Movie Reviews

I watch my fair share of movies although I don't go to the theaters all that much. The last movie I reviewed was The Dark Knight Rises back in August so I'm overdue. I have seen six movies since then that were released in 2012. Two were in the theater, two were on an airplane and two were streamed. I'll start with the best and work my way down.

Skyfall - In a word, fantastic. This movie completely picked up where Casino Royale left off and redeemed everyone involved after the Quantum of Solace disappointment. You wouldn't think you could be surprised going into a Bond film (it's not like you can kill him or anything) but this one really threw some curveballs. Javier Bardem's introduction is one of those scenes that people will be talking about forever. Grade: A+

The Amazing Spider-Man - I wasn't ready for another Spiderman (I don't use the hyphen) and after seeing the previews I wasn't sure I liked how Andrew Garfield was playing him. He seemed bratty and sarcastic, which I guess is what's cool nowadays. But the character ended up being so much more and he did a good job separating himself from Tobey Maguire. I can't say the same for the rest of the movie but it's not like you can completely change Spiderman's origin story. Grade: B+

The Campaign - Will Ferrell's movie career started off strong but he's been spotty ever since. For every Step Brothers or The Other Guys he makes a Semi-Pro and Land of the Lost. The Campaign is right in the middle. He plays another outrageous character and has some funny one-liners but not enough to make a whole movie. Hopefully, Anchorman 2 will restore his place on the comedy throne. Grade: B

Looper - I've always liked certain aspects of sci-fi films and time travel especially is a fascinating topic. This movie is about Joseph Gordon-Levitt (in heavy makeup) dealing with the consequences of his older self (Bruce Willis) being sent back to his time. It's an interesting concept but -- as is always the case -- it is tough to explain in any sensible way. It's a thriller nonetheless and I found it enjoyable. Grade: B

What To Expect When You're Expecting - Kind of girly? Yes, but still made with boyfriends/husbands in mind. The funniest parts for me were every scene with the dad's group including Chris Rock, Rob Heubel and Thomas Lennon. What I didn't know going in was just how many differing storylines there were. We've got Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Banks and Anna Kendrick and none of them have anything to do with each other. Why not have your stars interact in a scene or two? Grade: C+

Bachelorette - This movie tried to combine The Hangover with Bridesmaids. It wasn't successful. First, the good: Kudos for bringing Adam Scott and Lizzy Caplan back together (RIP, Party Down). That's it. Now the bad: Boo for sticking Rebel Wilson, who seems genuinely funny, in the Justin Bartha role of being a main part of the plot but barely in the movie. Boo for having the main girls be way-beyond-recreational-but-pretty-much-addicted drug users. And for all the girls out there, boo for having Caplan, Kirsten Dunst and Isla Fisher play such broad stereotypes. Dunst is "the bitch," Fisher is "the drunk slut" and Caplan is just as annoying. Grade: D