Terminator Salvation

I was looking forward to Terminator Salvation and I was hoping it would be much better than Terminator 3.  In this movie we finally get to see the future after the machines have taken over, which is cool.  I have to admit that a lot of the scenes in this movie reminded me of Resident Evil, just substitute the zombies with killer robots.  The movie was action packed however the storyline and plot was very simplistic.  It makes me wonder if they were just setting up the next movie.  The effects and action in this movie are very good.  If you like action packed type of movies this one is probably for you. It’s my type of movie and I found it very entertaining.

About 32% of critics on RottenTomatoes recommended Terminator Salvation and I would give it a score of 8.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a prequel to the X-men movies.  I really don’t like going to see prequels but there was nothing else that interested me at the time and I couldn’t remember wolverine’s back-story.  The story was fairly simple and it didn’t seem at all familiar.  For example, I didn’t know or recall that he had a brother or the circumstances that led him to be the way he is.  The action and fighting scenes were fairly good and pretty much they are the only reason to see the movie.  There was nothing spectacular in this movie but if you are looking to waste a couple of hours, it moves along at a decent pace.

About 37% of critics on RottenTomatoes recommended X-Men Origins: Wolverineand I would give it a score of 7.

Star Trek

I have to admit I was very hesitant about going to see the new Star Trek movie.  I don’t like prequels, which is what this was.  I was encouraged to give it a shot. I watched the trailer and it looked impressive enough that I decided to go see it.  It didn’t hurt that it was getting incredible reviews.  I have to say that I was  impressed with the movie.  I did have a little trouble with young Spock.  I am a fan of the television show Heroes so it was difficult to think of Zachary Quinto as Spock instead of Sylar.  What I liked about this movie is that it wasn’t predictable and it didn’t follow the history of the original series (and movies).  They found a very creative way to change the timeline and it was well done.  In the end I am glad I went to see it and look forward to see where the creators take it from here.

About 95% of critics on RottenTomatoes recommended Star Trek and I would give it a score of 9.

Dreamgirls

Dreamgirls is a musical drama based on the Broadway musical by the same name.  The movie takes place in Detroit in the 1960s where a car salesman played by Jamie Foxx tries to break into the music business by establishing his own record label.  He signs an R&B performer played by Eddie Murphy and a trio of girls as his backup singers played by Beyonce Knowles, Jennifer Hudson and Anika Noni Rose.  I must say that Jennifer Hudson stole the show and I was most interested in what was going on with her character than any other in the film.  My only real complaint with the movie was its length.  It runs for over two hours.

About 77% of critics on RottenTomatoes  recommended Dreamgirls and I would give it a score of 8.

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans is the third movie in the Underworld series however it is prequel to the first movie.  The movie tells the story of how the war between the vampires and the lycans came about.  Compared to the other two movies in this series, Rise of the Lycans was a simplistic story and very easy to follow.  Although this sounds like a good thing, I actually liked the complicated stories of the other movies.  It added some suspense and guessing.  Not only was there no suspense to this movie but if you’ve seen the first Underworld then you already know how Rise of the Lycans ends.  I found that to be a drawback since I don’t like knowing the ending ahead of time.  The effects and action of this movie were just as good as the previous two.  There were several familiar characters but I did miss not having Selena (Kate Beckinsale) as the main character.

About 32% of critics on RottenTomatoes  recommended Underworld: Rise of the Lycans and I would give it a score of 8.

Jumper

Jumper is a movie about a boy who discovers that he has the ability to teleport.  As a teen, the main character, played by Hayden Christensen , discovers that there is a war between people like him that can teleport, “Jumpers”, and those who are trying to kill them.  Samuel L. Jackson leads those who are hunting the Jumpers and he is a good choice for that character. The plot is interesting and the visual effects are pretty stunning.  I don’t think the movie provided enough of a back-story of how the two sides came to be, we were just thrown into this chase around the world with very little explanations.  I also found the ending of the movie open-ended like they were already planning for a sequel and it just didn’t satisfy me.

About 16% of critics on RottenTomatoes  recommended Jumper and I would give it a score of 6.5.

Die Hard 4: Live Free or Die Hard

Die Hard 4: Live Free or Die Hard is the fourth movie in the Die Hard series.  In this installment John McClane, played by Bruce Willis, takes on an Internet based terrorist organization, which is shutting down the United States step by step.  Matt Farell, played by Justin Long, is an Internet hacker that McClane is to bring in for questioning and he ends up helping McClane find the terrorists.  Between Willis and Long there is quite a bit of comedic relief along with all the action.  The visual effects were very good and there was a lot of action in the movie.  The plot was pretty interesting too.  I found this movie entertaining.

About 81% of critics on RottenTomatoes  recommended Die Hard 4: Live Free or Die Hard and I would give it a score of 8.5.

The Spiderwick Chronicles

The Spiderwick Chronicles is a movie about three kids that move into the Spiderwick Estate with their mother.  One of the boys opens a magic book that is clearly labeled with a warning. He and his family then find themselves seeing an alternate world where magical creatures exist.  Some of these magical creatures are evil and want the book.  It is a very interesting storyline that also explains the existence of the book and what happened to the occupants of the house. The visual effects are pretty good and there is enough action to keep the story moving along.  There are also some comedic moments in the movie which make it quite enjoyable.

About 79% of critics on RottenTomatoes  recommended The Spiderwick Chronicles and I would give it a score of 8.5.

Bee Movie

Bee Movie is an animated film about a bee that doesn’t want to spend his life making honey. On a trip outside the hive, he befriends a florist who saves his life.  As he spends more time outside the hive and with the florist he discovers that humans eat honey and he decides to sue them.  Jerry Seinfeld provides the voice for the bee.  Unfortunately I found it somewhat annoying because I couldn’t separate the character that he played on television and the bee.  It was somewhat distracting.  The plot of the movie was okay and the animation was pretty good.  I think children would enjoy it a lot more than adults.

About 53% of critics on RottenTomatoes  recommended Bee Movie and I would give it a score of 7.

Bottle Shock

Bottle Shock is a movie that premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and I never heard of it before seeing it on a flight. It is based on a true story and tells the events that led up to a wine tasting competition in Paris in 1976 where California wine went against French wine. The cast of the movie is fairly well known and includes Bill Pullman, Chris Pine, Alan Rickman, and Dennis Farina. To be honest, if I weren’t trapped on a plane with nothing better to do I would probably never have watched this movie. For me it was like a television movie. There was a story but I wasn’t engrossed in it and I didn’t find it that entertaining. I guess if you’re a wine connoisseur or are interested in the history of wine and wine competitions this movie might be for you, otherwise I wouldn’t recommend it.

Bottle Shock was not rated on RottenTomatoes  and I would give it a score of 5.