…is usually the movies. This hasn’t been the greatest summer for movies, but it hasn’t been the worst, either. It’s been awhile since I have posted a movie review, but that doesn’t mean I haven't seen any movies. It’s been an incredibly busy summer so far – details will follow in subsequent blog entries (now that things are quieting down). This may be overdue, but here is my take on what I’ve seen in the last month…
TOY STORY 3 – I own the DVDs of Toy Story and Toy Story 2 and several different toys based these movies. I have two Woody dolls (one talks and the other has a guitar and sings), one talking Buzz doll, a talking Jessie doll, a poseable Bullseye, Mr. Potato Head and Rex. I guess that you can surmise from this that I LOVE TOY STORY! Anyway, you can imagine how excited I was about this movie opening! What’s even better is that Wild Thing loves the Toy Story almost as much as I do. So Ron and I were excited to take Viliamu to see this movie on opening weekend. I can’t be objective about what I’m going to say here – because I LOVE TOY STORY, but this movie did not disappoint me in the least. I loved it!!! Ron and Viliamu loved it, too. I laughed and cried and thought that it was a wonderful way to wrap up the story. In fact, I will ask Wild Thing if he wants to see it again this weekend...I hope he does! It's going to be a long time until the DVD comes out. It's a definite must to own!
ECLIPSE - The Twilight Saga movies are a guilty pleasure of mine. I have been looking forward to this next installment for a long time, too. (Not as much as Toy Story, though). I got to see it with Mandi and Beckie so that made it even more fun. For fans of the series, you will really enjoy it! Of course, there is no way to put in every detail in the books, but I think that the script writer did a great job of capturing the essence of the story and featuring the highlights. I am still and will always be on Team Edward. Not that Jacob isn't nice to look at... The fight scenes are pretty great and the love scenes are hot without being too hot for teens. Loved it! Can't imagine how they are gonna make a PG-13 movie(s) out of the last book...good luck, Melissa!
KNIGHT AND DAY - Not a fan of Tom Cruise anymore. He just got a little too weird over the last few years. HOWEVER, that being said, when I saw the trailers for this movie, I was just interested. So Ron and I went to see it and here's the deal - this movie is not gonna win any awards, but it's not as bad as the critics have made it out to be. It's a fun summer flick! Tom and Cameron have pretty good chemistry, even if the story was a little hokey. Wait til it comes out on DVD but it's fun to watch.
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT - Annette Bening and Julianne Moore as a lesbian couple with two teenage kids who arrange to meet their sperm donor dad without letting their moms know. It's a very good movie - really funny in spots, uncomfortable and very sentimental in others. It's also quite a bit sexier than I was expecting. Mark Ruffalo is the "dad" and he is not afraid to show his derriere! Hmmmmm. I think this is probably a pretty good representation of one type of family. At any rate, I think it's important for all types of family to be represented in entertainment and the media. See it if you can deal with Mark Ruffalo's bare butt!
A SINGLE MAN - Saw this one on PPV this last weekend. Colin Firth was nominated for an Academy Award for this portrayal of a middle aged gay English professor who is dealing with depression after the death of his partner of 16 years. He was really good in this film. It's a sad movie and I wasn't thrilled with the way it ended, but it was really worth watching. It's set in 1963 and it was pretty groovy in parts. Julianne Moore was in this one too and she is always just great.
LOST IN AUSTEN – A friend from work recommended this mini-series to me. He had been watching it on PBS. It was originally created for British TV, I think. It's the story of an English woman who is obsessed with "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen. She is unhappy with her life until the day that Elizabeth Bennett shows up in her bathroom after having come through a secret door in the wall. OK, so you have to let go a little bit and just get into the story but I loved it! It certainly made me want to see "Pride and Prejudice" again. I found it by Googling Lost in Austen. Really, if you have the chance, check it out. You might be able to find it at Netflix. The only down side is that there are only 4 episodes.
So that's it for now - will try to see Grown Ups, The Last Airbender and Despicable Me soon. I'm also looking forward to Inception, Eat Pray Love, The Sorcerer's Apprentice and The American.
