Casino Royale

Viewed: 06.07.07
Theater/DVD/Cable: Plane
Overall Review: 3 out of 5

Plot:
Bond is back and he's tougher than ever. Daniel Craig stars as the newly minted 007 in this thrill ride from GoldenEye director Martin Campbell.

Memorable Quote:
"Christ, I miss the Cold War."

My Thoughts:
I miss the old Bond and the Cold War, too. This new Bond was a little to weird for me. Maybe they should have called it 'Casino Royale, with Cheese' instead.

The whole film revolves around a ridiculous high stakes poker game in Montenegro (huh?) of all places. I guess with the popularity of poker these days they had to make the switch from the old-school Baccarat, but this was truly pathetic. Anyone playing in that game would scream foul pretty quickly and the Montenegro Gaming Commission would have to be called in to review the tapes to figure out how a cold deck was introduced into the game.

Yes, they still have the hot girl and they still have the fancy fast cars. Yes, it's a little dark at times and you do get a sense for the action. But it's either a little too over the top and a little too unbelievable to really grab you and get you hooked. The funny thing is I actually watched parts of it on my laptop and the version on the plane was censored pretty heavily, so maybe I didn't get the full experience. I did fall asleep a few times and ended up having to rewind and watch some parts several times until I made it the whole way through.

And I still got a pain in my nether-regions after a certain scene. You'll have to watch it to find out and I am willing to bet you will cringe with pain as well.

The Forgotten

Viewed: 1.20.07
Theater/DVD/Cable: Cable
Overall Review: 3 out of 5

Plot:
Emotions turn from sad to pissed for a mother grieving her sons sudden death 14 months ealrier, when she's told he never actually existed in the first place. Strange and supernatural shit ensues.

Memorable Quote:
I had life inside me. I had life. I have a child. I have a son. I have a son, and his name is Sam, you son of a bitch.

My Thoughts:
This movie was on one of my Starz/Encore movie channels last month, so I thought I would give it a whirl. I'd seen the previews a few years back, but never had a chance to hit the theaters or rent the dvd. Back then, it fell off the map rather quickly, so i didn't expect to be blown away.

As I suspected, this one didn't exactly leave me amazed, but I will say I did enjoy it for what it was worth. The title is rather telling as this movie is indeed forgettable. I'm guessing that is why it didn't kill it in the theaters. However, I stayed focused during the movie and found parts of it rather interesting.

The movie takes an interesting turn in the latter parts, which for me was a relief. What starts as a rather boring movie about a potentially psychotic woman, turns all transcendental on us. This intersting plot twist, while not mind blowing, gave the movie just enough gusto to keep me interested.

On a side note, there was a pretty wicked car crash scene that reminded me of those commercials from VW for their GTI. You know the ones where people are just riding down the road talking random stuff and then, blammo, they are hit by another car. I wonder which came first, the movie or the commercials.

The Forgotten is forgettable, but worth a go if you've nothing better to do. If you are looking for a mind-blowing, thought provoking experience, you will be disappointed. However, if you are looking for a decent movie to break the monotony, this one may be your huckleberry.

Monster House

Viewed: 1.21.07
Theater/DVD/Cable: DVD
Overall Review: 3 out of 5

Plot:
A neighborhood house is causing all kinds of havoc, eating toys, people and whatever else walks on its lawn. Three kids dare to figure that shit out.

Memorable Quote:
Girl: "No, that's not the heart, it's the uvula."
Boy: "Oh, so it's a girl house."

My Thoughts:
If you don't have a child, then chances are you've never seen or heard of this movie. I had never heard of it until this afternoon. TripBoy and TripGirl stayed at Granny's house last night and they picked it up at the movie store so TripBoy would have something to watch. He watched it last night, but wanted me to watch it with him again today.

When they got home, I was about to fire up a poker game, but decided to shut down the computer after he asked if we could watchthe movie. He told me it was really scary and I might want to get a blanket to hide under. As it turns out, it was a little scary, but in a kid kind of way. I admit to jumping at least once when a scene caught me off guard. I've never heard of a childrens cartoon horror movie, but this one comes close. Think Toy Story, but scary.

As for the guts of this movie, I decided from the get go to take this for what it was...a chance to spend some time with boy and enjoy a simple movie. I'm really glad I did because we had a fun time huddling under the blanket waiting for the next scary thing to happen. He was definitely into this movie and I was caught up in his enthusiasm.

Now that I've gotten you into the idea of seeing this movie, let me throw a few warnings out there. This movie does not go deep. It will not knock your socks off or leave you ready to watch it again the next day. Take this movie for what it is...a kids movie with a couple of funny jokes and scary moments. If you start questioning plot holes and story lines, then you've missed the point. If you have a kid between the ages of 5 - 13, rent this movie and just have a good time with it. I did.

I give this one a 3 out of 5 as I had a good time with it. Had I not been with boy, it would probably drop some, but maybe not. I'm a simple guy and I take movies for what they are. This movie won't find its way in my DVD collection, but I'm guessing I'll have to buy it for the boy. That's cool with me.