UP (A)

Starring the voices of: Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer, John Ratzenberger, Delroy Lindo and Jordan Nagai
Story: Up is a comedy adventure about 78-year-old balloon salesman Carl Fredricksen, who finally fulfills his lifelong dream of a great adventure when he ties thousands of balloons to his house and flies away to the wilds of South America. But he discovers all too late that his biggest nightmare has stowed away on the trip: an overly optimistic 9-year-old Wilderness Explorer named Russell. (Walt Disney Pictures)
Rated: PG
Bottom line: I’m down with UP! Another Pixar masterpiece (I just cut and pasted those three words from my WALL-E review, which I cut and pasted from my RATATOUILLE review…and so on). Superb storytelling. Intricate character-depth. It’s touching, exciting, witty, adventurous, heart-warming and funny – probably one of their funniest and definitely most mature movies yet…

DVD’S/BLURAYS RELEASED NEXT TUESDAY
Defiance B
Revolutionary Road B

DRAG ME TO HELL (A-)

Starring: Alison Lohman, Justin Long and David Paymer
Story: Christine Brown is an ambitious L.A. loan officer. Life is good until the mysterious Mrs. Ganush arrives at the bank to beg for an extension on her home loan. Should Christine follow her instincts and give the old woman a break? Or should she deny the extension to impress her boss, Mr. Jacks, and get a leg-up on a promotion? Christine fatefully chooses the latter, shaming Mrs. Ganush and dispossessing her of her home. In retaliation, the old woman places the powerful curse of the Lamia on Christine, transforming her life into a living hell. Haunted by an evil spirit, she seeks the aid of seer Rham Jas to save her soul from eternal damnation. As evil forces close in, Christine must face the unthinkable: how far will she go to break free of the curse? (Universal Pictures)
Rated: PG-13
Bottom line: A festival of scares, gore, laughs and purposeful cheese. Equal parts all. …and, in a novel, horror-movies of late twist…it actually entertains! Director Sam Raimi returns to his horror roots (although some would argue that SPIDER-MAN 3 was pretty horrific) and delivers us a knockout movie with a title perfectly suited for either a really great scary movie or a really bad Ashton Kutcher film (apologies for my redundancy there).

Trailer Watch

Be sure to click the movie titles in the right column of this blog (under Watch for 'em) to view trailers and get information on some of your favorite upcoming flicks.

Just another example of me giving 'til it hurts!

TERMINATOR SALVATION (C)

Starring: Christian Bale, Anton Yelchin, Sam Worthington, Bryce Dallas Howard, Moon Bloodgood and Helena Bonham Carter
Story: Judgment Day has come and gone. The artificial intelligence network Skynet controls the army of Terminators that roam the post-apocalyptic landscape, killing or collecting humans where they hide in the desolate cities and deserts. Only one man saw Judgment Day coming. One man, whose destiny has always been intertwined with the fate of human existence: John Connor. Now the world is on the brink of the future that Connor has been warned about all his life. But something totally new has shaken his belief that humanity stands a chance of winning this war: the appearance of Marcus Wright, a stranger from the past whose last memory is of being on death row before awakening in this strange, new world. (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Rated: PG-13
Bottom line: In the realm of summer movies, TERMINATOR SALVATION falls somewhere squarely between the declawed WOLVERINE and the out-of-this-world STAR TREK. It’s a beautifully high-powered action movie with dull, robotic acting and storytelling (you know you're in trouble when the computer-generated robots in your movie have more life and soul than the human actors). …and regardless of poor grades and word-of mouth it’ll make a ton of money, gain some new fans and warrant a few sequels - so mark my words…they’ll be back!

NIGHT AT THE MUSUEM: BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN (C-)

Starring: Ben Stiller, Amy Adams, Owen Wilson, Hank Azaria, Christopher Guest, Robin Williams and Jonah Hill
Story: Night has fallen upon the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. The guides have gone home, the lights are out, the school kids are tucked in their beds...yet something incredible is stirring as former night guard Larry Daley finds himself lured into his biggest, most imagination-boggling adventure yet in which history truly comes alive. In this second installment of the Night at the Museum saga, Larry faces a battle so epic it could only unfold in the corridors of the world’s largest museum. Now, Larry must try to save his formerly inanimate friends from what could be their last stand amid the wonders of the Smithsonian, all of which, from the famous paintings on the walls to the rocket ships in the halls, suddenly have a mind of their own. (20th Century Fox)
Rated: PG
Bottom line: Tear your skull open and drop in an encyclopedia, a few packets of Pop Rocks and pour a can of Dr. Pepper over it all...congrats, you've just experienced NIGHT AT THE MUSUEM: BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN. This sequel boasts so many visuals and so little laughter that kiddies (not adults) are sure to eat it up…so if you're gonna spend any time at the museum, don't make it a night - make it the early part of the day. Because an assault like this, on your adult senses, is only worth the price of matinee tickets.

For The Ladies

Hey, TWI-hards (or women that have read the insanely popular and estrogen-fueled series of Twilight books).

There now exists a one-sheet (read: poster) for the next cinematic installment tiltled THE TWILIGHT SAGE: NEW MOON.

It opens November 20th...so heres something you can all talk about for the next six months (or until the official trailer is released).

I'm sure the movie (for all of you) will prove to be TWI-rrific!

Elementary, My Dear Movie-Watchers!

What do you get when you combine Tony Stark, FIGHT CLUB and Madonna's ex-husband?

That's correct...SHERLOCK HOLMES (well done)!

Check out the trailer here:

http://www.mtv.co.uk/entertainment/sherlock-holmes/news/120763-sherlock-holmes-trailer

It stars Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law, is directed by Guy Ritchie, opens Christmas Day and looks witty, action-packed and interesting enough to actually work...maybe.

ANGELS & DEMONS (C-)

Starring: Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor and Stellan Skarsgard
Story: When Langdon discovers evidence of the resurgence of an ancient secret brotherhood known as the Illuminati - the most powerful underground organization in history - he also faces a deadly threat to the existence of the secret organization's most despised enemy: the Catholic Church. When Langdon learns that the clock is ticking on an unstoppable Illuminati time bomb, he jets to Rome, where he joins forces with Vittoria Vetra, a beautiful and enigmatic Italian scientist. Embarking on a nonstop, action-packed hunt through sealed crypts, dangerous catacombs, deserted cathedrals, and even to the heart of the most secretive vault on earth, Langdon and Vetra will follow a 400-year-old trail of ancient symbols that mark the Vatican's only hope for survival. (Sony Pictures)
Rated: PG-13
Bottom line: So heart-poundingly average it’ll have you saying ‘Let’s sneak in and see STAR TREK again’ before you leave the lobby of the theater. …and that being said, it’s a miracle ANGELS & DEMONS can keep you locked-in and focused during the majority of it’s fast-paced 2 ½ hour running time - when it’s basically just a movie about a really smart guy pointing at maps, hopping in cars and asking other people for directions to the nearest church…

DVD'S/BLURAY'S RELEASED NEXT TUESDAY
Valkyrie A-
Paul Blart: Mall Cop D+

Popcorn Flicks

There's a place for art house and independent films and I promise to update anyone interested on the one's generating positive word-of-mouth when they come out... That being said, I'm the type of movie critic who's not afraid to yell from the rooftops that I enjoy a popcorn, soda and Red Vine-fueled two-hour sit thru Hollywood's big-budget, blockbuster movies.

I may not give them all good grades - but I'm more interested in seeing (for instance) a movie about a tough-talking, side-burned, wife-beater-wearing mutant with metal claws than I am about a wheel-chaired botanist who forms an unlikely friendship with a blind photographer set against the backdrop of a war-torn Iraq (not that that movie even exists - but it probably will soon...and I can promise you I probably won't see it - unless, of course, it gets positive reviews...in which case I'll tell you about it...perhaps at some point).

I want a solid story, interesting characters, comedy, explosions, special effects, big budgets, big directors and big stars. I want to get excited about what I'm about to see. I want a popcorn flick!

That being said (and looking at the list of upcoming films to the right) what are you excited to see?

Hammer Man

I hope you've seen the new summer blockbuster STAR TREK. You should, it's good and I gave it an 'A'. If you have then you're probably a familiar with a few brief scenes of Captain James T. Kirk's father. It's reported that Australian actor, Chris Hemsworth (who played Captain James T. Kirk's father), will be playing the hammer-weilding God of Thunder in director Kenneth Branagh's, Marvel Comics-created THOR (slated for 2011).

Here's his IMDB (Internet Movie Database) resume: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1165110/

The superhero movie-making machine keeps chugging along...and this will be another one of the biggies as Marvel Studios hopes to match up IRON MAN, THE INCREDIBLE HULK and THOR with CAPTAIN AMERICA (as soon as I'm done filming my scenes as the lead role in that movie) in an all-inclusive AVENGERS movie (coming in 2012).

Recline, Dine and Watch a Movie

Let's kick this blog off with some blatant product placement! If you live in the Puget Sound area and you're going to the movies this week - see a movie at Gold Class Cinemas at Redmond Town Center. The above picture gives you a taste of what it's like (although you don't have to dress up like this couple - I wore a tuxedo the first couple of times - silly me)... Good food, comfortable seats, all under the same roof.

You can get a good idea of what it looks and feels like by watching this clip: http://goldclasscinemas.com/About-Gold-Class-Cinemas/Village-Roadshow-Gold-Class-Cinemas-Video-Tour.htm

They're opening TERMINATOR SALVATION there this Thursday (5/21) so visit http://www.goldclasscinemas.com/ and reserve your tickets.

...and be sure to tell 'em Brian the Movie Guy sent you and receive a free appetizer!

It truly is the perfect cinematic escape!