The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

A much more confident and realized vision than the original. If you have seen the original then there is definitely a sense that you've seen this all before, albeit much more handsomely produced and acted. Rooney Mara gives us a different take on Lisbeth, and it's much more humane and sympathetic than Noomi Rapace. They are two completely different takes on the character and I don't know that one is particularly better than the other because of the different styles of the films, but both served their individual movies incredibly well. I prefer Rooney Mara because I like emotional characters, but I can see why someone would like Rapace more considering she is alot more fierce and psychotic at times (although because Mara is so much more innocent and sweet looking, it makes it even more shocking when she does the horrific things she does). The comparison between Daniel Craig and the original actor for Blomkvist is no contest for me, though. Craig makes him much more interesting and assured in his ways and because this version spends more more time letting us get to know the characters apart before it brings them together, this is much needed. Blomkvist still isn't as interesting as Lisbeth, but he doesn't fade into the background everytime she shares the screen anymore thanks to Craig. Both versions of this story work for different reasons, but I like this one just slightly more I think. If I want a sophisticated and great looking thriller with good characters, I'd watch this. If I want a B movie thriller that's a little trashy, but great entertainment, then I'd watch the original.

This Means War

A harmless piece of fluff that does nothing substantially well, but offers 2 hours of decent entertainment if you turn your brain off enough and enjoy some popcorn with it. It's fairly predictable (apparently I turned my brain off too much going in because I missed a few things leading up to the "pick" between the two leading men", but I didn't mind too much), but the thing that bothered me was that the best part was Tom hardy and Chris Pine vying for Reese Witherspoon's affection and they had to shoehorn a ridiculously stupid CIA plot to go with it. That plot was boring and stupid. You would rather see Hardy and Pine go back and forth at each other. No one gives an outstanding performance, but I didn't see anything bad either. It's your typical McG action comedy, which means you'll watch it and enjoy a little bit of it in the moment, then forget about it the next day. Nothing that's really wrong with that... I guess.

Hangover Part II

The entire "wolfpack" is back in Hanover Part II but only this time they are off to Thailand so that Stu can marry the girl of his dreams. Only for this group nothing can be that easy and they wake up in Bangkok with no idea how they got there and a whole lot of other questions. Add in a crazy monkey, a strange missing finger, and a tattoo and you know you will be laughing. I actually liked # 2 as well as the first and if you saw the first one you won't be shocked by the language an crude humor.

Bridesmaids

This is a movie that has been called the female version of the Hangover and I can tell you it is just as raunchy and just as funny. Kristen Wiig is hilarious in her role as the best friend of the bride trying hard to be the perfect maid of honor and having trouble doing anything right. When you pair her with a bunch of other bridesmaids, especially Melissa McCarthy you are bound to see a roller coaster of calamities that will make you laugh until you cry.

Kung Fu Panda 2

Jack Black is back as Po The Dragon Warrior whose mission in this second Kung Fu Panda is to save Kung Fu against the evil Lord Shen. In order to be successful he must first achieve the next level of his training and find inner peace. Once again the animation is superb and all the main characters return making this a great sequel enjoyable for the whole family.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

This fourth installment of the Pirates movies puts Captain Jack Sparrow and a lot of the other villains on the quest for the Fountain of Youth. Along the way there are of course various treacherous obstacles to overcome and only one person will actually be able to drink from the fountain so the battle is to see who that person will be. I don't know if I am just getting tired of the series or what but I found myself much more interested in what was happening with the mermaid and Philip than I was the Pirates...maybe I just missed Orlando and Kiera.

Thor

I have to admit I am kind of a sucker for any type of "super hero" movie and this one surprisingly did not disappoint. The special effects were much better than I anticipated and Chris Hemsworth was the perfect choice for the hammer wielding hero. Anthony Hopkins and Tom Hiddleston were also great in their roles of Thor's father and brother. I would have loved to see this film in 3D, but still enjoyed it immensely.

Something Borrowed

This is your typical plot about the "nice girl" (Ginnifer Goodwin) who is used to coming in second to her beautiful blond best friend (Kate Hudson) and is in love with said friend's fiancee and throughout the movie is sadly helping plan the wedding as she secretly pines for the fiancee. I have to admit that this is one of those movies that I was really excited to see but by the end I wasn't sure if I really like any of the characters except the guy best friend played by John Krasinksi...so I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it.

The Fighter

Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale stare in this movie based on the true story of Micky Ward's fight to get out of the shadow of his big brother's boxing career, and more recently his addiction to crack and make a name for himself in the ring. Christian Bale steals the limelight doing an amazing job of portraying the drug addicted older brother who still lives in his past glory days. Overall an enjoyable movie to watch.

Black Swan

Natalie Portman was amazing in this complicated picture about a sweet, hardworking ballerina who is striving for the lead role in Swan Lake but whose director is not quite sure she can handle the role of the "black swan". She must find a way to reach a completely different side of herself to achieve the role, but without losing herself in the process. An intriguing movie, with a few controversial scenes that make this a movie for a more mature audience.

127 Hours

You do not have to watch this movie for very long before it is obvious why James Franco was nominated for so many awards for his role in this remarkable true story about a guy hiking in the canyons of Utah who falls and is pinned by a boulder that has smashed his hand between the boulder and the canyon wall. With very little food, water, and resources at his disposal it is amazing to see one man's fight for survival.

Burlesque

I love nothing more than a good musical and this movie is no exception. Christina Aguilera's amazing voice overshadows any acting flaws she has and the wonderful choreography is a joy to watch. Add in the gorgeous Cam Gigandet and Eric Dane along with the amazing acting ability of Stanley Tucci (who has great on screen chemistry with Cher) and you have a fun chick flick from start to finish.

I am Number Four

Another year, another generic fantasy movie trying to build a huge film franchise on the heels of Harry Potter and Twilight. I am Number four feels like a male version of Twilight: shallow, pretty, and ultimately forgettable as soon as you leave the theater. There's action and it's flashy, but poorly done and not shot very well. There's good looking people, but with little character and bad acting. There's a story, but it jumps around too much and isn't fully explained or engaging. I really don't have many positives to talk about in this movie other than Timothy Olyphant is always fun to watch. Skip this one.

Sucker Punch

Zack Synder's (300, Watchmen) latest is a visually stimulating, but emotionally hollow and ultimately shallow film with no merits beyond its looks and popcorn entertainment value. The films story makes very little sense and jumps around from different realities far too often for someone to be able to keep up. This is a movie completely made for the teenage male crowd. Gorgeous women in little clothing, video game style fights and editing with ridiculous characters (samurai's with guns...), and little to no story so they don't have to think. Just sit back, watch and enjoy the show. You know just from reading that and looking at the trailers if it is your type of movie or not. I'm indifferent.

Scream 4

Wes Craven returns to the movie series that made fun of and embraced horror movie conventions in the 90's with mixed results. The original trilogy went out with a whimper (Scream 3 was not well liked by critics or fans of the series) after starting with a bang (Scream is probably one of the best horror movies of the 90's as well as its sequel) and Scream 4 is somewhere in the middle of that spectrum: not terrible, but not that great. I give the actors credits for reprises their roles after 11 years like it was just yesterday, but everything about this movie is repetitive and reeks of a desperate attempt to regain fans through familiarity instead of trying to do something new and intriguing. Even when it looks like it might do something bold, it goes out of its way to take steps back into its normal shell. After 11 years you would think they would come up with something better. It's not as funny as it could be, never scary (biggest complaint I've heard, and I agree), and sometimes a little boring or stale. It has moments where it can recall the good times from the first two, and isn't something that will make you cringe when watching (it's at least competently acted and directed), but it could have been so much more than it turned out to be.

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Comes straight off the fantasy cliche assembly line. Nothing is exciting or new in this movie. It's all been done before and much better in the past, but especially in recent years. The story is incredibly simple stuff and doesn't even try to put emotion into the picture. The special effects are pretty good, but there's way too much showing off in the movie and it gives it sort of an artificial feeling. Look to the Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings franchises to see how to use special effects the right way in a fantasy film. I will say that Nic Cage and Alfred Molia give pretty entertaining performances, but Jay Baruchel seemed miscast to me. He was a little too nerdy and the romance between him and Teresa Palmer wasn't believable whatsoever. This is just one of those undemanding family films that tries to cash in on a current fashion with no heart or soul. It's just childish and cheesy.

The Kids Are All Right

A wonderful cast displays the value of family and the importance of them in a smart and sophisticated dramedy. I'm sure there will be plenty of rewards recognition for this film and even though I don't think it was absolutely amazing, I can see why people would love it to death. It's heartfelt, has a great message, displays a happily married gay couple and doesn't condescend or screw it up, and has great writing. Definitely recommended if you want something off the beaten path a little, even if it gives in to convention a little too often by the end.

The Last Airbender

Despite a run time of 103 minutes, the film never truly finds its footing. The pacing is all over the place, as is the storytelling, with characters having to constantly explain their motivations as well as the story in first person narration instead of showing it and acting it out. It doesn't work and neither does anything else in the movie. From the wooden acting to the surprisingly lackluster special effects for a wannabe blockbuster film, this is a disappointment on every level and proves M.Night Shyamalan has lost whatever talent he had on display in his successful and enjoyable films from early in his career. The only thing this had going for it was that I wasn't bored, but that's just because of the ridiculousness of it all.

Winter's Bone

Quite a performance from Jennifer Lawrence. This is not a happy movie and it has some unsettling and scary moments. Honestly some of it will have you on the edge of your seat because there's not much known about the plot or characters. It feels like an old school thriller before action and special effects were all that people put effort into. This one is very much dialogue and character driven, with excellent performances from the cast. It's going under the radar because it's an independent film, but if you get the chance watch it. You won't be disappointed.

The Girl Who Played With Fire (Foreign)

Only one movie left in the series and so far these have been the best thing about the 2010 movie year in my opinion. Noomi Rapace continues her role as Lisbeth Salander and does an excellent job. She better be getting an Oscar nomination next year. Michael Nyqvist is quite good too. This one isn't quite a jaw dropping as Dragon Tattoo was, but since the story revolves around the main characters this time rather than a rich family and their missing person case it is definitely more interesting and gripping in terms of story. We get to see more of Lisbeth's past and that's the most entertaining and interesting aspect for me. Bring on the final chapter!