The Social Network (2010)

Everybody and their mother has a Facebook account these days. With over 500,000,000 registered users all over the world, it has changed the landscape of the internet forever. Ever wonder how it began? 


The Social Network is adapted from the nonfiction book The Accidental Millionaires, about the founding of Facebook by Mark Zuckerberg and Eduardo Saverin. It chronicles the early days at Harvard, through the move to California, and the various lawsuits over ownership. 


This is one of the best movies I've seen over the past few years. It's quick, witty, dramatic, and unbelievably entertaining. Another thing The Social Network is, is relevant. With the current popularity of Facebook, the timing couldn't be better for this movie,. Also, the tales of betrayal, greed, determination, and friendship are timeless, which make The Social Network an instant classic.


Jesse Eisenberg's performance is definitely Oscar-worthy, and his co-stars Andrew Garfield (as Eduardo Saverin), and Justin Timberlake (as Napster's Sean Parker) are incredible. Armie Hammer as the twins, Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, was equally impressive.


I consider The Social Network a "near perfect" movie.  


Rated PG13, Runtime 121mns.

Red (2010)

Former CIA agent, Frank Moses (Bruce Willis), lives a quiet life. He spends an excessive amount of time on the phone, talking to Sarah (Mary Louise Parker), a customer service rep, who works in his pension office. When a group of CIA assassins try to kill him in the middle of the night, he travels to Kansas City, to find Sarah. He fears the CIA tapped his phone, and will be going after her. 

Frank tracks down his former black ops partners, including Joe (Morgan Freeman) , Marvin (John Malkovich) , Victoria (Helen Mirren) , and Ivan (Brian Cox) , when he discovers the attempted hit on his life was related to a mission years ago in Guatemala. The CIA has meanwhile assigned Agent Cooper (Karl Urban) to track down and kill Moses.

They are referred to as RED (Retired Extremely Dangerous).

The plot is thin, and occasionally silly. While there are plenty of comic moments, and plenty of action scenes, I didn't feel like it succeeded in either genre. With such a great cast, that also included Richard Dreyfuss, Julian McMahon, James Remar, and Ernest Borgnine, Red rivals The Expendables for having a great ensemble cast. Unfortunately, it was nowhere near as entertaining.

Note: Red is very loosely based on a DC Comics series that only had 3 issues. Most of the characters in the movie do not appear in the comics, and the term RED referred to Moses coming out of retirement, and changing his status from Green (retired) to Red (active).

Rated PG13, Runtime 111mns

Monsters (2010)

One of my favorite Sci-Fi films recently was District 9. It had such a fresh approach to aliens, and the fact it had a shoestring budget, made me appreciate what it accomplished.  I love to see a low budget movie succeed, like Napoleon Dynamite, Paranormal Activity, and even The Blair Witch Project. They turn Hollywood on it's head, and show that you don't need $100 million and a big name star, to make a successful film.


Monsters, should easily be in the same class as those mentioned before. It had a budget of only $15,000, 2 actors, and filmed on location (without permission asked in advance). All the extras were just people at the locations they were using to film. It brings a level of realism, that is hard to reproduce.


The premise is pretty original as well. Six years after an alien "infection", a large portion of Mexico, at the U.S. border, has been quarantined. A photo journalist named Andrew (Scoot McNairy), has been tasked with bringing his employer's daughter Sam (Whitney Able), home to the United States, from Central America. We don't get full back stories on Andrew and Sam, which works well here. We learn about the characters as they learn about each other. I've seen Monsters twice now, and look forward to another viewing. I highly recommend it.

Rated R, Runtime 94mns

The A-Team (2010)

One of my favorites shows as a kid, along with The Dukes of Hazzard, and Knight Rider, was The A-Team. 


I loved the opening voiceover: "Ten years ago, a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn't commit. These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire... The A-Team."


This movie is about the events that led up to the team being framed, sent to prison, and their escape.


The cast is spot-on. Liam Neeson as Hannibal, Bradley Cooper as Face, Sharlto Copley as Murdock, and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson as B.A. Baracus.  Add to that, Patrick Wilson as a sleazy CIA operative Lynch, Jessica Beil as DCIS Captain Sosa, and Gerald McRainey as General Morrison. Everyone does a great job, especially Copley as Murdock. He steals every scene he's in, and has some of the most memorable lines in the film. 


The A-Team ultimately, is a popcorn movie. The plot isn't really important. There's explosion, gunfire, chases, and innovative plans, that only they could come up with. It's fun. Just don't take it too serious. You'll have a good time.


Rated PG13, Runtime 117mns

Official Movie Website

Altitude (2010)

This is not a great movie. I want to stress that right away. It's entertaining, and has some great ideas, but it's not great. I give first-time director, Kaare Andrews, some credit for making a capable thriller. As a former comic book writer/artist, as well as direct of short films, Andrews knows how to tell a story. I'm anxious to see what his next effort it. I think he could definitely do better.


Ok, about the actual movie...


Altitude is about a young pilot named Sara (Jessica Lowndes), who has rented a small passenger plane to take four of her friends to a concert, in another state.. When we first meet her, she's holed up in the airport bathroom, looking a photos of her mom on a digital camera. Her mom was a pilot as well, who died in mysterious collision with another plane. You immediately get that Sara is nervous about the flight, but she plays it off to her friends.


Early into their flight, there is a bolt that breaks lose, falls, and causes the plane to ascend. To make matters worse, they are flying into a bad storm, and the plane's instrument aren't made for altitudes that high. Things get really weird when one of them sees something in the storm clouds. 


From the trailer, and the posters, we know that there is a monster in this movie, so there's no spoiler in saying so. Why the monster is there, is a key point that you'll have to watch the movie to find out.


Like I said, it's not great, but it is a watchable thriller, with a few fresh ideas. It's definitely worth the rental fee.


Rated R, Runtime 90mns

The Quick Review Guy's Movie Rating System

For those of you who are familiar with my reviews, and wonder how I decide on what gets 2 stars, and what gets 5 stars, I thought I'd break it down.

For me, many factors come into play here. If it's a big budget film, with bankable stars, but the editing is terrible (Robin Hood), then I will grade it appropriately. If it's a low budget film, without a household name, yet still delivers a good story, it may score higher.

It may also come down to my mood at the time. It's fairly easy to pass judgement on a film when you're just not in the right mind frame to watch it. 

Remember, my review are my opinions. You may like a movie that I hate, and vice versa. Feel free to let me know when you think I'm wrong. At the bottom of every review there is a space for comments. Let me know yours.

How To Train Your Dragon (2010)

If you're looking for a great family movie, with the depth of a Disney/Pixar film, then this is it. Dreamworks really did a great job with this one. I watched it with my 12 year old, Sarah, and we both clapped at the end :)

The story is centered on a young Viking named Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) who lacks the skills, or coordination to be a Dragon slayer. Being the son of the Viking Chief, Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler), makes the pressure greater for Hiccup. The harder Hiccup tries, the worse things get for him. He sets out to prove everyone wrong, and shoots down a legendary Night Fury dragon. When he finds the dragon wounded, he realizes he unable to kill dragons. From there, the story becomes Hiccup's journey to understanding the dragons, and earning the respect of his Viking peers.

It's truly a great story, with fantastic animation, and voice talents. The only criticism would be the lead Jar Baruchel. His voice is a little annoying at times. I kinda wondered why they didn't just use Jonah Hill for the lead, instead of the small role of Snotlout. 

Rated PG, Runtime 98mns

The Last Airbender (2010)

I've never watched the animated series, so I wasn't immediately critical of this live-action adaptation. The fact that M. Night Shymalan directed it sparked my interest. I knew it would either be brilliant, or fail miserable. Unfortunately, it was the latter.

The first thing that really struck me odd, and distracted me from everything else, was the pronunciations. It became very annoying to hear the word "Avatar" pronounced "Awvatar", and "Aang" pronounced "Awwwng". My ignorance of the show was not this bad. I at least knew how to pronounce his name. It's as if Shymalan never watched the show himself, which is irresponsible when dealing with an established property, with an existing fanbase.

The lack of respect for the animated series "Avatar: The Last Airbender" is so apparent, that my daughter sat with a notepad and listed all the blatant blunders. At last count she had 35 errors.

With a movie this bad, you'd at least think that the acting would try to compensate. Not here. The only performance that was tolerable was by Jackson Rathbone (Sokka). The worst was from Nicola Peltz (Katara). I had to look her up on IMDB. This is only her 3rd acting credit, and it's pretty obvious. I actually felt bad for her. The 2nd worst was none other than the lead, Noah Ringer (Aang). It was his first acting gig. 

I guess M. Night decided to spend the money on the special effects (which were really cool), instead of acting talent. All in all, this is a turd of a movie. Watch at your own risk.

Rated PG, Runtime 103mns

Jonah Hex (2010)

First off, I have to admit: I never followed the Jonah Hex comic books. I never found him interesting. As a kid, I wanted flashy costumes, gadgets, and amazing powers. Jonah Hex didn't really have that. All I knew was he was a hideously scarred bounty hunter. 

Like almost every movie based on a comic book property, Jonah Hex, direct by Jimmy Hayward (Horton Hears A Who!), takes extreme liberties with the source material. The biggest being Hex's newfound supernatural ability to talk to the dead, which never appeared in the comics. While I know something like that would turn off fans, I liked the idea, even if it was lifted from the TV series "Pushing Daisies". It added, what the comics needed. In my opinion, it made a boring character into a worthy "super" hero.  Unfortunately, the movie itself wasn't good enough to overcome the criticism of it's core audience, and win over any new fans.

Josh Brolin, as Jonah Hex, is sufficient, although anyone who has seen Milk, No Country For Old Men, or even Goonies, can tell you he's a better actor than what is on display here. Megan Fox (Lilah) adds nothing to the story, and it's obvious that she's only here to attract the 13 year old boys who drolled over her in Transformers. John Malkovich as Quentin Turnball is a formidable opponent, but his character is never fleshed out enough to understand much about him, other than the revenge factor. The most interesting character was Burke, played by Michael Fassbender. He's the tattooed right-hand man of Turnball, and the only actor in the film that appears to be putting any effort into it.

All in all, I found some entertainment value in the weaponry, and action sequences. It wasn't a complete waste of time. 

Rated PG13, Runtime 81mns

Knight and Day (2010)

This is an insane action/comedy. Cruise is always great in roles where he doesn't take himself too serious (Tropic Thunder), and here he has a field day as Roy Miller. Cameron Diaz is likable as June Havens, who is on her way home from a trip to get parts to restore her late father's GTO. Roy is a secret agent who has went rogue, while protecting a new energy source (battery?) and it's young inventor. Roy bumps into June at the airport (literally), and after a some confusion over an available seat, end up on the same flight. They hit it off fairly quick, and while June excuses herself to visit the bathroom, we learn that everyone on the plan is there to kill Roy. That makes for a very witty scene when she gets out.

The violence is over the top, and somewhat comical at times. It's a fun movie, and the two leads seem to be having a blast.  It's definitely worth watching, if nothing else, but for the chase scenes alone. 

Rated PG13, Runtime 109mns

Predators (2010)

The movie starts with Royce (Adrien Brody) waking up to realize he is falling from the sky. He begins to panic, and moments later a parachute opens up and stops his fall. He's in a jungle, he's heavily armed, and has no memory of how he got to this point. He soon encounters others like himself, and they collectively appear to be an elite group of killers. 

There's a mercenary, a mass murderer, a sniper, drug cartel enforcer, RUF death squad officer, Russian special forces officer, a Yakuza hitman, etc. The group has to work together to discover who is hunting them, and how to survive.

While it will never top the original Predator (1987), Predators is a decent sequel. I would have preferred more time and attention given to the alien creatures, but the film makers chose to make this movie more about the human "Predators". 

Rated R, Runtime 107mns

Machete (2010)

For those that don't know, Machete is a feature length version of a fake movie trailer included in the Grindhouse Double Feature Death Proof/Planet Terror. It's the story of  a former agent named Machete (Trejo), who is contracted to kill a U.S. Senator (DeNiro), but is setup, in an attempt to help get the senator re-elected. While trying to survive, he discovers that the man behind it all, is the one who murdered his wife and child.

This is an extremely violent, bloody, gory film. I loved it. There are decapitations, dismemberments, impalements, a crucifixion, and too many gunshot wounds to count.

It's not for those easily offended though. The story seems to mimic a lot of the immigration issues currently in the news, and many characters use racial slang throughout. Oh, and Lindsey Lohan gets naked too.

Rated R, Runtime 105mns

30 Days Of Night: Dark Days (2010)

Note: If you haven't seen the original 30 Days of Night, there's no reason to read this, or watch the movie I'm reviewing.

Ok, so this didn't make it into theaters, for obvious reasons. The first film had a great cast that included Josh Hartnett, Melissa George, and Ben Foster. This one had mostly unknown actors, with the exception of Harold Perrineau (TV's LOST) and Mia Kirshner (The L Word, The Vampire Diaries). Both had very brief roles.

This movie pics up after the original, with Stella (now played by Kiele Sanchez) traveling around, holding seminars to talk about what happened to her Alaskan town, in order to draw out vampires. She is approached by a group with similar stories, and asked to help them take down Lilith (Kirshner), the queen bee vampire. She reluctantly joins, and that's really the extent of the plot that matters.

The special effects are better than most anything you'd find on the SyFy Channel, so it's worth watching

Rated R, Runtime 92mns

Piranha in 2-D (2010)

Note: I viewed this film in 2-D, not the 3-D theatrical version

"Sea, Sex, and Blood." That tagline pretty much sums up the whole movie. There's more boobs and blood in this movie than anything else.

The setting is Lake Victoria, Arizona, and it's Spring Break. We first see an old man (Richard Dreyfuss) fishing on the lake, when an earthquake takes place, and an underwater cavern breaks open. Out of this cavern come thousands of piranha, who immediately devour him. After the opening credits, we meet Jake, a local, who has been offered a chance to be somewhat of a tour guide for Derrick (Jerry O'Connell) , who is filming a "Girls Gone Wild" style video.  While he's away, Jake's mom Julie (Elisabeth Shue), the sheriff, discovers there is piranha in the water, and tries to get everyone out of the water. Of course, no one listens.


There are plenty of plot points to list here, but these are the main two that move this film along in a way that qualifies it as having an actual story. The rest is just rehashed scenarios from other movies, with cameos from Dina Meyer (Saw I - IV),  Ricardo Chivera (Desperate Housewives), Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future) , Eli Roth (Hostel), Ving Rhames (Pulp Fiction), and Adam Scott (Step Brothers). Whenever you feel like something's gonna happen, it does.

I rarely get grossed out to the point of covering my eyes. Here, I found myself doing it a couple of times. I give the special effects crew kudos for delivering some truly disturbing images I won't soon forget.

Rated R, Runtime 88mns

Get Him To The Greek (2010)

I've watched Get Him To The Greek at least 3 times now, and it's still funny to me. It's one of those movies that sticks with you. Parts of it will root into your sub-conscience, and you'll remember them at inappropriate times. You'll laugh out loud, and people will stare.

Russell Brand returns as Aldous Snow, the idiotic British rock star from Forgetting Sarah Marshall, who has now been out of the spotlight for years. Jonah Hill plays Aaron Green, who works as a talent scout for Sergio Roma (P. Diddy) at Pinnacle Records. When the company loses money, Sergio ask for ideas. Aaron suggests getting Snow to do a 10th anniversary Infant Sorrow concert at the Greek Theater.

A month later, Aaron is sent to bring Snow from London to New York, and get Aldous to The Today Show for a appearance before the big concert.


The true comedy is in the performances. Russell Brand and Jonah Hill are the perfect odd couple here. Their comedic timing, and chemistry make this a fun movie to watch. Throw in ample amounts of narcotics, alcohol, and P. Diddy as a crazy record executive, who believes in doing whatever it takes to win, and the jokes write themselves.

The soundtrack, features all the great Infant Sorrow music heard in the film, including African Child, Furry Walls, and The Clap.

I highly recommend this movie if you liked Forgetting Sarah Marshall, or any Judd Apatow comedy.


Rated R, Runtime 109mns

Iron Man 2 (2010)

Like most sequels, I'm always skeptical that the studio, writers, directors, producers, and even actors are going to change something significant enough, to lose the magic that made the first film so special.

Iron Man 2, while different in many ways from it's predecessor, maintains that magic, and builds on the Tony Stark/Iron Man mythology. 

While there may be less drama this time around as far as Stark's personal life is concerned, his struggles lie in a vengeful Russian with a suit of his own, a shady weapons dealer, a senator who wants the Iron Man technology, and the realization that what once saved his life, is now killing him. There's no time for romance here.

Some people will be bothered by the unfortunate casting change. Don Cheadle is a great actor, and handles the character or Jim Rhodes perfectly fine. He just doesn't have the suave presnce that Terrence Howard does. In a way, Cheadle makes more sense to play the straight laced soldier than Howard. It worked for me, but having Howard continue in the role would have been preferred.

Mickey Rourke as Ivan Vanko (he's NEVER referred to as Whiplash) is great, but barely used. Coming off such a celebrated performance like The Wrestler, you'd think he'd have more to do, or at least more dialogue. All the dialogue is given to the very capable Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer. He's so good, you'd think the character was written specifically for him. 

The biggest surprise for me was Scarlet Johansson as Natasha Romanoff (S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Black Widow). She's not gonna win any acting awards, but she was fun to watch as she kicked ass. If it wasn't her doing the fight scenes, then I give the editors props for making it look that way.

Robert Downey Jr. is Tony Stark. It's a role that only he can play. He's brilliant, and has unmatched comic timing. I'd watch Downey in anything at this point. 

Fanboys will piss themselves over War Machine. Seeing him fight side by side with Iron Man against an army of Hammer's robot drones was a blast, and a highlight for me personally. That scene alone was worth the price of admission.

Ultimately, Iron Man 2 isn't perfect, but it is a great movie. It's fast. It's fun, and may just be a better movie than the original.

Rated PG13, Runtime 124mns