - The Machinist
3.5 - Yes - Eternal Sunshine of the spotless Mind
3.5 - Yes - Taking Lives
3.5 - Yes - A Lot Like Love
3.5 - Yes - Matchstick Men
3.5 - No - Kinsey
3.5 - No - Guess Who
3.5 - No - Madagascar
3.5 - No - Batman Begins
3.5 - No - Lords of Dogtown
3.5 - No - North Country
3.5 - No - Bridget Jones Diary
3.5 - No - Assault on Precinct 13
3.5 - No - Troy
3.5 - No - Hostage
3.5 - No - Cellular
3 - Yes - Constantine
3 - Yes - The Ring Two
3 - Yes - The Motorcycle Diaries
3 - No - Ocean's Twelve
3 - No - Friday Night Lights
3 - No - Seabiscuit
3 - No - Mr. & Mrs. Smith
3 - No - Grizzly Man
3 - No - Melinda and Melinda
3 - No - Without a Paddle
3 - No - War of the Worlds
3 - No - Final Destination
3 - No - Wedding Crashers
3 - No - Hustle & Flow
3 - No - The Interpreter
3 - No - Four Brothers
3 - No - Two For The Money
3 - No - The Horse Whisperer
3 - No - Fantastic Four
3 - No - Pirates of Silicon Valley
3 - No - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
3 - No - After the Sunset
3 - No - The Polar Express
3 - No - Beyond the Sea
3 - No - Close Your Eyes
3 - No - Pride & Prejudice
3 - No - Flightplan
3 - No - Just Like Heaven
3 - No - Chocolat
3 - No - Grosse Pointe Blank
3 - No - Team America: World Police
3 - No - The Haunted Mansion
3 - No - School of Rock
3 - No - Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
2.5 - No - Finding Neverland
2.5 - No - In Good Company
2.5 - No - Shall We Dance?
2.5 - No - Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
2.5 - No - Monster-In-Law
2.5 - No - The Skeleton Key
2.5 - No - Corpse Bride
2.5 - No - Lord of War
2.5 - No - Devil's Playground
2.5 - No - Half Light
2.5 - No - Downfall
2.5 - No - The Longest Yard
2.5 - No - Spanglish
2.5 - No - Elizabethtown
2.5 - No - The 40-Year-Old Virgin
2.5 - No - Black Cloud
2.5 - No - Twisted
2.5 - No - Home on the Range
2.5 - No - The Upside of Anger
2.5 - No - The Passion of the Christ
2.5 - No - Wimbledon
2 - No - Dukes of Hazzard
2 - No - Sahara
2 - No - National Treasure
2 - No - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
2 - No - Must Love Dogs
2 - No - Dark Water
2 - No - In Her Shoes
2 - No - Raising Helen
2 - No - Trauma
2 - No - Fever Pitch
2 - No - Monster's Ball
2 - No - Final Destination 2
2 - No - Havoc
2 - No - Win a Date With Tad Hamilton
2 - No - Christmas with the Kranks
2 - No - Alfie
2 - No - The Wedding Date
2 - No - Alexander
2 - No - Open Water
2 - No - Imaginary Heroes
2 - No - Waiting
2 - No - A Very Long Engagement
1.5 - No - The Weather Man
1.5 - No - The Pacifier
1.5 - No - The Cat in the Hat
1 - No - Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous
1 - No - Napoleon Dynamite
1 - No - Criminal
1 - No - The Cave

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - Movie Review

Harry Potter enters his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Of course, Harry's wishes for an uneventful school year are almost immediately shattered when he is unexpectedly chosen, along with fellow student Cedric Diggory, as Hogwarts' representative in the Tri-Wizard Tournament, which awards whoever completes three magical tasks the most skillfully with a thousand-galleon purse and the admiration of the international wizard community. As difficult as it is to deal with his schoolwork, friendships, and the tournament at the same time, Harry doesn't realize that the most feared wizard in the world, Lord Voldemort, is anticipating the tournament, as well.

As with the other Harry Potter films, the make believe world that surrounds the characters is amazing. The quality and attention to detail makes it easy to accept this fantasy as reality so you can focus your attention on the story being told. In this case, the story is a little longer than necessary - 2.5 hours. It could have been shortened by at least 30 minutes and not lost anything necessary to the plot. It was also a little tough to believe that the "kids" in the movie were 14 years old when in fact they are over 16. I'm curious to see how the age gap will continue to play out in future Potter movies. All in all, this was the 4th movie in the series and probably the 4th best. Maybe I'm just getting bored with all things Potter.

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

The Weather Man - ACE Train Movie Review

Dave Spritz is a television weatherman on a high-profile Chicago news program. Professionally, Dave is doing just fine - he makes great money for a job that demands little effort, and he has a shot at an assignment with a network morning news and chat show. But Dave's personal life leaves a lot to be desired - his father, respected author Robert Spritz, is in failing health, he's divorced from his wife, Noreen, and his relationship with his children is tenuous at best, especially his overweight daughter, Shelly. If Dave is to land his new job, he'll have to move to New York City, and with his time in Chicago running short, he dedicates himself to trying to salvage his ties with his family before it's too late, though he discovers this is even harder than he imagines.

The forecast is booooring... If you like dull, boring and depressing movies, this one's for you. I kept waiting for something funny, stimulating or interesting to happen, but it never came. This is definitely one of Nicolas Cage's worst movies. From beginning to end, nothing really happened - at least nothing that kept my interest. The mood was dreary and colorless the entire time. I actually felt tired after watching it. Save your time with this one.

Rating: 1.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Michael Caine

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Pride & Prejudice - ACE Train Movie Review

The Bennetts are the parents of five daughters near the close of the 18th century. Comfortable within their means but well short of rich, Mr. and Mrs. Bennett are looking for suitable husbands for their girls, and they are encouraged to learn that an eligible young bachelor from a wealthy family, Charles Bingley, has moved into a nearby estate. Eager to see if a match can be made, the Bennetts bring their daughters Elizabeth and Jane to a ball thrown by their new neighbor to see if sparks will fly. Jane seems to like Charles, and he appears to feel the same, but Elizabeth takes an immediate dislike to Darcy, Charles' egocentric best friend. While Elizabeth is infatuated with military man Lt. Wickham and finds herself courted by William Collins, a well-meaning but drab man of the cloth, fate causes Elizabeth and Darcy to frequently cross paths, and while they don't care for one another, they can't stop thinking about each other, either.

Obviously, this was Shawnna's choice to watch, not mine. It is definitely a chick flick and shouldn't be watched without a woman present :-) There is not much action and the ending can be predicted within the first 15 minutes. Mostly, this is a film about a bunch of women trying to catch the attention of rich men whom they hope will become their husbands. The drama revolves around the fact that the men have high status while the women are not well off, so there is a disparity in class that must be overcome. If you're a man, save your time, but women will probably like it.

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Keira Knightley, Matthew MacFadyen, Brenda Blethyn, Donald Sutherland, Judi Dench

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Devil's Playground - Movie Review

Although the Amish live in traditionally conservative enclaves, shunning modern conveniences and electricity while favoring a strict code of conduct and dress, they do have a moment in their lives known as "rumspringa." When an Amish child turns 16, they are allowed to interact with and take part in life away from their upbringing. This film follows a handful of teenagers as they break from their past and experiment with drinking, drugs, and driving (possibly for the only time in their lives).

I was really interested in seeing this documentary because I figured it would be like "Amish Go Wild" :-) In other words, I thought it would show the Amish kids going crazy while they were away from the farm and then make the tough decision whether or not to go back to the Amish life. They showed a few crazy scenes, but it was mostly pretty dull. Also, they didn't show enough of a follow up to say what happened to the kids that were in the spotlight during the film. Maybe they should have waited a few more years to release the movie so they could tell whether the kids stayed on the farm or decided to leave for the "English" life.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: A bunch of Amish kids

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Stockton Thunder vs. Dayton Bombers - 3/4/06

March 4th was ACE Train night at the Stockton Thunder game and I won the tickets on the train by answering the question, "What is the 5 hole?" Any hockey fan would know the answer and I was the quickest one on the train to answer. The new Stockton Arena was very nice, but there doesn't seem to be enough parking. We parked in the garage next to the arena and they closed it a few cars after we got in because it was full - and we were 20 minutes early. The arena holds about 10,000 and was about 1,500 from capacity.

The quality of hockey was about what you would expect from the ECHL - the minor, minor league. It wasn't horrible, but noticeably slower with sloppier passing. The crowd was pretty well into the game and cheered when the Thunder scored, but the loudest cheers were saved for the "Chuck-A-Puck" game during the intermission - you could buy a plastic puck for $1 and try to hit the target on the ice during intermission to win cash. Anyway, Shawnna and I had a good time, but I don't think we'll be buying season tickets anytime soon. Although, the Thunder won for the first time at home in about 3 months, so we might be good luck :-)

Score: W 5-2
1st Period
Stockton - Havern (Lalonde; Metcalfe)
Dayton - Teplitsky (unassisted)
2nd Period
Stockton - Ziedins (Stork; Irwin)
Stockton - Ziedins (PP) (Irwin; Martz)
Stockton - Foster (PP) (Irwin; Martz)
3rd Period
Stockton - Havern (Gardner; Ziedins)
Dayton - Kelly 10 (Teplitsky; Tennant)

Stockton SOG: 36
Dayton SOG: 40
Winning Goalie: Jake Moreland
Losing Goalie: David Currie

Tickets: Section 210 Row 25

Mt. Shasta Skiing - March 1-2, 2006

Dan and I drove up to Dad's house in Cottonwood to hang out and go skiing at Mt. Shasta which is just over an hour drive from his house. The mountain got about 6 inches of snow the day before our first day of skiing - March 1st. Dan, Dad, Tisha and I drove to the ski park and were on the slopes by 9:45am. After the nice snowfall, it was a great day for skiing on fresh powder. The temp was in the mid 30s and it was a bit overcast, but the great snow made up for the semi-crummy weather. We made the first run down an easy hill to get our ski legs ready and Dan took the first (and only) spill of the day while standing still :-) After digging him out of the huge snow cave he made, we continued to make 18 runs down the mountain until 4pm when it was time to leave for the day.


That night, it snowed 12 more inches, so the following day (March 2nd) was looking to be another great powder day. Dad and Tisha were too tired (out of shape :) to ski for a second day in a row, so Dan and I hit the slopes by ourselves. We made our first run at 9:30am and continued skiing for another full day. The weather was a bit colder (low 30s) and more overcast than the previous day, but the powder was awesome and made it worth adding an extra layer of clothing to stay warm. Without the old folks to slow us down, we made 23 runs down the mountain until closing time of 4pm. Then it was time to go back home and get some much needed R&R. What a blast...!

Bon Jovi in Concert - Feb. 27, 2006

On Monday, Feb. 27th, Shawnna and I went to the Bon Jovi concert with Dan and Kelley at the HP Pavilion in San Jose. We met for dinner at the Spaghetti Factory prior to the show and the headed to the arena for some 80s rock.

Shawnna and I sat in section 201, row 9 and Dan & Kelley sat on the floor seats, 4 rows from the stage. The stage setup was typical for the HP Pavilion - on one end of the arena with all of the fans in front of the stage and black drapes down the back. The unique part was the giant screen behind the stage that moved around (tilted forward, backward and moved up and down) throughout the set.


The performance itself was pretty good, but not great. Of course, the fact that it was a Monday night and I was sitting in the second deck probably had an effect on my opinion. The crowd was fairly into it and seemed to know the lyrics to most of the popular songs. I wasn't impressed with the acoustic songs they sang as they were too sappy and were obviously geared toward the female persuasion. I also didn't know some of the songs they played from their new album. However, they played most of their greatest hits which were high energy and kept my attention. I must say that Bon Jovi can still rock - for a bunch of 40 year olds ;-)


SET LIST
LAST MAN STANDING
YOU GIVE LOVE A BAD NAME
COMPLICATED
BORN TO BE MY BABY
STORY OF MY LIFE
I'LL SLEEP WHEN I'M DEAD JUST OLDER
IN THESE ARMS
I WON'T BACK DOWN (as intro to...)
HAVE A NICE DAY
WHO SAYS YOU CAN'T GO HOME
IT'S MY LIFE
I'LL BE THERE FOR YOU (acoustic)
BLAZE OF GLORY (acoustic)
BED OF ROSES (acoustic)
BAD MEDICINE
RAISE YOUR HANDS
LIVIN' ON A PRAYER

encores:
WELCOME TO WHEREVER YOU ARE
EVERYDAY
BLOOD ON BLOOD
WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE

North Country - Movie Review

In the late '70s, Josey Aimes was a single mother after the unhappy breakup of her marriage, and she needed to find a way to support her children. Aimes returned to her hometown in Minnesota and followed the lead of her old friend Glory, who had bucked tradition and found a job in the iron mines that had long provided employment for much of the male community who were uncomfortable working with women (whose right to work in the mines had been mandated by law), and didn't care to show them much respect. However, as Aimes found herself the growing target of sexist jokes and behavior, she found that many of her female co-workers were reluctant to stand beside her, afraid of losing a good-paying job at a time when they were increasingly hard to find. But as a small crisis became a war of words, Aimes became the center of a nationwide controversy when she filed a sexual harassment suit against the mine owners which put her and her family in a position of scrutiny she never expected.

This was an eye opening film based on true events. While this movie was focused on sexual harassment in the mining industry, it could have taken place in any industry that is typically dominated by men. The scary part is that the real events depicted in the film took place very recently - the 1980s and 90s. The movie did a good job of setting the scene and making you feel the emotions that the women felt while dealing with harassment at the hands of resentful men in the mines. The sub-plots of the relationships Charlize Theron's character had with her father and son added even more depth to an already emotionally charged plot. Definitely not a feel good film, but a story that needs to be told as I'm sure there are still plenty of situations like this still going on.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Charlize Theron, Frances McDormand, Sissy Spacek, Woody Harrelson

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

In Her Shoes - ACE Train Movie Review

Free-wheeling and irresponsible Maggie Feller gets through her life thanks to her remarkable looks and her straight-laced, plain-Jane successful lawyer sister Rose, whom she relies on for financial support. The two sisters have been very close to each other in part because their troubled mother died when they were girls. However, Maggie does something to betray Rose's trust and sets off for Florida to find her estranged grandmother. A failed workplace romance forces Rose to rethink her career, a career that has been the center of her life. As Rose tentatively begins a new relationship and Maggie gets to know her grandmother, the two learn a dark family secret that helps smooth the path toward reconciliation.

Another chick flick... This film was slow to start, lethargic in the middle and crawled to the end. The characters seemed to be interesting enough to result in an engaging and amusing plot. However, the intriguing characters were wasted in a meandering plot that touched on potentially explosive scenes, but never fully followed through. The result was a blah movie that won't last long in my memory. For a film that was more than two hours, I felt unsatisfied at the end and thought that I had just wasted 2+ hours on a movie that should have been 45 minutes shorter.

Rating: 2 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Cameron Diaz, Toni Collette, Shirley Maclaine

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Just Like Heaven - ACE Train Movie Review

When David rents his new apartment, the last thing he wants is company. Then Elizabeth shows up, insisting the apartment is hers. He's convinced she's a ghost, she's convinced she's still alive. As they search for the truth of Elizabeth's past, their relationship changes from resentment to romance.

This is a great movie for a 13 year old girl. It's a super sweet love story that is completely predictable from beginning to end. Reese Witherspoon is as wholesome as ever and Mark Ruffalo does a good job playing a guy who is in love with a ghost (and not seeming too crazy). The relationship and chemistry between the two create some very funny scenes, but it gets a little old and I just wished they would get to the ending I could see coming from a mile away. Unless you're a prepubescent girl, don't waste your time - although Shawnna liked it and thought it was cute, hence my average rating.

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Mark Ruffalo

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

After the Sunset - Movie Review

Max Burdett is a master jewel thief who, with the help of his accomplice and lover Lola Cirillo, has stolen two of the three Napoleon diamonds, among the most valuable gems on Earth. Stanley Lloyd is an FBI agent who has been on Burdett's trail for years and is especially eager to bring him to justice after a humiliating incident in which Max swiped one of the Napoleons out from under Stanley's nose. But word has it that Max and Lola have abandoned their lives of crime, and they've taken up residence on an idyllic island in the Bahamas. Lloyd is not convinced they're out of the game for good, and when he learns that the third Napoleon diamond will be on display aboard a cruise ship headed in Max's direction, Lloyd vows to catch Max and Lola red handed.

This film is not what I expected it to be which probably affected my rating. I expected to see a lot of action, explosions and intense dramatic standoffs. What I got was a comedy that was more silly than clever and very little intensity since you could predict the plot "twists" well before they happened. It wasn't all bad as there were some very funny scenes between Pierce Brosnan and Woody Harrelson. The fact that Salma Hayek spent most of the film in very little clothing also contributed to my enjoyment of the movie. Overall, it's worth watching once if you have nothing better to watch, but don't expect a great flick, just a good one.

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Salma Hayek, Woody Harrelson, Don Cheadle

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Waiting - Movie Review

Dean and Monty are two longtime friends who work as waiters as Shenanigan's, a "fun" chain restaurant. Both have been working at the restaurant since they graduated from high school; it's only recently occurred to Dean that he has nothing to show for the last four years of his life but a community college diploma and his name tag from work, and he's developed a sudden urgency to make something of himself. Monty, on the other hand, is more interested in making time with the women on the wait staff at work than accomplishing anything. Over the course of an evening at Shenanigan's, Dean and Monty confront obnoxious customers and train a timid new employee while dealing with the wildly eccentric chef , control-freak manager and a kitchen full of crazed cooks, prep workers and dish washers.

After working as a waiter throughout college, I was very interested in watching this comedy about life in a restaurant. My excitement was quickly diminished within the first 5 minutes as this film started off dumb and only got mildly funnier as it went on. I laughed at, and could relate to, a few of the scenarios which is the reason I gave it 2 stars instead of 1. Mostly, this is a complete waste of time to watch, even if you have worked in restaurants. The type of comedy in this movie is only funny if you're drunk, stoned and tired.

Rating: 2 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Justin Long, Luis Guzman

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Angels & Demons - Book Review

This is Dan Brown's first novel centering around his fictional character and Harvard symbiologist, Robert Langdon, the central character in "The Da Vinci Code." In this book, he tries to stop the Illuminati, a legendary secret society, from destroying the Vatican City with the newly-discovered power of antimatter.

CERN researcher, Leonardo Vetra, is found murdered in his secured, private quarters at the research facility. On his chest is branded a symbol — the word "Illuminati", formed as an ambigram. After researching the Internet, Director Max Kohler contacts Professor Langdon, an expert on the Illuminati who has written a book on the subject, and requests his assistance in uncovering the murderer.

What Langdon discovers at the murder scene frightens him: the symbol appears to be authentic, and the legendary secret society, long thought to be defunct, seems to have resurfaced. The Illuminati has also stolen CERN's supply of antimatter, the ultimate weapon, and has its sights on fulfilling a centuries-old dream: to destroy Vatican City. Time runs short as Langdon races around Rome to stop not only the Vatican's destruction, but to save the lives of four cardinals who have been kidnapped by a deadly assassin.

Similar to "The Da Vinci Code", this novel contains a kernel of truth as the basis of the story. One of the first pages states, "References to all works of art, tombs, tunnels, and architecture in Rome are entirely factual (as are their exact locations). They can still be seen today. The brotherhood of the Illuminati is also factual." Another similarity is that there are several puzzles that must be solved by Robert Langdon throughout the book that are amazingly well thought out.

This is a relatively technical book that attempts to bridge the gap between science and religion. Talk of antimatter, particle accelerators and magnetic fields are mixed in between talk of God, the holy conclave and theinner workingss of the Vatican. As crazy as the plot sounds, Dan Brown does an unbelievable job of writing in such a way that everything flows and seems to make sense. There are a myriad of plot twists and turns that will keep you guessing the outcome. The reward for diving into this novel is a well written, thought provoking mystery that is tough to put down and will throw you for an unexpected loop at the end.


Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Would I read it again: Yes

Angels & Demons
by Dan Brown
Hardcover: 572 pages
May, 2000

Half Light - Movie Review

A successful mystery writer's five-year-old son has drowned, and as a result her life appears to be falling apart at the seams. When a sympathetic friend rents her a secluded cottage in hopes that a little peace and quiet will help the grieving mother recover from her loss, the quiet retreat is violently shattered by a series of bizarre and unexplained murders. Now with a community in fear and her sanity slowly slipping, she must use her instincts to unmask the killer before it's too late and she too falls prey to the murderous rage that threatens to consume the once tranquil town.

I don't remember this film being in the theaters - strange for a Demi Moore movie. The beginning started off well and provided the right amount of background information. The seeds of a good mystery and suspense film were planted early. The setting of a remote cottage by the ocean was perfect for a thriller. Demi Moore did a fantastic job creating an air of mystery and intrigue. Basically, the stage was set for a great movie. However, it certainly didn't live of to it's potential. The ending is what makes a great mystery movie and that was the big disappointment. I won't ruin it for you in case you decide to watch it, but now I see why there wasn't any buzz for this movie when it was in the theaters.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Demi Moore, Kate Isitt, Hans Matheson

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Elizabethtown - ACE Train Movie Review

Drew Baylor is considered the big success story in his family, having moved away from the small Kentucky town where he was born to California, where he works as a designer for Mercury, the nation's biggest athletic shoe company. But success has begun to elude Drew - his most recent design was a resounding flop that has cost him his job and his girlfriend. Drew is contemplating suicide when he gets word that his father has died, and that he's needed back home in Elizabethtown, KY, to help organize the funeral. As Drew reconnects with his family, he gets a new lease on life and is reminded about what's really important to him. Helping him learn these valuable lessons is a pretty and optimistic flight attendant Drew meets on his flight home who has her own philosophies about positive thinking and the curative powers of travel.

This was a meandering, emotionally suppressed movie that seemed to drag on too long. It's tough to make a movie about a depressed guy and make it interesting to watch - and this movie was proof of that. There were some parts that were funny, but it was mostly just blah. The relationship between Orlando Bloom and Kirsten Dunst was a bit awkward as was Susan Sarandon's tap dancing. There was just something that was a little off about this movie, but I can't seem to put my finger on it. If you're having trouble sleeping, I recommend this film...

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Orlando Bloom, Kirsten Dunst, Susan Sarandon, Alec Baldwin

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Hustle & Flow - ACE Train Movie Review

Djay is a low-level pimp and drug dealer who scraped together a living in the ghettos of Memphis, TN. Djay has always had a gift for spinning stories, and after picking up a cheap keyboard, he begins picking out beats to go along with his rhymes. After bumping into an old high-school buddy who works in gospel music, Key, Djay decided to take the plunge and remake himself as a rapper. With the technical know-how of Key, Djay begins turning his way with words and his first-hand knowledge of the street life into music. When local boy-turned-nationwide hip-hop star Skinny Black comes to town, he sees an opportunity to put his demo in the hands of someone who can bring his music to the masses, though it turns out to be far more difficult than he expected.

I wasn't very interested in the plot of this film. It didn't say that it was based on a true story, but I'm sure there are many true stories similar to this one - it would have been more interesting as a documentary. In the beginning, I found it hard to understand the characters as they mumbled their lines, but I must have gotten used to it as the movie went on. It also got old listening to everyone say nigga this and nigga that, but I suppose that was necessary to keep it real :-) I will say that Terrence Howard's performance was amazing - especially knowing how he talks and acts normally. He truly became a ghetto living, rappin' pimp which seems to be the farthest thing from his reality - great acting. I only wanted to watch it because Terrence Howard was nominated for an Oscar for his performance - now I know why.

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Terrence Howard, Anthony Anderson, Isaac Hayes, Ludacris

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

The Da Vinci Code - Book Review

This book follows the attempts of Robert Langdon, Professor of "Religious Symbology" at Harvard University, to solve the murder of Jacques Sauniere, the curator of the Louvre Museum in Paris. The interpretation of hidden messages inside Leonardo Da Vinci's famous works, including the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper, hold clues to solving the murder (hence the title). The main conflict in the novel revolves around the solution to two mysteries:

1) What secret was Sauniere protecting that led to his murder?
2) Who is the mastermind behind his murder?

The unraveling of the mystery requires the solution to a series of brain-teasers, including anagrams and number puzzles. The solution itself is found to be intimately connected with the possible location of the Holy Grail and to a mysterious society called the Priory of Sion (a secret society charged with protecting the Holy Grail), as well as to the Knights Templar (the group who originally found the Holy Grail). The Catholic organization Opus Dei also figures prominently in the plot. There are several concurrent storylines that follow different characters and eventually, all the storylines are brought together and resolved at the end of the book.

I don't know how much of this novel is fact or fiction, but one of the first pages in the book states, "All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate." In any case, the amount of research that must have gone into writing the novel is impressive as is the creativity that clearly went into the creation of the various brain-teasers in the book. There are so many plots and characters that are intertwined, it's tough to summarize it in a couple of paragraphs, but while I was reading it, I was never confused. The author does a great job of setting a complex scene with understandable language.

I'm not a religious guy, but all of the descriptions of religion and religious symbols didn't bother me and really added to the plot and mystery in the novel. I'm pretty sure that some of the allegations (suggestions) that are made in the book could create quite a stir for religious folks. The author presents some bold theories that contradict the very fabric of Christianity. Beyond that, this is a great novel that will take you for an wild, exhilarating ride through a jungle of mystery and is extremely hard to put down.


Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Would I read it again: Yes

The Da Vinci Code
by Dan Brown
Hardcover: 454 pages
March, 2003

Cellular - ACE Train Movie Review

A female biology teacher is kidnapped by a vicious criminal who has threatened to murder her husband and son if he doesn't get what he wants. The criminal destroys the only working telephone in the cabin where she's held, but she manages to put enough of the pieces together to send out a call that's picked up by a stranger, on his cellular phone. She manages to convince the stranger of the gravity of her situation, but she has no idea where she's being held, leaving his cell phone as the only link to her whereabouts - and his batteries are starting to wear out.

Talk about action packed... The action starts within the first 5 minutes of the film and doesn't let up until it ends, 90 minutes later. In between, there are car chases, shootings, robberies, beatings, foot chases, blackmail, corruption, explosions, kidnapping and more. The plot is a good one and is actually based on a kernel of truth. One of the DVD bonus features is a 30 minute documentary about the true life activities that became the kernel of truth - very interesting and unsettling. While some of the action in this film is a little over the top and unbelievable, it never gets dull and the 90 minutes just races by.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Kim Basinger, Chris Evans, William H. Macy

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room - ACE Train Movie Review

The film, based on the book with the same name, travels back in time, describing Enron chairman Kenneth Lay's humble beginnings as the son of a preacher, his ascent in the corporate world as an "apostle of deregulation," his fortuitous friendship with the Bush family, and the development of his business strategies in natural gas futures. The film points out that the culture of financial crookedness at Enron was evident as far back as 1987, when Lay apparently encouraged the outrageous risk taking and profit skimming of two oil traders in Enron's Valhalla office because they were bringing a lot of money into the company. But it wasn't until eventual CEO Jeff Skilling arrived at Enron that the company's "aggressive accounting" philosophy truly took hold. The film explores the lengths to which the company went in order to appear incredibly profitable. Their win-at-all-costs strategy included swooning financial analysts with huge contracts for their firms, hiding debts by essentially having the company loan money to itself, and using California's deregulation of the electricity market to manipulate the state's energy supply. The film reveals how Lay, Skilling, and other execs managed to keep their riches, while thousands of lower-level employees saw their loyalty repaid with the loss of their jobs and their retirement funds.

This was a very interesting documentary and I learned a lot by watching it. A couple of years ago, when Enron was in the news every day, I didn't pay very close attention because I felt bombarded since it was everywhere. This documentary did a great job of summarizing how Enron went from a hugely successful company to the biggest collapse in corporate history to that point. I didn't realize how far the collapse of Enron reached to negatively effect so many things - the rolling blackouts in California, the recall of Gray Davis, the creation of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and most tragic, the complete loss of retirement and pension funds for thousands of innocent Enron employees. A lot of work was done to pull together film footage and audio tapes that tell the story using the words of the actual players in this complex scheme. A great cautionary tale...

Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: Yes
Starring: The real Enron Execs: Kenneth Lay, Jeff Skilling, Andrew Fastow

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.