I have a special list planned for the end of the year, so by the rules I set down for myself, this review must be written.
Sometimes when I see a trailer I know exactly what to expect. I can tell you if a movie is going to be awesome or if it is going to be a complete waste of time. What I first saw the trailer for “G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra,” I knew from the moment the trailer ended that the movie was going to be really bad. What I could not have anticipated was how much I would actually enjoy it for all its faults: and there are many. 
What there is of a plot looks like this: when a weapons maker creates weapon that would destroy the world leaving humanity at his mercy, a group of elite soldiers set out to stop him before he can go through with his plan.
Let’s start with the special effects used in this movie. They are complete crap. In a world where robots that transform into cars can look real, these special effects are way behind the times. It is clear every time something was done on a computer. The transformation from real actor to computer simulation is so jarring, but, to be honest, I could not have cared less (more on that later).
Secondly, the writing was so bad and so clichéd. Attempts to put in subtle clues that will pay of later are so obvious that it spoils some of the “surprises.” The only response you can give to the clichéd nature of the lines is a groan and a headshake. It is so bad that I cannot believe how these groan worthy lines appear so often into the movie. Yet, I did not care (more to come).
I hate to say it and every movie nerd bone in my body tells me not to say it but, I actually like this movie. It was just fun to watch. I was able to ignore all the bad and enjoy what was on screen. The action scenes, though filled with bad effects, were enjoyable. So much is happening and so much stuff is blowing up that it is easy to ignore the bad and accept it for what it is. 
The same can be said for the writing. Though bad, it is punctuated with those action scenes. The formula for the movie looks like this: action, plot points, action scene, plot point, flashback action scene, plot point, flashback with no action, action scene…ect. You get the point. There is very little time to dwell on the awfulness of the dialogue before an action scene pops up.
So the whole point of this is so that I can put it on a new list I am writing for the end of the year. This year, in addition to the top 10 list, I will write a bottom 5 list. I can tell you know that this is no. 5 on that list, meaning it is the best of the worst. It takes this honor because while it is not a good movie, it is fun to watch and is a good way to kill 2 hours.
7 out of 10
Rated PG-13 for strong sequences of action violence and mayhem throughout.
118 min
There are a lot of movies that I watch that I do not review up on this site. For some it is a time thing. Either I don’t have it, or a lot of time has passed since the release. Think about it, if I reviewed Astaire and Roger’s “Swing Time” would it really matter, the movie has been out for a very long time. Then there are movies I see that compel me to write. Something about the movie strikes a chord with me and I find myself with an overwhelming need to let people know about it. This would be one of those times.
“Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About his Father” is a 2008 documentary made by Kurt Kuenne to remember his friend Andrew Bagby who was murdered in November of 2001 by his girlfriend Shirley. It starts out as a way to make one more movie with his friend, but turned into something more when Shirley says she is pregnant with Andrews child. For Kurt it becomes more than way to memorialize his friend. It becomes away to have the child know who his father was.
It is filled with tearful friends remembering Andrew as a great guy who loved to joke around and loved life. As a viewer you get a great portrait of who this man was through the people who loved him.
It also focuses on the court case and the failure of the Canadian government to keep a killer behind bars. Andrew’s parents, Kathleen and David move to Canada to fight to get custody of Zachary, Andrew’s son. This is where much of the drama is. It goes thought the delays and demands made by Shirley in allowing Kathleen and David to see their grandson. Kathleen and David recall all of their experiences in dealing with this woman who is clearly unstable. It sounds weird to say this but I want to stay away for spoilers because there are some crazy and incredibly sad things that transpire during this documentary.
If you are not touched by this movie, check your pulse. I watched it on this morning and it still affects me now at 9:30 p.m. I am sad, disgusted and angry at the things I saw and what Shirley made Andrew’s parents go through. I am appalled at the Canadian government and what they allowed to happen by their negligence.
It is one of the best documentaries I have ever seen. It does start out as a tribute to Andrew, but once the child is introduced, it becomes much more. With some documentaries I can get board at parts and my mind will wonder, but I was glued to the screen. See it and I can guarantee you will be moved.
10 out of 10 (just so you know how much I think you should see it)
Not Rated, but there is cursing
95 min
Think seriously about the Pixar movies you have seen. Has there really been a bad one? I was not a big fan of “Cars” but it was not a bad movie. That was as close as I have gotten to not liking a Pixar movie. They really can do no wrong. So really what do you think I thought of “Up?”
Carl Fredrickson (Ed Asner) has been living in his house for years and in that time a city has built up around him. They want him out, but he refuses to leave when he hits a construction worker with his cane, the city has the justification to kick him out. Instead, Carl straps thousands of balloons to his house and floats away to fulfill his lifelong dream of visiting the jungle of South America. He thinks he is finally alone but he soon finds Russell (Jordan Nagai) on his porch. He begrudgingly takes the boy on his trip.
The first thing that I was hit by when I saw this was how much Carl and his house reminded me of the house from “The Little House” by Virginia Lee Burton. This is another one of those books from my childhood that sticks with me. The story is about a house that has a city built up around it. Just a random thought to start off the review.
How was Pixar going to find success with a movie about an old man? Well, last year the hit one out of the park with a robot who cannot talk so they can do anything in my book. They did it again. Carl is cranky and has been a loner since his wife died. The movie starts out with a quick look at his life including the death of his wife and it is some powerful and moving stuff. They always said they were going to go to South America and live down there. He shuts the world out after her death and lives alone, but that is how he wants it.
The core to the movie is the budding relationship between Carl and Russell. Carl sees him as a nescience at the beginning but the boy does start to grow on him and Carl’s heart softens. I do not want to spoil a lot of the plot, but it is their adventures in South America that brings this unlikely pair together.
Well up next for Pixar is “Toy Story 3.” Now I love the “Toy Story” movies but the one Pixar sequel I am waiting for is the one for my all time favorite Pixar movie “The Incredibles.”
9 out of 10
Rated PG for some peril and action.
96 min
What is it about an actor or actress that makes people want to watch them on film? I know in the case of my favorite actor, Nathan Fillion, it is because he oozes charisma, is great at what he does, and well…he was on “Firefly.” When it comes to picking a favorite actress, right now that honor goes to Amy Adams. She is, for lack of a better word, charming on screen. I will go see a movie purely based on her presence in the movie. So I’m sure you can tell how I felt about “Sunshine Cleaning”
Rose (Amy Adams) is a single mother living in the same small town she grew up in and is working as a maid to make ends meet for her and her son Oscar (Jason Spevack). Meanwhile her sister, Norah (Emily Blunt), is living at home with their father (Alan Arkin) and struggling to do anything right in the eyes of her sister. Spurred on by Mac (Steve Zahn), the married man she is sleeping with, she starts a crime scene cleaning business with her sister as they both figure out what they really want in life.
It would just be redundant if I said Amy Adams was charming in this movie so I will move on. She brings a sweetness to this role, the same as she has countless times before. I recently watched her in “Junebug” and Rose reminds me of her character in that. She is someone who has settled with what she has. She does her job, but does not seem to enjoy it. It is not until she starts her business that she takes pride is what she is doing. When meeting with a group of old friends she lights up when she mentions what she does. “We come into people’s lives when they have experienced something profound and we help.” To her she is more than a clean up crew. When they arrive at the home of an old woman who has just lost her husband she sits with her outside the house until the woman’s son comes to pick her up.
While there are some funny parts in this and it is billed as a comedy, it is more of a drama. There are some touching parts where we see both Rose and Norah struggling with a lot. Rose has to deal with her feelings of insecurities and her son, while Norah struggles to fit in, even within her own family.
“Sunshine Cleaning” is a good movie and has some great performances to go along with it. While it is not as funny as I was hoping, I was surprised at how poignant it was. It is definitely worth a watch.
8 out of 10
Rated R for language, disturbing images, some sexuality and drug use.
91 min
