the movieGOOMBA

2 GOOMBAS

3 GOOMBAS

2 GOOMBAS

2 GOOMBAS

2 GOOMBAS

4 GOOMBAS
I love Harry Potter!!! The dorky part of me wishes that I was also a Gryffindor (even though we all know that I'd be a Hufflepuff) with a wand, and a really awesome cloak. Who wouldn't want that, especially the cloak part? The final book, as you hopefully know, is due to come out on Saturday, July 21st; 7 days, 11 hours, 50 minutes from now. No, I'm not the even the slightest bit fanatical. And no, I'm not bouncing up and down in my chair with arms in the air flailing in hysteric excitement. You know this because I'm typing, and to do so requires my hands to be firmly planted on the keyboard . . . GAH! I'm dying over here! I'm about to have a melt down trying to hold it in! GAH AHHH! YAAAY! AHHH! So instead of the physical flailing, you get a written manifestation of it. Lucky you. I have to keep telling myself not to think about it or I'll start doing this silent cheer thing every two seconds, placing me most definitely in the scary geek category.

In, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, or OP, the following events occur: a hideous woman from the Ministry named Umbridge takes over Hogwarts, Harry and Cho make out, Harry teaches his classmates Defense Against the Dark Arts in secret, and there is a prophesy.

I don't really know what to say about the movie. I'm so blinded by the books that I can't even tell if the film is coherent to people who haven't read them. I loved the movie, but I don't know if I love it because I love Harry or because I loved the film. There are uplifting parts, sentimental parts, and funny parts. I thought it was good fix on the part of the film makers to montage the story of the different proclaimations Umbridge instituted with the DA scenes. Not only does it speed up the story, but tells it in an artistic fasion. The special effects are awesome, Harry becomes someone everyone else could look up to, and to top that off, Dumbledore is a bad-ass.

The few complaints I have are the obvious ones; they left out a lot of cool information that the books had. I also didn't like how they dealt with Cho's character, but that's because it was totally different from the book. I just felt like there was no resolution to Harry and Cho's relationship. Are they still together, are they not? I also wished there was a little more fight scene at the end of the film, but if they need to pay Daniel Radcliffe 25 million, it's understandable if they were running low on the budget for CG. I'm facetious, I know.

Anyway, I love Harry Potter. Even if he's suppose to be a miserable, misunderstood jerk in this film. I'm a fan, 100% of the way. I'm bias, so hopefully you take this review with a grain of salt.

4 GOOMBAS

I went to the movie theater with very high expectations for Pixar's latest animated edition. In my mind, it was already a 5 GOOMBA film, considering Pixar's reputation and all the reviews I'd already read. But obviously from the rating I gave it above, I wasn't astounded by the lovable rat. However, it was a good movie, and better than some in Pixar's collection of gems.

2 GOOMBAS

My entire perception of the Golden Age of Hollywood was shaped by I Love Lucy. Sometimes, I'm even surprised that some of the tidbits I learned from the show isn't common knowledge; like Heda Hopper and her crazy hats or what a Don Lopper Original meant to the average 1950's woman. So when I heard that they were making a movie about the original television show Superman, I immediately thought of the bouncy and friendly Superman who saved Lucy from her apartment building's ledge. This was the Superman that every kid for the 1950's knew and loved, and because of this episode, I knew him too, so I was surprised to find out that Superman wasn't who I thought he was.

Hollywoodland tells the story of a struggling actor, George Reeves, who found his break by playing every child's idol, Superman. However, his suspicious and abrupt death tainted the legendary superhero's reputation. This is where the story begins. Louis Simo is the private detective investigating George Reeves' death, which from the police's perspective was disregarded as a suicide. Through his investigation, Simo not only learns about the unhappy and strange lifestyle of the all-American symbol of heroism, but makes his own revelation about the life he leads.

To put it bluntly, I didn't like this movie. Watching it, you can tell that there was a lot of thought and effort that was put into it. All aspects of the actual production of the film was quality stuff; the cinematography, the lighting, period perspective, the mis en scene. It's obviously not your Saturday night, Lifetime, made-for-TV movie. It looks like an A-class film, but just like our teachers in grade school told us, appearance isn't everything.

The story wasn't all that interesting and the characters weren't engaging. I find myself stretching to explain how Simo found any connection between his life and Reeves'. Both struggle in their own way, but really, they had nothing in common. Reeves' is a child television star by day, man whore by night. Simo is a divorced, shady private investigator with a kid who doesn't respect him. Maybe one argue that while Reeves' balked and shied away from this respect that was given to him unquestionably, Simo longed for it. Sounds good, huh? Remember I'm stretching (the best BS comes from it).

I'd skip this movie and opt for other, better films like Chinatown or LA Confidential.

4 GOOMBAS

Here, my friends, is the epitome of the Hollywood Blockbuster. Big, flashy, entertaining, and charming, this movie made me remember what it was like to see through the eyes of my 6-year-old self again. How the heck did they make a mere car turn into a friggin' robot right before my eyes?!? Magic of course! And what about the back story behind the Decepticons and Autobots, cheesy? I didn't notice! It was too awesome to notice!!! Nah, I'm not excited about the movie at all . . .

3.5 GOOMBAS

Die Hard was one of the first films to pioneer a specific school of action. You know what kind of action I'm talking about; the kind of action where our hero didn't need to have super powers or a crazy sci-fi storyline. All he needs is a gun and his bare hands, but don't worry, he'll manage to get some machine guns and some makeshift explosives by the end of the movie. There's usually some hostage type situation, and a special girl he has to save. There is a bad guy and the good guy. No surprises. The school of action that rose in the 1980's but died during the Internet revolution. Action movies like these were more about the ride than anything else. But they don't make them like they use to. The audience has changed, and people expect more from an action thriller than just ridiculous explosions and crazy shootouts. Action movies now a days need much more. We're so technologically advanced now that movies of this caliber no longer have a place among the war films, Matrix movies, or comic book hero flicks. So when I heard they were making a new Die Hard, I was hoping that I would get to see some of that old school muscle action.

Live Free or Die Hard follows up on our old friend John McClane. He's now a senior detective for the NYPD, divorced, bald, and estranged from his children. Like the premises of the previous films, McClane always just happens to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. As a favor for the FBI, he's asked to pick up a computer hacker who is somehow partially associated with some hi tech terrorists. As his adventure unfolds, these terrorists begin taking over the United States via "firestorm" attack. Things blow up, his daughter is kidnapped, all hell breaks loose, and there's only one man for the job; John McClane.

This entire movie is a symbol for how action movies have evolved. How ironic is it to put an old school action hero under present day circumstances? He's confused. He needs a nerdy computer geek to translate. And the "much more" that I was talking about earlier . . . it entails technological warfare against the most powerful nation in the world. Saving 50 hostages from 15 terrorits just isn't enough. Even McClane acknowledges how things have changed, and maybe all brawn can't stand up to modern day villains. Oh, but that doesn't stop him from battling a fighter plan with a semi and, my personal favorite, taking down a helicopter with a Crown Victoria.

Live Free Or Die Hard is a good piece of entertainment. It was packed full of ridiculous goodies and kept me rooting for the good guy, but in the end, it just wasn't the same as old school Die Hard. Even though our action hero from the past wins his battle and saves the country; sadly, his style, like the aging movies, just doesn't hack it against new cinema. But that doesn't stop me from liking it!

Update: I up-ed the rating by 0.5 GOOMBAS because after a little more thought, despite the impossiblities of some of the situations, it was pretty fun. Plus, my dad thinks that should be 4 GOOMBAS, and he is the aficionado on all things action.

3 GOOMBAS

Okay, give Mark Wahlberg a gun and let him run around on camera any time . . . just without the mullet. Will Farrell and Jack Black put it right on the money when they jokingly threatened to beat up all the nominees except for Wahlberg during the 2007 Academy Awards, because "[he's] kind of bad-ass." Bad-ass is the right word for Mark Wahlberg, especially in this aggressive action flick.

Ex-U.S. Marine Corp. sniper, Bob Lee Swagger, is recruited for a special mission because of his excellent reputation and expertise at shooting people in the head. He must prevent the assassination the President of the United States.
************SPOILER WARNING*************
The plot thickens as he becomes the victim of a set up and then has to run from the FBI and those who framed him.
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Of course there's a bombshell, female semi-love interest, some attempt at character development, the nerdy, yet trusty sidekick, and lots and lots of bombs.

This movie doesn't really have much to it. It was kind of cool to listen to all the gun talk. Apparently there are lots of elements that go into shooting a person from over a mile away. Who knew? But the real reason to go see this movie is Mark Wahlberg, the shooting, and the many many explosions. Exaggerated masculinity is usually an issue for me, but Wahlberg is so natural about it; thereby making it okay for him to run around as macho man. Hey, it's like watching him in real life!