DVD Review: The Proposal

Rated PG13 for some language, some sexuality, obscure nudity

Starring Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Betty White, Craig T. Nelson, Mary Steenburgen

Margaret Tate is a very successful editor in chief of a book publishing company in New York, however when she learns from her board that her legal visa has expired (she's from Canada) and she will be deported she quickly and foolishly tells them that her and her assistant Andrew are engaged and will be married soon. Andrew, while fully aware that his boss is a demanding witch of a woman, plays along as she promises him she'll run his articles if he plays along long enough. With a long weekend coming up, Andrew has already made plans to go home and visit his family in Alaska, and in order to fool their co-workers, Margaret must tag along.

What she didn't plan on was meeting a family who genuine cares and accepts each other regardless. We learn she never really had much of a family life growing up, which is why she's so cold of a person. She quickly begins to fall in love with Andrew's family and begins to realize it's not fair to drag him into a marriage of convience.

But what will Andrew's family think once the truth comes out? Will Margaret eventually be deported? Or will Andrew still play along with her scheme?

If you like romantic comedies, be sure not to miss this one as the performances by the cast were all quite fun!

DVD Review: Sex and the City 2

Rated R for language, nudity, sexuality

Starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon, Chris Noth, John Corbett, Evan Handler, David Eigenberg

The girls are back and at it again!

In this next chapter of the Sex and the City franchise Samantha is dealing with menopause and her keeping her libido, Miranda has recently quit her job at the firm after being disrespected for being a woman one too many times, Charlotte is struggling with jealously over her daughters' nanny fearing her husband may be having an affair with the nanny and that her girls might like their nanny better than their mommy, and Carrie is having marriage blues as Big never seems to want to go out to social events any more and would rather always stay in.

Each needing a break, when Samantha scores an all inclusive trip to Abu Dahbi thanks to a new business connection, she invites the girls along. Charlotte and Miranda bond over their struggles and frustrations of being mothers; Samantha has a hard time being modest and almost gets in big, big trouble jeopardizing them all; Carrie runs into an also married Aiden and has trouble resisting temptation!

Whatever will they do? One thing's for sure, they each have each other to count on!

While this movie was fun and didn't seem as long as it actually was, it was also unnecessary. Sure it's nice to see a "where are they now" type movie, but we had that with the first one and another one 2 years later was just too soon and didn't need to happen. One is enough, two is overdoing it.

If you love the series you'll probably enjoy watching this one, however if you were never into the show just an average fan you can definitely do without!

DVD Review: Date Night

Rated PG13 for some sexual humor and innuendo, mild violence

Starring: Steve Carell, Tina Fey, Mark Wahlberg, Common, Ray Liotta, William Fichtner, with appearances by James Franco, Mila Kunis, Kristen Wiig, and Mark Ruffalo

Phil and Claire Foster are your typical working parents - every morning their 2 young kids wake them up at the crack of dawn, they get them off to school before running off to their own jobs. In the afternoons, Claire chauffers their kids around to and from various practices and activities before making dinner and eventually crashing in bed. They do however make time for a weekly date night, but even that has become routine and bland as every week they go to the same steakhouse and order the same thing.

Learning that a couple they're close with is separating, Phil and Claire decide maybe they should change things up a bit for a feeling of something, fresh, new and exciting. The following date night, Claire decides to get all dressed up, prompting Phil to do the same when he gets home. He also insists on taking her to dinner in Manhattan (they live in Jersey) at some expensive new seafood joint Claire had mentioned previously.

Arriving at the restaurant however on a busy night with no reservations, they learn that it is full and will be forever before they can get a table. Waiting in the bar, figuring out what to do, after hearing the hostess call "Tripplehorn, party of 2" several times with no response, Phil acts quickly and claims they are the Tripplehorns. Soon after they are seated though, a couple of tough guys confront Phil and Claire, requesting to speak with them outside. Thinking these men work for the restaurant and that they're in trouble for claiming a reservation that wasn't theirs, they comply, however they quickly learn the Tripplehorns didn't show for a reason - turns out, these men work for some well-known mobster and the Tripplehorns stole a flashdrive from him with incriminating evidence on it and have been black mailing him for weeks.

Trying to explain what happened and that they're really the Fosters, not the Tripplehorns, the thugs believe Tripplehorn is just their alias and insist they take them to where the flashdrive is hidden. Scared for their lives, Phil and Claire use their wits together to try and outsmart the baddies, stay a few steps ahead of them, and find help in the big city as they also try to locate the real Tripplehorns and make them give back the flashdrive so they can go home safely.

Directed and produced by Shawn Levy (who also did the Night at the Museum films), unlike most romantic comedies that tend to be more of a chick flick, Date Night is a fun romantic comedy that both men and women can enjoy together. It's got a lot of laugh out loud comedic moments (due largely in part to the comedian genius pairing of stars Steve Carell and Tina Fey), some amusing action sequences, and a little bit of romance as we see Phil and Claire discuss and work out the issues they have in their marriage during this hectic night and try and rekindle the flame.

Be sure to make a date with your spouse or significant other to watch Date Night!

DVD Review: The Time Traveler's Wife

Rated PG13 for adult themes, some sexuality, brief nudity

Starring Eric Bana, Rachel McAdams, Ron Livingston

Henry has a bit of a strange genetic disorder - he can come and go through time, popping into the past, present or the future. Unsure of what triggers it and unable to stop it from happening, Henry make his first "jump" when is just a young boy riding in a car with his mother - he jumps to 2 weeks prior and is confused at seeing events that already happened and then suddenly he's on the side of the road as his mother is killed in a car accident. Right then, an older version of himself shows up, assuring him that he'll be alright.

Flash forward to the mid-90s, Henry is grown and working a job in a library when a woman named Clare approaches him and says she knows him. Confused, he agrees to meet her for dinner later so that she can explain, as she says she's known him all her life. Turns out, an older version of Henry once "jumped" and showed up in the meadow where a young Clare was playing. Something drew him the young girl and he regularly started popping up in her life from time to time. Now, present day has caught up with both of them and Clare wants to try and make things work with them.

Albeit a strange and hard relationship, with Henry unable to control when he "jumps," they try to make it work and eventually get married. One day, in their new home together, they witness a later version of Henry, cold, naked and bleeding from a gunshot on the floor before he quickly disappears just as he came. Worried and scared that he dies young, Henry and Clare decide to seek out help from a genetics doctor for advice on how to control it. They also struggle trying to conceive a child, as Clare keeps miscarrying and Henry fears the baby has inherited his genetic disorder, causing it to time travel out of her womb.

This was an interesting take on a love story, as it has the sci-fi, time travel twist thrown in to complicate Clare and Henry's relationship. It is neat to see though how they keep to their vows, for better or for worse, as Clare is understanding that Henry can't control his time traveling despite how hard it is for her to deal with him randomly coming and going for periods of a time - at one point it seemed he had been gone for several weeks and possibly months before returning to the right time period.

If you're looking for a bit of a romantic tale with a sci-fi twist to it and are able to keep up with a non-linear storyline, be sure to check this one out - but make sure you keep a box of tissues nearby!

DVD Review: The Bounty Hunter

Rated PG13 for some violence, some sexuality, brief language

Starring Jennifer Aniston, Gerard Butler, Peter Greene, Jeff Garlin, Christine Baranski, Jason Sudeikis, Dorian Missick, Cathy Moriarty

Nicole is a journalist with a haunch - she has a strange feeling that a case that was ruled as suicide is really a homocide and requests her snitch friend find out some information on a possible lead. She also has some trouble of her own with the law, as she innocently assaulted a police officer landing her with a court date. Right as she's approaching the courthouse, she gets a call from snitch friend, saying that if she wants the information he has she needs to meet him in 30 minutes before he sells it someone else. In a jam, Nicole decides it's more important to get the information and misses her court hearing.

Milo is a former police officer turned bounty hunter with a bit of a gambling debt of his own that he's trying to pay off. Hours after Nicole skips court, a warrant is out for her with a bounty of $5,000 to whoever brings her in. Milo more than jumps at the opportunity as Nicole is his ex-wife!

He quickly tracks her down later that afternoon and attempts to bring her in in a hilarious but forceful way.

However they both have people on their tails - Milo's bookie has sent men out to collect on his debt and Nicole's snitch and lead have gotten her a little too close to uncovering the truth and the men responsible want her gone. They also begin to rekindle the flame of their former romance.

Will they be able to stay ahead of the people who are after them?
And will Milo ultimately still turn in Nicole despite their reconnection?

This one has an interesting premise with the potential to be really funny as it's a bit of a tale of revenge - a bounty hunter having the chance to bring in his ex-wife whom he despises - however with the subplots it starts to drag on. While the subplot about the people coming after Nicole for getting to close to uncovering the truth makes sense and fits, the other just seems unnecessary. Okay, so Milo has a huge gambling debt and that's why he does bounty hunting, I get that, but the whole subplot about his bookie trying to collect just gets too out of hand - the bookie's crones mistake Nicole's creepy lovestruck co-worker who's trying to follow her for Milo and instead torture him. That whole part just seemed a bit pointless. Also, we get it, they start to rekindle their romance and rethink their divorce. The bit when they need to hideout and revisit the bed and breakfast they spent their honeymoon at just started to drag on.

This movie felt at least 20 minutes too long and honestly, I got bored after the first hour.

Good premise, bad attempt.

Skip this one unless you're really really bored.

Scott Pilgrim vs the World

Rated PG13 for comic book/video game violence, some sexuality, brief language

Starring Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Ellen Wong, Aubrey Plaza, Anna Kendrick with appearances by Jason Schwartzman, Chris Evans and Brandon Routh

Scott Pilgrim is a 22 year old bassist in the hopeful indie rock band Sex Bob-Omb and shares a studio apartment and bed in Toronto with his gay roommate Wallace Wells. Scott has also started dating a 17 year old high school girl named Knives Chau, much to the disapproval of his roommate, sister, bandmates and well, everyone he knows - they all refer to Knives as Scott's "fake high school girlfriend" and tell him to get a real girlfriend, one that's his own age.

One night while sleeping, Scott sees an attractive girl with pink dyed hair comes skating through his dreams and he can't get her out of his head. The next day, he sees her in person, delivering a package to the library and later runs into her at a party where he learns her name is Ramona Flowers and that she is new town from New York after a rough breakup with her ex, he makes a complete fool of himself. Desperate for a second chance, the next morning Scott orders a package from Amazon.ca in hopes that Ramona will be the one to deliver it to him. Fortunately, she does and she agrees to meet up with him later in exchange for him signing for his package already.

The two go out for the evening and end up spending the night snuggling together at Ramona's place. The morning after Scott invites Ramona to his band's upcoming Battle of the Bands gig, completely forgetting that he also invited Knives and that he's technically still dating her! Both girls show, creating an awkwardness for everyone, however his friends and sister both approve of the much more age appropriate Ramona. Right as Sex Bob-Omb takes the stage, Knives faints due to excitement, and suddenly a man named Matthew Patel comes crashing into the venue, challenging Scott to a duel.

Scott is confused at first until Patel askes "Didn't you get my e-mail... about the League of Evil Exes controlling the fate of Ramona's love life?"

"I skimmed it..." Scott slowly responds, but in video-game like fashion, Scott and Patel begin fighting and throwing punches (much to the dismay and astonishment of everyone in the club), with Patel summoning "demon hipster chicks" before Scott delivers the final blow and Patel turns into a handful of coins.

Him and Ramona quickly flee the scene and hop on a bus where Ramona explains that if her and Scott are to date, he must defeat each of her 7 evil exes (which includes a famous hot shot skater turned actor, a telekinetic vegan musician, a goth girl half ninja, a pair of Japanese techno pop star twins and the infamous powerful music producer Gideon Graves). Scott doesn't seem to have a problem with that, however, all his friends remind him, he needs to break-up with Knives if he is going to continue to see Ramona.

This movie is based on a series of 6 graphic novels written by Bryan Lee O'Malley and it really is a great adaption of a comic book brought to life on the big screen. It combines young adult romance with comedy and video game action, as when Scott defeats each one of the exes he gains coins, skill points, level ups, free lives, and even swords. The soundtrack is pretty fun too with music that helps drive the movie.

While the plot overview may seem more for teenagers, it really is more than just that - it's a geeky/gamer affair with some awesome visuals. I cannot stress how well this movie is when it comes to bringing a comic book to life - thanks to technology of today, it really does feel like the images, characters and fight scenes from the books have come to life on the big screen. If video games were real life, this is what the result would probably look like. While I won't say it's the best movie I've ever seen, it definitely was fun and some of the scenes really do deserve to be seen on the big screen to get the full effect of awesomeness!

This film doesn't deserve to be doing as poorly as it is at the box office (it barely made the top 5 its first week, and last week it barely placed in the top 10). In an age of remakes, spoofs, and unoriginal movies, this is one that is very unique both in it's style and portrayal.

If you like comedies, go see it.
If you like action movies, go see it.
If you like comic books and/or video games, go see it.
If you like movies that are just plain fun and clever, go see it.

Just do yourself a favor and go see it!

DVD Review: Valentine's Day

Rated PG13 for brief language, brief sexuality

Starring Julia Roberts, Jessica Alba, Jessica Biel, Kathy Bates, Eric Dane, Patrick Dempsey, Hector Elizondo, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Topher Grace, Taylor Swift, Anne Hathaway, Carter Jenkins, Ashton Kutcher, Queen Latifah, Taylor Lautner, George Lopez, Shirley MacLaine, Emma Roberts

Like 2009's "He's Just Not That Into You," "Valentine's Day" also features an all-star cast with different storylines weaving in and out of each other.

It's Valentine's Day and love is in the air! Reed Bennett (Kutcher) is having a great morning as his beautiful girlfriend (Alba) said "yes" to his wedding proposal (something that most of his friends and co-workers are shocked to hear, as they expected her to say "no") and owning a floral shop that delivers, today is the busiest day for business.

We are also introduced to Reed's platonic best friend Julia (Garner), who is convinced she's met the man of her dreams (Dempsey)... only when he comes into Reed's shop to order flowers to be delivered to both his wife and Julia, Reed is faced with the dilemma of whether or not to her that her divorced doctor who flew to San Fransisco for the night for work is really still in town and well, not divorced! It doesn't help matters that Julia is planning on flying over to San Fransisco later that day to surprise him so the 2 of them can grab dinner together and celebrate the holiday.

Also stopping in the flower shop that day is a young boy named Edison (Robinson), who lives with his grandparents (MacLaine and Elizondo) and is in Julia's class she teaches, and he wants to buy flowers for a special someone and requests they be delivered during recess. However, after getting in a fender bender with sports star Sean Jackson (Dane), florist deliver and Reed's right-hand man Alphonso (Lopez) loses a bunch of their deliveries - Edison's included.

We are also introduced to several high schoolers - track star Willy (Lautner) and his new dance team girlfriend Felicia (Swift), and their friends Grace (Emma Roberts) and Alex (Jenkins). Willy and Felicia are both over the top gushy in love and Felicia gets excited over everything Willy does for her, while Grace (who nannies Edison after school) and Alex are planning on having sex for the first time at Grace's home during their lunch period.

Rounding out the cast is Sean Jackson's publicist and Julia's friend Kara (Biel) who organizes a yearly "I Hate Valentine's Day" party, although she has a growing attraction to local sports reporter Kelvin (Foxx). Paula (Queen Latifah) is Sean Jackson's agent who has temp Liz (Hathaway) working as a receptionist. Liz moonlights as an "adult phone entertainer" often juggling calls all throughout the day and has yet to share this bit of information with her boyfriend of 2 weeks (Topher Grace). We also meet Kate (Julia Roberts) and Holden (Cooper), who are sitting next to each other on a long flight to LA. Holden states he is recently single and is not really in the mood of the holiday, while we learn Kate is a US Army Captain, on a 1-day leave hoping to get home in time to spend just a few hours with someone she loves very much before she has to head back to duty.

Some of the stories that intertwine in "Valentine's Day" will make you laugh, while some of the others will bring you to tears. Older people, middle-aged people, young adults and teens, as well as those that are married, single, in a new relationship or a long-term committed one - this film has something for everyone.

If you don't mind following multiple plots or just like the star studded cast, get together with some of your girlfriends or cuddle up with your significant other and pop in this cute romantic chick flick comedy.

DVD Review: 17 Again

Rated PG13 for brief language, some innuendo, teenage sexuality

Starring Zac Efron, Matthew Perry, Leslie Mann, Michelle Trachtenberg, Thomas Lennon

What if you could have a do-over? Would you?

And so is the question this movie poses.

In a similar tale to those of the movie Big and 13 Going on 30 where the main characters wish they were older, in this one, the main character wishes he could go back and redo the end of his senior year.

In 1989, Mike is the star basketball player and a talent scout is at the big game just to watch him. Do well and he has a college basketball scholarship. But then his girlfriend Scarlet makes an appearance during halftime. He can tell she's upset, so he goes to talk to her and learns she is pregnant with his child. At first he goes back out on the court, but then, after seeing her leave, he chases after her and proposes, telling her that they're in this together.

Fast forward 2 decades later, and Mike, having had another kid with Scarlet, has constantly regretted giving up his opportunity for her and they are on the brink of divorce, as she feels like he never could get past the past and build a future together.

After a strange encounter with the high school's janitor, Mike wakes up the next morning and he's 17 again. Realizing that maybe this is his 2nd chance to get that scholarship and make something of his life, he enrolls in the high school again, with the help of his lifelong friend geeky Ned (who is now a multi-millionaire, despite getting picked on in high school), whom he poses as his long lost son. ("Uncle Ned never mentioned having a kid..." Mike's teenage son points out to his 17 year old father. "Yeah, my mom didn't want anyone to know she had a kid with Ned - can you blame her?" he responses. He son accepts that, agreeing with him at the logic.)

After his first day though, Mike realizes that it's not his 2nd chance at a scholarship, but his 2nd chance with his kids, as his purpose for being 17 again must be to help them. His teenage son Alex is the school punching bag, despite having his father's natural talent for basketball and his teenage daughter is dating Alex's main tormentor, and despite having gotten accepted to Georgetown, she is planning on going to school nearby and moving in with her jerk boyfriend soon after graduation. By hanging out with Alex and getting on the basketball team with him, he is able to give him his moment to shine as the basketball and catch the eye of a cute, sweet cheerleader he's been crushing on but is too afraid to talk to.  He is also able to teach Maggie that not all guys are horny jerks and that her and her friends should have more respect for themselves. And he also gets to reconnect with his wife (who can't get over the fact how much Uncle Ned's kid looks like her husband at that age), really learning about her interests and helping out when he can (she enjoys landscape art, something he thought was dumb before).

This was a cute twist on the classic "what if..." story, despite the awkward scenes with his daughter coming onto his teenage self (think Back to the Future) and his longing for his wife despite appearing as a minor. It also has some funny "geeky" moments in a subplot that involves geeky Ned (who's home is decked out in various sci-fi, movie and gaming memorabilia) trying to date the school's principal (the eventually realize they have a common love for Halo and Lord of the Rings and can both speak Elvish).

It also really stresses the values of marriage and family, and being involved in your family and their lives. Mike was too busy wallowing about his missed opportunity for nearly 20 years that he missed all the other opportunities he could have had with his family. He had minimal involvement in his kids' lives and always made his wife feel bad for asking her to marry him.

While not necessarily for younger kids, this is definitely one to watch together with a spouse and the older kids.

Dear John

Rated PG13 for military violence, brief sexuality

Starring Channing Tatum, Amanda Seyfried, Henry Thomas, Scott Porter, Richard Jenkins, Keith Robinson

At the beginning of the film, we see Special Forces Army solider John get shot. In a voice over, we hear John read a letter about the last things he remembers as he blacks out from the shot. "I heard the sound of coins and was taken back to a time when I visited the US Mint." He goes on to say how he is like a coin, minted in the US, rough around the edges, etc "And the last thing I thought of, before I blacked out, was you."

He then takes us back to where it began - spring of 2001. He is on a brief leave of duty, staying with his dad in their home near Charleston. It is here that meets Savannah, a college student on spring break, visiting her friends, family and building a Habitat for Humanity type home for a less fortunate family who's home was destroyed in a storm. The two begin a brief romance during her last week of break. Unsure of a future together, Savannah is upset at the thought of leaving John. He tells her that he only has 1 year left on his military contract and that when the time is up, he'll return, she'll be almost done with school and then they can be together forever. "A lot can happen in a year" Savannah tells him. He promises her that he'll return and they agree to write each other as often as they can. "What is one year of waiting for a lifetime after we spent one amazing week like that together?" she says.

Several months go by and they both struggle with not being able to be together in the flesh, but they still have hope. However the September 11th attacks occur and the rest of John's Special Forces team are eager to extend their contracts to fight for our country. Their captain tells them they have 2 days off and to think about their decision, as he too has family back home to take into consideration for his choice, and that since they are a team, if any one of them decides not to extend, then neither will the rest of them. John quickly goes home to his father and Savannah to spend what little time he has left, but he is hesitant to inform Savannah that if he re-enlists, it will be another 2 years or so before he's able to come home. Naturally she is not keen on the idea, despite the fact that he is clearly torn on keeping his promise to her but being loyal to his team and serving his country.

Will Savannah stay by him and support his decision?

Like all film adaptations of Nicholas Sparks' books, this one too was a bit of a tearjerker. However, while the previews and part of the film focus on the relationship between John and Savannah, who the movie really is about is John. True, Savannah does play a large role in his life during this time, (she especially helps him to understand why his father is the way he is), but she's not the sole focus of the film - John is.

Personally, I grew to really dislike Savannah, as she tried to rationale and make things all about her, not really taking into consideration John's feelings or how her actions would affect him for years to come. And then even at the end, she still tries to justify what she did, expecting John to pick up where they left off and pretend like nothing had happened. Girls like her make me roll my eyes and want to slap them upside the head for a dose of reality.

If you've enjoyed other Nicholas Sparks' film adaptions and don't mind a bit of a tearjerker (or one that makes you want to slap some sense into the female lead), feel free to check this one out.

When in Rome

Rated PG13 for brief language, slapstick violence

Starring Kristen Bell, Josh Duhamel, Will Arnett, Jon Heder, Dax Shepard, Danny DeVito, Anjelica Huston

Beth (Bell) is a successful art curator at the Guggenheim museum and a bit of a workaholic. "When I meet someone I love as much as my job, that's when I'll get married" she says at one point, although she does become a bit frustrated at her sister's impulsive wedding in Rome when, heeding her father's advice on love, she takes a chance on Nick, the Best Man (Duhamel), only to feel devastated when she sees him kissing another woman. Drunk and feeling down on her luck, Beth climbs into the "fountain of love" and takes several of the coins that were thrown in, not aware of the local legend that if you take a coin from the fountain, you will become the object of the coin owner's affection.

Holding true to legend, once Beth is back in New York, she begins being stalked by several suitors - one is a creepy aspiring artist who paints her likeness all over the city (Arnett), another being a wacky Criss Angel type magician (Heder), one who is prestigious sausage king (De Vito), and another who is a self absorbed male model (Bell's real life fiance Shepard). Adding to her troubles, is that Nick appears to be smitten with her as well. After a few dates and noticing that some chips in his poker set match a poker chip she took from the fountain, Beth is unsure if Nick's affects are for real or if it's all because she took his coin.

For being a PG13 RomCom/chick flick, this one was actually pretty clean compared to most and has been praised for such. Myself, not being one for chick flicks that are over the top mushy, I actually enjoyed it - the humor was pretty good and the acting was enjoyable. I especially liked the brief cameo of Efren Ramirez as Heder's character's sidekick.

This is a perfect film for when you're in the mood for a cute film to enjoy with the girls!

DVD Review: Run Fatboy Run

Rated PG13 for brief language, slapstick violence, some crude humor

Starring Simon Pegg, Thandie Newton, Hank Azaria

The film starts out with an overly nervous Dennis fleeing from his pregnant bride Libby moments before their wedding. Five years later, Dennis and Libby share custody of their son and Dennis, who works as a guard at a lingerie boutique and lives in a small studio apartment hasn't aspired to become much of anything, never having finished a thing he started, yet deep down he still loves Libby and wishes they could be a family together. One day, while picking up his son Jake, Dennis meets Libby's new beau, a go-getter American named Whit, whom we learn intends to marry Libby and whisk her and Jake off to Chicago. Hoping to win Libby back and prove that he can finish something, Dennis, upon hearing that Whit is running in the London Nike River Marathon, decides to sign up for the race as well, which is less than a month away and he is extremely out of shape. With the help of his friend Gordon and his landlord, he does his best to get in shape and sets out to prove not only to himself, Libby and their son, but to everyone that he can finish something.

Like most movies Simon Pegg is in, this one is filled with British humor, however the overall feel of the film is inspiring. You're rooting for Dennis to get in shape, change his lifestyle and beat Whit (whom learn is quite the jerk). You want him and Libby to get back together and his interaction with his son is quite admirable, as it's clear that while he might not be the best father figure to a young child, he still deeply cares for his son and enjoys the times they spend together.

This film was also the directorial debut of Friend's co-star David Schwimmer - while it might not be Oscar worthy, it was still fun and moving. If you like heartfelt comedies and the humor of Simon Pegg, be sure to run and catch this one!

DVD Review: (500) Days of Summer

Rated PG13 for mild language, brief sexuality, brief nudity

Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel

Day 1, boy meets girl.

Day 20-something, boy finally asks girl out.

Day 200-something, boy and girl get in a fight that begins their downfall.

Okay, so I don't remember what happened on what day number exactly, but you get the idea.

(500) Days of Summer tells the story of Tom and Summer - he's an aspiring architect who works at a firm writing greeting cards, Summer is latest assistant to Tom's boss. Tom immediately falls for Summer at first sight but is a bit hesitant to ask her out right away. Eventually, at an after work function, one of Tom's close friends and colleagues drunkenly spills the beans that Tom has a crush on Summer. The 2 begin seeing each other, however Summer straight out tells Tom she's not looking for anything serious - she doesn't believe in true love and doesn't want an actual boyfriend; Tom accepts this yet continues to see Summer romantically and sexually, albeit confused as to how to title their relationship.

Now our story jumps around a bit, as it is told in non-linear form. We are shown part of day 488 at the beginning of the film, followed by days 1-10 with a few of the others interjected. We see happy numbered days paralleled with some unhappy numbered days. While it seems like a strange way to do a movie, it actually works pretty well for this one.

Despite in every interview they did, Gordon-Levitt and Deschanel stated that this film was not a romantic comedy, it get advertised as one. What it really is, is a reality check. Things don't always end up the way you planned. Yes, it has a bit of romance to it and the chemistry between the 2 leads is fantastic (apparently they had been good friends for years and I personally find myself enjoying anything Deschanel is in, not to mention, ever since her role in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, my husband has deemed her as "that cute sci-fi chick" and will watch anything she's in as well), and yes, there are some comic elements to it and some humor thrown in to lighten the mood of the film, in actuality, it is more of a drama.

For me, indie films tend to be hit or miss - either I love em or I find myself bored. In this case, I loved this film and highly recommend it to anyone who has been in a relationship! Don't miss this one!

DVD Review: Four Christmases

Rated PG13 for brief language, some sexual humor, slapstick violence

Starring Reese Witherspoon, Vince Vaughn, Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, Mary Steenburgen, Jon Voight, Jon Favreau, Dwight Yoakam, Tim McGraw, Kristin Chenoweth

Happily unmarried Brad and Kate spend their Christmas vacations traveling to warm, exotic locations all while telling their dysfunctional families (both have divorced parents, hence part of their excuse for not tying the knot themselves) that they are elsewhere around the world doing charity work just to avoid spending Christmas with them. All goes to plan until a heavy fog covers the entire city, canceling all flights and Brad and Kate get stuck being interviewed by local news crews. Next thing you know, their phones are ringing with family members saying they saw them on TV and would love to have them stop by for Christmas, since their plans are now canceled.

And so is our film, as we watch Brad and Kate visit each dysfunctional part of their family.

For a Christmas movie, while not as funny as classics such as A Christmas Story and Christmas Vacation, this one ended up being a lot funnier than was expected with a pretty good cast too! While Brad and Kate loathe their families at the beginning of the film, like most Christmas films, they eventually come around and embrace the idea of family and realize what's important in life.

If you're like for a funny Christmas film you may not have seen before, be sure to check out Four Christmases.

Avatar

Rated PG13 for brief language, violence

Starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Giovanni Ribisi, Joel David Moore, Michelle Rodriguez, CCH Pounder

The year is 2154 and we send troops and scientists to Pandora - a moon of the planet Polyphemus - to study and hope to capture the rare substance Unobtainum which lies underneath the inhabitants home base. In order to walk on the planet and interact with the Na'vi inhabitants, we have developed avatars, that are tailored to it's crew member who plugs into it via brainwaves. After getting lost and separated from his team on the planet, paraplegic former Marine Jake Sully is taken in by the Na'vi and told that he will learn their ways. The administrator of the crew tells Jake that he has 3 months to learn and gain the Na'vi's trust, as bulldozers will be coming to mine the Unobtainum and the Na'vi will need to peacefully leave or face war.

Jake grows fond of the Na'vi though and feels more at home among their world.

This film by James Cameron took 15 years to make and visually it is amazing, as Pandora is a CGI world, yet seems real. While the story isn't the absolute greatest ever, the characters are likable and despite its run time of nearly 3 hours, it doesn't feel long at all. While it does have a message built into it, it doesn't come off as preachy - basically it comes down to good guys vs greedy guys.

If you're looking for a good sci-fi action film that the whole family can enjoy look plug into Avatar this holiday season.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon

Starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner

Rated PG13 for violence, brief language

Picking up in the months after Twilight left off, Bella Swan is starting her senior year of high school and just turning 18. However, after an incident involving a paper cut she gets at the Cullen's house (the local vampire clan, who lives off the blood of animals rather than humans and sparkle in the sunlight rather than turn to dust), her boyfriend, vampire Edward Cullen tells her she'd be better off without them around and breaks up with her in the middle of the woods.

Bella goes into a deep depression for several months and it isn't until she starts hanging around former childhood pal Jacob that she is brought out of her funk. However, Jacob has a secret of his own and suddenly starts acting strange - lying to Bella about being sick and avoiding her.

She also learns that acting reckless and getting adrenaline rushes makes her see visions of Edward, who in these visions tells her to stop it and be careful. In addition to all this, Victoria, the redheaded "bad" vampire from the first film returns once the Cullens leave town. She is still upset over Edward killing her lover, James, in the first film and plans to kill Bella in an attempt at revenge.

Honestly, I was pretty disappointed by the first film, as the cinematography was horrible. Despite all the hype and talk about how this one was done much better than the first, I still think New Moon is pretty much just as bad as the first and I was pretty bored the entire time - keep in mind, I thought the books were alright and will admit they were a pretty entertaining, mindless read. The only entertaining and interesting part of the whole movie was the end, where we are introduced to The Volturi - who act as the governing vampire coven in the world - in which Michael Sheen plays the leader Aro (personally, I much prefer him as lycan Lucian in the Underworld vampire series). This film also clearly caters to the ladies, as Jacob and his pack run around shirtless for a good portion of the film, as does Edward at the end.

Unless you're a Twilight fangirl, save yourself your time and money and just skip this one.

DVD Review: Paul Blart: Mall Cop

Rated PG for brief violence, some crude humor and innuendo, mild language

Starring: Kevin James, Jayma Mays, Keir O'Donnell

Paul Blart is a Jersey mall cop who takes his job seriously and aspires to be on the local police force, however one thing holds him back from that dream - he is severely hypoglycemic and when it hits, if he doesn't have a candy bar nearby he instantly passes out. He lives at home with his mother and pre-teen daughter, who both try to set him up with online dating, as his wife left him soon after their daughter was born and she acquired her green card.

One day, the mall is taken over by a group planning on wiping out the credit machines to get rich and held hostage inside are Blart's daughter and his love interest Amy among a handful of others. Distracted at the time the mall was taken over, Blart is the lone man on the inside and the local force's only hope at stopping the crooks and safely getting the hostages. Is he up for the job?

This film is oddly similar to another film that came out this year that we reviewed - Observe and Report starring Seth Rogen - as both films deal with mall cops who aspire to be something more than just that as well them bothing having to defend their malls. Buth while Rogen's film is dark and depressing, James' is amusing and heartwarming. This film was actually a lot better than I was expecting it to be.

If you're looking for a fun film the whole family can laugh at and enjoy together, be sure to check this one out.

DVD Review: Public Enemies

Rated R for violence, brief language, brief sexuality

Starring Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Marion Cottilard, Billy Crudup, Stephen Graham

Taking place in the 1930s, and mostly in Chicago, "Public Enemies" is an excellent retelling of the late life of John Dillinger and his band of men who robbed various banks and escaped capture and from jail and several times, often times right under the authorities noses. It also shows the beginnings of J. Edgar Hoover's FBI, as they desperately try to track Dillinger after naming him Public Enemy Number 1 in order to make a name for the Bureau, as many have their doubts about Hoover's ability to lead an investigation.

While I hadn't heard too much about Dillinger prior to this film, I did find it to be very educational. It was also amusing to see just how well organized Dillinger and his crew were when it came to breaking out of jail at various times. It's easy to see why people liked him - him and his crew only stole from the banks and never the people - he was sort of Robin Hood for that era.

Personally, I think this film should have been rated PG13, as you see more revealing sex scenes on network tv than you do here, the language was pretty tame, and the violence was to be expected, as the majority of it takes place at either the banks and the streets outside and during other shootouts.

For anyone who wants to know more about John Dillinger or wants a history lesson, be sure to check out Public Enemies.

All About Steve

Rated PG13 for brief langauge, some sexuality, tense scenes

Starring Sandra Bullock, Bradley Cooper, Thomas Haden Church, Ken Jeong, DJ Qualls

Mary Horowitz is a very skilled cruciverbalist, or crossword puzzle writer to you and me, and is proud of her work - crossword puzzles are her passion in life, however Mary is not like "normal" people. She wears bright red boots, and while all her coworkers talk about going out and having fun, none of which seems to faze eccentric Mary, who lives with parents, talks to her guinea pig who seems to be her best friend, and can't seem to find Mr. Right.

Her parents decide to set her up on a blind date with Steve, an attractive news cameraman who goes where the story is to capture the action with his crew. Mary is immediately attracted to Steve physically, but her aggressive and eccentric personally frightens him, saying he has to go cover a news story. He tells Mary he wishes she could join him on the road, but since she has a join it just won't work out. Leaving her with his umbrella, he quickly tries to get far far away from her.

Mary on the other hand becomes completely obsessed with Steve, which causes her to lose her job, so she decides to take him up on his offer to go on the road with him, following he all across the country to various breaking news stories. He tries to explain to her that he was just being nice when he said that, however his reporter, Hartman Hughes, decides it'd be fun to egg Mary on and encourage her obession with Steve.

After a freak accident on the road, Mary becomes breaking news in a bit of a plot twist.

The theme of the movie is finding yourself and being happy with who you are - just be yourself rather than try to fit into what society deems as "normal". As Mary says at the end of the film "Why should you have to change to be 'normal'? All you have to do is find someone who's as 'normal' as you are."

This was cute, quirky film brought to us by the same crew that brought us another Bullock hit, Miss Congeniality. If you liked that one, you'll most likely enjoy this one as well.

DVD Review: True Romance

Rated R for language, violence, sexuality, nudity

Starring Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette, Gary Oldman, Val Kilmer, Christopher Walken, James Gandolfini

Clarence Worley is a comic book store clerk who lives a simple life. For lack of better things to do, he spends his birthday watching a martial arts triple theater at a Detroit theater, where he meets the attractive Alabama Whitman. The two go for coffee after the films and he shows her the comic book shop, after spending a night together, she regretfully confesses that she is a call girl who was hired by Clarence's boss as a birthday present, however she has fallen for him completely. Luckily, Clarence has fallen for her as well and the next day the two go down to the courthouse and get married.

After learning about her pimp Drexl, Clarenced decides he's going to confront him and get Alabama's things for her. The confrontation doesn't go as planned though, and gunfire breaks out, with Clarence killing Drexl in the process. He grabs what he believes to be Alabama's suitcase of belongings and heads back to her, only to learn that he took the wrong suitcase and this one contains a bunch of stolen cocaine.

The couple decides to head out west to LA to hideout and sell the drugs so that they can establish a home for themselves elsewhere, however the mob is on their tail wanting to retreive the cocaine. The police also get involved.

Clarence and Alabama are very likable characters, played memorably by Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette. Written by Quentin Tarantino as his first major screenplay, this film has bit of it all - action, violence, sexuality, romance, crime, the mob, and thrills, this one classic you won't want to miss.

DVD Review: Adventureland

Rated R for language, drugs, teen drinking, sexuality

Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds, Martin Starr, Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig

It's Summer 1987 and James has just graduated from college and is looking forward to spending his summer in Europe and attending grad school at Columbia in the fall. That is, until his parents announce that due to financial problems, they won't be able to help out with the money for either as was originally planned. In an attempt to at least have some money to put towards grad school, James takes a summer job at the local amusement park, Adventureland, where he is assigned to the games area.

Throughout the summer, James spends his days at Adventureland mingling with the other staff, which include saracastic Joel, popular Lisa P., Sue, childhood friend Frigo, and repair technication Mike who is older than the rest of the kids working the park and despite being married, has a habit of picking a different girl each summer to have an affair with. There is also Em, who saves James from being knifed by a disgruntled customer. The two begin hanging out regularly outside work and James believes he is falling for Em, however she is a complete mess, and is secretly hooking up with Mike throughout the summer.

Despite not being in theaters long, Adventureland was a pretty good film about summer work and romance.

Filmed on location at historic Kennywood just outside Pittsburgh, PA, it really does feel like 1987 with the clothes, cars, music. Having just visited Kennywood weeks before I saw this film, it was really neat to watch the movie and see all the rides and locations in the park that I had just been at.

This one is definitely worth a view in case you missed it!