Trouble with the Curve - 7 stars out of 10

Trouble with the Curve - 7 stars out of 10

Clint Eastwood delivers another high-caliber performance in this unique father/daughter drama.  I don't know how many more movies Eastwood has in him but I hope that the number is large.  His chemistry with Amy Adams is there from the start as her large dreaming personality contrasts with his gruff exterior.  The biggest surprise of the film (though I don't know why I'm still surprised every time) is Justin Timberlake.  Any time that I see his name attached to a movie I think "gimmick," but he is legitimately an awesome actor and brings so much to this film.  I don't know if there is enough baseball action in the film for my taste but the baseball statistic challenges between Adams and Timberlake are awesome.  My largest complaint about the film is the story.  The concept has so much potential but I feel like something was missing.  "Trouble with the Curve" is not in my top 15 baseball movies of all time but I would see it again for the chemistry between its three lead characters and the incredibly satisfying final scene in the stadium.

Surrogates - 8 stars out of 10

Surrogates - 8 stars out of 10

This movie was so much better than I imagined it could be!  The artistic contrast between the humans and the surrogates was so cool.  I was really amazed at how perfect the skin and hair of the surrogates was, how their movements were very subtly robotic, and how "real" the humans looked in comparison!  I like that the humans weren't necessarily ugly - just average-looking and realistic in body proportion.  Though I don't often like Bruce Willis outside of the "Die Hard" franchise, I was really rooting for him in this movie.  P.S. Ving Rhames is incredible, as always.  As the movie progressed, I worried that the ending would be a letdown, but I feel that this ended just right.  I'd definitely see this movie again.

Going Overboard - 1 star out of 10

Going Overboard - 1 star out of 10

How could anybody, at any point in time, under ANY CIRCUMSTANCE, think that this movie was a good idea?  "Going Overboard" is so awful that you can't even call it bad.  You would have to invent a new term for this movie to explain the horrific stupidity contained within.  This is truly worse than watching an animal die a slow, painful death.  It has some of the worst dialogue that I have ever heard, maybe even worse that “Birdemic” and “The Room.”  For goodness sake, SOMEBODY BUILD A FOURTH WALL AND STOP ADAM SANDLER FROM TALKING TO ME!  This 90-minute commentary between Sandler and the audience is absurd with lines like "These guys don't have anything to do with the film but we just threw them in for variety."  I don't know who wrote the script or why they hired the worst cast of actors available (including Sandler) but this movie is painful.  "Happy Gilmore" and "Billy Madison" are two of my favorite comedies of all time but the stupid humor in this film is delivered so poorly that it is just nauseating.  Sandler's characters are always ridiculous and over-the-top (which makes them so memorable), but these ones are acted so unconvincingly that you just want to see them all go overboard with concrete shoes.  I have watched some awful movies in my day but somehow, this film is a strong candidate for the worst movie ever.

Argo - 8 stars out of 10

Argo - 8 stars out of 10

“Argo” is just an all-around great film.  There isn't any one thing that sets this film apart, except for that moment at the end of the film where you sit back and say "Wow."  The script has a nice pace and I love the visual appearance of the film.  Whatever filter was used on the cameras really makes it feel like watching stock footage from the 70's.  The costuming and make-up are great, particularly those epic mustaches.  While the acting was good, I was disappointed in the character development of the escapees.  I know that this story is about the set-up of the rescue mission but I cannot name a single escapee (or even tell them apart).  Ben Affleck is typically on my "bad" list but his performance was to-the-point and avoided going over the top.  Alan Arkin stood out as the movie producer, though I can think of other performances more deserving of an Oscar nomination.  I loved the idea of creating a fake movie as a front to extract these Americans but felt that there was not enough of it (considering the emphasis of the movie trailer).  Even though it isn't cinematic perfection, the final half-hour is an incredible emotional build as the danger compounds into an exhilarating finale.  Since I am not a history nerd, I'm thankful that this film brought these events to light and allowed me to experience this unique chapter of American history.  I don't anticipate "Argo" winning any Oscars (except for maybe Best Sound Mixing or Editing, just to make sure that it wins something) but it's an adrenaline rush that I would definitely see again.

Some Like It Hot - 10 stars out of 10

Some Like It Hot - 10 stars out of 10

I never understood what the big deal was about Marilyn Monroe... until I saw this film.  "Some Like It Hot" defines what a movie should be and you could name 50 different movies that unquestionably took inspiration from it.  The entire plot comes together beautifully in the first 20 minutes with a natural progression to put these two men into such a precarious situation!  A perfect blend of comedy, romance, and conflict, "Some Like It Hot" is forever one of cinema's most enjoyable movies.  Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon are hysterical ("Daphne... you're leading again"), delivering laughs in every moment that they appear on screen.  Marilyn Monroe is absolutely charming and becomes the fantasy of every man during the boat scene.  This movie also provides unique insight into the 1950's, sadly showing how much men could (and would) harass women without getting a sexual harassment lawsuit against them.  Don't wait too long to see this movie, you'll regret it!

S.W.A.T. - 6 stars out of 10

S.W.A.T. - 6 stars out of 10

Strong from beginning to end, "S.W.A.T." is an interesting cop movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat.  With the exception of one small twist, this is a straightforward and predictable action movie with great shootout scenes.  Realistically, Samuel L. Jackson's picture on the cover is enough to draw most people into the film but a good story does lie within.  Although Colin Farrell is the lead, the actors that left their impression on me were Michelle Rodriguez and Jeremy Renner.  While there aren't enough surprises to make this one of my favorites, the idea of a criminal yelling to tv cameras "I will give $100 million to whoever gets me out of here" and the resulting actions of the bad guys (and some good guys) make "S.W.A.T." worth seeing at least once.

Frankenweenie (2012) - 8 stars out of 10

Frankenweenie (2012) - 8 stars out of 10

As a movie, it is okay.  As a stop-animation film, it's really good.  As an homage to 1930's monster movies, it's awesome.  "Frankenweenie" surprised me.  Its title was very off-putting but I'm so thankful that I gave it a shot.  Without a doubt, it is the finest example of stop motion animation ever.  The movements of the characters are fluid and believable.  For as innovative as "The Nightmare Before Christmas" was, it is hard to believe that they were even filmed using the same technique.  You can’t even call Tim Burton the best producer of stop motion - nobody else’s work can even be put on the same playing field.  The voice acting is decent.  I particularly appreciated Catherine O'Hara and Martin Short who each voiced multiple characters.  I wish that there would have been more of Winona Ryder's voice but Martin Landau was definitely used to maximum capacity.  One of the biggest surprisesis the amount of the film that DOESN'T involve the dog, but it kept things very fresh.  While the story and voice acting make this into a "good" movie, "Frankenweenie" is great because it is a giant tribute to 1930's monster movies.  There are so many allusions to monster movies that are set up from the start without us realizing, like the windmill at the top of the hill that is innocently referenced several times (before becoming an obvious “Frankenstein” reference in the end) and the poodle’s hair (that eventually becomes the Bride of Frankenstein).  All of the film's characters are named after classic monster movie characters.  Many of them take on characteristics of their namesakes, being portrayed in the vein of Hollywood icons like Boris Karloff and Vincent Price.  And once the ending turns into a giant Godzilla battle, you know that you are watching something very special.  Even the fact that it was filmed in black and white, though it's some of the most vivid black and white cinematography that I have ever seen, contributes to that monster movie feel.  I was really pleased at how family friendly the film was (unlike "The Nightmare Before Christmas") and feel like it could serve as a good introduction to monster movies for kids.  Tim Burton has hit a home-run with "Frankenweenie" and I can't wait to see what twisted concept he'll come up with next!