Sex and The City 2

The following review is by The Beauty Alchemist, famous for her fashion and make up advice and has a fantastic blog: www.thebeautyalchemist.blogspot.com.

Sex and The City 2 was eagerly awaited by the shows many fans all Spring. Last week it finally hit theaters. I've been a fan of the show from the beginning. For me it was all about it being located in NYC and the fashion. Yes, the friendships resonated too. I've been friends with my oldest/dearest friends since high school or earlier , so those bonds I know and love. We weren't too much like those girls( my fashion obsessed-ness aside) but they sure are /were fun to watch.

The racy parts, the silliness, often flew right by me as I was waiting to see what new piece of jewelry Carrie would wear each week. I was also an Aiden fan. Big often annoyed me. He didn't deserve Carrie then and always seemed a bit patronizing to her. Aiden was free, easy and less a larger than life, too stuck on himself boyfriend like Big. Big grew up in the last movie and was a far more enjoyble presence in this installment. He gets a little of his ways handed back to him and that may be a good thing. Aiden shows up in the new film and tempting as he is, by this point we know where Carrie should be. She, on the other hand, isn't quite as sure.

The sequel mostly is very much about those friendships. The deep ties that as Samantha says, are never broken . " We are soulmates ". The friends are the ones who listen, who get each other tipsy to make unburdening oneself easier , who take care of middle of the night emergencies and who sometimes have to tell each other to stand down.

The movie also though, is about marriage. What is a good marriage, what is right in a marriage and how do you keep the "sparkle" years later when the TV comes into the bedroom instead of the title's Sex. These looks at marriage , Carrie and Big especially, are not done for jokes or camp, but serious and thoughful . They make you laugh, because if you know a man, then you will get it and shake your head knowingly, but they aren't "funny". Carrie and Big have been married 2 years and like all couples have settled into their life , changed some and are also still trying to figure some things out.

The camp comes in the desert scenes. It's mostly funny but there did come a point when Samantha's lewd jokes hit a saturation point for me. Everyone in the audience , though, laughed every time.

Some reviewers have hit at this movie because in our economic times it is portraying such excess, when few have that these days. Yes, that's true. It's excess to the max and frankly I wouldn't have it any other way. It's escapism. I can't book a 5 star resort for a week or have my dearly wanted Lady Dior bag, but that doesn't make me enjoy the film any less. 10 years ago, did I have more disposable income, yes. Did I have the money for a Dior bag, still no. So some things change, some stay the same. I love seeing the fashion, the decadence on screen. Isn't that what movies are for ? Besides, Carrie ends up finding the cutest shoes in the souk in for a whole $ 20.00 . " $ 20.00 ? For shoes ?" from the woman who made Manolo Blahnik a household name.

The other reviewer complaint is the depiction of muslim women in one scene where a group of ayaba clad ladies lead Carrie & Co. into a back room and show them their full on designer wares under their robes. Many feel this is just a sad excuse for a scene and demeaning to the Muslims . Now I cannot quote anything and am far from an expert here but I do recall reading an article on Dubai when it first became the big deal of ultra riche locations and interviewed were many local women who while they could not wear designers clothes on the outside, carried the most expensive handbags , wore the chic-est shoes and were all for shopping the western designer stores. So without an actual women living there telling us her experiences, I am not sure any of us can make solid pronouncements here. Now, the scenes were Samantha flaunts herself in the souk, well I agree, that was too much. No matter your feelings towards a countries ways, you have to respect them when traveling there just as you would expect American ways to be honored here. This is one place the movie went awry.

You don't have to have seen the series or the previous movie to enjoy it, but it might help to have some background. They do a nice little montage of what's happened to the ladies years previous to get fans new and old up to speed.

Sex and The City 2 is a overall a romp and the ultimate chick flick. Do not even think about taking your guy to see this. Fun and a perfect weekend wind down with a best friend or 2 which is exactly how what I did. I left the theater smiling and fighting the urge to go shopping.

Good Gore!

I don't go for modern horror - no Saw, Ring or I know what you did last summer - do it for me. I was never really into Jason or Freddy that much either. But horror done right is horror done right and Legion and Daybreakers are good spooky fun. And available to rent!

Daybreakers takes place in a not so distant future where a "virus" has turned most of the population on Earth into vampires. Things were fine as long as there was plenty of blood donors, so to speak, around. When a blood crisis occurs it turns this otherwise civilized world on end (oil anyone?). I do mean "civilized." Other than the fact that everyone is a vampire - things hum along like they do now. Daybreakers has a clever story, bloody effects and a reliable cast of actors including Ethan Hawke and Sam Neill (a personal fav!). This story could have been just some gorefest but it is clever and well thought out. The vampire story has been told and re-told but when a different take is taken - it's a treat.
I will tell you there is a good amount of blood, bloodletting, eviscerating, feeding and blood curteling screams. If you are used to that kind of stuff and don't wince then you are going to be fine. If you are squeamish, I can't recommend this unless you can keep that at bay. That is too bad because it is a great movie!
MMMM (out of 5 M's)
ps. Other vampire movies that are outside the usual vampire box - 30 Days of Night and Let The Right One In. Both movies have been reviewed on this blog. Also, available to rent.

Legion appeals to me because I am interested in all kinds of religious mythos movies. I will watch any kind of TV, movie or documentary about the holy grail, the stigmata, shrouds, etc. I have always found that stuff fascinating! So, watching a movie about angels bent on the destruction of human kind and one angel who won't let that happen is right up my alley.
Legion follows the angel Gabriel as he casts himself out of heaven and cuts off his wings, to protect a young pregnant waitress at a desert truck stop. Of course, the truck stop is in the middle of a deserted desert. The waitresses unborn child is apparently going to restore God's hope in mankind. There are other folks in the restaurant as well - the owner, his son (in love with the waitress), a couple traveling with their obnoxious teenage daughter, the cook and a young man who is just passing by. The fun in this kind of thing is always guessing who is going to be knocked off first in some horrific way! And this movie does not disappoint! Dennis Quaid, as the restaurant owner and Paul Bettany, as Gabriel, lead the cast through lots of zombies, gore and high body count. This movie could have been corny but really has enough to keep it from going there. It is often predictable but has a few surprises. And wait until you see how the angels use their wings as weapons. It's wicked. Once again - not for the faint of heart or stomach.
MMM (out of 5 M's)

SHREK Forever After

I was not on board with the first two Shrek movies. I didn't think they were all that and in fact, I thought the first one paled in comparison to the real brilliant animated film of Monsters Inc., released the same year. In spite of my low opinion on the wildly popular green giant - I watched the second one and then with great delight watched the third one. Shrek the Third redeemed the series for me. I know some folks that didn't warm up to it but I think you would have to be a parent to understand Shrek's anxiety of being a new parent and the baby humor that ensued. I wondered - could they do it again? A resounding - "yes!"
Shrek Forever After is great fun! Michael Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy and Antonio Banderas are back to lend their voices to the leading cast. Like the other Shrek movies there is humor in it for kids and definitly for adults to enjoy. And much like the third installment it deals with parenthood. In Forever After, everyday life is the same for Shrek: babies waking him up, feeding them, changing diapers and being interrupted every time he wants time to himself. Ah, parenthood! Shrek misses his old life as a scary Ogre and makes a deal that would change his life and everyone elses. Shrek finds himself the George Bailey of Far Far Away and at first, it is fun being scary again but then misses his family. No one knows him - not Donkey, Puss or Fiona. Shrek must figure out a way to make things right.
Alternate universe plots are always fun! Who doesn't like Spock with a beard? Red head Olivia? Well...anyway...with an alternate world a filmmaker can really have some fun with the familiar characters.
Shrek Forever After is a real treat. Go see it, laugh and feel good afterwards. I took my 4 1/2 year old daughter who wondered why I was laughing so hard at some of the scenes. Maybe when she is a Mommy she'll understand.
MMMM (out of 5 M's)

Iron Man 2 Reviewed by The Movie Sith

Iron Man II (No Spoilers here)

As sequels go, IM2 really delivered for me. This can be directly attributed to the return of the director and most of the cast, one replacement and three notable additions.

Cast - It's difficult to ignore the talent level Marvel Studios has pooled into this franchise. The performances are top notch. Cheadle is more than adequate in Howard's shoes, adding to the "buddy" feel of the relationship. All the chemistries were in sync, Downey Jr. is good with everyone. Rourke, Rockwell and Johannson all pull their weight.

Plot - While I miss the impact of the "newness," these characters have a lot to say and they get the job done. Ultimately the protagonist's challenges balance out, reminding me in Stark's world of corporate plight is as real as the physical and internal struggles he faces. Make no mistake...this film is no Dark Knight. The comedic moments make up most of the finest exchanges and are delivered flawlessly. For the younger audience the pace may lag around the half-way point but there was no "filler," the script was very tight.

Have fun with Iron Man II. It's one more stone in the monument Marvel is building as they bring their Mightiest Heroes to life.

3 out of 4 stars

The movie mommy humbly thanks the Movie Sith for his review. The Lord of Comics and Master of Artistic Novelty is welcome to review on this blog anytime!

Sherlock Holmes

In order for me to write this review I must give you some background on the character and you will see why I am trashing this crappy movie.
Sherlock Holmes is a well loved literary character dating back to short stories that began in 1887 and written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Holmes appeared in 56 short stories and 4 full length books. In 1887 they were published in a magazine and the readers looked forward to the exploits of Holmes. The interesting thing about the Holmes' stories is that they were set in the period they were written. Sherlock Holmes was brilliant, a drug addict, recluse and scared his land lady on more than one occasion with his strange goings on in his flat. He also had one of the first recorded Bro-mances* with his faithful friend, Dr. John Watson. No sidekick was more loyal to his friend or put up with as much but Dr. Watson was no fool. Dr. Watson was himself a decorated war veteran and well known physician. During the course of the stories, Watson went from being a housemate to Holmes to having his own established practice and getting married. Watson is a key figure in all the Holmes' adventures because he narrates all the stories from his point of view. Watson's view of Holmes' strange and brilliant behavior is what brings a human angle to an otherwise unlikeable man like Holmes. Sherlock Holmes was above all an English gentleman. This something that may be lost on someone today but to carry oneself and to be recognized as a gentlemen in those times was key to success. Holmes had clients that were royalty and often well to do and that would not have been the case for the character of Holmes in the new Sherlock Holmes movie.
Sherlock Holmes: Robert Downey, Jr. was wise to follow up his Iron Man success with another big movie. His big comeback was important and it is always important to keep that momentum going. I guess is the movie. But I think this movie is a total dog. True, I am a literary Sherlock Holmes fan but I am willing to watch different portrayals and there have been some brilliant ones, such as, Frank Langella and Jeremy Brett. This version of Holmes is so far off the mark that it should have been called something else. True, this Holmes does have the powers of observation but with the attitude of a frat boy, not a gentleman. I would rather watch the Mentalist with Simon Baker on Thursday nights. Baker's character is easily a modern day Sherlock Holmes and truly pays homage to a gift of figuring people out just from observing them.
The plot of Sherlock Holmes is so muddled that I can't even describe it. Something about secret societies, black magic and even a toss in of Dr. Moriarty (Holmes nemesis) as a tease. A sequel is in the works - I don't know why. That was like having a sequel of Steve Martin's Pink Panther (which they did!) - totally a waste.
I don't want to you think my review is totally biased because I am a Holmes fan of the first order. I am okay with changing up. J. J. Abrams took a huge undertaking of keeping true to Star Trek lore yet adding his own slant to it and brilliantly. I was willing to give it a chance as I was with Superman Returns. Like Superman and Captain Kirk, some characters deserve respect. If you are not going to do that - change the name of the character. The former Mr. Madonna (Guy Ritchie) has not impressed me with this outing.
You don't have to be a big reader to get into Holmes. If you want to see the most true portrayal of Sherlock Holmes then get the BBC series of the same name with Jeremy Brett. There is also a filmed stage version with Frank Langella which is also very good.
Don't waste you time with this rubbish.
BOMB! (No M's)
*Bro-mance: Describes the complicated love and affection shared between two straight males. They are so close that they seem like a couple. (Urban Dictionary)

Avatar

I am sure that almost everyone reading this review has already seen Avatar but if you haven't you might find this useful and if you have - I welcome your opinion.
Avatar: I didn't get to see Avatar in the movies. And after awhile it had this E.T. effect on me. I didn't see E.T. in the movies because of the insanity over it. It was kind of a turn off. I was sorry I didn't see E.T. in the movie theater and I am sorry I didn't see Avatar as well.
Avatar is not at all what I expected. Just in case you missed it - an avatar is a genetically grown body of the indigenous people of this far away planet. The trick is that this avatar is genetically linked to the human gene donor. Ala the Matrix, the humans are cerebrally linked to their respective avatars so they can go among the natives and try and negotiate with them. That would be to negotiate the natives off of their land so that greedy corporate types can mine some special ore that lies beneath. One of the humans decides that the natives are right to defend their lands and so the story goes. The story is sometimes familiar and a super huge message that Americans know so well. The natives of the planet, Pandora, seem familiar as they have a deep connection to all living things and refer to themselves as the "people." Indigenous people of the Americas know all to well this story. They too were the "people" and thier connection to mother earth was as a strong a bond as the people of Pandora. The U.S. will have to carry that burden of embarrassment forever and in my opinion, deservedly. Too bad there were no avatars when the Spanish, English and French arrived on North America.
James Cameron's story even has the humans on Pandora building schools to teach the People english. Sounds familiar? The advantage of the People in this case is that they are like 10 feet tall and can crush a human very easily. The evil humans do have weapons of stupid destruction and are not afraid to use them.
Avatar goes between the expected typical movie stuff to the deep suffering of it's lead character, Jake Sully, played by Sam Worthington (Terminator Salvation). Worthington as well as Sigorney Weaver do well with the human element of Avatar (the only humans you root for) and make it well worth watching. It was hard to get used to the animated world of Avatar. I thought it would be distracting and sometimes it was. I still knew it was animation and not people I was watching. Not that I can't be drawn into animated story and characters it was just...weird. Hard to explain.
I did find myself cheering at the end, getting misty and fully enjoying this movie. I can see why it was nominated for movie of the year. But big spectacle, in my opinion, does not a winner make. (I didn't think Braveheart should have won for that reason. Good movie but a big movie was what made it a winner. )
You can watch Avatar with the entire family. Enjoy!
MMMM (out of 5 M's)
So far I have seen every Oscar nominated movie from last year except Precious. When I ask people if Precious was a good movie the reply is that it is a "hard" movie to watch. They can't really seem to put "good" in with that. When I do see it, eventually, I will post a review. But right now I am not into watching "hard" to watch movies.
And my winner for best movie is...next blog post will talk about that.

Rental Reviews!

Today I am reviewing The Blind Side and The Lovely Bones. I am afraid that all my reviews will come about a month after the movie is released to video because I do Redbox. The commie movie execs and other large retailers don't like the fact that Redbox won't gouge the video viewing public, so are holding back new releases at least a month. Next week will be Sherlock Holmes!

The Blind Side: Best movie of the year? Nah. Feel good movie of the year? Sure. The fact that this movie was nominated at the Oscars makes me look for why it should have been. It was certainly better than District 9 and Hurt Locker. As you know may know, my opinion of a good movie involves the progression of some kind of plot and caring about the characters. I don't ask a lot from a movie.
The Blind Side does not disappoint in my criteria of enjoyable movie watching! Based on a true story of, current NFL player, Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron), this is his rise from living on the streets to finding family, football and success in what appears to be a heartless world. Sandra Bullock plays the rich socialite that takes the teenager into her home. This is Memphis, Tennessee and even though they don't show how hard it was for him to fit into a white upper class private school, it does not deter from the enjoyment of the movie. This is a feel good movie after all.
But because it doesn't show the prejudice he surely encountered as well as how hard it must have been on the other two children in the household that attend the school - I found it slightly lacking. This is not a meaty movie or even a message movie - just, dare I say it again, feel good movie.
Virtual unknown Quinton Aaron, plays the big young man with heart and an honest portrayal. He doesn't say much but when he does say it - you believe him. Sandra Bullock won an Oscar for this performance. I admit it is her best performance to date. Little Sandra is all grown up and acting. But an Oscar? Not for this one performance. She will need a body of work (ala Jeff Bridges) to really get the respect she is working for in Hollywood.
I enjoyed this movie and it left me feeling all warm and fuzzy.
MMM M1/2's (out of 5)
Other feel good movies I suggest: The Last Mimzy and The Astronaut Farmer.

The Lovely Bones: I always find it a shame to waste real talent on a movie especially the talents of Stanley Tucci, Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Michael Imperioli and Susan Saradon. But this movie has done it!
Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings trilogy) directed this plodding tale of a murdered girl that is stuck in the afterlife and slips in and out of the real life. Setting this movie in the 1970s was a good idea because it did drag out the murder investigation. There were no profilers, DNA testing or a missing children's database. I think that was clever and we know Mark Wahlberg wears (or doesn't!) the 70s well. That is where any creativity ends.
M. Night Shyamalan it ain't although it is trying hard to be through suspense. It also isn't What Dreams May Come, a brilliant movie about the afterlife (but have several boxes of tissues handy and be feeling emotionally strong).
I can't recommend this movie even with the cast.
M (for the cast) (out of 5 Ms)