REVIEW: Dan in Real Life

Dan in Real Life

Year: 2007
Director: Peter Hedges
Starring: Steve Carell, Juliette Binoche, Dane Cook, Alison Pill, Brittany Robertson
Distributor: Buena Vista Pictures
MPAA: Rated PG-13

Dan in Real Life was released in the month of October and was pretty well received by most critics. The movie grossed an estimated $61 million worldwide on a budget of $25 million. The movie more than made back its budget, but also gave Carell a role that doesn't just focus on his comedy aspects, but rather a more serious role. Me being a big Steve Carell and The Office fan, I knew this wasn't a wait for the DVD version to see type film, but strangely that's what happened. I guess I was busy with other things that I managed to let this one slip right out of my view. Although the trailer looked alittle dull and un-interesting, I still decided to give this movie a look just because I love Steve Carell and The Office rocks.

Plot Outline:
Dan Burns (Steve Carell) is local newspaper columnist who gives parents advice on how to raise and deal with their children. Dan takes his daughters Jane (Allison Pill), Cara (Brittany Robertson) and Lilly (Marlene Lawston) for a family get together at his parents house. While out buying the paper one morning he meets Marie (Juliette Binoche), with whom he immediately strikes up a conversation. Marie ends up giving Dan her number, but has to quickly leave after she gets a phone call from her boyfriend. Dan goes home and begins to tell his family about the woman he has just met, only to be introduced to his brother Mitch's (Dane Cook) new girlfriend, Marie. Over the next several days Dan and Marie try to ignore their feelings for each other, only to eventually realize they cannot keep deceiving themselves or anyone else.

Plot:
I went into this film expecting nothing and left actually liking the movie. The movies plot gets pretty interesting from the start when we get to see this family taking a trip to their family lodge in the mountains. As soon as Dan and Marie meet, the plot tends to get more lovely. The chemistry that Dan and Marie have is quite good and feels very real. The characters that we get introduced to in this film are all pretty lovable. I didn't think their was one person that I got annoyed of even though Dane Cook is in this movie. At times, I did think the plot was getting somewhat predictable, but its nothing to be worried about because Dan in Real Life still has a charming story. If their is anything I didn't like about the movie its that the film tried alittle too hard to be funny. I know that Steve Carell is in this movie, but that doesn't mean it has to be funny. Its nice to see him in films like this were he isn't trying to make me laugh the whole time. Like I said with the jokes, the movie tends to try hard to make the audience laugh and at times it just doesn't cut it.

Cast:
Steve Carell plays as Dan and he does a great job in his role. Its so nice to see him get more roles like this were hes more serious and focused rather than trying to make me laugh hard. He pulls off that serious dad figure that we have all come to expect from dads and I really enjoyed his performance. Juliette Binoche plays Marie who falls in love with Dan. She also does a great job in her role and I thought she looked wonderful next to Carell. The two of them share a nice chemistry that makes to the story seem very much real which in my opinion is amazing. Dane Cook plays as Mitch, Dans brother. He gives a pretty good performance that I was somewhat shocked at. After the bad film that was Good Luck Chuck, he managed to surprise me. The movies story and cast were all too good that I didn't notice Dane Cook was really in the movie. He gives a much better performance then what we saw of in Good Luck Chuck.

Picture:
The visual look of Dan in Real Life isn't something to go home and brag about. The movie doesn't feature any intense scenes that scream demo material, but the movie still looks pretty good. Being only a year old, Dan in Real Life contains a pristine source that seems to be in great shape. The source is clean and I couldn't detect any grain. The movie is mostly in outdoor scenes outside the cabin with some scenes taking place inside the cabin. The outdoor shots look good with some even looking great. The film has an interesting color palette. The movie isn't the most colorful film I have seen, but it certainly has some color to some scenes. Detail is pretty good with alot of close up shots looking good. I was quite surprised by the amount of detail this movie had on the DVD edition. I couldn't imagine how good the Blu Ray version would have been.

Sound:
The soundtrack in Dan in Real Life is pretty good. Its no home run, but it definitely works. The music is composed by Sondre Lerche and marks his first time composing music. As his first time making music, the soundtrack in Dan in Real Life isn't a blast like it could have been. The music seems appropriate for this type of movie and has a nice melody to it, but in my opinion, it isn't used enough. The music is good, but just isn't used in a way that would make this movie really good. Bass is also on the weak side with hardly any rumbles. A movie like this isn't bound to have bass use like Cloverfield so I cant blame it for trying. Dialogue is on the good side with most of the voice work sounding good. The movie heavily relies on its dialogue and I'm happy to say the dialogue in this movie sounds very good and clear.

Conclusion:
Dan in Real Life is just another romantic comedy that doesn't really do anything to separate itself from other movies in the same genre, but it still a good movie. The movie has a good story filled with characters that interact wonderfully together and have great chemistry. The cast is also pretty great with Carell giving us a more serious role compared to the one he gave us in The 40 Year Old Virgin. The visual look of the movie is quite good and has many moments were detail seems to look great. The soundtrack is somewhat lacking because it isn't used effectively like I would have hoped for, but it still sounds pretty good. Overall, I enjoyed this movie and can recommend this to anyone who wants a romantic comedy or interested in seeing Carell in other roles besides being the wonderful Michael Scott from The Office. I should however warn you that people expecting funny stuff from this movie might slightly be disappointed because more of a romantic movie then a comedy one.

Grade: C+

REVIEW: Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Year: 2008
Director: Nicholas Stoller
Starring: Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, Russell Brand, Bill Hader
Distributor: Universal Pictures
MPAA: Rated R

I first heard of Forgetting Sarah Marshall a while back. After seeing the trailer for the film, I was eager to see it. Superbad, Knocked Up and The 40 Year Old Virgin were all great films so I knew this wasn't going to disappoint. After reviewing Knocked Up and seeing how Seth Rogen did a great job in the main role, his Hollywood status began to garnish. Its really nice to see Jason Segel finally playing as the lead role instead of being a co-star like he was in Knocked Up. The movies plot also interested me because of how well many people can relate to it. Having an 85% on Rotten Tomatoes also isn't a bad thing. With positive reviews everywhere, I just had to give this movie a look. Having just seen Forgetting Sarah Marshall only a couple of hours ago on opening day, I can admit that its yet another hit from producer Judd Apatow.

Plot Outline:
Peter Bretter (Jason Segal) is a lovable, but lazy music composer for a television drama. After his famous girlfriend Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell) dumps him, he decides to take a vacation to Hawaii to deal with it. Little does he know, that his ex-girlfriend is travelling to the same resort as him with her new flamboyant musician boyfriend, Aldous Snow (Russell Brand). Peter meets a receptionist at the resort named Rachel Jansen (Mila Kunis) who ends up freeing Peter from his memories of Sarah.

Plot:
The movie is written by Jason Segel who co-starred in Knocked Up and ends up being the main character in this film. The movie works on so many levels because like Knocked Up and The 40 Year Old Virgin, the movies plot is realistic. It could very much happen to anyone. Its got many laugh out loud moments that Knocked Up and Superbad had. The films jokes are very much in line with those found in Superbad and their mostly raunchy jokes that you would expect from a Judd Apatow produced film. If their is anything that I found bad about this film its that it does tend to linger during the third act meaning we get the same thing over again and again. I should also throw it out their that the film is somewhat predictable from the start. The characters in the film are all wonderful and work for the most part.

Cast:
The cast of Forgetting Sarah Marshall is pretty great. Jason Segel who wrote the script also stars in the film as Peter Bretter. He does a great job in his role and I'm really happy he finally got a lead role in a movie. The fact that he isn't shy of exposing his genital is also a plus, but that he isn't afraid of making his character seem more broken up is simply amazing. Kristen Bell plays as Sarah Marshall and she looks pretty good around Segel's character. She does tend to look alittle too young around Segel, but its hardly a bad thing. Mila Kunis plays as Rachel Jansen and being somewhat of a fan of That '70s Show, I knew she would do good. Kunis has never looked this great in person and I'm happy that she managed to land a big role in a film like this. We also have Russell Brand playing as Aldous Snow and he gives an enjoyable performance. I have never heard of him before this film, but he definitely had alot of moments in this film that made me laugh my ass off.

Picture:
The visual look of Forgetting Sarah Marshall is pretty good. Being a recent release, the film's source is in pristine condition. I wasn't able to detect any grain or noise. The movie is mostly set in Hawaii in outdoor areas and for the most part they look damn good. Theirs definitely alot of scenes that will look great in High Definition for example the scene when Peter and Rachel are hiking near the cliffs, the outdoor shots look wonderful. Flesh tones look accurate for the most part although they do look alittle ugly in some outdoor scenes. Detail is also pretty spot on for the most part although they could have been alittle more cleaner. I wasn't expecting much from this movie in terms if visuals, but I was quite surprised with the results. The movie has many scenes that look wonderful and some scenes that could have looked better.

Sound:
The soundtrack in Forgetting Sarah Marshall is good for the most part, but it could have been better. The music is composed by Lyle Workman who also composed the music for The 40 Year Old Virgin and Superbad. The music is used very lightly with some scenes getting the better treatment. The movie doesn't offer a whole lot of music, but whats their is good enough. The movie relies heavily on its dialogue because their is so many parts where the jokes kick in. The dialogue is good and it isn't too quite or too loud, but it works. I was kind of expecting alittle more music since Knocked Up managed to have enough music and jokes that it worked perfectly, but I guess what we get works. Bass is also on the quite side with some rumbling here and their.

Conclusion:
Forgetting Sarah Marshall is a smart comedy and another winner from the Apatow gang. Its got a good story that's filled with many raunchy jokes that made us laugh just like Superbad did. The cast is great with many of them giving good and enjoyable performances. The visual look of the movie is great for the most part although their are some scenes that could have looked better. The soundtrack works for the most part, but is kind of lacking when compared to Knocked Up. I thought this a good movie that's definitely up their with Knocked Up, Superbad and The 40 Year Old Virgin. I thought the audience enjoyed the movie and I certainly thought It was money well spent. I can recommend this movie to anyone who enjoyed the previous Apatow produced films.

Grade: B-

REVIEW: Hitman

Hitman

Year: 2007
Director: Xavier Gens
Starring: Timothy Olyphant, Dougray Scott, Olga Kurylenko, Robert Knepper, Ulrich Thomsen
Distributor: Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
MPAA: Rated R

If their was any game out their that really deserved to be turned into a motion picture, it was Hitman. It was first reported in 2005 that actor Vin Diesel was trying to bring our beloved assassin to the big screen with him in the running to play Agent 47. It was later confirmed that Vin Diesel had dropped out of the movie and was replaced by Timothy Olyphant. Diesel instead served as an executive producer for the movie. Personally, I never imagined both would be good playing Agent 47. I always thought David Bateson who voiced the main character for 4 games was always the perfect choice to play Hitman simply because he voiced the character for many years and he looked exactly the part. If he wasn't cast then my other choice would have been Ben Kingsley. Surprisingly the movie did good at the box office, grossing an estimated $98 million worldwide on a budget of $24 million.

Plot Outline:
A genetically engineered assassin known only as Agent 47 (Timothy Olyphant), works for a top secret organization and his talents as an elite marksman is for hire to eliminate high profile targets. His grace is lethal and his precision is beyond remarkable. His target is Russian President Mikhail Belicoff (Urich Thomsen), who will prove to be a double assignment. When 47 is double-crossed on the mission, he becomes the hunted by Interpol and the best of the Russian military. He also has to deal with unfamiliar emotions, when a beautiful and mysterious Russian woman named Nika Boronina (Olga Kurylenko) supplies him information about Belicoff. It is up to him to finish the job he started.

Plot:
The movie is based on the widely popular video game series from publisher Eidos Interactive which I'm a big fan of. The movies plot goes nowhere and can be pretty complex at times. We hardly get any origin of how 47 became who he is today. The movie might start out with 47 being trained and taught to become a hitman, but not much else. Their are a number of things that really bothered me about the story that you wouldn't see happen in the game. For example the romance with Nika. The story tries so hard to put them together as some kind of a love romance, but it doesn't click. Before I started the film, I thought to myself if 47 doesn't syringe at least one person, I'm going to be pissed. Luckily he does for one scene and it looks great. The Hitman games have been known for 47 being able to change clothes to avoid being detected. Their is only 1 scene the film where he changes clothes to avoid being detected. One in the whole movie, WOW. If their is anything good I can say about the movie is that its somewhat action packed. The story might suck, but that doesn't change the fact that the movie has a lot of action scenes that look great for the most part.

Cast:
Timothy Olyphant plays as Agent 47. I mentioned above how I wanted either David Bateson or Ben Kingsley to don the suit because both looked the part of 47. Timothy Olyphant doesn't have any thing about him that makes him right for this part. His baby like face doesn't resemble 47 from the games. His voice in no way sounds anything like the voice Bateson has been doing for years now. He might look like 47 from the back, but that's about it. This is a horrible casting by the studio and the crew should be ashamed of themselves. Dougray Scott plays as Mike Whittier and even he doesn't give a performance that's worth watching. Olga Kurylenko plays as Nika Boronina and she does a pretty good job in her role. I liked the fact that she was able to pull off a serious, but weak Nika when she wanted to. I however didn't like the fact that she wanted to show off her boobs for almost 60% of the movie. I don't mind that, but it just doesn't make the film look good. I cant believe David Bateson doesn't have one cameo in this film when hes the one who made 47 so cool.

Picture:
The visual look of the movie is great. The movie's source benefits from being a recent release. The image seems very consistent and stable. The film has great detail that is really noticeable. I found the tux that 47 was wearing to look very slick and detailed. Flesh tones look spot on with the cast members looking nice and real. The movie also has some of the best blacks I have seen of recently. The movie doesn't have any colorful scenes with everything else looking kind of pale and muted. This is probably the directors choice of filming and not the quality of the release. Camera angles also look great with the movie having a lot of different angles that center in on the main focus of the film. I cant say anything bad about the visual look of the movie because it mostly seems great.

Sound:
The music is composed by Geoff Zanelli who also composed small hits such as Secret Window and Disturbia. He composes a score that sounds very good and very fluid at the same time. The score also kind of sounds like the score for the Bourne movies so I'm pretty sure they ripped the music off them. I'm really surprised and angry that the studio didn't go with Jesper Kyd who composed the score for all the Hitman games. I thought this was a dumb move on the studios behalf because Kid made some really impressive music. While Kid doesn't score the movie, I found Zanelli to be a pretty good replacement. The movies soundtrack is mostly a mixture of techno and melody. This surprisingly sounds good, but also alittle weird since the games have mostly had orchestral music. The movie also features some impressive bass that sounds smashing. The action scenes are filled with loud bass that I would easily use to demo off my system.

Conclusion:
Hitman is a movie that could have been so much better if the studio had just listened to the fans of the game. Its a shame to see this film get made and not treated with the proper care it deserved. The story is decent at best with action scenes that should please the audience, but the fact that 47's origins aren't explained enough is pretty sad. The cast is disappointing and I just cant make out why their isn't one cameo appearance by David Bateson when he was the first and only Agent 47. The visual look of the movie is great with a lot of detail really showing up. The film has a wonderful score even though its not composed by Jesper Kyd. The Hitman games have always had an interesting story that could have easily been made into a movie. Its a shame that the transition from game to movie doesn't go so well. I cant really recommend this movie unless your dieing for an action movie, but even then I would go watch something else like Live Free or Die Hard. Hitman fans around the world will be disappointed by this movie.

Grade: D+

REVIEW: Superbad

Superbad

Year: 2007
Director: Greg Mottola
Starring: Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Bill Hader, Seth Rogen
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
MPAA: Rated R

Superbad came out only 2 months after Knocked Up and it did great. Trailers for the movie were shown with copies of Knocked Up. Since Knocked Up was so so successful because Judd Apatow directed, it was only common that Superbad be the same even though Apatow was only serving as a producer for the film. Its like every movie that came out after Knocked Up and had Apatow written somewhere in the credits was bound to do good. Superbad did quite good in theaters grossing an estimated $169 million worldwide on a budget of only $20 million. While the movie didn't top Knocked Up's box office record, it did manage to beat its budget by alot. When I first saw the trailer for Superbad, I thought it looked pretty cool. Nothing special, but a pretty good comedy film. To no surprise, I was pretty spot on.

Plot Outline:
Seth (Jonah Hill) and Evan (Michael Cera) are best friends. Seth, is a loudmouthed 18 year old whose only goal in his last weeks of high school, is to get laid. Evan on the other hand is more quiet and shy compared to his best friend. Seth wants to make Jules (Emma Stone) his girlfriend and hopefully have sex with her. Evan just wants to express his feelings for Becca (Martha MacIsaac), the girl of his dreams. When Jules tells Seth that she is throwing a party, she invites Seth. Seth tells her that he'll get the alcohol since his friend Fogell (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) is getting a fake ID. This causes Seth, Evan and Fogell to go on a adventure before they go to the party.

Plot:
The story of Superbad is actually pretty good. The movie was written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg who first came up with this story when they were 13 years old. The plot is pretty simple and kind of cheesy. The movie kind of reminds me of American Pie in a way. So we could throw originality out the window. The film doesn't really have a story that's as cleaver as Knocked Up. Its just a story about getting beer and getting laid. For a movie that focuses on these two subjects especially for almost 2 hours is kind of boring because its happened in the past with other movies. The movie still manages to keep the audience entertained with its raunchy jokes and events that happen. The movie is definitely funnier than Knocked Up which I reviewed a couple days ago. If their was one thing that really annoyed me about Superbad was the loudmouth cursing. I have not seen a movie that uses the "F" word this much, not even Pulp Fiction comes close to the amount used in this film. That's my only real complaint about this movie, but other than that its a pretty good movie.

Cast:
The cast of Superbad is also pretty good. Jonah Hill plays as Seth and he does a good job in his role. He seemed like the only one that really enjoyed what he was doing. Michael Cera plays as Evan and he too does a good job in his role. This movie really launched his career to stardom because he managed to have a role in the movie Juno which I gave high claim to. Christopher Mintz-Plasse plays as Fogell and for his first movie ever, he does a good job. People at the theaters especially the audience loved him in his role and thought he was really funny. I happen to somewhat agree with those people. Bill Hader plays as Officer Slater and hes really funny in the movie. I quite enjoyed his performance and thought he did good in the movie. We also have Seth Rogen playing as Officer Michaels and while his performance isn't as great as it was in Knocked Up is still pretty entertaining in this film.

Picture:
The visual look of Superbad is kind of in the same league as Knocked Up. Being a recent release, the movie benefits from pristine source so their isn't any grain visible that I could detect. The movie features bright vibrant colors that are quite noticeable when in doors. If I were to nitpick on whats wrong with the picture is that it can be somewhat soft in some scenes. While the movie looks pretty sharp and vivid for the most part, it has some softness to it that's visible in some scenes. In the end, I was pleased with the look of the movie. Its nothing that's going to blow you away, but at the same time, its pretty good for a movie like this.

Sound:
The soundtrack for Superbad is pretty great. While the movie doesn't feature alot of music like Knocked Up did, it does have music that goes well with whats on the screen. The music is composed by Lyle Workman who also composed the popular hit, The 40 Year Old Virgin. I didn't detect any score for the film, but I really enjoyed the music in the intro. I thought it was a pretty good way of starting off the film. The music the film is mostly comprised of mixes that seem pretty right for a typical high school movie. This isn't a bad thing because somehow the music matches whats going on the screen. Dialogue is also clear and pristine especially with alot of dialogue in the movie. Bass used mostly in areas of the movie that consist of music, but its still pretty good for a comedy like this.

Conclusion:
Superbad is a good movie and I enjoyed it very much. I thought the story was pretty good even though its nothing original. The cast was very solid with alot of the cast members looking like they enjoyed what they were doing. The visual look of the movie is somewhat soft in some scenes, but offers vibrant colors. The soundtrack is great with alot of good mixes that go well with whats going on. I know people out their are going to compare Superbad to Knocked Up because its mostly from the same writers and because they came out so close to each other. Ill be the first one to say it, but I enjoyed Knocked Up alittle more. I thought Superbad was more funnier than Knocked Up, but Knocked Up had a better story and the story counts the most. loved both movies, but tend to favor Knocked Up alittle more. I can recommend this movie to those who enjoy adult rated comedies and to those who have seen Knocked Up or The 40 Year Old Virgin.

Grade: B-

REVIEW: Beavis and Butt-Head Do America

Beavis and Butt-Head Do America

Year: 1996
Director: Mike Judge
Starring: Mike Judge, Bruce Willis, Demi Moore, Cloris Leachman, Robert Stack
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
MPAA: Rated PG-13

I have been a fan of Beavis and Butt-Head for a long time now. I grew up watching the show that made me laugh all the time. I was saddened to see it end with only 7 seasons, but then again I am happy to see it make it this far anyways. When the feature length movie was released in the Winter of 1996, people were alittle afraid to admit they went to see it. Seeing as how its an animated movie and not some action movie, people were somewhat scared to admit they liked the show. The movie did great for a 2D animated film grossing an estimated $63 million on a budget of only $12 million. I personally wasn't able to see it because my parents didn't think I was old enough to watch PG-13 rated movies so I was left out in the dark. I had to wait for the inevitable DVD release and had to sneak it in my room to watch it, but boy was it a fun movie. Now 12 years later, I started to look in my movie collection to review for today and found this film hidden under some dust. I thought it was the perfect time to give this movie the review I had been waiting for.

Plot Outline:
Beavis (Mike Judge) and Butthead's (Mike Judge) television is stolen so they walk all around the neighborhood to find it until stumbling into a hotel. They open the door to a divorced thief by the name of Muddy (Bruce Willis) who thinks that they are hitmen he had hired to "do" his wife and to get the X-5 unit. He puts Beavis and Butthead on a plane to Vegas to find and kill his wife. When they get to the hotel, Muddy's wife Dallas (Demi Moore) pulls them in her room and offers them twice the amount of money to go back and "do" Muddy. They don't want to do a guy because they think do meant having sex, but Dallas arranges for them to get on a tour bus and go to Washington D.C. They go because she tells them she will "do" them if they go.

Plot:
The story is pretty simple and easy to understand. Not being limited to a 30 minute television show, the movie expands all out and gives the popular duo the higher budget it needed. The movie to me does not feel like a stretched out episode, but rather a proper length movie. This is a good thing because its nice to know the writers did a good job with the story that it doesn't feel like your typical episode of Beavis and Butt-Head, but rather a motion picture that the two so badly deserved. The movies 1 hour and 21 minutes is quite a good time for a movie like this, but I do wish it was alittle longer. I cant really complain though seeing how this series started off as a 30 minute episode. Sure the movie doesn't have the most amazing story ever, but its so funny and entertaining that I could just watch it over again and again.

Cast:
The film features some Hollywood cast members that lend their voices to these funny characters. Mike Judge voices both Beavis and Butt-Head in the movie. I'm so glad he voiced them because if it were someone else voicing the character he created, I seriously would have complained or would have wrote a letter to the studio executives. Judge does a great job at his role that their is no complaint from anyone I know. Bruce Willis voices Muddy Grimes and when I first saw this film on DVD, I had not recognized his voice so I never knew it was him. It was only until I saw the credits that I noticed it was Bruce Willis voicing Muddy. He does a pretty good job voicing the character. Demi Moore voices Dallas Grimes and her voice with her character seems average at best. I'm still glad she was in the film, but I do wish her character displayed alittle more excitement. We also have Robert Stack voicing ATF Agent Flemming and he does a good job in his role. I liked his voice and thought it matched his character he was voicing.

Picture:
The visual look of Beavis and Butt-Head Do America is a pretty good. The movie was released in a new DVD version recently and the movie looks pretty good. The whole movie is made with 2D animations which looks like it was hand drawn. Movies like this tend to not look so great when your comparing it to some of today's animated movies like Toy Story or The Simpsons Movie. So its pretty hard to judge a film like this because no matter how many times they remaster this film, I don't think you will be able to tell a whole lot of difference. However, the movie features bright colors that come off pretty vibrant. I'm pretty pleased with the picture quality, but I would love to see this movie in High Definition just to see if it would make a big improvement on this DVD version.

Sound:
The TV series had a pretty good music theme in the beginning of each episode, but this movie version doesn't have the same thing. Instead the movie does have its own score, but its mostly a mixture between the TV series music and the Shaft score. It sounds pretty good and is used very nicely with the opening intro. The movie also features some other music work. Theirs a Rob Zombie music video in the second half of the movie. The TV series have always been about music videos so I'm glad they kept that nice touch in this movie. Since this is an animated movie, the dialogue is very important and for the most it sounds good. Their are some scenes where the dialogue seems alittle muffled, but its hardly noticeable. Bass is also put to good use especially at the start of the movie. The bass then continues to sound good and full through out the movie.

Conclusion:
Beavis and Butt-Head Do America is a good movie that I enjoyed. The story of the movie is pretty good and entertaining. The cast is pretty solid with voices sounding good with their character counterparts. The visual style of the movie is tough to judge because its in 2D animation, but colors look vibrant for the most part. The soundtrack is used nicely with bass sounding full and loud. As a fan of the TV show, I can easily recommend this movie to anyone looking for a comedy flick. Don't be fooled by the look of the movie that adults might think this is just for teens because Do America is very much suited for adults too. If I had a wish to make regarding this film, then I would wish their would be a sequel to this film because me and the many fans around the world would love another feature length movie from Beavis and Butt-Head.

Grade: C+

REVIEW: Knocked Up

Knocked Up

Year: 2007
Director: Judd Apatow
Starring: Seth Rogen, Katherine Heigl, Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, Jason Segel
Distributor: Universal Pictures
MPAA: Rated R

In 2005, director Judd Apatow showed us that a rated R comedy flick like The 40 Year Old Virgin can be funny and have a great story at the same time. Enter Knocked Up, a film that's supposedly a spiritual sequel to The 40 Year Old Virgin. Knocked Up became a huge success and a sleeper hit in my opinion. I don't think anybody was expecting this film to be as successful as it is today. I mean movies about couples getting drunk and pregnant doesn't sound like something that's going to grab audiences around the world and yet it did. Knocked Up grossed an estimated $219 million worldwide on a budget of only $30 million. Its become director Judd Apatow's most successful film he has directed, produced or written. Being a big fan of The 40 Year Old Virgin, it was only a matter of time before I went to go see this film. I first saw the film in theaters a couple days after it was released and I loved it. I enjoyed it so much that I went 3 more times after that.

Plot Outline:

Ben Stone (Seth Rogen) and his stoned friends dream of making a website that reveals where and when movie stars get naked in movies. Alison Scott (Katherine Heigl) just got promoted to become a presenter on E! and has been told to become thinner for the sake of her job, it would be a nightmare if she were to get pregnant, right? Well her worst nightmare comes true after chance brings them together in a bar and a one night stand that would end up as something that would change their lives forever. After all the craziness that has progressed, Alison decides to keep the baby with both Alison and Ben deciding to give each other a chance for the sake of the baby. As the nine months pass by, tolerance turns to accommodation which turns to true love for the two.

Plot:
The story of Knocked Up is great. I gave high remarks for Apatow's The 40 Year Old Virgin because I thought the story was realistic and is something people could relate to. The same goes for Knocked Up. The plot is filled with enjoyable moments that only do nothing more than entertain you. The movie contains many jokes that are hilarious and meaningful. Sure the movie ain't funny as The 40 Year Old Virgin, but it comes close. The movie is geared more towards the story rather than relying on the jokes. This works perfectly because Knocked Up isn't a film that you walk into expecting the funniest shit ever, its a film that will make you laugh, but also care about the story. The story doesn't throw you any curve balls so what you get is what you start out with in the beginning. The characters in the film are wonderful and all have this feel that they belong in the film. I thought director Judd Apatow did a great job directing The 40 Year Old Virgin, but he did an even better job directing Knocked Up.

Cast:
The cast of Knocked Up is also pretty great. Seth Rogen plays as Ben Stone who is one of the main characters in the film. He does a great job in his role and this film really is a break through role for him. Before this film, I didn't really know who he was and what he was capable of, but thanks to this film, I now do. Katherine Heigl plays as Alison Scott and she also gives a great performance. I enjoyed the fact that she looked perfect next to Rogen and that the two actually looked like a couple in trouble. Paul Rudd plays as Pete and hes pretty good as always. I enjoyed the fact that he was in the film. Leslie Mann plays as Debbie and she gives a great performance in her role. She plays a much bigger role in this film compared to her role in The 40 Year Old Virgin. We also have Jason Segel playing as Jason and hes really funny in this film. I enjoyed every minute he was on screen.

Picture:
The visual look of the movie isn't something that's going to strike people down. This isn't something I would recommend using to demo your new HDTV, but its still a good looking movie. The film has vibrant colors that look wonderful on screen and really pop out. Detail is somewhat good with most shots looking greatly detailed while other looking alittle soft. For a film that came out almost a year ago, the source seems to be clean and precise. In the end, its a pretty good looking movie, but don't expect high quality CGI from a movie like this.

Sound:
The soundtrack in Knocked Up is great. Unlike The 40 Year Old Virgin where we didn't get much from the sound department, Knocked Up features a great list of music. The movie doesn't seem to have its own score which is a shame, but it does have some great sounding music. What we get is a mixture of different types of music that somehow go very well with the movie. I was quite surprised on how well the movie used its music. Almost every scene has music in it whether its a quite scene or a loud scene. The movie also features alot of dialogue so its nice to know the dialogue is clean and clear. The movie doesn't have a whole lot of bass work considering its a comedy and not Spider-Man 3, but whats their works.

Conclusion:
Knocked Up is Judd Apatow's latest and greatest film yet. I happen to enjoy this film much more than I did The 40 Year Old Virgin. The story is great and realistic because the plot of the movie can happen to just about anybody. The cast is very solid with alot of the cast member really playing their parts good. I'm glad this film was a break through role for Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl because the both of them were great in this film. The visual look of the movie is vibrant and pretty consistent. The soundtrack is wonderful even though it doesn't contain its own score. Knocked Up is a great movie that just about any adult who enjoys rough comedies would like. I can recommend this film to anybody who loves adult comedies and loved The 40 Year Old Virgin. Sure the movie can get predictable at times, but its still a great movie overall.

Grade: B+

REVIEW: Dreamcatcher

Dreamcatcher

Year: 2003
Director: Lawrence Kasdan
Starring: Thomas Jane, Damian Lewis, Jason Lee, Timothy Olyphant, Morgan Freeman
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
MPAA: Rated R

Dreamcatcher is a movie that I was interested in seeing when it was released in theaters in 2003. The trailer that Warner Bros. released for the movie looked really cool and somewhat interesting. The movie went on to gross an estimated $75 million worldwide on a budget of $68 million. After reviewing The Mist a couple days ago, I was craving for some more films based on Stephen King's work. I haven't seen Dreamcatcher when it was in theaters so this review was going to be the first time I see this film. Luckily I didn't see this film in theaters because after just watching the film moments ago, I can admit that it pretty much doesn't live up to what I was expecting from this film.

Plot Outline:
Four childhood friends, Beaver (Jason Lee), Henry (Thomas Jane), Jonesy (Damian Lewis) and Pete (Timothy Olyphant) go to some woods in Maine for their annual hunting trip. In their childhood, they had been united by a mentally retarded friend, Duddits (Donnie Wahlberg), who linked all of them with some sort of telepathy that they usually don't talk about. During their twentieth year of going out there, aliens land nearby and alter the course of their lives forever. Meanwhile, Col. Abraham Curtis (Morgan Freeman) is in charge of the governmental side of the aliens and he goes crazy after the aliens.

Plot:
The story is based on Stephen King's novel "Dreamcatcher" which he published in 2001. I haven't read the novel King wrote so the story of this film was going to be my first experience with the story of the novel. Now, since I haven't read the novel, I couldn't tell if the movie stayed close to the novel or not. Luckily after some hard research, I found out that for the most part it stays faithful the novel King wrote except for the ending. I found out that the ending for this film has been altered just like what happened with The Mist. I don't really mind this because I found the movie hard to follow anyways. As for fans of the book, this could make you furious because the ending I read the novel contains isn't the same as the ending in the movie. I don't get why Hollywood changes one of the most important aspects of novels when they make their movie counterparts. After coming off The Mist, I was expecting this film to be just as good as The Mist, but I was dead wrong. I found the plot to be slow and un-interesting. Maybe its just me and my personal taste, but I didn't enjoy this movie.

Cast:
The cast of Dreamcatcher isn't something to brag about because most of the cast members don't seem fit for their roles. Thomas Jane plays as Dr. Henry Devlin and he gives a somewhat dull performance. Damian Lewis plays as Gary Jones and he gives a decent performance. Since hes one of the main characters, he gets alot of screen time and I guess it makes up for it. Jason Lee plays as Joe Clarenden and he gives a decent performance too. Its simply not his best work, but I guess it will do. We also have Timothy Olyphant playing as Pete Moore and he also gives a decent performance. Morgan Freeman plays as Col. Abraham Curtis and I'm really surprised hes even in this film. A talented actor like him reducing himself to playing in horror flicks like this film. He doesn't give a performance that's memorable or good so lets just leave it at that.

Picture:
The visual effects in Dreamcatcher are pretty good for a film that came out in 2003. Sure it not better than the recent release of The Mist, but its still pretty good. The CGI seems somewhat dated now, but at the time of its release, it looked pretty good. Detail is pretty good with alot of objects looking nice and detailed. The film is mostly set in the snowy areas of the forest so colors seem very pale and overcast. The color blue is very noticeable in the movie because it seems like its everywhere. Flesh tones look pretty clean with alot of the cast members faces looking real and clean. Creatures look well designed, but I wouldn't call them original because they don't seem like something I haven't seen on X-Files.

Sound:
The soundtrack in Dreamcatcher is kind of a mixed bag. The music is composed by James Newton Howard who also composed such hits as Batman Begins and King Kong, but he really drops the bomb here. The movie doesn't really feature a score that suits this film right and all we get is techno music that seems better suited for an action movie than this. With this said, the music is still pretty good and catchy. I liked listening to it and thought it was an interesting music piece, but its not in anyway suited for this film. Bass is pretty good and the movie really has alot of moments where the bass shines. However, I'm still disappointed by the music in the film only because it doesn't suit the movie and its not a soundtrack that you would find in such a horror film like this.

Conclusion:
Dreamcatcher is a movie that I was first interested in seeing, but now I wish I hadn't. The story although stays faithful to the novel for the most part. I found myself trying very hard to like this film, but I just couldn't. The cast is pretty bad with most of them not giving the type of performance you would expect from them. Seriously, Morgan Freeman in a film like this? wow. The visual effects are a pretty good for a film that came out 5 years ago and is probably the only thing good in this film. The soundtrack is a missed opportunity with the movie having music that doesn't suit it right, even though the music itself is pretty good. Unless your a Stephen King fan or have read the book and was wondering what the movie might look like, stay away from this movie. You might get disappointed just like I did.

Grade: D-