Extremely Loud Incredibly Close – Movie Review

Rating: 7+/10 Rental worthy. This is a good movie and stands out from the usual movie fare. Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock had backseat roles to the main star, a young autistic boy who lost his father (Hanks) in 911 tower. It is a journey of self discovery movie that holds your attention and pulls you into the story. The movie rotates around the boy, Thomas Horn, who does an excellent job acting. Bullock & Hanks have smaller supporting roles as the parents – so don’t expect this movie to give them much screen time or to be about them. I don’t normally endorse many “self discovery” movies as they tend to be too self indulgent and boring. However this boy, (Thomas Horn), carries this movie and the story line (a mystery of sorts) keeps your attention to find out where it will lead the boy. Put it on your rental list

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Hanna – Movie Review

Rating 7+/10 Good movie. A sleeper not to miss. If you like action movies with intrigue you will enjoy this movie. There was not a lot of advertising for this movie, so is one easily missed. Cate Blanchett may be the only name you recognize in the cast. The 16 yr old trained assassin did a great job. One of the better movies I’ve seen in awhile. I had no preconceived ideas about the movie prior to watching it which is sometimes a good thing. Some over-hyped movies tend to disappoint only because of the pre-release hype. This is a definite movie to rent. My wife gave it 8/10. Thought it was an exciting movie. I would be interested in your opinion of the movie if you saw it.

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Tower Heist – Movie Review

Rating: 6/10 Weak movie but good cast. If you are in the mood for a totally unrealistic, somewhat funny, heist movie — and like Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Casey Affleck (Ben Affleck’s younger brother), Mathew Broderick, Alan Alda, and other star studded cameo cast members, then this movie is worth renting. Some humor seemed forced, movie premise bizarre, but all in all, was an enjoyable movie with some funny spots. Just don’t expect too much. My wife gives it 6-/10. She thought it was a little over the top and silly…. but still enjoyed it… kind of.

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War Horse – Movie Review

Rating: 8/10 Good movie that was better than I expected. Very well done with good storyline. Good acting and photography. War Horse was an emotional roller coaster of a ride. Probably not an epic movie you will be talking about a year from now, but a good big screen movie and a definate DVD rental movie when available. I don’t usally go into storylines, assuming you already know enough about a movie and just want to know whether you should add it to your rental list or skip it. The movie had all elements going for it, war, horses, good guys, bad guys, adventure, sadness, joy. Good movie from start to finish. My wife also gives it 8/10. She gets emotionally involved in movies and this one was no exception. She said it was too sad in spots and had her hands over her eyes during graphic scenes. In a

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Three Musketeers – Movie Review

Rating: 6/10 You will be disappointed if you are looking for a great big screen movie…. but will enjoy this movie if looking for a light hearted, far fetched, adventure movie. Silly in parts, totally unrealistic all the way through, but actually a fun family movie with enough action scenes to keep you engaged. If you are up for 3 or 4 musketeers sword fighting 50 guards and winning, you may enjoy this movie. But don’t expect a great movie. My wife thought it was a bit silly but still enjoyed it as a rental. Gave it 6-/10. Make some popcorn, turn down the lights and watch it with the whole family. Note: some battles were a little bloody. (PG-13)

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Footloose – Movie Review

Rating: 5/10 This remake didn’t quite do it for me. Acting was mediocre, dialog a little lame, the whole movie seemed forced. I enjoyed seeing Julianne Hough, of Dancing With the Stars fame, play the preacher’s daughter. For first time out acting, she did a good job. Maybe because I was comparing it to the original with Kevin Bacon, or maybe because I am older… this version seemed more like a TV movie than a big screen movie. Put this one near the bottom of your list. Was not a complete bomb, so if nothing else is available at Red Box, for $1 it isn’t a bad rental (if nothing better is on TV). My wife rates it same as me 5/10. She thought it was a little contrived and bad acting all the way around. Are we wrong? Did you like the movie?

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My Week With Marilyn – Movie Review

Rating: 6+/10 Was going to skip this movie because I’ve seen a lot of Marilyn Monroe bio movies over the years. But wanted to see Michelle Williams portrayal and see if it was Oscar nomination worthy – which I think it was. She did a great job in that role. The movie itself was different than I expected. It was not her life story stuffed into 1.5 hrs, but a snapshot of a behind the scenes look at her making a movie in England with Sir Laurence Olivier. I found the movie a little slow moving and depressing. If it hadn’t been for Michelle Williams performance, probably would’ve given movie a 5. Enjoyed seeing Emma Watson (Hermione in Harry Potter series) play an adult supporting character. If you have an interest in Marilyn Monroe, see this movie. If not, it may not be your cup of tea. I found it

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Moneyball – Movie Review

Rating: 8/10 Moneyball surprised me. A behind the scenes baseball movie based on actual events had all the elements for a boring movie. But, Brad Pitt was in it so thought I would give it a shot. Turned out to be a great movie with drama, tension, and some humor. Like most come-from-behind movies, Moneyball draws you into the middle of the drama and has you rooting for the Home Team by the end. Brad Pitt, as usual, did a great job, Jonah Hill – normally known for silly comedies – also did a great job as the statistician. There are enough personalities and conflicting personalities to keep this interesting from start to finish. www.stresssolutionsuniversity.com/members/members/members/ I highly recommend this movie for men and women. My wife enjoyed the movie (probably because of Brad Pitt)… and also recommends it for the women out there. Although a sports movie, which she doesn’t

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The Descendants – Movie Review

Rating: 8/10 I wasn’t sure this movie would live up to all the hype and Oscar nods & wins… but it did. I like George Clooney, but most of the roles he plays aren’t as demanding as true Oscar worthiness. I was pleasantly surprised in The Descendants when I saw a little more range in his acting. The premise of the movie was also interesting – a husband, whose wife is in a coma, finds out she had been having an affair. All the actors pulled this movie together, I especially liked the older daughter. The younger daughter was also very good… and the boyfriend added some comic relief… all making this a believable story that drew you in and tugged at your emotions. I highly recommend this movie. Not a 9 or 10 in my scale, which are reserved for movies like Titanic, Avatar and other big blockbusters. But a

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