Movie Reviews

Plot Outline: Las Vegas entertainer, Buddy "Aces" Israel (Jeremy Piven), is offered immunity for his mob ties if he snitches. With a One Million dollar bounty on his head, Israel becomes very popular with low-lifes and hit men.

Tig: I went to see Aces with my friend Pattie, so before I tell you what I thought, I just want to say thanks, and come back to see me when you have more time. I Miss you!

Now, down to business. I thought Smokin' Aces was HOT! I totally expected it to be a brainless action flick, and I wasn't disappointed. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised; It actually had some rather dramatic and, god forbid, well acted parts. Ryan Reynolds gave the best performance I have ever seen from him. I almost forgot that he was in Blade 3 for a moment (bad movie, don't waste rental fees). Piven was and is a brilliant actor and I can't wait to see him in the new season of Entourage. I almost cheered when Affleck was out of the movie. And I absolutely loved the Tremor brothers.

I thought that the action was great, creative, and at times comedic, but it was the main support for the movie, and when it began to fade out, I found myself almost getting bored. Fortunately, I am a simple-minded fool, and had no problem pulling myself back together to watch the final wind down of the film. Pattie and I both thought it was great, so I have to rate it a 4 out of five. Definitely worth seeing in the theater if you like Action!

- Worth Seeing on the Big Screen!

Plot Outline: In Pan's Labyrinth, a young girl and her mother move to a rundown, desolate military headquarters in a rural Spanish mill to live with her regimented stepfather, Commander Vidal. Ofelia, the girl, finds her only pleasure within the pages of her beloved fairy tales. Shortly after her arrival at the mill, Ofelia's life takes a turn towards the fantastic and becomes more like a fairy tale.

Tig: Pan's Labyrinth was dark and beautiful. I did not know a lot about the film going into it, but had heard only great things from friends, and I was not disappointed. The movie has some scenes that are not for the faint of heart; small flashes of violence that you expect to be very short, just alluding to some sort of cruelty and suffering. However I ended up wondering when they were going to end. Regardless, the movie was truly beautiful. Guillermo Navarro, the Director of Photography, did an amazing job. The lighting, the shots; all of it was brilliant. Writer and Director Guillermo del Torro is a twisted genius. I only wish he had been able to do his last big movie, Hellboy (which I thought was terrible), as well as he did this one.

I strongly recommend this movie to any and everyone (but be warned that it is tough to watch at times due to the violence). It is a new favorite, and an instant classic.

- One of the Best Movies Ever

Plot Outline: In Children of Men, the women of the world can no longer have babies. The reason for this is unknown, and the world has lost all hope. Because of this, there is massive unrest in London, England, and the rest of the world lies in shambles. A revolutionary movement led by Theo's (Clive Owen) wife is responsible for violent acts in opposition of the apparently facist government all across the country, and much of the listless populace continually attacks each other at random. However, when Theo's wife finds a woman who is miraculously pregnant, his wife asks him to aid them in their efforts to get the woman out of London and away from those who would harm her.

Ian: I’ve always been a sucker for post-apocalyptic movies. 1984, for example, was a fantastic movie. There’s something about looking at the way society functions under extreme stress that makes you step back and say, “Wow, crap.”

Children of Men does this and more. From the very first scene, where Clive Owen narrowly escapes being caught in an exploding coffee shop from which a woman carrying her own arm stumbles a few seconds later, the movie is violent, intelligent and beautiful. It does an excellent job of asserting itself as fact. Throughout the entire movie, I never once found myself saying, “Well, that could never happen.” I can even buy women no longer being able to have children. It’s actually very Vonnegut in nature and I’m a big fan of Vonnegut. It is unrealistic, but in its own little world, it makes total sense and it is impossible to question its logic.

Another thing this movie has working for it is its cinematography. The director, Alfonso Cuarón, doesn’t do anything that’s all that revolutionary, but what he does fits the movie. At one point, Clive Own is running through a firefight, in and out of buildings, up and down stairs, looking for someone. You don’t really realize it while you’re watching the scene, but the entire time he’s doing so, it’s one extremely long shot. It just makes the scene that much more intense… there are no breaks.

All in all, this movie was fantastic. A veritable cornucopia of movie goodness, if you will. I’d see this movie again in theatres without a second thought. In fact, I intend to do so. However, the next time I go to see it, I’m going to make sure that no one sits behind me. You know who you are, you bastard. Talking throughout the entire movie, kicking the back of my chair… you should be ashamed. When someone tells you to shut the hell up in a fairly loud and commanding voice (which I tell myself I have), you shut the hell up.

Tig: I completely agree. Plain and simple, the movie was fantastic. It is not a difficult movie to follow at all, but at the same time it doesn’t feel predictable. The soundtrack was phenomenal. Nothing more I can say that Ian didn’t touch on. Go see it! Now! Let us know what you think!

- One of the Best Movies Ever