Mud Movie Review

Hey everyone! Hope things are going well for you today. I just saw the film Mud so I thought that I would share my thoughts on the movie. Mud was directed and written by Jeff Nichols who I think did a wonderful job, representing his own great take on a coming of age story.

As for the plot, it revolves around two young actors who play a couple of typical curious 13 year old friends who live out in Mississippi. These kids discover an island down a river close to their home where they find a boat that is lodged on top of a tree, most likely due to a flood from years ago. Soon they find out that the place they hoped to turn into there own fort was actually where a man was temporarily living. This character is played by Matthew McConaughey and his role in the film is a convict of sorts who is on the run from the law and specifically a group of bounty hunters looking for “revenge”, but I won't spoil why. Soon into the movie these kids find out more and realize that he is a good guy and is only in trouble due to moral reasons for acting out in a illegal manner, all for the women he loves played by Reese Witherspoon. As the movie progresses, an unlikely yet special bond forms between these characters, as the two young teens decide to help this fugitive escape those who are after him, in hopes to reunite him with the love of his life.

I found that the performances were great by all the main actors in this film, especially the two young teenagers played by Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland. 

Overall, I definitely thought this was a good coming of age movie, that really dives into the power of friendship and love, and how relatable and shared those feelings can be across all ages. So check this film out if you have not seen it yet. You will not be disappointed!

My Top 5 Movies of 2010

          I can't believe that 2010 is already over. Over my time as a movie review blogger, I was amazed by all the good movies that I was able to see. There were many great classic's, as well as new pictures that were just as good. I was most amazed by the large variety of great movies that came out this past year in 2010. It was my pleasure to be able to blog about them for all my readers, and I look forward to being able to continue my blog throughout 2011 as well. Most importantly, I hope I have been helpful on making your movie-goer experience better. As always, thanks for reading! Hope you guys enjoy my top 5 favorite movies of 2010.


Number 5:

Toy Story 3
This movie had to be on my top 5 list just for the sole reason of it being the final movie of the Toy Story series, which are some of the best animated movies of all-time. It was a great way to finish the series, truly touching my heart. The only bad thing about Toy Story 3 was that it was the last one.


Number 4:

The Fighter
This was an outstanding movie! It is still in theaters so I recommend that you all go see it if you have the chance to. Although it is considered to be a boxing movie,  it is more about the struggling factors between a small time boxer and his family. Take my word for it, you won't be disappointed by this one.


Number 3:

The Town
Ben Affleck has turned out to be a great director, and this was most precent in his recent movie "The Town", in which he also starred in. It takes place in Charleston, which is known to have the largest number of bank robberies out of anywhere else in the world, which is most evident in this film. It is a great drama that at the same time has the occasional humor. I am sure that the majority of you ca  understand why this one made my top 5 movies list.


Number 2:

Inception
For most of you, I am sure that "Inception" would be your number 1 movie of the year. I think that this may be the best Christopher Nolan film made to date, which is saying a lot because he rarely ever makes a bad film. It was truly a peace of art. It has a great storyline, along with superb acting that can't be beat. "Inception" is one of those movies that you really have to analyze when watching, making it crucial for you to pay constant attention to what is going on in the various scenes throughout the movie. It was really well-done, and deserves to be recognized for it. I am sure that it will do well at the Oscars.




Number 1:

True Grit
Finally another great Western movie. It is sad how rarely Western movies are released today. Hopefully "True Grit" will help to bring these classics back. It stars good old Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon, as well as a new young female actress by the name of Hailee Steinfeld. "True Grit" is mainly about a young girl who sets out on a mission to find her fathers murderer and bring him to justice. I would not be suprised if several academy awards were given to this film. My bets are put on "True Grit" for Best Picture. Definitely check this one out! You will not regret it!


          I'm sure I'm missing some big films but these ones are based just on my opinion. I have to give credit to a couple of other movies such as "The Kings Speech", "The Social Network", "Black Swan", and "Exit Through the Gift Shop". Please feel free to comment on your own top 5 movies of 2010. I would absolutely love to hear what you guys think. Lets hope for another great year of movies this 2011. Thanks again!

My Top 5 Worst Movies of 2010

Seeing as though I will be blogging about my top 5 best Movies of 2010, I thought it would make sense to do my top 5 worst movies of 2010, just for kicks. By the way, I really do not recommend for any of you to watch these movies; it is not worth your time. Hope you all enjoy! 

Number 5:

Dinner For Schmucks – Lets put it this way, the name says it all. I know that a lot of people found this movie to be very funny, but I still have to look at it purely as a movie critic. It was simply not good.

Number 4:

The Good Guy – This is about a young girl who moves to New York to live the city life, find out who she is, and eventually meet "the good guy" of her dreams.  It bored me to death due to it's cliche storyline and predictable "surprises".

Number 3:

MacGruber – Many people seemed to actually quite enjoy this movie, but I for one felt it to be just too stupid. It is not reliable to base a whole movie on a Saturday Night Live skit (unless you are talking about "Night at the Roxbury" or "Wayne's World"). Five minutes is alright, but not an hour and a half!

Number 2:

Valentine’s Day – This movie actually had a very impressive cast, however, it seemed to only rely on that one aspect. It was a terrible, forced-out movie that turned out to be neither funny nor romantic.

Number 1:

Tooth Fairy – Just look at the movie poster... really? I know it's a kids movie, meant for kids, but I still have to say that it was nothing but absolutely awful. I had to watch this movie with my little cousins, and it was so bad that they didn't even like it. Whatever happened to the good old Dwayne Johnson roles? He went from the ultimate badass to a Tooth Fairy. Come on man, I know that the economy can be rough for everyone, but still have some self-pride!

Well there you guys go. Feel free to give me your top 5 worst movies of 2010. I'm sure that I must be missing at least some of them. Thanks for reading! 

The Fighter

"The Fighter" was another great movie that I previously saw over winter break. It was directed by David O. Russell. I am very pleased to say that it was a great movie. In fact, I have a feeling that it will be Oscar worthy, but I still have my fingers crossed for "True Grit". But at the very least, it was very well-done, with a great true story, along with astonishing acting. Mark Wahlberg did a great job playing the character of Micky Ward, a minor league boxer hoping to find his glory in the sport. I was most amazed by Christian Bale's amazing performance as Dicky Eklund, an ex-boxer who is Micky's brother. At the end of the movie, during the credits, it shows actual footage of an interview of the real Dicky Eklund and Micky Ward, which was absolutely astonishing to see how dead on Bale did on his role of Dicky getting down all of his mannerism, language, personality, and body language to the tee. In bale's role, he is also one of Micky's main coaches who tries to do everything he can to help his brother to become an even better boxer than he was, while at the same time having to struggle to do so because of his cocaine addiction and susceptibility towards getting into trouble. While all this is going on, Micky struggles to live his dream as a successful boxer due to the influence of not only his brother, but also his family. However, you will see many of Dicky's conflicts resolved, helping him to help his brother live the dream that he was never able to. It is a wonderful movie, which I would highly recommend to anyone who seems intrigued by it.

"The Fighter" begins in the setting of Lowell, Massachusetts where Micky was raised under the shadows of his older half-brother Dicky. Micky now lives on his own, however, the rest of his large family, including Dicky, all live together still with their parents. Micky always tried to follow his brother footsteps in becoming a professional boxer. When he was younger, he got to see Dicky beat the illustriously skilled boxer Sugar Ray Leonard which motivated Micky even more. However, soon after that fight, Dicky resulted to becoming a cocaine addict ruining his career and eventually putting him into prison. While all this was going on Micky found a girlfriend that helped him in his boxing career showing him how his family has been nothing but a bad influence on his future. This leads many fights between Micky and his family that will eventually be fixed when Dicky is released for jail. Dicky will come to find that jail was the best thing that could have ever happened to him, allowing him to figure out his life and break his terrible addiction. He and his brother will come to terms, allowing Dicky to be his coach once again, find his redemption, and help Micky live the dream that he was never able to fully accomplish. This is really an astonishing piece which by no means should not be left out on your list of movies to see. Here is a preview to watch: "The Fighter". Thanks for reading! Hope everybody enjoys it!

True Grit

I was truly amazed by how good this movie was. "True Grit" is now one of my all-time favorite movies. It is an American western that is based on Charles Portis' 1968 novel. It takes place in 1877 in Fort Smith, Arkansas.  The movies screenplay was written and directed by the Cohen Brothers. The movie is also a remake of the original "True Grit" starring the one and only John Wayne. At first I wondered if Jeff Bridges would be able to fill the shoes of John Wayne's role, and it turns out that he was more than capable. In his role, he played a U.S Marshal named Reuben J. "Rooster" Cogburn, who is known for being a very tough, merciless, and rough around the edges cowboy. Another main character in the movie is Mattie Ross who is played by Hailee Steinfeld. She is a new star in the film industry who plays a very smart, stubborn minded 14-year old girl whose father was recently murdered. I was amazed by how well she was able to play her role and I am sure that we will all be seeing much more of her in future films. Josh Brolin plays the character named Tom Chaney who murdered Mattie's father and is now on the run. Matt Damon is also in the the film playing a proud-to-be Texas Ranger named La Boeuf. All of these characters are introduced to each other in the movie leading to quite a journey. It is a great movie and I would recommend it to anyone as a must see.


The movie begins with the narration of the adult Mattie Ross (played by Elizabeth Marvel) who recounts on her past story of her fathers murder. This happened when she was only 14-year old leading her to become strongly motivated to hunt down the man who killed him and get her fathers justice. In one scene, she is confronted by Texas Ranger La Boeuf who had been hired by another family to arrest Chaney for a previous murder. I doing so, he wanted to team-up with her to double their chances. Mattie denied his offer because La Boeuf would take Chaney back to be hanged for his prior murder rather than her fathers, defeating her purpose. Mattie eventually convinces U.S. Marshal "Rooster" Cogburn to help her hunt him down for $100. Promising to meet her in the morning to embark on their journey, Mattie finds a note that he left telling her to go home and let him do his job and pursue Chaney on his own. Extremely determined, Mattie catches up to Cogburn on her horse, impressively crossing a flowing river in the process. To her surprise she finds that Cogburn has teamed up with Texas Ranger La Boeuf. Mattie threatens Cogburn, accusing him of fraud for breaking their agreement. Reluctantly, Cogburn is forced to bring her along on their pursuit to find Chaney. I won't ruin anymore of the movie for you, but that is the basic plot. Here is a preview to help you decide: "True Grit". Thanks for reading! I really hope you guys decide to see this one, you will not regret it.

It's a Wonderful Life

I am sure that most of you are aware of the movie "It's a Wonderful Life". It is one of the most iconic Christmas films since the beginning of the movie industry. It is truly a heartwarming and forever cherished film that will never be forgotten. No matter who you are or what type of movies you like to view, you can never go wrong with "It's a Wonderful Life". This movie stars the actor James Stewart who plays the character George Bailey. It also stars Lionel Barrymore who plays the notorious character named Mr. Potter. "It's a Wonderful Life" is a classic black and white filmed Christmas story made in 1946. It was directed by  Frank Capra who based the story on a book written by Philip Van Doren Stern which is called "The Greatest Gift". This movie has helped me and many others learn the true meaning of Christmas. We all need to be thankful for everything that we have in our lives, and most importantly the people we get to share it with. I have came to realize how fortunate I am to also have a wonderful life. Sometimes you just have to understand that we all have a purpose in this world, no matter what that may be. It seems that the world would just not be the same without the existence of anyone of us; we all have an impact.

George Bailey is a well-known modest owner of a private building and loan company (bank) in his town. His efforts as the owner have helped to keep his local town alive, preventing it from being taken over by Mr. Potter, a wealthy man known for his infamy. One day, George leaves his Uncle Billy to watch the bank while he is out as his brothers wedding. As he is gone, a large number of customers decide to withdraw all their money fearing that the bank may soon be unable to pay back their investments. This is formally known as a bank run. When George comes back he finds out that they have just lost $8000 threatening bankruptcy. George refuses Mr. Potters offer to buy the bank at half its value. After taking his frustration out on the rest of his family, George goes out on a long walk at night contemplating his situation and even considers suicide at one point. He begins to think that his wife and children would be better off without him. However, he soon runs into an angel sent from heaven named Clarence (Henry Travers).  He shows George what things would have been like if he had never been born. George finds out that the town would have been controlled by Potter and that most of the people he loves would have been miserable, ruined, and even dead. George soon realizes that he does have a purpose in this world, touching the lives of many people. At that moment he knows that he can not desert all the people that love him. When George returns home as a revitalized man, he is greeted by his loving family, friends, and towns people who all chip in to save his bank's financial ruin. George is stunned by their generosity, realizing that he truly has "a wonderful life". "Its a Wonderful Life" has always been a tradition in my family to watch during the Christmas season.  It is by far one of my favorite movies, in which I will be sure to pass onto my own family around Christmas time. Here is a preview of the movie: "It a Wonderful Life". Hopefully this movie means as much to you as it does to me. I wish you all a merry Christmas!

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

This is by far one of my favorite comedies of all-time! If you have not seen it yet, then I recommend it to anyone who likes to have a good laugh. The film was made in 1987 and was directed by John Hughes. It stars two of my favorite comedians, Steve Martin and John Candy. By the way, John Candy is actually Canadian and is one of my countries most beloved and cherished actors. He is most recognized for his witty humor that can be appreciated by people of all ages. Steve Martin plays an uptight, sarcastic, and very pessimistic person by the name of Neal Page. On the other hand, John Candy plays a very friendly and optimistic person named Del Griffith who tends to easily form attachments to people. These two characters are basically the exact opposite from each other in every single way; however, their lives seem to still collide with each other while they both try to get home for Thanksgiving. Previously, I wrote a blog on the movie "Due Date" that was just recently released to theaters less than a month a ago. "Due Date" seems to have used nearly the exact same storyline as "Planes, Trains and Automobiles", also including characters with very similar characteristics. But by far, the original, "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" was much better. Anyways, it is a great movie full of hilarious scenes, a plot spinning ending, and two great actors who have helped to turn Comedy into what it has became today. It is definitely worth checking out!


The main premise of the story is about two very different characters by the name of Neal Page and Del Griffith, who bump into each other on the way to the airport while trying to catch a cab. In turn, Del ends up mistakenly taking Neal's cab in which Neal had just bribed another man for it, for over a $100. This of course is not the best start for their problematic journey together. Soon after, the two of them end up running into each other again, this time at the airport, where they are both scheduled for the same flight. Before being able to depart to chicago, their plane gets caught in a bad storm forcing them to land halfway to their destination. Later on in the movie, Neil has no choice but to pair up with Del, leading them on a long and crazy journey together to try and get Neal home for his Thanksgiving Dinner with his family. To change it up a bit this week, I thought I would include some of my favorite quotes in the movie. Hope you enjoy!


This quote involves a scene when Del and Neal are waking up after sharing the same bed together in the only motel room they could afford:
Neal: Del... Why did you kiss my ear? 
Del: Why are you holding my hand? 
Neal: [frowns] Where's your other hand? 
Del: Between two pillows... 
Neal: Those aren't pillows! 

Another one of my favorite quotes in the movie is when Del talks to a police officer that had just pulled him and Neal over for speeding in their completely trashed rental car that had caught on fire the previous night before, but surprisingly still ran great:

State Trooper: What the hell are you driving here? Del: Well you see officer, we had a small fire last night, but we caught it in the nick of time. State Trooper: Do you have any idea how fast you were going? Del: Funny enough, I was just talking to my friend about that. Our speedometer has melted and as a result it's very hard to see with any degree of accuracy exactly how fast we were going.

One other great quote in the movie is when Neal complains about all the stupid things that Del does and in return he asks Del to try to name one thing that he doesn't like about him:

Del: You play with your balls a lot. Neal: I do NOT play with my balls!Del: Larry Bird doesn't do as much ball-handling in one night as you do in an hour! Neal: Are you trying to start a fight? Del: No. I'm simply stating a fact. That's all. You fidget with your nuts a lot. Neal: You know what'd make me happy? Del: Another couple of balls, and an extra set of fingers? 

Those quotes are hilarious, and trust me, there are many more as well. "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" is a really great movie that I have came to appreciate more and more over the past  several years of watching it sporadically from time to time. It seems to get funnier the more I watch it, which is something that does not happen to often in comedies. Here is a preview of the movie to help you decide: "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles". You will not be disappointed!

Braveheart

After doing a project in my film class on the movie Braveheart, I though that it would make sense to blog about it. It stars Mel Gibson playing the role of a Scottish highlander named William Wallace. Mel Gibson does a wonderful acting job making his character very believable. He directed this movie as well, which is pretty amazing seeing as though he was the main role in the movie too. One thing that I really like about most of the films that Mel Gibson makes is that they tend to be related to something something that it very personal to him. In Braveheart's case, the movie relates to his own Scottish heritage. For this reason, the movie is somewhat based on true events from a historian standpoint. In this movie, William Wallace fights along side his army to keep Scotland's freedom from the neighboring imperialistic country of  England in the 1200’s. It was released in 1995 winning best picture and several other awards. This is actually one of my favorite movies, which I can take in some of my own Scottish pride. Although some may feel differently, I think that it deserves to be a well respected film. It has a great, inspiring storyline that will astonish you. Every time I watch this film, I am just amazed at how far people will go to fight for their country. In many ways, it has allowed me to appreciate my own freedoms in America, which is unfortunately something that a lot of people seem to take for granted. If this sound likes the movie for you, then I would definitely recommend that you consider it.

As always, here is a basic summary of the main plot of the movie Braveheart. The movie begins in the 1280 A.D. when King Edward "Longshanks" of England has taken over most of Southern Scotland. As a young child, both William Wallace's father and brother are killed in their village by the English during this terrible period. After being raised with his Uncle Argyle (played by Brian Cox), he eventually secretly marries the women of his dreams named Murron (played by Catherine McCormack) to avoid primae noctis. To prevent any further trouble, Wallace tries to live a discrete life with his wife as local farmers. Shortly after, two British soldiers in their town nearby, try to rape Murron. In turn, Wallace fights them off causing the men to run away. However, the british soldiers try to stop Wallace and Murron as they attempt to flee the village. As Wallace fights the men off, Murron is unfortunately captured, and she is sadly accused by the villages magistrate for assault and executed on the spot. When Wallace finds out he becomes enraged, wanting his revenge. Wallace and his men ride back into town and kill all the british soldiers, including the magistrate. However, Wallace soon realizes that it was not enough. Tired of the English's harsh rule, Wallace forms his own army of Scotts that are all willing to risk their lives for their countries freedom. William Wallace and his men do more damage in their revolution then the British ever imagined possible. I really recommend that see this movie, you will not regret it. Every time I watch it, I continue to become more and more inthralled by its amazing story. It is one of those movies that everyone should take the time to at least see it once in their life; however, once you see it I am sure that you will be wanting to see it again. Here is one of my favorite quotes in Braveheart, spoken by William Wallace in efforts to motivate his men before they go into battle:  “Aye, fight and you may die. Run, and you'll live... at least a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willin' to trade ALL the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they'll never take... OUR FREEDOM!” This quote seems to give me the chills every time I hear it. In fact, it is so inspiring that it makes me want to join in and fight along with them if it were possible. Here is a preview for everyone to watch: "Braveheart". I hope that you guys decide to see this one. Take my word for it. As always, thanks for reading! 

Gone Baby Gone

After seeing "The Town" and really enjoying it, I thought that watching "Gone Baby Gone" would also be a good idea. This is mainly because both movies were directed by Ben Affleck, who for the most part seems to direct great movies."Gone Baby Gone" came out in 2007 and was based on the book written by Dennis Lehane. The screenplay was also written by Ben Affleck. Who knew he was so talented? I for one sure didn't.  And with no further surprise, I thought that "Gone Baby Gone" was great. Now I wouldn't go as far to say that it was better than "The Town", however, I am sure that it could be very arguable. It was really well-done, starring Ben Affleck's brother, Casey Affleck, playing Patrick Kenzie. His character plays a private kidnapping investigator, not associated with professional criminal investigators. One thing that I was able to admire outside the actual movie was that Ben Affleck could have easily played this role, however he instead passed it onto his brother for his own chance at some fame. I also think that it would be much easier to direct a film when you are not starring in it. The movie also stars Ed Harris, and the forever cherished Visa commercial guy, Morgan Freeman. Ed Harris plays the character Remy Bressant, a undercover investigator. Morgan Freeman plays Jack Doyle, head of the kidnapping division in the police department. As you can see, it has quite a good cast, making it an even better movie. "Gone Baby Gone" is a movie perfectly suited for any viewer looking for somewhat of a analytical movie to watch, that will require some thinking in order to properly understand it. If this sounds good to you, then I would definitely recommend it.

As always, here is a little summary to help you get more of a feeling for the storyline of the movie without ruining it for you.  The movie begins with the private investigator Patrick Kenzie and his partner and girlfriend Angie Gennaro. Both of them see a breaking news cast on TV reporting the possible kidnapping of Helene McCready missing daughter Amanda. Jack Doyle, along with Remy Bressant and many others, are put on the kidnapping case to try to find the girl and her kidnapper. Later on, Helene's parents hire both Angie and Patrick to take on the case, seeing as though they need all the help that they can get. After taking on the case, they are looked upon as outsider who have no experience, by the professional investigators. However, soon after, Angie and Patrick discover that Helene has been doing some drug deals on the side with her boyfriend Skinny Ray, who she had just stolen over $100,000 with from their head drug lord Cheese. Angie and Patrick suspect that it was Cheese who had kidnapped Amanda in order to get his money back. In turn, Captain Jack Doyle makes a supposed deal with Cheese that they would exchange the money in return for Amanda without the involvement of any other cops. Upon making the deal, Doyle's investigators Remy Bressant and his partner split up with Angie and Patrick. After hearing gunshots by the investigators, Angie and Patrick rush over to find out what happened. The investigators said that upon making the deal, there were gunshots fired and Amanda accidentally fell off the cliff into the Quarry, where she supposedly drowned. Of course this is not the full truth behind the storyline, so there is much more for you to find out, along with one of the most unexpected twists that I have ever seen in a movie. Here is a preview to help you decide if this movie is worth watching: "Gone Baby Gone". As always, thanks for reading! Hope you guys enjoy this one!

La Bamba

To continue my interest in the origins of rock and roll music, I decided to Netflix the movie "La Bamba". After enjoying the movie "The Buddy Holly Story", I knew that "La Bamba" could have just as much potential, seeing as though they shared similar stories. "La Bamba" is about the short, but illustrious life of the young Hispanic Rock N' Roll singer known as Ritchie Valens. Valens is played by the actor Lou Diamond Phillips, doing a great job on his role. The movie goes into detail about some of his teenage life, his rapid growth to fame, and of course his passing. If you read my previous post on "The Buddy Holly Story", then you would be aware that Ritchie Valens, as well as the Big Bopper and Buddy Holly, all died on a horrific plane crash in a blizzard. Unfortunately their influential efforts on Rock N' Roll came to an end, but their music will never be forgotten. Ritchie Valens brought his own special twist to Rock N' Roll, changing up the beats of several songs such as "La Bamba", which of course is where the name of the movie was derived from. His roll on Rock N' Roll will always be remembered and greatly appreciated forever.

The movie begins in southern California in the year 1957, where Valens works on a peach vineyard with his mother and brother. Ritchie is a very confident and determined young man when it comes to his love for music. He continues to promise his mother that he will get her the home of her dreams when he becomes rich and famous. Later on Valens Brother Bob, who is somewhat of a rebellious young man, ends up betraying Valens by sleeping with his girlfriend. However, in Valens good nature, he decides to forgive his brother, later moving to the west coast of California with him and his mother Connie. Valens and his brother continue to share a distraught relationship throughout the movie, mainly due to the fact that Bob felt that his mother had always appreciated Ritchie more. Soon Ritchie meets a girl that he falls in love with named Donna, who he later writes a song about. Further on in the movie, Ritchie Valens is discovered by a small time record producer at a dance. This is where Valens gets the extra boost he needed to help develop his music career, making him one of the most popular singers in 1958. The movie goes on to tell you more about his life as a musician, his unfortunate death, and the mourning of his family. There is definitely a lot more to this movie than I already told you so I would definitely recommend you see it. It is truly a great movie that I am sure any music lover will enjoy! Here is a short preview to help you decide: "La Bamba". I hope that everyone enjoys this one as much as I did!

Unstoppable

I just saw the movie "Unstoppable" in theaters this weekend and I thought that it was actually very good. I would probably say that it was fairly predictable, but I was still able to really enjoy it. Not only that, but ever since I was little and got to go on a passenger train ride with my Dad, through the Rocky Mountains from Vancouver to Calgary, I have grown a great passion for trains. So as you can see, this movie came to be quite enjoyable to me and as well as my dad. Train lovers or not, I'm sure that you'll still love this movie. It is a 2010 American Action-packed thriller with the occasional input of humor that for the most part would be appealing for the majority of movie-goers. "Unstoppable" was directed by Tony Scott and written by Mark Bomback. It is also based on true events, so in other words it is fairly dramatized. The movie stars Denzel Washington who plays the character Frank Barnes, and Chris Pine who plays the role of Will Colson. They both seem to do a great job with their parts in the movie. I'm sure that you will not be disappointed with this one.

Frank Barnes is a 28-year veteran train engineer who has just been given a 90-day forced retirement notice with half the benefits. On the other hand, Will Colson has just been given a job offer to work for the company in the same Fuller yard. On his way to work, Will tries to call his wife but she refuses to pick-up, purposely avoiding him for the past couple of weeks. Later on in the movie, you find out that this was because he was suspicious of her cheating on him when she refused to let him see who she was texting one day. After leaving her in anger, he later finds out that she was just texting her friend and not the man he threatened. Later on in the movie, Will is still learning how to be a train conductor so he is teamed up with Frank to help teach him the daily routine on how to properly operate a locomotive engine. While on their train schedule, Frank and Will are warned that there is an unstoppable, unmanned train close by, head-on in their direction, put into motion by human error. They soon find out that this train is also carrying several carts of highly toxic and explosive chemicals, dramatically increasing the danger of this problem. In turn, they are asked to stop at the next siding to let the train pass them without collision, but Frank was confident that they had too large of a load to fit. Instead, Frank and will decide to stay on the main track, just getting off in time on a cleared RIP track further down, allowing the unmanned train to safely pass. After seeing the train pass, Frank notices that the last carts coupling is still open realizing that they could stop it if they catch up to it in reverse, latch on to the cart, and pull it in the opposite direction. Will decides to stay with him to help out the most that he possibly can, feeling that it is a chance for him to win back his wife, and stop the reckless train. While this is going on, there also are several other failed attempts to stop the train, one of which included the death of Franks close friend. This is when the movie really starts to get good, becoming quite the rollercoaster ride (or I guess I should say train ride). It is also really interesting to see two very different characters (Frank and Will) open up to each other, both realizing that they could die in their attempt to stop the runaway train. I really recommend this one to anyone who is interested in the story line.  Here is a short preview to help you decide: "Unstoppable". I Hope you enjoy this one as much as I did!

Forrest Gump

"Forrest Gump" is probably one of the best movies of all-time. If you have not seen this movie before, than you are really missing out on a great cinematic adventure. It is by far one of my favorite movies. It was based on the book "Forrest Gump", written by Winston Groom. The novel was also very well-done with a couple aspects in it that were not included in the movie. However, I feel that "Forrest Gump" is one of the very few movie adaptation’s that was even better than the book. This is something that you rarely get to see in movies that were based on books; usually critics who have read the book beforehand tend to criticize the movie, but in this case it became an American classic. I think one of the strongest attributes of this movie is that it has such a wide-range appeal to all viewers. This is mainly because it covers nearly all major genres of movies in one film: this includes comedy, romance, drama, action, and even historical non-fiction. Also, Tom Hanks did a wonderful job playing the role of Forrest Gump, stating that it was the best roll that he has ever played. Forest Gump is considered to be borderline mentally challenge.  Like Forrest says, "Stupid is, as stupid does." However, he never let his limitations prevent him from accomplishing amazing things. It was truly miraculous to watch Forrest Gump’s simple character grow to have such a big heart. Through all his many adversities, he still was able to keep a positive outlook on life. To be honest with you, this is one thing that I have learned from Forrest Gump: you just need to have a little faith, and never give up on your dreams. Like Forrest's mom told him, "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get."

I'll give you a short summary to help you decide if you would enjoy "Forrest Gump" as much as I did. And trust me, you will! The movie starts out in the year 1981, where Forrest Gump begins to tell an older lady (as well as many other people further on in the movie) the story of his life to help pass the time. He begins by talking about his childhood. This is when the movie flashes back, eventually leading up to him discussing his story at the bus stop. It then progresses onto more of his life, leading to the climax of the story, and the ultimate resolution. He talks about how his mother was able to convince his principle to get into his public school, even with his fairly low IQ. On his first day of school, none of the kids on the bus would let him sit down next to them except one girl name Jenny. She will become his best friend and protector throughout their close relationship as children and later on as friends. Soon Forrest will grow to love Jenny more than he himself could understand. As a child, the doctor gave him leg braces, thinking that it was the best way to help "straighten him out". One day while walking with Jenny, a group of bullies road up on their bikes and began to throw rocks at him. Forrest resists to movie until Jenny yells, "Run Forrest, run!" This is a reoccurring motif throughout the movie. Forrest takes off while being chased by the boys on their bikes. His leg braces ripped right off and he was able to run faster than ever. This is when Forrest discovers one of his first miraculous talents. The movie goes on and eventually Forrest graduates high school. After being chased in a truck by the same, but older bullies, Forrest ends up running accidentally across the University of Alabama’s football field during their practice. This is where the coach discovers his amazing speed, seeing that he could outrun a hail-marry. He was soon given a football scholarship to Alabama, where he becomes the star players of the team. After graduating, he ends up enlisting into the military during the Vietnam War, not really knowing any better. This is where he meets one of his best friend name Bubba who convinces him to get into the shrimping business with him after the war. This is also where he meets the character Lt. Dan. Later on, Forrest Gump ends up getting caught in a Vietnamese ambush with the rest of his platoon, where he listens to Jenny’s advice to just run when he gets into any trouble. After making it to the shoreline, he realizes that he had left Bubba, so he ends up running back into the dangerous ambush. On his way, he runs into several other injured American soldiers, rescuing them as well. Finally after finding Bubba, he takes him to wear it was safe with the other men, however it was too late. Forrest is given the Medal of Honor from President Nixon for his tremendous bravery. Forrest ends up keeping his promise to Bubba, by establishing the "Bubba-Gump Shrimp Company” with Lt. Dan. Forrest ends up making a fortune off their company and as well as his investment in "Apple", which he believes to be some sort of fruit company. Forrest continues to spread his generosity by giving Bubba’s Momma, Bubba’s share, and also donating a lot of the money to charities, as well as a new hospital in town and a gospel church. I think I have already ruined enough for you, and trust me there is much more. This includes Forrest Gump’s accomplishments, such as running all across the United States from coast to coast, being a world champion ping-pong player, and eventually marrying the love of his life, Jenny. Please do yourself a favor and watch this movie. There is so much more to it than I already discussed with you. It is full of beautiful screenshots, a great soundtrack, lots of symbolism, and even a great historical outline of this time period. Not only that but this movie also won several awards, including "Best Picture" at the Academy Awards. Here is a preview of the movie for you to see: "Forrest Gump". I cannot stress my point any stronger! You will love it!

In the Name of the Father

As I walked in on my Dad watching TV, the movie "In the Name of the Father" came on. My Dad strongly recommended that I watch it with him because he said it was very well done. So I thought "Why not? I still have to make a blog on a movie anyways". After watching the whole movie, I found it to be great!  "In the Name of the Father" is based on the true story about the Guildford Four and was directed by Jim Sheridan. It stars Daniel Day-Lewis (playing Gerry Conlon), Emma Thompson (playing Gareth Peirce), and Pete Postlethwaite (playing Giuseppe Conlon). The setting of the movie first takes place in Northern Ireland during the problems between an Irish terrorist group known as the IRA, and the British government. The IRA formed to try and reunite Northern Ireland, which is part of Britain, with the rest of the predominantly Catholic Republic of Ireland. During this time the IRA was an extremely violent group that tried to intimidate the British through violence. The main premise behind the story is the false conviction of four young Catholics and their family, who were wrongly convicted for supposedly being the IRA terrorists who bombed the Guildford Pub, killing five people. The conflict in the film is between the British police who try to cover up the fact that they arrested and convicted innocent people, and the victims fight to reveal the truth and free themselves from this injustice. It is a really well done movie that if you have not seen it yet, I would definitely recommend that you do so.

Now that you have heard my own comments on the movie, I will give you the main description of it so that you can decide if you would enjoy watching this yourself. The movie begins with the main character Gerry Conlon, a Catholic, who lives in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Of course during this time the IRA was stirring up a lot of chaos in this area, in efforts to unite Ireland. During this time, Garry Conlon was messing around with the British Military, getting involved in riots. His father, Giuseppe Conlon, feared for his safety, getting him to move to England to live with his Aunt Anne Maguire, for the time being, until things settle down back home. In his stay in England, he decides to live with a group of hippies instead of with his aunt. After getting in a fight with one of the hippies at this abandoned house, Gerry and his friend Paul Hill, who is also from Ireland, go out for the night to blow off some steam. They decide to spend the night on a bench with a homeless man named Charles Burke (a key character in the trial), who they were with while the incident of the Guildford Pub bombing happened. Later, they ended up bumping into a female prostitute who was inconsiderate towards Gerry. As she drives off in a car, she accidently drops her keys without noticing. In spite, Gerry robs her apartment, taking a large stash of her money. Coincidentally, Gerry and Paul ended up buying some extravagant clothes with their money. They were linked to the bombing through the supposed evidence of being falsely accused by the same hippie that they argued with the previous night, and also being some of the few Catholic's in that area. This was enough to get a warrant, so that they could try to force them to confess.  After visiting back home, Gerry and Paul were interrogated by the police, who took them back to Britain to be to be question about the bombing. The criminal investigators harassed and tortured them mentally and physically to try to get them to confess to a crime that they did not commit. In his son’s defense, Gerry's father Giuseppe Conlon came to try and negotiate with the police to see what the problem could be. However, he and the rest of his family were arrested instead for supposedly supplying the "Guildford Four" with homemade bombs. Eventually, Paul Hill is forced to confess to a crime he did not commit when the police shove a gun down his throat, forcing to do so or else they would kill him. Soon after, Gerry Conlon is also forced to admit to the same crime that he also did not commit, threatening to kill his father if he did not do so either. For the most part, the investigators just wanted any possible group to be labeled and put in jail for this horrible crime in order to keep the angered English public satisfied. The movie really picks up in pace after this, leading them to a court trial where they are accused for the bombing. Each of them are sentenced to prison for years, including Gerry's sentence for a lifetime. Eventually, a lawyer named Gareth Peirce puts her faith in their case, devoting years of her life to get an appeal with the proper supportive evidence to get them all out of jail. This is where the movie really begins to get good, so I won't ruin anymore for you, but you should definitely go watch it to find out. Here is a little preview that you are welcome to go watch: "In the Name of the Father". I hope everyone enjoys this one!

3:10 To Yuma

I have seen this movie a couple of times before and I just saw it the other day again in my film class. The amazing thing about "3:10 to Yuma" is that I can watch it over and over again and I don't seem to get any less intrigued. In fact, I think it gets more interesting because I continue to look harder for symbols, foreshadowing, and other meanings throughout the movie. And this is something that you don't get to see too often in movies. It stars two great and popular actors, Christian Bale and Russell Crowe. Christian Bale plays the character Dan Evans who would be considered the hero of the movie. On the other hand, Russell Crowe plays Ben Wade, who represents more so of a villainous character. Both their roles are played perfectly and to the tee, really allowing you to become intrigued by their character.  It is definitely one of my all-time favorite westerns, so if you like western movie, I would definitely recommend it!

Before you decide whether or not you would like to see "3:10 to Yuma", I'll just give you a short summary on the basics of the movie. A husband and father of two named Dan Evans is going through many problems. This includes a drought in which has caused his farm to be greatly hurt, and nearly completely dried out. Due to the drought he and his wife become broke, making it very hard to support their sons. His eldest son has lost all respect for his father, which really seems to take a huge toll on Dan. Later on in the movie Dan and his two sons bump into a posse of rebellious criminal cowboys, of which had just robbed an armored cart. Their gang leader Ben Wade is well-known for being a notorious killer and stealer. After making terms with each other, the gang goes off on their own to a nearby town. Later on the sheriffs arrive at the scene where Dan helps to lead them back to the town in which they came from where the gang had just left to. Dan walks into the local bar to sort out a couple of things that Wade owed him after killing some of his cattle, while at the same time letting the sheriffs surround  the bar to capture Wade. They burst in forcing him to surrender. The next step to the story was transporting their prisoner Wade to a train station way out of town, leaving to Yuma at 3:10. Dan quickly takes up the job for $200, along with a couple of other men. He knows that by completing this job he can win his families respect and get them enough money to provide a good environment to support them. This is where the story really gets good leading to quite the journey. Also, you get to see a strange relationship form between Ben Wade and Dan Evans. Even though these men are very different, they still seem to share great respect for each other. Through their respect, you get to see the thin line between good and evil. It is full of great action, symbolism, and the close relationship between good and evil. I really recommend that you go see this movie! Here is a short preview to help you decide: "3:10 to Yuma". Trust me, you won't be disappointed!"

Due Date

This weekend I decided to go see "Due Date", which was just released to theaters. Seeing as though this movie was made and directed by the same people who did the movie "The Hangover", I felt that this too would have to be pretty funny. It also stars Robert Downey Jr., who plays Peter Highman, and Zack Galifianakis, who plays Ethan Tremblay. I’m sure you all know Zack Galifianakis from "The Hangover", which he was hilarious in. And not only that, but I'm sure you are familiar with good old Robert Downey Junior’s role in "Iron Man". They are both great actors who seemed to really work together quite well in "Due Date". You also get to see some of their similar humors from past movies that they stared. After watching the movie I was quite pleased with the outcome. It was fairly good, although I would not call it "Hangover" good. It was still very funny though, with lots of great scenes and lines that would be hard not to break-out laughing at. I definitely think it is a movie that is well-worth the time and money. If you’re looking for a new movie to get a good laugh out of, then "Due Date" is for you.

Anyways, I'll just give you an outline on the basics of "Due Date". In the very beginning of the movie, Peter Highman is on the way to the airport to try and get home to Los Angeles to see his wife deliver their expected baby. Upon his arrival to the airport he opens the car door of the cab, when all of the sudden a car zooms by and rips the door right off. At that time a man by the name of Ethan Tremblay gets out of the passenger side of the same car, knocking his own bags into Peter's, where they accidently switch paper bags. While Peter is going through security he gets his paper bag flagged over and checked. The security guard ends up confiscating his bag, which was not his, because it had marijuana and a bong in it. Later while boarding the plane, Peter bumps into Ethan again who coincidentally is bumped up to first class, right in the seat behind him. As the passengers are told to shut off all their cell phones before the plane embarks, Peter tries to finish a text to his wife. Ethan leans forward and advises him to shut it off seeing as though it is part of the airlines protocol. However, Peter refuses to saying that he just wants to finish up his last text. Ethan loudly continues to try and get him to shut off his phone, saying that the attendants may suspect him to be a terrorist trying to set off a bomb. Peter asks Ethan to please be quiet, saying that you should not say those words on an airplane. I found it hilarious when Ethan continues to repeat himself causing a commotion on the plane, to the point where Peter is asked to step up to the front of the plane. Peter refuses to move, so the plane air Marshall gets up and tells him please come with him and drop the phone. Peter persists that it is not a bomb, waving it around in the air. He is than shot by the air Marshall with a rubber bullet. Later, both Peter and Zack are put on the no-fly-list, restricting them from being able fly home. Zack rents a car and offers Peter a ride to Los Angeles, seeing as though he is going there to because his father had just died and he promised him that he would pursue his acting career. Peter left had his wallet and suitcase on the plane, leaving him no choice but to travel with Zack. This is where the story really gets good, filled with tons of hilarious scenes. One of the funniest things about this movie is Zack's ignorance to his stupidity and his unbearable personality, and Peter's smart-ass humor. If you like comedies, I know you will all really enjoy this movie! Here is a brief preview of the movie: "Due Date". Hope everyone enjoys it!