Wanted

Chad Says...While I really liked this movie there were a lot of factors that caused it to not meet the expectations I had which were, "Based on the movie trailer, this is the greatest movie ever made."

Now first off, the movie trailer. Whoever made it (them) should be shot b/c way too many cool things in this movie were in the trailers and that was completely unnecessary. All they had to show in the trailer was a dude curving a bullet around a pig carcass then the words, "Go see this MF'in movie". That would have done it for me.

Now I realize that what I'm about to say is ridiculous but bear with me here...there wasn't enough action in this movie. That's like being in a pie factory eating pie and saying, "this isn't pie-y enough." I say that b/c the ratio of action from the trailers to the movie were too low. Introducing the main dude...slow, kind of boring. Explaining how they get the names of people to assassinate...snooze. Basically the action in this movie was so awesome that when there wasn't action I was bored.

Now the actual action. Sweet fancy Moses was it good. Very matrix-like the way they pulled this stuff off. Except it was more of a superpower than 1's and 0's. I would have never thought of the stuff they did in this movie. It was so over-the-top and impossible but I bought every second of it. In fact you can't convince me I couldn't do any of that stuff. If you try I'll curve a bullet around a pig and kill you.

Chad's review: with one hand I'm applauding but with the other I'm giving the bird to the guys that made the trailers. Jerks.

TJ Says...Someone asked me in April "If you could see only one movie this summer, which one would it be?" My answer was WANTED. I was very much looking forward to this movie. So much so that I went to see the 12:01 first show.

My expectations were sky high. The previews looked great. For me, this movie somehow exceeded my expectations. I was very impressed. It was just awesome

The movie started out with a bang, and ended with a bang too. The middle of the movie lacked a little. They showed the cool parts in previews, so it was nothing new. They could have done more to show the development of Wesley into an assassain. That's the only critique that I can think of that would be applicable to this movie.

Stuff blows up. People get killed. It's all done in unique and awesome ways not seen before. Good enough for me.

TJ's review: If you're a fan of awesomeness, go see this movie. Today. If you like suck, don't go.

Get Smart

Chad says...Man ole man. I've been waiting for this movie to come out since I was in grade school. I used to watch this show every day during the summer. It would come on right after the Frugal Gourmet. I bid you peace.

If you have watched every single episode of this TV show as I have, you will love this movie even more. They brought back characters from the TV show just as a special nod to those of us that loved the show. I mean Hymie? Come on!

Having Max start off as an analyst trying to become an agent was a little off putting since in the show he was a veteran agent and that was the reason he knew-it-all instead of being a boring analyst that studied every piece of chatter he heard. But I got over that quickly.

I thought Steve Carell was perfect as Max. Anne Hathaway as 99 was terrific. I liked the Chief but he never got mad enough at Max. 13 - the agent that was always hiding in an awkward place and was really lonely and just wanted Max to stick around and talk to him was funny. I just wish they would have used that more. It seemed like a waste of Bill Murray's time doing it just once. My only problem with the casting was having Zod from Superman (wink at TJ) play Ziegfried. He wasn't crazy or German enough. Deliverying the line, "Schtaker! This is Kaos. We don't 'ka-frickin-boom" here wasn't nearly as funny with this dry dude delivering it. Other than that I loved the movie. Maybe it's b/c I worshipped the TV show but still. Terrific.

Chad's review - If you think you like this movie more than me then I'll challenge you to a duel.

TJ Says...I had REALLY low expectations for this movie. I Thought it would be The Office meats James Bond. And it wasn't. IT was so much better and funnier than that. It was WAY better than the Love Guru.

I thought Steve Carrell and Anne Hathaway were great together. I enjoyed their shenannigans and my wife got most of the jokes, so even better. But the star of this movie, by far, was Agent 23, or "The Rock". Basically, I think he's the star of any movie he's ever been in. The Rock can bring it.

TJ's review...My wife and I both REALLY liked it, so go see it. I'm not saying you'll get any after, but laughing together is almost as fun. Right?

The Love Guru

Chad says...Okay let me preface this by saying, I laughed way too much during this movie.

Basically, Mike Meyers loves taking names and making them sound dirty or funny. He does this the entire movie. Every person that has a name in this movie references something gross. Hilarious right?

Also, midgets are a hoot! Verne Troyer has a great sense of humor and Mike Meyers takes FULL advantage of that. Funny stuff. Stephen Colbert puts up a very sub-par performance which was very disappointing for me since I think he's great. Also the graphics they showed before each hockey game of each teams logo attacking each other was really funny.

But Meyers will take a joke and drive it into the ground then stomp on it. Some of the bits go so tired you wanted to say, "Mike. Baby...MOVE ON!"

Chad's review - go see this movie with someone that will giggle like a school boy at it. You'll think it's funnier listening to them laugh.

TJ says...OK...i saw Get Smart first and so I had to compare the funny to that. There are a LOT of one liners that the entire row of teenage boys sitting in front of me thought were hilarious (and as brian can atest, TJ was laughing at them too). But there were no great gags or building jokes. Just A LOT of phallic related jokes (which, hey....they're funny) and people with funny names (Juaques "La Cock" Grande).

I thought J. Timberlake did a really good job of acting. I mean...keep it in perspective...but for a singer/dancer...job well done.

TJ's Review...Funny in an adolesecent way (and I don't mean that as a bad thing)...just lower expectations to that leve.

Kung Fu Panda

Chad says...Skidoosh! This was the best animated movie since The Incredibles. I put it right up there with that one. It was stinking hilarious and the story was fantastic. Jack Black was basically born to voice Po. He was perfect in this.

The fight scenes in this movie were either awesome, hysterical or both. Great use of the action, action, action, slow down camera to enhance the action or make you laugh, more action. I saw this movie with my kids and we cracked up the entire time.

Chad's review - you know it's a fantasitic movie when halfway thru you think to yourself, 'I can't wait for this to come out on DVD so I can buy it."

TJ says...Tap the breaks grasshopper. It wasn't as good as the Incredibles, but it was pretty good. I enjoyed the entire movie, and it does have a lot of really funny lines in it, but it's still a cartoon. I looked at my watch a time or two.

The fight scenes were intense, but with the panda in them, not too bad. Jack black did do a good job and the Panda made it not too scary for little kids.

TJ's Review...not as high on it as Chad, but definately worth viewing. I won't buy the DVD.

Incredible Hulk

Chad says...Chad smash! Are you unfamiliar with the Hulk backstory? Don't worry about it, during the 2 minute credits they fill you in. There's even a nice reference to Iron Man in there if you catch it. Then the movie actually starts. I really like this movie. I didn't think I would. And I liked it despite the fact that Edward Norton was just okay. He had this look on his face the whole time like he was trying to hold in a fart b/c it would squirt out into his pants a little bit. But how else COULD you play that part...I mean right?

I LOVED William Hurt in this movie. He's great. The action is really really good. Hulk did some serious smashing. Chad likes. I also liked how they explained how Bruce Banner was learning to control the outbreaks. Tim Roth was kind of weird in the movie and I usually really like him but it was a cool addition to see him develop into a bad guy in the movie. And the part that REALLY made me love the fact that they made this movie happened in the last scene. I won't spoil it, just go see it.

Chad's review - he rips a cop car in half dude...what more could you ask for?

TJ says...IN. First, Ed Norton Jr. (and do you have to be a Jr. to be in a super hero movie?), is great. That dude can act. I thought he did great. Liv Tyler's back among the living and does an adequate job, although she has horse mouth. The movie though, was very intense. Lots of action, stuff gets blown up.

Unlike George Lucas, the CGI was great and not over the top. I was really into all the action scenes with the Hulk and thought they were really well done. Also, the last scene was great and gets me excited for the next movie(s).

TJ's review...Go see it. Hulk's a bad green mofo.

You Don't Mess with the Zohan

Chad says...This was one of Adam Sandlers funniest movies. Put it in a category with Happy Gilmore and some of those other funny ones he did. No not Little Nicky, come on, keep up. It was funny. I laughed a lot. It's still an Adam Sandler movie though so it's just a silly comedy movie. He thinks it's funny to show his bare butt on screen then catch stuff in it. He giggles at huge cod pieces. Farts are funny. I'm not saying I'm better than any of those things b/c they all made me laugh. But that's what you get.

I did crack up at his accent too. There were several times when I thought, "wait, that was a french accent" but I had no problem with that. I bet Sandler stopped stuff a few times and went, "what happened to my accent in that scene...ah screw it, let's not do it again." I agree...good enough for me! Also, the hummus bits were a VERY nice addition.

Chad's review - You'll laugh at the movie. Then you won't tell anyone you saw it. Good stuff!

TJ Says...This move exceeds expectations. It wasn't that bad. It wasn't the typical Adam Sandler "Hey I'm stupid and I do stupid things." It was "Hey I'm super jew and I do stupid things." Good enough change up for me! The biggest negative to this movie was seeing WAAAAY too much naked sandler rear end.

Oh, and does Rob Schnieder have dirt on sandler? I mean this guy has NOTHING, yet keeps appearing in sandler movies. He's got something on the guy. Also, welcome back to movies Kevin Neeland. You had nothing on SNL, and oddly enough, you still got nothin.

TJ's review...I laughed at this movie. It definately worth the rental.

Indiana Jones

Chad says...Man I was really looking forward to this movie coming out. After hearing the gay title I thought to myself...it's cool dude. Spielberg's got this. He'll make it legit. The first 30 minutes of the movie I was all, "Sweeeeeeeeet". I started forming question marks over my head when the FBI pulled Indy in and started questioning him. They were talking about his former military records and whatnot. Military? Indy's a treasure hunter, not a former special ops army dude. Then Indy finds the crystal skull. When they first showed this on screen I went, "WHAT?" It looked so dumb I nearly punched the guy next to me and when that guy goes, "What was that for?" I would have said, "That was from George Lucas, he hates you."

Whatever. This movie was horrible. Not, okay. Bad. The stuff I liked (like all of the action sequences) were far out weighed by the aweful story. I even hated Cate Blanchett in this movie and I think she hung the moon.

Chad's review - rent it. But only b/c it's Indiana frickin' Jones. If it were called anything else it would be a joke.

TJ Says...I ,like everyone else, was highly anticipating this movie. It's Indy. But watching it, you realize that Harrison Ford is stinkin old, and his love interest is REALLY old. I mean Harry had to be thinking, "I'm dating someone 30 years my junior, and I get stuck with this in Indiana Jones?!?! I'm firing my agent."

I Thought the first 2/3 of the movie was pretty good. Traditional Indy, beatin peeps up, getting out of tough situations, surviving nuclear blasts in a lead lined fridge, etc. To this point in the movie, it reminded me of Indy one, National Treasure and Indy 3. Then as soon as a russion got eaten by ants, it severly jumped the shark. From that point on, George Lucas put ILM to way overuse and ruined the movie.

TJ's rating...The ending is TERRIBLE and completely ruins the rest of the film. Watch it on ABC in 4 years.

Iron Man

Chad says...Okay this was a really cool movie. Now this is coming from a guy that never read a comic book in his life but it way into all these comic book movies they've been throwing out there (except Dare Devil - up yours Affleck!). I could go on and on about how awesome the action and what-not was. I will say that as soon as I saw Jeff Bridges I thought - oh yeah he's going to be the bad guy. I mean look at him, he looks just like Lex Luthor. I think I don't like him as an actor anymore. His manorisms annoy me blah blah blah...so I didn't really like him. And the movie was too long. There were points in the film where i was thinking, Man they could have cut this whole scene out.

But I digress. Despite my annoyance of Bridges and thinking it was too long, the movie was pretty awesome. I thought Downey Jr. was really good and the story was great too. In conclusion, I wish I were Tony Stark.

Chad's rating - this blog entry is way outdated and you and the rest of the country has already seen this movie so don't worry about it.

TJ Says...I was expecting a lot from this movie. I really looked forward to it and I Thought it delivered. I thought RDJ (that 's Robert Downey Jr. to you) did great. I don't know if he's really cocky or if he was acting, either way, I thought he did a great job as Tony Stark. I was thoroughly entertained the enire flic.

Now reading Chad's review you would have thought he liked the movie...which I went to see with him. He came out not as high on it as his review. Queer.

TJ's rating...Awesome. Best superhero movie in a long time. A lot better than anything Spidey has been rolling out there. Only Batman Begins parallels this one.