Girls Just Want to Have Fun - 2 stars out of 10

Girls Just Want to Have Fun - 2 stars out of 10

"Girls Just Want to Have Fun" is everything that you'd expect from a cheesy 80's teen comedy.  The acting is over the top and there are a few too many cheesy montages set to a fast-paced 80's hit, but the movie accomplishes what it sets out to do.  I was really blown away with how young Helen Hunt looks (I had never seen her in such a young role) and Sarah Jessica Parker looked a lot better when she was 20 years old.  Acting-wise, these two were fine.  It was Morgan Woodward and Ed Lauter whose acting went way beyond necessity; at times, it felt as if they were trying to out-shine the leads by overacting.  Regardless, this movie isn't about quality of acting or plot - it is about the dancing and the 80's style.  The dancing isn't always the best but it really does help to capture that 1980's teen feel.  I could go on and one but the Netflix synopsis of this movie says all that you need to know: "Two rebellious girls find themselves on a wild adventure filled with cute boys, prudish nuns, mean rich kids and parents that just don't understand."

Watchmen - 3 stars out of 10

Watchmen - 3 stars out of 10

"Watchmen" was not my favorite superhero movie.  In fact, I couldn't really get into it at all.  I was warned that I should read the graphic novel before seeing the film and now I see why.  While Superman and Batman have been included in pop culture for a long time, this film made me realize how little of the DC Comic universe I am familiar with and how different it is than the Marvel universe that has dominated cinema over the past fifteen years.  "Watchmen" just doesn't "feel" like other superhero films and it is not supposed to.  Right away, I liked that the heroes do not have super powers and that they were just average people trying to make the world a better place amidst the Cold War.  Granted, that was spoiled when a gigantic blue character came into the picture, but their inclusion in a warped 1980's New York City was pretty cool.  The concept had a lot of promise and, maybe my mistake was watching the 3+ hour Director's Cut, but my excitement for "Watchmen" ended there.  Rorschach was really cool but his voice reminded me of Batman (the Christian Bale edition) too much, Nite Owl II (played by Patrick Wilson who is awesome) visually reminded me of Batman so I was kind of sad when I realized that it wasn't Batman, and Dr. Manhattan didn't remind me of Batman at all but he just didn't fit in with the rest of the characters.  That's where I lost interest - I feel like the movie would've been great without Dr. Manhattan but since most of the plot revolved around him, I couldn't ignore him and enjoy the story.  I'm sure that if I was familiar with the graphic novel, I would like him a lot more but I just couldn't form any sort of attachment to this large smurf.  The special effects are awesome, the cinematography gives the film a really dark feel, and the violence is portrayed beyond what we want to see (circular saw + arms = no cutaway... well in a sense there WAS a cutaway...), but unless you are already interested in this group of heroes, I don't think that this movie will make you a fan.

Escape from Alcatraz - 9 stars out of 10

Escape from Alcatraz - 9 stars out of 10

"Escape from Alcatraz" definitely sits amidst Shawshank and Green Mile as one of the greatest prison movies of all time.  Though the main theme is the escape, the audience will still get to know all of the different personalities of the diverse characters, experience the racism of the 1960's, and really empathize with characters (like Doc and Litmus) as the warden subtly torments them.  Despite the dreary atmosphere inside of the prison, it combines with the beautiful artistry of the sunrises and sunsets over "The Rock" to create a visually stunning experience.  This true story has suspense to the nth degree, with extended periods of silence to keep you on the edge of your seat.  You will not be disappointed with this classic.