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: Machete

Rated R for graphic violence, language, nudity, intense action, sexuality

Starring Danny Trejo, Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez, Lindsay Lohan, Jeff Fahey, Cheech Marin, Steven Segal, Don Johnson

On a mission to save a kidnapped girl, Mexican Federale Machete runs into complications when he crosses a corrupt chief and a drug lord who in turn kill his wife and child and leave him for dead.

Three years later, Machete shows up in Texas as an illegal immigrant looking for work. Desperate for cash, Machete accepts an offer of $150,000 cash to assassinate a senator who plans on sending illegals out of the country, no exceptions made. He doesn't get to carry through though as one of the man's henchmen shoots him and frames him for an attempt on the senator as a way to gain support for the senator's illegals campaign. Injured, Machete is taken in by an underground Mexican hospital network who quickly fix him up and send him on his way.

He's determined to set out and get his revenge on those that set him up as well as the senator himself no matter how bloody or violent the task gets!

Originally a faux trailer for the middle of 2006's Robert Rodriguez's & Quentin Tarentino's Grindhouse double feature, the response was so good that Rodriguez knew he had to make it into a feature film.

If you like over the top action B-movies, and don't mind some bloody, graphic violence don't miss Machete! It has lots of action, and some quite hilarious B-movie moments! Danny Trejo doesn't disappointment in this role that he was made to play!

DVD Review: Shrek Forever After

Rated PG

Starring Mike Meyers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, Antonio Banderas, Walt Dohm

The Final Chapter, or so they say. In this 4th installment of the Shrek series Shrek, now both a father and a husband to 3 ogre babies finds himself tired of the same old day to day routine - his life isn't nearly as exciting as it once was. People are no longer afraid of ogres either. Just for one day would Shrek like things to go back to how they once were.

As it is, Rumpelstiltskin has a bone to pick with Shrek - it just so happens that as Fiona's parents were about to sign away their kingdom to Rumpel in exchange to undo Fiona's ogre curse, they received word that Shrek had rescued Fiona from her tower and called the whole deal off. Upon overhearing Shrek's frustration, Rumpel offers Shrek to have his day, the only catch is Rumple gets to choose what day Shrek is to lose.

He just so happens to choose the day Shrek was born, thus altering the franchise's timeline, putting things into an alternate universe where Rumpel is in charge and ogres are an outlawed rebel force, led by Fiona (who is now a Xena-type warrior chick) who take shelter in the woods, hiding from Rumpel's witchy guards. The only way to set things right and get out of his contract is for Shrek to get Fiona to fall in love with him again, however that is not an easy task as she's much too busy planning an upcoming attack on Rumpel's palace. Oh and he only has 1 day to do it too otherwise he is to fade from existence!

This one did have it's funny moments and elements, with Rumpelstiltskin and his witchy crew adding some fresh laughs, however unlike many critics and reviews, this installment was not as good as the original. While the story was more of a cautionary tale of "be careful what you wish for" and "you don't know how good you have it until it's gone" a 4th installment in this series really wasn't needed. Worth a rental if you're a fan of the franchise, otherwise skip it!

DVD Review: Babies

Rated PG

This documentary by French filmmaker Thomas Balmes follows 4 young babies from 4 different cultures as they grow from birth through their first year. With little dialogue and no subtitles, we witness as the 4 youngsters experience their first year of life, reaching important milestones and discover the world around them.

Ponijao is from a tribe in Opuwo, Namibia Africa. We see him spend his days nursing with mom and eventually playing with a slightly older sibling outside and in the dirt.

Bayar is from Mongolia and like Ponijao, he too has a slightly older sibling whom he has a bit of a rivalry with. His parents seem to be farmers as Bayar often comes in contact with the livestock.

Mari is from Tokyo and she spends her days being immersed in the Japanese culture as we see her in daycare when she is only a few months old. She also has a bit of a frustration when playing with some of her toys later on.

Hattie is from San Fransisco and like Mari, she is immersed in the local culture as well by joining her parents in family-friendly yoga classes. She also seems to be in a pretty sterile world, compared to Ponijao and Bayer who are often getting dirty outside.

This 80 minute documentary was cute and interesting as the viewer learns and sees how various cultures around the world can shape the people that live there at such a young age and affect who they are. It was also cute during the end credits to see each of the 4 babies several years later (around the age of 3 it seemed).

Think National Geographic but with a focus on babies and this is what you get!

Should note though, while it isn't portrayed as explicit or wrong, there is some nudity, as we see mothers freely breastfeed their babies in front of the camera and at times Ponijao and Bayer aren't wearing pants or diapers, revealing themselves as well (at one point, Ponijao curiously lifts up the front of his brother's loincloth before "discovering" that he too has a penis).

DVD Review: Predators

Rated R for language, strong violence, some gore

Starring Adrian Brody, Topher Grace, Alice Braga with appearances by Danny Trejo and Laurence Fishbourne

8 individuals - a former Black-Ops turned mercenary, an Israeli sniper and CIA Black-Ops assassin, a Spetsnaz, a Yakuza, a death row inmate, a Sierra Leone fighter, a drug cartel enforcer, and a doctor - come to consciousness while being parachuted into a strange, foreign jungle. They begin to wonder what they have been selected for, however none are exactly sure how a doctor fits in with the rest of the trained fighters.

As they wander around in the jungle, trying to figure where in the world they are, they come to realize that they are no longer on Earth but on some strange planet. They also come to the realization that they are being hunted by something much larger than human!

Stumbling across an alien camp, with one alien being tied to a pole, they run into Noland - a US Army solider who has been on the planet for many "seasons" and has learned how to survive the hunt. He shares with the new group that the planet serves as a game preserve and that every season humans and other alien creations are dropped onto the planet to be hunted by 3 bigger alien (Predator) creatures. Whenever one of the 3 is killed by the "game," the next season they come back stronger and more evolved, as if they are learning.

They also learn that there is a ship nearby that can get them off the planet, assuming they can get one of the smaller Predators to control it as the bigger Predators and the smaller ones have quite the blood feud going on.

Will they be able to make it off the planet or will the Predators hunt them and eliminate them one by one? And again, how does a doctor fit in with a group of trained fighters?

Written and produced by Robert Rodriguez, Predators is a straight up action flick with some mystery set in the Predator universe. It also makes mention to events in the original Predator film as well, tying this one to it. I must admit, while I wasn't a fan of the recent Alien Vs. Predator films, Predators was actually a pretty fun ride!

If you don't mind action flicks, be sure to check this one out!

Tron: Legacy

Rated PG

Starring Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, Bruce Boxleitner

Picking up just a few years after the original Tron left off, in the mid-late 1980s Kevin Flynn runs his arcade by day and does secret computer programming in the cyber world by night, all while being in charge of the huge software empire ENCOM he built and taking care of his young son Sam after the death of his wife. Flynn often tells Sam stories of his times in the virtual world with his pals Tron and Clu (a digital copy of himself to run things when he's not around).

One day though, Flynn doesn't come home and it seems he's gone missing for good. ENCOM is left to young Sam, in which Flynn's good friend Alan is in charge until Sam is old enough and Alan also steps in as a surrogate father for young Sam. When Sam is of age though, he has no interest in his father's company, only visiting about once a year to stir things up and so the company is mainly run by the board of directors who don't have the same vision as Flynn did, only caring about making a profit.

Alan approaches Sam one night saying he got a page from the disconnected number at Flynn's old arcade and encourages Sam to go check it out. Refusing at first, Sam gives into curiosity at the idea that his father might still be alive and goes down to the arcade. There, he gets accidentally gets transported into the virtual world that his father used to tell him so much about when he was a kid.

Mistaken for a "program" at first, Sam has to compete in gladiator-esque games in order to survive. Upon learning he is a "user" named Sam Flynn, he is quickly summoned into a meeting with the man in charge, who at first glance, appears to be his father, having never aged. We soon learn though that it is Clu and not Flynn who runs things around here, however Flynn is still very much alive but in hiding and that it was Clu who paged Alan in an attempt that someone from outside would come in order to lure Flynn out one last time.

Sam eventually escapes from Clu, with the help of a young woman named Quorra who has been Flynn's companion and apprentice all these years. She takes him to his father, however they have a bigger problem on their hands - when Sam arrived in the virtual world, the portal to the outside world was opened. While the portal is only open for a short period of time, they believe that Clu is trying to crossover in order to perfect a new world as he sees fit. Together, the 3 must race Clu to the portal before it closes so that they can escape and close it before it's too late!

While nearly 30 years after the original was released, Tron: Legacy is a smart and fun sequel. I must say, I enjoyed this one much better than I had the original as it much easier to follow without nearly as much computer programming speak as the original had. The visuals are stunning and make the virtual world fun and thrilling. The plot, unlike the original, is simple enough for even kids to grasp and follow what is going on. The music - done solely by electronic/techno gurus Daft Punk - is brilliant and upbeat, really conveying the perfect emotions. Michael Sheen is also amusing in a small role stylized after the likes of Ziggy Stardust. And if you've never seen the original Tron or it's been years since, no worries - they nicely bring the viewer up to speed with a montage of newsreels and such describing the events at the end of the original and Flynn's bedtime stories to young Sam about the virtual world give you insight as to what happened as well.

This is a great, visual film that the whole family can watch together and enjoy!

Black Swan

Rated R for graphic sexuality, some tense violence

Starring Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel, Mila Kunis, Barbara Hershey, Winona Ryder

Nina is an innocent yet very talented and dedicated ballet dancer, part of a New York City ballet troupe. It is announced that lead featured dancer Beth, who is quite older than the rest, will be retiring soon and that a new lead dancer will be picked to replace her as the Swan Queen in ballet conductor Thomas Leroy's new adaption of Swan Lake.

While saddened to see Beth go, Nina is eager at the shot of a lead featured role and auditions for the part. Thomas tells her that if he were only casting for The White Swan, the part would easily be Nina's, but he's looking for a dancer who can perform and embody both The White Swan and her evil, seductive twin The Black Swan, which he doesn't feel the innocent Nina can pull off. After forcing himself on her, Nina bites Thomas' tongue and he feels he's seen a sliver of The Black Swan in her and decides to cast her in the part, but in rehearsals he constantly berates her not being seductive enough or losing herself in the part enough. To add to matters, an equally talented feisty new dancer named Lily has just transferred to the troupe from San Fransisco and Nina fears Lily is out to get her role as Lily seems to be the opposite of innocent Nina - the Black Swan to her White Swan.

As Nina struggles to tap into the Black Swan of the role and the days of opening night approach, Nina begins to hallicunate and lose her sanity. Her overprotective and overbearing mother (whom we learn is a former ballerina who gave up her career when she got pregnant at 28 with Nina and is now living vicariously through her) worries about her so much that it only pushes Nina further into her madness. Soon the Black Swan persona begins to take over Nina - will she be able to fight it or will the dual role of nice vs. naughty get the best of her in the end?

Black Swan is an interesting look into the darkside of ballet and how striving too hard for perfection in a role can drive one mad. As one person put it, it's reminescint of what Heath Ledger might have gone through while getting into and emboding the role of The Joker for The Dark Knight - a role that he strived to perfect so much that it drove him over the edge and killed him in the end. Natalie Portman gives a stunning and believable performance though, as she worked hard physically to get into the role - for her role here, she deserves any award she's nominated for this award season.

While it's a bit of a psychological thriller and drama (we see Nina downward spiral and lose control of her sanity), it's definitely rated R for a reason as there's some pretty graphic sexual scenes in this film that are not appropriate for kids to see. I wouldn't say it's my favorite film of 2010, but it's definitely worth seeing!

DVD Review: The Blindside

Rated PG13 for some language, mild violence

Starring Sandra Bullock, Quinton Aaron, Tim McGraw, Jae Head, Kathy Bates

Teenage Mike Oher has lived a rough life, having grown up in the projects with a drug abusing mother and has recently been crashing on his friend's couch. His friend's father is a janitor at a Memphis Christian school and pleads with admissions to allow his son and "Big Mike" to attend due to their ability in sports. Impressed by "Big Mike's" size, the school let's him under the condition he gets his grades up so he can play football the next year. Mike has trouble in school though and we soon learn that he often spends his nights at the school's gym where it's warm and his only spare clothes are t-shirt he carries with him in a bag.

One night, Leigh Anne Tuohy (whose children attend school with Big Mike) and her family spy him walking in the rain and offer him a ride and a place to stay. Realizing he has nowhere to go, they decide to extend his stay and get him the help he needs to succeed in school (also helping is the school's science teacher who learns that Mike, who may appear dumb, has been paying attention all semester and while he can't pass written tests, he excells when given the chance to take them orally). Soon Mike becomes part of the Tuohy family, with the Tuohy's requesting for guardianship of him from the state and Mike qualifies for football - with the help of the Tuohy's he is able to become a star linebacker, gaining the attention of major state colleges.

While the movie comes off at first as a football film, it really is more of an autobiographical film about the life NFL linebacker Michael Oher who was a first round draft pick for the Baltimore Ravens in 2009. While Michael's story of rising up against the odds and succeeding is inspirational in itself, the Tuohy's also serve as a fine example of what we as people should strive to be, providing help and love to those in need regardless of their background.

Tangled

Rated PG for some animated violence

Starring Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, Donna Murphy

An old witch named Gothel finds a flower with magical power and by being near it and singing to it she is able to make herself young. When the local queen, who's pregnant, falls deathly ill the King's men search for a cure, coming across the magic flower. After making a broth from the flower, the queen gets healthy and gives birth to a baby girl with shining blonde. Gothel quickly realizes that the baby girl's hair has the same magical powers as the flower and decides to kidnap her and raise her as her own daughter in a hidden tower in order to stay looking young forever.

In rememberance of their lost daughter, every year on her birthday the king and queen light thousands of magical lanterns. The girl, Rapunzel, has seen these glowing lights from her tower and dreams of the day Gothel will let her out so she can see them in person - in fact, it's the only thing she wants for her upcoming 18th birthday. But of course Gothel says no, out of fear of losing her key to looking young.

That all changes though when the handsome young Flynn hides out in Rapunzel's tower after stealing a tiara from the kingdom and abandoning his co-conspirators. Rapunzel makes a deal with him - escort her to see the magical lights and she'll tell him where she hid his loot. Of course, in true fairytale fashion, the two begin to fall for each other as Flynn begins to drop his charming bad-boy persona. Meanwhile Gothel, furious at Rapunzel's rebellion of leaving the tower plots to get her to return.

Disney has done it again, creating a vibrant, colorful film with a cute spin on a classic fairytale much in the way they did over 20 years ago with The Little Mermaid. Another great animated film of 2010 for the whole family!

Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Rated PG for fantasy violence

Starring Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, Will Poulter, Ben Barnes, Liam Neeson, Simon Pegg

Set a year after the previous film, Lucy and Edmund are stuck in Cambridge staying with their annoying stuck-up and self-centered cousin Eustace. Older siblings Susan and Peter are off traveling in America with the family but make mention of the family being reunited once World War II is over.

Bored one day, Lucy notices a painting of a ship that looks very Narnian. Soon her and Edmund get locked in the room with Eustance, water begins pooring out of the painting, seeming to drown them, however when they break for air they are rescued in the middle of the see by former Prince and now King Caspian and brought about his magestic ship The Dawn Treader. Caspian explains it has been 3 years in Narnia-time since they had last met and that he is on a journey find 7 missing Lords that were banished during his evil uncle's reign. Lucy and Edmund are up for the adventure and thrilled to tag along while Eustace does nothing but complain and act as an annoying nusciance.

After visiting the Lone Islands, where the 7 Lords were last believed to have been, Caspian, Lucy, Edmund and Eustace are all captured by the slave traders who run the island and learn that some of the slaves are sent by boatloads into the ocean and sacrificed by a mysterious green mist. Our heros are rescused by the remaining crew and set off to find the 7 magic swords of the Lords as it's believed that by combining them that the evil green mist can be stopped and that the 7 Lords had set out to do so but were unable to complete the task.

On their journey each of our main characters are tested - Lucy struggles with insecurity and desperately wants to be just like her beautiful sister Susan; Caspian struggles with living up to being the king his father was; Edmund struggles with having to answer to leadership and follow orders from Caspian; Eustace struggles to just be a nice person in general. Each one will have to overcome their struggles within and make sacrifics in order to defeat to the evil mysterious green mist.

While the previous Narnia film - Prince Caspian - was a bit action-packed and violent while straying quite a bit from the books and received many mixed reviews, Dawn Treader brings back the fun of the first film. It's got fantasy and magical talking creatures (Simon Pegg does an excellent job as Reepicheep - Caspian's talking, fighting mouse sidekick - this time around).

Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is good fantasy fun on the high seas for the whole family to enjoy!