Giant robots invade theaters everywhere tonight!!!

Who is planning on seeing a midnight showing tonight? I will be there waiting for my seat and will report back with a reel guy review.

Have you seen the movie yet at one of the premiers? Are you seeing it tonight as well? Stop by and put in your review of the movie. No one cares what critics think. We want to know what reel fans think.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

The autobots and decepticons are back for another larger than life robot slugfest in the highly anticipated sequel to 2007's Transformers, in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Shia LeBeouf is back as Sam Witwicky to join once again with Optimus Prime and the autobots in a life or death struggle of good and evil with the decepticons and their leader Megatron, for the control over a device of almost limitless power.

Initial reviews of the movie, like every Michael Bay film, have been anything but positive. Once again critics prove my point to why a website like this needs to exist. Transformers was the best "popcorn flick" of 2007. It was enjoyable for anyone of any age and background and was liked by almost all who saw the film. The word of mouth from this film turned this movie from a "fanboys" movie to a huge success with audiences of all types and ages.

If you liked the first movie, then from what the critics are saying you will like the sequel as it is "more of the same." At 147 minutes long the sequel promises more action and even more bots for our enjoyment. Don't forget to get your midnight showing tickets for Tuesday night/Wednesday morning if you want to be the first to catch what is likely to be the biggest film of the year (excluding Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince no movie will challenge Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen).

June 20th, 2009

Films opening this week are The Proposal and Year One.

The Proposal is a romantic comedy starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. Sandra Bullock is a business executive who finds out she is about to lose her job and be deported to Canada unexpectedly. Ryan Reynolds plays her assistant, and her solution. Sandra comes up with the idea to tell her bosses, that she is set to marry her assistant after keeping their love a secret from everyone (including Ryan). This marriage would then allow her to legally to stay in the country. The story follows their journey to visit his family (who are well aware of his disdain of his boss) and their road from a pretend love to a budding romance.

Year One stars Jack Black and Michael Cera in a comedy set around the banishment of two hunter-gathers from their clan, and their strange journey through the ancient world. The two outcast meet some of historical characters along the way, and in the end try to save those who banished them from their clan in the first place.

Taking of Pelham 123

Taking of Pelham 123 stars Denzel Washington and John Travolta. Denzel is a New York city metro transit authority supervisor who has been busted down to dispatch during an on going investigation into whether or not he was accepting a bribe, and Travolta is the criminal that gets thrown into Denzel's life after he hijacks on of the subways that Denzel is monitoring.

This movie is a remake from the 1970's, and honestly it should have been left alone. The acting is some of the least memorable from the long careers of these two Hollywood icons. Except for one scene in which Denzel is forced into giving away personal information, you never really feel any emotional connection to either one. Travolta does little but scream and throw in the F-bomb every line or two in his attempt to seem like a believable sinister and slightly insane bad guy.

Overall this movie was a letdown. I have liked many movies that these two have created from Denzel's Crimson Tide to Travolta's Swordfish.

On the popcorn scale Taking of Pelham 123 would earn a small popcorn bucket. Skip this one until it comes to video or at least super saver day at your local second run movie theater

The Hangover

The Hangover is the story of four guys who go to Las Vegas for a bachelor party and have one of the wildest nights anyone could imagine. The boys wake up being unable to remember anything about the night before, and to make matters worse, are missing the groom-to-be. We are invited along their journey of tracing their footsteps to find out where their missing friend may be. Along the way we get to experience one insane moment after the other.

Throughout the movie there were laugh out loud moments. If you have ever been the type to party to the point of not remembering parts of the nights before, or have friends who did, you will enjoy this movie very much. Foul language runs rampant throughout this movie, and being in Las Vegas for a bachelor party, so does nudity and sexual situations (including full frontal male nudity--YUCK). If that doesn't sound like something you could enjoy sitting through then don't see this movie, but if you don't mind crude comedy, its definitely worth your time.

The Hangover gets a large popcorn bucket from me, but is conditional on how you feel about the information above. If what you read sounds good to you, then you should definitely go see this movie when you get a chance.

Land of the Lost

Will Ferrel stars in this comedy based on the decades past sci-fi tv show, as Dr. Rick Marshall. His life's work is an attempt to make a tachyon amplifier that will open doorways through the space time continuum to alternate dimensions. After being laughed out of the scientific community he makes it work. The movie chronicles his journey through this alternative dimension, this land of the lost.

If you like the original tv show then you will like this movie. If you didn't care for the original movie, then you will probably see this as Will Ferrel's worst movie. The movie is filled with one strange moment after the other that are an attempt to be funny while sticking to the original feeling of the tv show, but failing to deliver more than a couple laugh out loud moments.

Land of the Lost earns a small popcorn bucket from me. Unless you loved the original tv show, save your money and don't bother checking this one out until it hits dvd or on-demand.

Drag Me To Hell

Sam Raimi has returned to horror. While this film is only rated PG-13 it still delivers on that cling-to-your-boyfriends-arm-while-he-is-acting-cool-but-tensing-all-his-muscles-to-resist-jumping-and-looking-not-so-tough-feeling.

If you are watching Drag Me To Hell to be a little freaked out and maybe just a little scared of the dark for the evening, then you will enjoy Drag Me To Hell. While the film is lacking in the gratuitous nudity that seems so prevelant in today's horror, even the adolescent boys will enjoy it.

Drag Me To Hell follows the story of a young bank executive trying to break a curse placed on her by a customer she refuses to extend a mortgage loan to in her attempt to prove she is ready to make "the tough decisions." The customer is truly a customer from hell, and she proves it.

While it isn't a slasher film, it is still an enjoyable hour and a half away from the real world. Drag Me To Hell earns a large popcorn bucket. If you are into horror films then check this one out when you get a chance.

Disney/Pixar's UP!

UP! continues in the footsteps of its Disney/Pixar forefathers down a road of excellence. I am seriously starting to think that this dynamic duo is incapable of making a bad movie.

While many people see this as a kids movie, my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed UP!. The movie follows an elderly loner trying to deal with the unfinished plans he had with his wife after she passed away and a boy scout knockoff trying to earn his final merit badge. These two are a perfect pair who both have exactly what the other needs. They of course have to figure this out the hard way during a wild adventure to a mysterious land in South America full of all sorts of surprises.

UP! was filled with laughs, but still found a way to tug on your heart strings. The connection we feel with the characters is amazing given the short film time and the fact that they aren't even real actors. I absolutely recommend UP! to anyone with kids or without.

UP! gets a extra large popcorn bucket as it is absolutely enjoyable from beginning to end. UP! also offers a 3D option which could only enhance your movie going experience if you don't mind dropping another $3 per ticket.

Night at the Museum: Battle at the Smithsonian

Ben Stiller is back in Night at the Museum: Battle at the Smithsonian. If you saw Night at the Musueum then you know what to expect. This movie is pretty much the exact same movie in a new location with new characters.

The special effects are cute and whacky. The acting is what you would expect from a Ben Stiller movie. There are a few moments in the movie that had the audience rolling, but most of the time it was a chuckle here, a chuckle there. Battle at the Smithsonian is not a bad movie, but it is nothing special. I would recommend it for anyone with children of any age, as there is nothing in the movie that is unsuitable for kids. Save yourself some money and wait to see this at a matinee and take your kids along. Battle at the Smithsonian is enjoyable enough if you go in knowing what you are getting, but definitely not a must see.

Night at the Museum: Batle at the Smithsonian gets a medium popcorn bucket and a large drink to share with the kids on the popcorn bucket scale.

Terminator Salvation

I saw this movie on opening night. The CGI in this movie is incredible. Scene after scene of incredible action starring every type of Skynet creation you can imagine threaten to overload your senses in this optical feast of special effects.

The development of the characters is disappointing underdone. During Terminator Salvation you find yourself drawn only to the anti-hero, Marcus Wright, who is a human/robot mix. The previews would have you believe he is a minor character that leads the previous Terminator central character, John Conor, to second guess everything he new about Skynet. This however is not the case. Marcus Wright is in fact the central character in Terminator Salvation. It is his story we follow through the entire course of the movie. He is the only character in the story that you develop any emotional connection with, but he simply is not the great terminator villian we have come to expect from previous Terminator films.

Terminator is a pure action flick, with no character or audience connection development. If you are willing to sit through an hour and a half of really cool CGI robots blowing stuff up with no desire to have a real feeling of having seen a great movie, then check Terminator Salvation out.

On the popcorn bucket scale Terminator Salvation gets a medium popcorn bucket. Save your money and catch it at a cheap theater or rent it when it comes to DVD.