Ed's Review Dot Com

Millennium Films, Gerard Butler Alan Siegel Entertainment, LHF Film,

Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Alon Aboutboul, Angela Bassett, Robert Forster, Melissa Leo, Radha Mitchell, Jackie Earle Haley, Sean O’Bryan, Waleed Zuaiter

President Asher (Aaron Eckhart) is in London along with many other world leaders to attend the funeral of the British Prime Minister who mysteriously died. Suddenly a major terror attack breaks out killing many and destroying most of the cultural landmarks of London. The President has been captured and his only protection is a secret service agent Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) who was with him when he was taken. Terrorists have taken the upper hand and the forces of good have to try to foil their attempt to bring chaos to the world.

I can imagine the thrill the folks had at the close of World War II watching great films about the bravery of the soldiers, sailors, and airmen who defeated the Axis powers in this horrible war. These movies were built around the real events of the great battles of that war. Today, things are much different today. We chip away at the enemies day by day, but we don’t have the great victories to cheer like they did in the past. So today we get fictional accounts of grand events that have not really happened. We don’t have much to celebrate anymore, it seems, and our brave heroes are out there, but we are much more concerned about what’s happening with JayZ and Beyonce or Kim and Kanye, and the rest. This is a grand adventure, very graphic with lots of blood and gore, but with lots of excitement and suspense. The acting of the good and bad guys is very good, and the action is non-stop. It’s got a great soundtrack, and super explosions and special effects. This is a very good film, if you like adventure, and well worth checking out.

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Relativity Media, Virgin Produced, GreeneStreet Films,

Kate Winslet, Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Naomi Watts, Jeremy Allen White, Anna Faris, Chris Pratt, Kieran Culkin, Emma Stone, Jason Sudeikis, Justin Long, Leslie Bibb, Uma Thurman, Kristen Bell, Bobby Cannavale, John Hodgman, Halle Berry, Seann William Scott, Elizabeth Banks, Stephen Merchant, Nicole Polizzi, Johnny Knoxville, Richard Gere, Jack McBrayer, Kate Bosworth, Gerard Butler, Terrence Howard, Chloë Grace Moretz, Josh Duhamel

Charlie Wessler (Dennis Quaid) is a washed up producer who is going nowhere. He weasels his way onto the studio lot to pitch his latest idea for a blockbuster Hollywood film to producer Griffin Schraeder (Greg Kinnear). Unfortunately it is a series of extremely inappropriate sketches. This movie is basically a really far out series of unrelated stores tied together with the efforts Charlie makes to get his idea turned into a movie at all costs, even at gunpoint with hostages if necessary in this hilarious star studded off-the-wall comedy.

Outrageous is an understatement for this film. The sketches are the most inappropriate stuff you have ever seen. This movie has it’s roots in the classic 1977 “Kentucky Fried Movie” but rather than just being short sketches, this one ties it all together with Dennis Quaid’s efforts to get this piece of crap made, even though Greg Kinnear is going to do everything possible to make sure that doesn’t happen. What happens is a series of extremely funny bits with a TON of major stars. I don’t know how they talked all these people into being in this crazy film, but it must have been a real blast making it. It gets so out of hand, and goes where no film has gone before. I really enjoyed the craziness of this film. It is really out there. You have to be able to deal with the gross subject matter as nothing is off limits, and it’s really nasty sometimes, but the outrageousness of it is what makes it really funny. If you remember Kentucky Fried Movie, and if you enjoyed that, then you’re sure to crack up over this one.

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Eclectic Pictures , Evil Twins (I) , Millennium Films,

Gerard Butler, Jessica Biel, Noah Lomax, Dennis Quaid, Uma Thurman, Catherine Zeta-Jones, James Tupper, Judy Greer, Abella Wyss, Grant Goodman

George (Gerard Butler) used to be a star soccer player. Now he’s fallen upon hard times. He’s renting a guest house and way behind in his rent. He’s trying to move into sports announcing, but not having much luck. Mostly he disappoints his son, Lewis (Noah Lomax) and his ex-wife Stacie (Jessica Biel). But now he’s trying to be a better Dad and shows up at his son’s loser soccer team with a coach who knows nothing about the game and lots of incorrect instruction. So George volunteers to take over as the coach of these losers and not only makes a hit with the kids, but all the soccer mom’s are giddy with glee to have this guy as their son’s coach. George has to walk the fine line between all the ladies throwing themselves at him while trying to build a relationship with his son, when a few events make it very, very difficult for him.

This is a film that has been done before. I mean, it’s almost directly a copy of the Bad News Bears or The Mighty Ducks except in this film George actually loves soccer and wants to be a coach. But it is a soccer movie which isn’t quite that common, and Gerard Butler is very lovable as the sports star, sidelined by injury, who spirals out of control. Jessica Biel is definitely not the best person for the role of the Mom who isn’t quite done with George, but headed to the altar with her new, stable guy (Hmmm. The Santa Clause anyone?), but the shining star of this film is definitely Noah Lomax who plays the young son trying to find his place. Noah is perfectly cast as Lewis, and he carries the movie. The rest of the cast is also a big plus. Dennis Quaid is really funny as the rich eccentric guy who provides a lot of perks as long as his tone deaf daughter who “sings like an angel” can sing the National Anthem at the games. Uma Thurman is great as his wife who’s as lonely as she is desperate. Judy Greer as the deserted young wife desperate for some attention, and Catherine Zeta-Jones in a small, but very good role for her.

This movie is certainly not perfect, but it is good family fun. The comedy is real, and it has a lot of heart. It has a strong message, yet is very modern turn to the story. I think this is a good rental film and well worth watching.

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Relativity Media, Virgin Produced, Apparatus Productions,

Gerard Butler, Michelle Monaghan, Kathy Baker, Michael Shannon, Madeline Carroll, Souleymane Sy Savane, Grant R. Krause, Reavis Graham

Sam Childers (Gerard Butler) is a bit of a tough guy. He’s frequently in trouble and as the movie opens, he’s just being released from prison. When he gets home, he finds a major change in his family. His stripper wife is no longer working in that profession and has converted to Christianity and is not willing to go back to the way things were. But Sam finds himself in trouble once again in just a short time. But the winds are changing. When Sam finally decides to change his life around, nobody can believe it. He takes a job in construction and straightens up. But wanting to do more, he volunteers to make a missionary journey to Africa and in the process is touched by the torture and murder going on there. Before you know it, he’s built an orphanage and is fighting toe to toe against the war lords that terrorize the people. Sam never does anything half way, and he gets obsessed with his new calling, even to the point of risking his own family back home. Based on the writings of Sam Childers, this film is based on his writings, so it’s at least based on what he sees as the true story.

Butler is pretty good as Sam Childers. He’s pretty good as the bad ass, drug dealing, hard guy in the beginning. He’s also convincing as the fearless defender of his schools and of the little kids of Sudan. He does a decent job of showing the compassion and caring for the kids he adopts as his own. This is Sam’s story, in his own words, and therefore Gerard, who plays Sam, is the focus of the film. This doesn’t leave a lot of room for everyone else to shine here. This is a pretty good story, but there are a lot of ways that it could have been better. But I guess some of what I feel are weaknesses in the film, may be due to the weaknesses in the real story. I’m not convinced that Sam’s ways are the best ways to accomplish what he wants to do. He becomes so focused that he adopts a sort of ruthless stubbornness that doesn’t always suit. Perhaps that’s why it’s been so hard to get help from anyone else. Perhaps he wants to be the lone wolf.

At any rate, it is an interesting story of an interesting guy. It’s got a lot of the background information on the powerful warlords that terrorize and slaughter the people who are simply trying to live. So it’s got a lot of important material, and if you look past some of the grating personality quirks of Sam, you might find it worthwhile to watch. For me, it makes me shrug and say, Ok, that was alright, but it’s not extremely memorable or life changing.

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DreamWorks Animation, Mad Hatter Entertainment, Mad Hatter Films

Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, T.J. Miller, Kristen Wiig, Robin Atkin Downes, David Tennant

On the Island of Berk, the young Viking, Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) wants to join his town’s fight against the dragons that continually raid their town. Hiccup is a Viking and Vikings kill dragons. However, his macho father and village leader, Stoik the Vast (Gerrard Butler) , will not allow his small, clumsy, son to do so. Hiccup is an inventor not really a fighter, but regardless, Hiccup ventures out into battle and downs a mysterious Night Fury dragon with his invention, but when he tracks down the injured, very dangerous Night Fury, he can’t bring himself to kill it. Instead, Hiccup and the dragon, whom he dubs Toothless, begin a friendship that teaches him that dragons only defend themselves. Toothless teaches him that dragons have problems of their own and only fight humans because they are hunted and slaughtered by people. But now that he knows this, can he convince his “dragon killing teacher and class”, let alone the rest of the village. But most of all, will his father ever believe him?

I am now officially the last person in America to see this film. I rented it via Netflix’s “Very Long Wait” program. That’s where if the movie is any good, and if you don’t get it on the day it is released, it will go into indefinite “Very long wait” for 6-8 months. So yeah, I should have visited Redbox, or gone to any of my kid’s house to see it, but I decided to wait until Netflix got around to sending it to me. It was worth the wait.

This was an animated film that I’m pretty sure everyone is aware of by now, but it’s one of the best Dreamworks animated film since the original Shrek! The characters are very good and believable. The animation is crisp and clear, and the story is very good. Hiccup is a great kid. He’s dorky, and not very buff for a Viking, but at the same time he’s got a big heart and is a really good guy.

The dragons are funny and each one has its own special characteristics. The story is somewhat predictable and has been done before, but it’s still interesting and unique in many ways. I really enjoyed it, and I recommend it for the kids and for families wanting to watch something together. Nicely done.

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