Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D (2008) - 3 stars out of 10

Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D (2008) - 3 stars out of 10

I have to admit, "Journey to the Center of the Earth" was better than I expected (although I began with a very low expectation ). This was a unique take on the story, using Jules Verne's book to inspire the characters and placing them in his fantasy world, rather than just making this an adaptation. The main reason that I enjoyed this film was for the 3D effects. Although it seems like most of the script was written to facilitate cheesy 3D moments (instead of the other way around), the effects were still entertaining. I watched the 3D anaglyph version, which means that I sacrificed the vivid colors (which were completey washed out) for the 3D effects, but without the 3D I would've been annoyed with the film so it was worth it. Brendan Fraser is not very good, playing into his stereotype and delivering his comedic lines with poor timing. On the other hand, I did enjoy Anita Briem and hope that she gets some more roles. Overall, this makes a nice family film which will have smaller children jumping at the sight of carnivorous plants and dinosaurs, but does not contain much quality acting or dialogue. The sequel sounds atrocious and I definitely will NOT be seeing that one, but I'd recommend this for a family movie night, particularly with 3D glasses!

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events - 4 stars out of 10

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events - 4 stars out of 10

"Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events" was definitely not what I expected. I expected to hate this film... but it was very enjoyable due to its colorful characters. While its target audience was obviously children, its cast gives the characters substance. Jim Carrey is such a fantastic character actor and delivered equally well in each of his roles. Meryl Streep's character is particularly delightful and singlehandedly made the film worth watching. And nobody could argue against using Jude Law's voice to narrate ANY film. The children were great, particularly Emily Browning who acted far beyond someone of her age. The special effects are interesting (especially the creatures) there isn't anything "bad" about the film. For adults, the story is pretty childish and although the movie isn't Shawshank, the cast it makes it worth watching as a family film.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (8) - 9 stars out of 10

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (8) - 9 stars out of 10

While I wish that I could say that this final installment in the Harry Potter series is the best out of the eight films, I do not find that to be true. The film does provide closure, an exciting final battle, events to pull the entire series together, and an Epilogue that I believe was the best possible ending; unfortunately, much of the movie progresses at a snail's pace without much reward. While Part 1 had its slow moments, I forgave that due to the incredible drama that it generated. I just don't understand why this one had to be so slow without creating as much drama. I definitely support splitting the final book into two films to preserve the story, but something should have been done to make this more entertaining. Many have complained about the changes to the final half-hour of the film, but I believe that, although the final battle read well in the book, it would have been too short (and anticlimactic) if it was not embellished on the screen. In regards to the special effects, they perfectly bring the world of Harry Potter to life in a believable way that never seems over-the-top or cheesy. The same goes for the actors - Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint complete the Harry Potter chapter of their acting careers by showing their potential to move on to successfully depict different roles (though Radcliffe will really have to battle the Zach Morris Syndrome). After having his appearances limited in the first 7 films, Fiennes finally has an opportunity to show his evil, wonderfully complimented by Helena Bonham Carter. Maggie Smith is always a joy to watch, and the entire Snape sequence was wonderful. I love the twists that were set-up back in the first few films. As I stated for Part 1, this is not a children's movie. This film is incredibly dark and was aptly rated PG-13. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" is a wonderful ending to a highly successful film series, though I wish that I could say that it was better than Part 1.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (7) - 10 stars out of 10

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (7) - 10 stars out of 10

"Part One" is certainly not the light-hearted, family-friendly Harry Potter film to which we have grown accustomed. As the first film of the series to bear the PG-13 rating, its combination of disturbing imagery and dark thematic material make it a dramatic work of cinematic art instead of a children's story. Although this filim lacks the overwhelming amount of action from the first 6 installments of Harry Potter, its impact comes through the raw emotional acting of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, and Helena Bonham Carter. The three young actors who we have seen grow from kids to adults through these roles leave a strong impression. Few other actors appear for more than 5 minutes in this film and it all falls on these three talented actors. Between Radcliffe's underwater scene, Watson's screaming, and Grint's emotional monologue, the acting of the Harry Potter series has been elevated to a new level. Though the story sometimes seems like an introduction of content knowledge necessary to the understanding of the next film, the explanation of the Deathly Hallows pulls everything together. P.S. The storytelling of Watson's voiceover with the computer animation was stunning. It is amazing how Rowling's fantasy world transforms between the first film and this chapter, but it is delightful as witchcraft enters the muggle world. The ending makes it very apparent that this film is a link between the first 6 and the finale instead of a stand-alone film, which is precisely the intention. After Part One ends, your heart will be racing, ready for Part Two.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (6) - 9 stars out of 10

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (6) - 9 stars out of 10

I cannot call myself a true Potter fan since I have not read the books; therefore, my perspective is completely different from someone who has. For those of you who, haven't read them but still enjoy the movies, I believe that this is the best Harry Potter movie yet. Much darker than the previous installments, this movie was only possible because of the acting maturity developed by Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint over the past 8 years. Every second of this movie is SO REAL (with the exception of the bridge collapse at the beginning) that it will just envelope you from the very start. Watson's [heart flutter] emotional scene is very powerful, Alan Rickman is pure evil, Grint has his best performance of the series as he takes the spotlight during his comedic sequence, and Jim Broadbent was simply genius. There are too many amazing moments in this movie to name (and it's taking everything within myself not to give huge spoilers here). Just be prepared because this movie really is a downer, darkly propelling the story into it's upcoming final resolution.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (5) - 8 stars out of 10

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (5) - 8 stars out of 10

Again, amazing special effects and great acting by all. I was pleased that there was more of Hermione and Ron in this one! Aside from the typical compliments to the leads, I must say that I was delighted by Imelda Staunton as the wicked professor, Dolores Umbridge. The first time that I saw this film, she made me so angry with all of her small mannerisms but the second time, I realized that it is because she portrayed the part to perfection.  I'd venture to say that she is my second favorite character of the series (after Hermione, of course!) My only complaint about the film is that it wasn't believable that an entire school year passed by in the span of this movie. When Dumbledor explains to harry that he was distancing himself from him, my only thought was "Really? I hadn't noticed." Not enough different things happened to show the passing of an entire school year, but then again this was the shortest of the 7 installments and probably suffered from overediting. The final 20 minutes of action and unexpected events are amazing and make this film worth a second, third, and fourth viewing. I'd definitely watch it again.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (4) - 7 stars out of 10

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (4) - 7 stars out of 10

The plot was very good in this one but there wasn't nearly enough of Hermione or Ron. The special effects in the dragon scene were awesome and this story was a lot more intense than the previous movies, particularly the whole Voldemort transformation scene. Younger kids can probably handle the first few, but this is where the series becomes too intense for young eyes. I was particularly impressed with the emotions of Daniel Radcliffe following the Triwizard Tournament, and enjoyed the twist that you will never suspect toward the end. It was good, just not as good as some of the others.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (3) - 9 stars out of 10

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (3) - 9 stars out of 10

This film is a turning point in the series, as the audience really begins to connect with the characters.  An 8-film franchise allows the character development to move at a very slow pace.  While this prevents the characters from being incredibly lovable in the first few films, it creates a familiarity from getting to know them progressively instead of merely throwing all of their life events in your face at once.  The Harry Potter series  can really get away with this method of character development because most people have already read the books and know the characters already.  While werewolves are cool, my favorite aspect of this film is Hermione's ability to travel through time, particularly when they are watching themselves in the woods and you can see how their future actions (in an alternate reality) effect their present actions.  This might be the finest film in the series and would be a good starting point if you wanted to be familiar with Harry Potter without watching all 8 films.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2) - 9 stars out of 10

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2) - 9 stars out of 10

I usually don't like sequels more than the first but... I was extremely impressed! I didn't ever think that Harry Potter could choke me up but I really was choked up at that last scene. High marks from me on this one. Once again, the acting was very believable and the same goes for the special effects. Although the characters continue to develop, there is much to be revealed about these three students.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (1) - 8 stars out of 10

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (1) - 8 stars out of 10

I'll admit, I was never too keen on the Harry Potter fad. But after seeing this movie, I must admit that it really was THAT GOOD! After seeing the sequels, it is easy to spot the inferiority of the special effects in the original as technology improved over the course of 10 years, but at the time they were great and can still be appreciated for what they are. Strong acting for kids this age and an enchanting atmosphere are highlighted by a clever score by John Williams to make for a great film experience. Most of all, J.K. Rowling has penned a wonderfully imaginitive story highlighted with unique characters (in a unique atmosphere) that have enough depth to keep them interesting through 7 installments of Harry Potter.

Father of the Bride (1950) - 3 stars out of 10

Father of the Bride (1950) - 3 stars out of 10

Spencer Tracy is great, but the main thing that I gathered from "Father of the Bride" is a greater appreciation for the 1991 Steve Martin remake.  While the remake blossomed because of it's focus on the havoc at the wedding reception, this version doesn't really focus on anything.  I compliment Tracy's opening monologue and the wedding rehearsal scene (which is sadly very accurate) but the rest of the movie was slow and boring.  Being so familiar with the remake, most of the same conceptual ideas are there but it's easy to see that the remake made them work more effectively.  It's an okay movie if you're a fan of Tracy or Elizabeth Taylor, but I'd recommend watching the 1991 remake twice than watching each of them once.

Insidious - 8 stars out of 10

Insidious - 8 stars out of 10

"Insidious" is easily one of the scariest movies that I have ever seen.  I don't know if I have ever held my breath for 20 straight minutes during a movie, but the horror was non-stop.  The creators of Paranormal Activity and Saw team up to create a terrifyingly terrific horror film that surpasses either of their prior franchises due to one key factor: moderation.  In Saw, there are too many senseless torture scenes that are way over the top and in Paranormal Activity, they use the same shot too many time.  However, they have reached horror perfection with this film, using a variety of scare tactics throughout and never use the same one so many times that it becomes stale.  Whether it is a creepy voice over an intercom, jump scenes, horrific imagery, or a brief scene with a small child unleashing terror on a room of people, no technique is overused.  The music during the opening credits serves as a disclaimer that some people in the theater may pee their pants.  Although the first few scenes of the movie aren't scary, having this music before it sets a tone that will have you on edge (even during the nice scenes).  There never seems to be an escape from the scary scenes as they string several nighttime scenes in a row, but the comic relief enters just in time with Leigh Whannell and Angus Sampson, who were just perfect.  In fact, all of the acting is very good for a horror film (particularly Lin Shaye and Patrick Wilson).  As the story progresses, you'll think that you have everything figured out... only to have your mind blown.  The twist and resolution over the final 35 minutes of the film are incredible and yet the explanation perfectly ties together the events from the beginning with the latter half of the film.  If you still feel sane after all of the horrific imagery, freakish sounds, and out-of-body experiences, the ending will surely get you.  And you will never want to have your picture taken again.  This film is petrifying and yet, it does so with a very limited amount of language and basically without any gore.  It just goes to show that a good story, quick camera cuts, scary images, and strobing lights can still create an intense horror film that will have your heart pounding from start to finish.