Mission Impossible II

I know I reviewed the original MI not too long ago, but with the trailer release of MI 4: Ghost Protocol (see sidebar to watch), I need to write about another MI movie. This time I will write about the most poorly reviewed of the franchise, which I actual love. John Woo helmed this one - hence the pigeons. I don't mind John Woo at all, plus Sir Anthony Hopkins and Thandie Newton have been added to the cast. Good start? Yep!! Plus you factor in Tom Cruise's outstandingly gorgeous long locks, you have a guaranteed hit. It starts off with a thrilling opening scene followed by that awesome intro music and I am hooked. The story is about the interception of two highly deadly tubed viruses by the IMF that will be used to extort insane amounts of money to save the population. Ethan Hunt is back and it is awesome. The stunts, the love interest, the Ducati - it is all so perfect. I honestly do not understand why people hate this movie. I feel it is exactly what this franchise is about. I think what I love about this franchise the most is the fact that since its introduction in 1995 it has only spawned 3 (great) films, going on 4. Transformers has its 3rd out in 4 years. I like that MI is spending the time to write awesome scripts and never rushing to theaters. The second installment also holds a small piece of my heart for sentimental reasons. This was the first thing me and my future wife did together, "before we together." I like to think MI 2 helped us form a bond with each other that would only be destroyed by HollowMan a couple weeks later, and then be rebuilt by Gone in 60 seconds. Either way, I love the ripping off of faces in MI 2 as we first saw in the first one. I will see the 4th one in the theater because I think it looks awesome, but also that this franchise has never done wrong and I strongly feel it will go 4 for 4.

NBM rates Mission Impossible II - Awesome

Diggstown

I remember the first time  saw this brilliant film. I was like 12, and it was a Friday night, pizza night, movie night and Diggstown was that evening's movie. It follows a con man fresh out of prison looking to score big time. Gabriel Caine (Woods) ends up in a boxing town named for the former heavyweight Champion Charles Macum Diggs. The town is Diggstown, and the only thing to do here is box or watch people box. Diggstown is now being run, more or less, by John Gillon. Gillon is played by Bruce Dern in one of his best performances - The 'burbs aside. So, Gabriel moseys into town, heads to the local boxing facility, and insults the fighters right to Gillon's face. He then claims he knows a guy who could fight and beat any 10 Diggstown boxers in a 24 hour period. Intrigued, John makes a wager on this. Small for him, but huge for Gabriel. Now Gabe just needs a fighter. "Honey" Roy Palmer (Gossett Jr.) is that fighter. He is 48 years old, hasn't boxed in years, and doesn't like Gabe very much. They used to be partners, but that went south. Differences aside, they go after Gillon and his fighters. Honey Roy has little time to train before his first fight. The fighting is good action, but the story around Gillon and Caine is really where it's at. As the 24 hours withers away, the bets get bigger and bigger. Fighters are bribed, and even killed if they don't give 110% for Gillon. Honey Roy has something to prove. Not ot himself, but to Caine, who he says ruined his chance at the championship. The comic relief is played by the always funny Oliver Platt. 8 fighters down and 2 to go. This is when it goes from ordinary to extremely interesting. It has now turned into a game of wits....and it looks like Gillon has the upper hand. Most the fights are quick, but as is expected, the last one is the pressure cooker. I love this film. The corruption inside this small community is baffling. Can "Honey" Roy win an entire town for his former friend? Watch and see.

NBM rates Diggstown - Phenomenal

Dodgeball : A True Underdog Story

Some days I really struggle trying to figure out what film to write about. Then other days it is easy, because maybe I've seen something recently that needs a review. Tonight was one of the harder nights, but before I was able to put too much thought into it, A-Bomb texts me "Tomorrow we are going to pecker slap those weinies from Globo Gym." And that settled it. It has to be Dodgeball. An absolute hilarious film about the world of competitive Dodgeball brought to you exclusively by ESPN 8, better known as "The Ocho". The story of big gym wants to take over little gym in all its glory. Globo Gym wants Average Joes to not only go away, but disappear for forever. Average Joe's is own and operated by slacker Peter Le Fleur (Vaughn) who run his ever failing gym, but refuses to give up. On the other end of the wealth/success ladder is former fattie turned super stud exercise guru White Goodman (Stiller). When Le Fleur turns down White's offer for a buy out, the war is on. Le Fleur is also being audited by the uber hot Katie Veatch (Taylor) who has no idea where to begin with Average Joe's. Her and White's dialogue are hilarious throughout. So now we have a Dodgeball tournament with a purse of a half a million dollars which will not only save Average Joe's from it's money troubles, but will stick it to White and Globo Gym. Because the "athletes" from Average Joe's are not all that athletic, they don't have much of a shot at winning the tourney. Old Patches O'Houlihan comes to train them. Old O'Houlihan is played by Rip "I broke into a bank that looked eerily similar to my own house strapped with my 9" Torn, while young Patches is played by Hank Azaria. He teaches them enough to get into the tourney through district play, but they have a long road ahead of them. Shenanigans ensue and this is one of the dumbest most quotable movies ever. "Nobody makes me bleed my own blood. Nobody!!!!" Brilliant. Needless to say, this is a comedy I have seen about 10 times and it is always enjoyable. With the "Davids" beat the "Goliaths" in this tall tale that single handedly launched a new realm of adult Dodgeball leagues all around the country? I'm not even joking. That just happened. And remember, if you wanna play the game, but aren't sure if you will be good or not, there is one simple rule to help you, "If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball."

NBM rates Dodgeball - Awesome

Flawless

I was lucky enough to see a screener of this on HD Net whilst it was in theaters. I say lucky because, it is fantastic. It is a story about the unlikeliest of friendships. London 1960's is the scene, which is beautifully done by the film makers for this one. It follows a mid thirties go getter [female] executive who wants nothing more than to eventually run the London Diamond Corporation. Did I mention she is an American? Laura (Demi) is this woman and when her turn for a big promotion comes and goes with no accolade, she wonders what to do? What's next? Is her "Glass Ceiling" impenetrable? Fortunately, depending on how you look at it, she has been being watched by the building's custodian, Hobbs. Hobbs (Caine) corners her and gives her enough info to get her to ask questions. He is on the verge of retirement and really has nothing to show or have really. He convinces her to help him steal just enough diamonds to help them both live comfortably for the rest of their lives. Reluctantly she agrees, and then the scheme comes to light. The rest of the film follows her doing her part and him doing his part, but with a twist. It seems he is using her for her clearance, but she is none the wiser. He is a desperate old man who promises her things to get her involved, but will he deliver? It is a brilliant film, with a moralistic ending you will love. I only .

saw it the one time, but would love to watch it again.

NBM rates Flawless - Phenomenal

Accepted

Another one of those little gems that seemingly should be "eh", or "so-so", but turns out to be one of the funniest things ever. Bartleby (Justin Long) has slacked through high school, then he slacked when turning in applications to college. When the time comes, and he has been rejected by all the colleges, he is in deep SOUTH HARMON INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (S. H. I. T. for short). South Harmon is the only school that "accepted" him, and that is only because it's his. He couldn't get into a school, so he started one. Him and his buddies put on a nice facade to fool his parents basically to buy time. Then it happens. Kids start sowing up with S.H. acceptance letters. Some glitch in his plan and now all of the sudden he has loads of tuition money from desperate people wanting a college education. Reluctant at first, as he should be, he doesn't want any of this. On the other hand, he has a chance to be a hero. He comes up with a brilliant idea of a "student run/student taught/student inspired/and student created curriculum...and it works. When classes consist of "sitting by the pool", and "learn to be a rock star" attendance stays at 100%. When the prestigious neighboring real college wants the property they have leased, they cause quite the stir of problems for S.H. Bartleby [who names their kid that?] finds himself loving life for the first time ever, but at what price? Jail for fraud is always an option. S.H. ends up fighting for their life in the legal system, and the outcome is unexpected. This is a great comedy, that is well written, but better acted with the likes of Justin Long, Jonah Hill, and an unknown Blake Lively and Lewis Black in a hysterical role as "The Dean". I especially love the kid who majors in the culinary arts-with a twist.

NBM rates Accepted - Awesome

Charlie St. Cloud

Here is yet another example, maybe the best yet, of how good of an actor Zac Efron is. Zac is Charlie St. Cloud. He has everything going for him until tragedy strikes his life leaving him to toil and wander through his life wondering how to move on. Charlie only ambition is sailing, and I don't mean military. He is a sailor and he loves it. His younger brother Sam, however, wants nothing more out of life than to be a professional baseball pitcher. Charlie loves Sam's drive, and they work on his craft every day of the week. These two brothers are close. Then it happens. Charlie is in a car accident and his passenger, his brother, is killed. This tears Charlie apart. He walks away from everything, and goes so far as to get a caretaker job over the cemetery where Sam has been laid to rest. Charlie soon realizes he has been given a gift. He is able to talk to Sam as if he is still alive. He can only do this at sun set though, and he makes him a promise that he will never miss a day, and they will continue their relationship. This is where we wonder if he is crazy or can he see dead people? That is the true heart of this tale. When Charlie meets a special girl, who not only shares his interest of sailing, but also helps him cope with Sam, he begins to slowly be reborn. He spends many days and some nights with his new lady friend, but he keeps his promise to Sam [which she doesn't know about.] He often high tails it away from her to not miss his brief encounter with his Bro. It really is about one man's struggle between reality and fantasy, or is it? When his new lady begins not showing up to meet him, something is a miss, but what? It really was a great film with a good surprise plot twist.

NBM rates Charlie St. Cloud - Awesome, and I rate myself a GENIUS for being able to bring two back to back posts with "Saint/St." in the title.

Saint John of Las Vegas

Once again you get to hear me harp on independent film and it's underlying brilliance. Not to mention Steve Buscemi. Has he ever not been great? NOPE. This is no exception. It follows John (Buscemi) on his obvious second phase of his life. Selling insurance outside of Vegas. Let's just say he had a gambling problem. When the opportunity for him to advance at his company arises he doesn't necessarily jump at it, but he does accept. He is hesitant because the job takes place in Las Vegas. The city he managed to escape. His addiction is never really laid out to us in black and white, but we know he definitely had it bad. He has gone from salesman to claims investigator. His first case is a doozy of a classic car that the firm doesn't want to pay for. They think it is a ploy so John and his "Mentor" Virgil (who he just met) are on the case. He and Virgil's arguments are the best. Dialog like this really happens in the real world. John feels he is being slighted with his $80 per diem, the whole "sleeping in the car" thing, and Virgil's general attitude toward him. He is on a mission though. He has dreams, and he wants to accomplish them. He ends up in a fight for his life and isn't quite sure how that even happened. Vegas, I guess. The climax of the film gets us to realize that for people like John, there really is no hope. He can only do the best he can with what he has, and eventually, I'm sure he will even screw that up. Anyhow, this movie is very entertaining and the picture above is not at all what it seems. Believe that. NOT AT ALL.

NBM rates Saint John of Las Vegas - Awesome

Black Swan

Darren Aronofsky is my hero. He did it again with Black Swan. He made me care about something I don't care about. Ballet. I'm saying that if the ballet was as trippy as the final act of this film. I might possibly consider maybe attending one. Just saying. He has such a talent of bringing these stories to life, all the while, he makes us think...a lot. I knew I would like it, but now I must convince you that is worth your time. This is not one of those films that I happened upon and nothing else was on. No no no, I actually wanted to see it in the theater, but never made the time. It has several factors that I love when it comes to a "no frills" film. Independent status, Aronofsky behind the camera, Natalie Portman in front of the camera along with the lovely Mila Kunis...[who's hotter in that equation?], and it looks like a film any one with a camera could make. I love  a good script and this is a great script written by three men if you can believe it. Nina (Portman) is a die hard ballerina who is perfect at what she does, but she cannot see that. She is able to nail down the lead role in Swan Lake, which is highly coveted to say the least. Unfortunately the pressure builds for her and she may just crack. From all angles she is dealing with the BS. Her mother treats her like she is 6 years old. Overly obsessive and played to Oscar caliber by Barbara Hershey. The relationship between this mother and daughter is  super creepy. Then there is the new girl, who is a great dancer. Lily (Kunis) only tries to help Nina in her inner struggle and her outer ones as well. She is the only real friend Nina seems to have, but then Nina's paranoia sets in. I didn't know the story of Swan Lake before this, and it really is something. The movie however is Nina's struggle to be perfect as the Swan Queen, but she fears Lily is out to get her so she can have the role. The play is basically playing out in her real day to day life and the story follows perfectly along the lines from the practices to the real world all the while playing out Swan Lake in front of our very eyes. Let me give this warning. Ladies, if you want to watch a film about the grace and beauty, and drive of ballerinas? This is not for you. If you want to delve into the underbelly of the stress these girls endure, and want to see them go a little bonkers in the process, well then, by all means. And to the doubting Thomas's "Men". 2 extremely hot ladies, drama featuring extreme pain, and of course Natalie and Mila going at it. That right there is good enough, I would think. Also, I would like to verify that in my opinion no one-NO ONE- is hotter than Miss Natalie Portman. No contest. In closing, I feel it in my heart that She absolutely deserved her Oscar for her role. I don't give a crap if that was her dancing or not. The movie is so much more than that, and her acting ability is just how her character wanted to dance - PERFECT!!!!!


NBM rates Black Swan - Phenomenal

Kung Fu Panda 2

So, my second best friend (who happens to be 8 years old) wanted to write down his thoughts on Kung Fu Panda 2. I love that the literary art form is still being used and I hope you enjoy his take on this film. **Transcript directly after this scan...

  

This review is for Kung Fu Panda 2. I Loved it. It was awesome. It was better than the first one. Even my brothers liked it. I liked Po fighting with his belly and I like when he was throwing the fire balls back at the ship. Po has to save Kung Fu. Hope my Dad buys it on Blu Ray.

A-Bombs son "M-80" rates Kung Fu Panda 2 - a Cinematic Work of Art 

Battle Los Angeles

How many of you either, (A) Thought this looked cool, but knew it would suck? or (B) Watched Skyline, so wrote this off without a second thought? Me too - on the first point. Only watched 20 minutes of Skyline, so I cannot attest to that, but I have heard things. It only took 20 minutes to be completely enthralled in this story of mystery. First off, alien invasion films are a dime a dozen, whether that dime is a decent film or not is another question. This film does something new that I don't recall seeing in this genre of film before. I will come back to that. Staff Sergeant Mike Nance (Eckhart) has just submitted his retirement papers, they are signed and within a week his 20 year career as a marine will be over. Then the meteors begin to crash and the military are necessarily on the west coast. Though Nance is done he isn't quite done. He has to aid and abed a new officer named Martinez. Lt Martinez is fresh out of the classroom and can't be more than 25. He is now Nance's superior for his last mission. Take a squad though the city and get some stranded civilians at the local Police dept. They still don't know what they are dealing with. When they finally realize Aliens have landed on Earth and it is war, it gets real crazy. Lt. Martinez is a green horn when it comes to combat, but Nance is patient and mentors him the best he can.  Here is the great part. Aliens have "landed" on earth many times in film, but they always control the skies. This one is a straight forward hand to hand battlefield type of situation between us and them. They use tactics much like we do. The flank, surround, and destroy. Our military are quickly realizing this is a difficult opponent to defeat. They do reach the civilians and now their objective is to get them to safety. This movie does a brilliant job of combining combat, America under attack, War speeches, and Valour. I am flabbergasted at how poorly this film was reviewed. I love it. Every single aspect of it is so awesomely done, and I will watch it again. Great writing, better directing, and some surprise actors I didn't know were in it. Bridget Moynahan, Michael Pena, and Michelle Rodriguez all add to the dynamic. As if the story wasn't good enough, add in Nance's own personal demons of war, and have them hashed out in a very public manner just solidified the writing. A very good war movie that is like a mix between ID4 and Black Hawk Down.

NBM rates Battle Los Angeles - Phenomenal

Green Lantern

Clark Kent here writing about a fellow DC comic Superhero, The Green Lantern.  First off, let me start by saying indeed there are No Bad Movies, but it is a historical fact proven over the millenia that there are NEVER any Bad Super Hero Movies.  So there lies the heart of my review.
The Kent family has been planning a trip to see Green Lantern for some time. It was a celebration of my youngest offsprings 5th B-day. Also it just looked cool in the previews as well.  The fact that a purple alien can crash land on my planet and a mystical green ring, about the size of my high school ring in fact, can choose me to be the protector of one of the realms of the universe.  I was interested and ready to put in my application for the next opening.  Hal Jordan, typical fighter pilot jock/narcissist had the very specifics that the job required when the ring went searching for its' next recipient.  Hal isn't even sure why he was chosen hence the internal battle he must take on as well as the battle with the evil forces that threaten the core of our very universe.  Hal goes through a crash course in Green Lantern training 101 and learns that whatever he can think the ring helps him do. It creates what each lantern thinks and that is the very power of the ring. 
Green Lantern has all the wow factors of other superhero movies. Super Hero's special calling with super powers included, girl love interest, humorous sidekick, creepy bad guy, and cool special effects.  May not have been the best of superhero movies but indeed a fun one and entertaining one to watch. 

I give it a thumbs up rating of Awesome!

P.S. The picture I added is what Superman would look like as the Green Lantern.  "I Pledge Allegiance to a Lantern."

Valkyrie

Operation : Valkyrie power point presentation.

Operation: Valkyrie. Little know the story of this mission, though once you hear the details, you will instantly know how it went. Tom Cruise plays Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg. He is the key element in this plan to kill the Fuhrer and regain control of their home country of Germany. They need a lot of pieces working together to make an effective plan on seizing control back from the Nazi regime and have their country back. Von Stauffenberg is a German Army officer who nearly lost his life in a brutal attack by the Allies. In this attack he is left with one eye and one useful hand, but his new "War Hero" status helps him form an elite team of veteran officers with the same mentality toward Hitler's Nazis. I have to admit, when I heard Bryan Singer to direct a historical based film about a plot to assassinate Hitler, I was more than intrigued. Then Tom Cruise's name was announced to star and I lost my lust. I was more than a little perturbed with his recent up front attitude about every one else's business. Then I had to watch it anyway. 2 years late, but still. I was also inclined to speculate he was not the best actor for the job due to the fact that in every trailer he spoke perfect English with no accent. This told me he couldn't pull it off. Once I watched it, my mind was forever changed. His entire opening monologue was spoken by him in perfect German, and I know it was him, because of that nasally voice he has when he is breathing out and talking simultaneously. It was the perfect way to open this film, putting me and all other doubters in the timeout chair, so to speak. From here the movie never stops. From the opening attack to the secret meetings to plot, to the first attempt. It is a brilliant film, and because it is a true story, it made me wonder what would have happened had Hitler's life been taken by his own people, rather than his own hand? This movie just a great job of keeping the audience on it's toes, and due to the fact that what these courageous men are attempting is the highest of treason, punishable by an instant death, it is all the more intense and gripping. Bryan Singer is a genius and a master of his craft, and though I wrote Tom Cruise off for the last several years, I do believe I may see his work on the big screen once again with the release of Mission Impossible : Ghost Protocol. If you haven't seen the last 2 movies I reviewed, you need to, if for no other reason, to behold the brilliance of Bryan Singer.


NBM rates Valkyrie - Phenomenal

Apt Pupil

As you know by now, I love to enthrall you, the reader, with info you may not have been previously subjected to or cared about. Tonight and the day after tonight you will read two reviews of similar nature. NAZI nature. That is one commonality. The second is the Director. The astute Bryan Singer. He is one of the few Directors, that at such a young age, has had so many solid hits. The X-Men franchise which he launched in 2000 is the cornerstone to his career. There is no doubt about that, but without Apt Pupil (his sophomore triumph to The Usual Suspects proving he was not a 1 hit wonder), who knows where he would have gone. He obviously has a penchant for Nazi stories as he has already done 2 films in his slim career on the topic. With only 7 silver screen films he has helmed 2 of this subject matter, though they are very, very different in nature. Apt Pupil is about a high school kid named Todd (Brad Renfro--July 25, 1982 - January 15, 2008). Todd is a typical bored high school kid with no friends. He does however begin doing some research into one of his elderly neighbors. Arthur Denker (Mackellan) is just any ordinary elderly who keeps to himself never bothering anyone, but Todd thinks there is more to him than meets the eye. Is he a wizard? Can he manipulate metal? These are just a couple of the questions going through Todd's brain. In fact with due diligence Todd comes to the conclusion that this man is far worse than he can imagine. He believes Arthur is a Nazi War Criminal. After visiting with him several times he finally confronts him, only to find his accusations don't go over too well. He then proceeds to blackmail Arthur in the form of knowledge. Todd swears he will keep the man's secrets if Arthur tells him in depth, graphic stories of the WWII concentration camps and the genocide that took place. As Arthur does not want to go to prison for the rest of his life, and does want to continue attending the neighborhood yard sales, he reluctantly agrees. With his new "friend", Todd is eager to go straight from school to Mr. Denker's home for the daily lesson until it gets out of control. Todd continues to push Denker for more and more information about what he knows, always with his finger on the proverbial button. Denker is getting fed up, but continues. When Todd makes him put on an SS uniform he got through an antique store and perform the official march is when it goes from history lesson to intensely real. The mentality of the impressionable Todd is beginning to change-for the worse. The is one of the greats, that once seen one time, that is all you will need for a long time. I have only seen it twice, both in 1998. I have been trying to get A-Bomb and my wife to watch it. They both would if only I had a copy. We went out one night looking, but to no avail. Maybe we can netflix it. Tomorrow is part 2 of 2 in the category titled "Bryan Singer and Nazi's."

NBM Rates Apt Pupil - Phenomenal

Major League II

"Wild Thing" Ricky Vaughn ("Winning" Sheen) returns in this hilarious sequel to the highly acclaimed original. That's right, I said "hilarious" and there is no sarcasm in my voice. I saw this in the theater and from then on I will watch it anytime it is on as I did last night. I really think the decision Wesley Snipes made back in 1994 to not return to his role as Willie Mays Hayes is why he is going to prison. Bad decisions will mess up the rest of your life. He is replaced by an unknown named Omar Epps. Now he is very known because he was WMH. Nuff said. Tom Berenger returns, as does Corbin Bernson and 24's David Palmer, Dennis Haysbert, returns as super smacker Cerrano. In this new movie he has replaced his god Jobu with Buddha, which in turn replaces his homers with pop ups. Once again the Cleveland Indians suck and though they were in the World Series the previous year, the fight in them is all but gone. With nearly 100% of the all star cast returning, none are so memorable as season ticket holder, Indian lifer Randy Quaid. He taunts of the Wild Thing are awesome, but even better than him is the booth announce played by the legendary Bob Uecker who coined the most often quoted line used in ballparks these days... "JUUUUST a bit outside." and my favorite..."Ball 4, Ball 8, Ball 12." His zingers are brilliant and he is always drinking which makes it funnier. This time the team of old is replaced by a bunch of prima donnas who think they don't need to work hard anymore. Once again the team is in peril of being moved and disassembled. This doesn't seem to matter this time around, but the health of their coach Lou gives them the motivation to win one for the gipper. One more thing the sequel didn't bring back was the "R" rating. I do thing bad language can enhance a film's humor, but even with a PG-13, this does a great job. The new addition is the catcher/country boy, Rube. He provides a lot of the comic relief. Can you have comic relief in a comedy? He also has words of wisdom that don't make sense, but somehow they work to inspire. He is a brilliant catcher who cannot get the ball back to the pitcher which is a problem. The way interim coach Jake Taylor (Berenger) gets his mind right is hysterical. And then we have Dorn (Bernson) returning as his same prick self who has passed his prime, but still wants to play, even though he is now General Manager of the team. Seems like a conflict of interest to me, but it is very funny when he tries to use that title to get on the field. Like I said, it is a really solid sequel and I'm sure you will enjoy it, if you haven't already.


NBM rates Major League II - Awesome

Tucker : The Man and His Dream

Two Biopics back to back and both about the auto industry. I am that good. Last night was about the invention of the intermittent windshield wiper. Tonight is about the invention of a new automobile said to be "The future". Preston Tucker (Bridges) was a bit of a dreamer, but he also won't be denied his dream. He has an invention for a new car that will change the game entirely. He sells his idea to investors, and he eventually gets the funding to build his factory where among the terms of his loans, he must produce a minimum 50 cars that are entirely ready for sale to the public in every way by a certain deadline. To say he doesn't have issues and it goes smoothly would be the understatement of the century. Not only can he not get the engineering to work properly, but he has the big 3 coming after him trying to sabotage his work. Ford and GM bribe all the right people to get an investigation launched into the "doings" of Preston Tucker.  One of which is Senator Ferguson which was played by Lloyd Bridges due to a last minute casting decision. That was cool to see Father and Son at each other's throats in the name of entrepreneurship in 1940's America. Preston's son is played by a young, but very recognizable Christian Slater, who help his Father any way he can. The dream is hard fought and the opposite of easy or fun, but they stick together and stay the course. This movie gives me chills when I watch it. Rudy just came on the TV just now, and I proclaimed how over rated I think it is. That made me realize this movie is just as much of an underdog story, but way better in the terms of life fulfillment. Rudy may never play for the Irish (Waaaa - baby crying sound), but Tucker may go to prison for fraud. The movie is so stressful. When they are suppose to have a "car show", of sorts, to show their work to that point to the investors, it all goes badly including a fire, then the lawsuits, and above all, the familty matters. This is a movie that weighs on the heart. Because it is historical and it is 70 years old, I don't mind spoiling something for you. Tucker successfully manufactured 50 Tuckers before he was shut down, and 48 were still on the road at the time of the film release in 1988. That is impressive. It was also directed by Francis Ford Coppola, as if you needed any more reason to go out and buy this American classic.

NBM rates Tucker : The Man and His Dream - Phenomenal

Flash of Genius

I love Biopics. Do you? You should. Why? Because I said so. This is a good one about one man's fight for justice and what is deservedly his. Recognition is his main goal, not money. This is the story of Robert Kearns. That is a bit of an unknown name in the realm of relative history....or common knowledge history maybe. Kearns (Kinnear) is a college professor and self proclaimed inventor. Up until now he hasn't done much with his side career. Then one day, much like today (check local listings), lightning strikes in the cerebrum of Mr. Kearns. Why do windshield wipers have an off and on switch only? What if it is raining just a little bit? What if it is pooring so hard 25mph is too fast to see? He diagnosed this issue and came up with something that I take for granted. The Intermittent windshield wiper. Multiple speeds based on the intensity of the rain. He comes up with the idea of a multi speed wiper motor but he can't perfect the solution. He knows he has something,  but to make it feasible is the trick. He finally gets it with a blender 3 speed motor and his future begins. Unbeknownst to him, it is going to be a stressful, bleak future. He takes his idea to the big motor companies. Being in Detroit, it only makes sense he tries to sell it local. Ford Motor Co. ends up integrating it into their first Mustang line without giving him the "inventor" credit or paycheck. Now the legal battle starts. A blue-ish collar Detroit man taking on Ford Motors in court. Not looking good, but he doesn't back down, and his family is there every step of the way. It really is a brilliant film that displays the mentality of someone who must succeed, and who also has enough dignity and pride to not be bought out when there is nowhere else to turn. The beginning is about his new invention, but the heart of the movie takes place in the court room. We are pulling for Robert, but it never looks good for him. His family is his rock and as long as he has them, he will be a winner. There is a very clear turning point when they offer to pay him an obscene amount of money, though no recognition. He has too much pride for that and so the battle advances. Definitely worth the look. Of course that goes for anything Kinnear does (If I reviewed Television, you would definitely read about the Mini-Series "The Kennedys"-which was brilliant), but for now...

NBM rates Flash of Genius - Phenomenal

Children of Men

What a weird concept. The extinction of all mankind, but not by the hands of other men. Actually no one knows why it is happening. Women cannot get pregnant and stay to term anymore. It is believed to be a parasite or disease or something. The world is in ruins and with no possibility of further human development, everywhere is a riotous war zone. There are freedom fighters out there, but they are considered some of the bigger threats, so they must stay underground. It is so dark and dreary with no hope. Hope is good for lots of things, first and foremost, happiness. The year is 2027 and the last child ever born is now 18 and he is a huge celebrity, because of his "status." The bad thing is he has just been killed and now everything goes from bad to worse. When Julian (Julianne Moore) runs into her old friend Theo (Owen) she needs his help. He agrees, but is still sort of man-napped by her crew. He is not shown where he is going or why. Then he arrives and his world changes. A nearly full term pregnant lady. It is a miracle. So miraculous he doesn't even believe what he is seeing. He is burdened with the task of keeping the future alive. He has to transport her through and across the war zone to get her to a group of scientists who can figure out the key or gene that is making this possible. If they can figure it out, we may have a future. The most intense scene is when Theo and preggers get trapped inside a building in the middle of a fire fight. Then we are given one of the most powerful scenes in cinema history. It is quite astounding and Michael Caine shows up for a bit which is always good. It is Definitely worth a look.


NBM rates Children of Men - Phenomenal

Sunshine Cleaning

Oh what a great, dark concept for a film. Bio Hazard clean up and removal is the premise and the film, and it is superbly acted and full of visuals most of have never had to see or even imagined what they would look like. Bloody walls, bloody mattresses, hoarders, crazy cat ladies, the whole 9 yards. Rose (Amy Adams) is a house cleaner working for some company when her lover (Steve Zahn) who is a cop, suggests she should get into the uglier side of cleaning. She looks into it and she needs a change. She has absolutely no self esteem, but her sister, Norah (Emily Blunt) has even less, and she is even more of a loser than her older sister. She hires her sister and so it begins. The first couple of jobs are hysterically, disturbingly gross and hysterical. These scenes show us the growing pains and the learning curve Norah and Rose go through. As if their lives aren't hard enough, Rose has an 8 year old son who is constantly in trouble and getting kicked out of school. He ends up tooling around with his Gramps (Alan Arkin), and that is a lot of the comic relief. Her business is going really well, but with her poisonous karma, can it really last? The movie really is about a woman discovering what she needs to do and what she needs to change to be happy. She has lived her entire post high school life on everyone's back burner. She discovers herself among the deceased, and finally can look at herself in the mirror without quoting "self help" bull crap, basically lying to herself. The movie goes way deeper than I expected it to. It goes back to the girls childhood, which enlightens us to why they each have plenty of problems. I enjoyed this movie immensely, and I regret it took me 8 months to get it off my DVR. If you get the chance to watch Sunshine Cleaning, go ahead and do it quickly. Don't procrastinate. 

NBM rates Sunshine Cleaning - Phenomenal

Super 8

I knew within the first 10 minutes we were in for something special. This was the perfect weekend to release this film as it is a bit of an homage to the Executive Producer Steven Spielberg. You see, today, June 12, marks the 30 anniversary of the theatrical release of Indiana Jones Raider of the Lost Ark. In my opinion it is the best movie of all time, but you will not be able to read what I have to say on that film until July 26. JJ Abrams and Spielberg make up a "Dream Team" of sorts, and man was it fun. I have been excited about this project for over a year now and it does not disappoint. It follows a group of young boys as they film a movie. They have the script, re-writes, actors, make-up...everything you need to make a movie. The story is really about Joe Lamb, the son of the local Sheriff's Deputy. His mother has just died and he and his Father must now go on alone. He doesn't know his son, and he doesn't really try. He thinks the movie thing needs to go for a better hobby. He is not gonna stop though. They have a scene they plan on filming at midnight at a train station. When a train travels by and is hit head on by a truck, it derails, which delivers one of the most intense action scenes in recent memory. The kids are running about trying to escape the wreckage. Then it happens. Something happens, but no one knows exactly what. This is when the military come in to clean up the mess. Everything is a big secret, and Deputy Lamb is sick of being left in the dark. All this government presence is gold for the kids film. They go to locations to shoot with good background scenery, but once they get back the developed footage from the train wreck, they realize it is much bigger than they first thought. From here we are intrigued. Abrams does a fantastic job of showing us just enough to get us to focus hard on nothing. Camera angles, night scenes and shadows, and the ominous growling that sounds like it could be the wind or something way worse. The kids keep on task with the film, but strange things begin happening and they haven't told anyone what they saw. It just sucks you in and doesn't let go until the end. It is so much fun to watch, and the last time I was this enthralled was Transformers 2007. I heard before going that it was like 1/3 Goonies, 1/3 Close Encounters, and 1/3 ET. That was info I really enjoyed hearing, especially since that gave me 24 hours to mull over. I do want to add to the fractions. Add 1/3 Stand By Me, and 1/3 Tremors. That's 5/3rds of total awesomeness. The last 30 minutes are full of fast paced insanity. Abrams is a brilliant director that makes the audience use what has been dubbed "unnecessary" as of late. Your Imagination. By the time of the "Big Reveal" I had an image in my head that wasn't all that similar to the actual beast. He also find the perfect happy medium for screen time for the "thing". Some films wait entirely too long to show us what we need, and they can't even back it up with a decent story. This story and these kids are movie enough, then he adds the aspect that drew us to the theater. I also love the fact that all the trailers shown to us about the train wreck ended up being "trailer only footage". The scene was the same, but from an entirely different perspective and I dug that. Unlike Cloverfield, where we never see "it" until it's over, Super 8 ratios everything to perfection. Super 8 made me want to make a movie, but more than that, it made me want to be a kid again. Setting it in the '70's was brilliant, and the sets and cars, and clothes were perfect. This is 4 stories strewn together. Joe's loss, the kids friendship, the government cover up, and of course the "thing". This is really difficult for me to write spoiler free, but I do believe this movie stands on its own, but if you love vintage Spielberg, DO NOT miss out on the nostalgia trip that will leave you wanting to watch all those movies of old. I will be enjoying Raiders tonight as should everyone. I am also having a tough time rating this. I go into movies these days with the mentality that it is near impossible for anything new to receive my highest rating, but this one is teetering for me. Time will absolutely help it graduate to my highest rating eventually. I have no doubt about that. Hmmm? After consulting with my viewing buddy, A-Bomb, there is only one rating it should get.


NBM rates Super 8 - A Work of Cinematic Art 

Cloverfield

This picture tells it all. This illustrates the confusion that is "Cloverfield." This weekend is gonna be related through tie ins, directors, writers, and directors. Tonight we delve into the brilliantly written/directed monster movie which was produced by J.J. Abrams and directed by his high school best friend Matt Reeves. It is unlike anything ever made into full length motion picture. It appears to be entirely filmed in the first person handycam, shaky as hell, real time, reality type of film. It follows 5 friends during a going away party for one of their own when a loud crash and a building shaking makes everyone think an Earthquake is taking place. When the party is taken to the streets to see the hub-bub, one of the coolest images ever comes across the screen. The Statue of Liberty's Head comes rolling down the street. From this point on, the intensity is unmatched. It is a little hard to watch, and it actually made viewers lose their dinner while watching due to the motion sickness. That's brave. A company putting this revolutionary style of film out there to let the general public decide. It does flash back to the two main characters lives together a few times throughout the chaos. This shows us exactly what these two are dealing with and why they have this fight in them. J.J. Abrams really got a lot of publicity for this and that is the first time I remember learning his name. Now he is one of my favorite people. Anytime someone new comes into your radar, you research them and what I found out about him was fascinating. He wrote the awesome film "Regarding Henry" at the age of 23, then at 24 he wrote "Forever Young". Then he went on to produce some of the most highly acclaimed television series, then to direct his first feature film, Mission Impossible III followed by his second which was the rebooted Star Trek. The guy is amazing and with Super 8 out this weekend, I will be viewing on the morrow. 

**PS. Cloverfield also led to the release of the craptastic, made for TV, T&A softcore "Cleavagefield", and for that we thank you.

NBM rates Cloverfield - Phenomenal

Julie and Julia

I knew I wanted to see this movie since it came out, but to begin it at 11 pm is absurd. Usually, and by Usually I mean Always, I will fall asleep within 20 minutes of starting something like this. Not the case, and having to be up at 6 am the next morning, it was a bad choice. I sacrificed sleep for this film which did 2 things. Made me extremely hungry at midnight, and made me laugh a lot. It is a funny movie. I do not know how Julia Childs really was, but Streep's performance is outstanding. As always Streep can do no wrong and Amy Adams is also quickly getting on that list. She plays Julie Powell. A bored lady who hates her job, and needs an escape. She is notorious for never finishing anything she starts. Although she doesn't cook, she decides to cook every recipe in the Julia Childs cookbook in one years time. She does this because she is an aspiring writer who has nothing to write about. The true story of Julie Powell's rise to fame began in 2002. This is when she starts a blog and "blogs" about every single dish she makes. The story really is about Julie, but half the film is footage of Julia (Streep) and how she came to be a cook. She lives in Paris with her husband played by the wonderfully talented Stanley Tucci. He is a US Government ambassador liaison over there and Julia loves it there, but she is bored. She takes up cooking and obsesses over it to the point of perfection. Her story follows her through 8 years of trying to get her cook book published. Probably around 10 years total we get to know her, and she is a character. Funny, outspoken, and at times, crass. Back to Julie, she starts her task for her, but her fan base is rapidly growing. She has her deadline and sometimes her husband feels the neglect. She went from having no priorities, to being obsessed with cooking, no matter how difficult some of the tasks (boiling live lobsters). She almost has an unhealthy obsession with Julia Childs -whom she never met. She talks about her to the point where every decision she makes is based on, "what would Julia do?" I enjoyed seeing all that wonderful food, but at the same time, I could appreciate what she was doing. She gave herself a year to do something everyone said she couldn't/wouldn't finish, and she proves to herself and her doubters that she is for real. I took on my task to write a movie review everyday for at least 365 days without missing a day. 300+ reviews later and here we are. I also started through the blog world and it has developed from there. I never really had anyone say I couldn't do it, but it was said to me that it would be hard and difficult to do. I am going to finish my task and I am gonna continue to write because it is what I like to do. Thanks to all my readers for making it all worth the effort.

NBM rates Julie and Julia - Awesome

Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Saturday marks 25 years since we first heard the monotone phrase delivered by the one and only Ben Stein, "Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?, Anyone? Bueller?" Iconic to say the least, and of all the memories this film gave us, that is what everyone quotes no matter the situation. An entire film dedicated to a single day of skipping school. Boring? Nope! Made me wanna orchestrate an elaborate day off. Ferris is the cool cat. He feels he needs a day off, so he plays sick, but staying home just isn't gonna cut. He wants to cut loose and enjoy his new freedom. He visits his best friend, Cameron, who is actually sick as a dog. He makes him get out and have fun. They go and get his girlfriend, Sloan, and the trio begin the greatest day of all time. Ferris steals borrows Cam's Dad's vintage Ferrari, and though Cameron knows he is dead before they even leave the driveway, the car comes back in one piece. It just has too many extra miles on it, fortunately for us Cameron has  freak out and makes it even worse. Ferris doesn't have a care in the world, but he has a few enemies dead set on busting him. His sister Jeannie (Grey) hates her brother and the fact that he gets away with murder and never has consequences. Then there is Principal Rooney who wants to make an example of Ferris and throw him in detention for the rest of his high school career. The only problem is Rooney has to prove he is skipping, which is difficult for him to do. With the exception of those two people, Ferris is a hero....a dying hero. Rumors begin to circulate as do fliers that state "SAVE FERRIS". We meet Charlie "WINNING" Sheen for the first time as a druggie bad boy that catches Jeannie eye at the police station, but back to Ferris, after all, it is his day off. The trio go to an upscale restaurant and only get a table because he pulls off a great prank. He is Abe Frohman...The Sausage King of Chicago. No one denies Abe Frohman a table. He catches a ball game and a foul ball, only to round out his day swimming in his undies, then headlining a huge parade where he does an awesome song and dance to the 50's hit "Twist and Shout". Now that Ferris has had his day, he still has to race home and crawl into bed before his parents or the principal are any the wiser. He can't fail now. That would ruin everything we had just seen. What a great final race for success. The local drive-in will be showing this film and I will be there.


NBM rates Ferris Bueller's Day Off - A Work of Art

Knight and Day

Being "Anti-Cruise" since he went off the deep end has not only hindered me from watching his new films, but has turned him into box office poison. At the same time, it is impossible to deny the fact that he is awesome, and to turn your back on him after his beautiful career would not only be fiendish, but also hypocritical. Hypocritical because I bet you a million dollars that even though you may be done with Tom Cruise and you won't watch his new movies, there is no way you will never watch Top Gun, Days of Thunder, A Few Good Men, Jerry Maguire, or Risky Business ever again PERIOD!!!! I had no desire to see this in the theater, but after watching HBO First Look, I realized Tom does his own stunts, and that earns respect. When you see him running across roof tops in Spain, That's him. When he is riding a motorcycle with the running of the bulls. That's him...and her by the way. Diaz likes to do a lot of her own stunts as well. She trusted him, and she was on the bike with him during the scene, plus I hear she is really good behind the wheel. in fact she is an A+ stunt driver and she really is driving that GTO in the film. On to the film. June (Diaz) is a fairly standard single woman on her way to her sister's wedding when she meets Roy (Cruise). He is a black listed, kill at any cost ex spy. He happens to have "sensitive" material he is protecting and he needs June (against her knowledge) to help him transport it. Once they are on the plane bound for Boston, every passenger other than June is out to kill Roy. The fight scenes are superb and I really feel sorry for the second pilot. You'll see what I mean when you watch it. Now he is responsible for her well being and this funky relationship begins where she is always being shot at and being drugged. Sometimes it does feel like he is trying really hard to get a laugh, and sometimes it works. I know how serious he takes himself, so at times it can be hard for me to appreciate what he doing. Other times, it seems so effortless, you can't help but to applaud. Like I said, He has to protect her and this other thing while trying to expose the baddies that are after him. He kills a lot of people and the stunts are fantastic. I only watched this because A-Bomb said, "It's actually not bad." and I have to agree. It had a few sequences that I will watch over and over again since it will be on a continuous loop on HBO for the next 60 days.

NBM rates Knight and Day - Awesome

Hot Rod

Oh where to begin? Let me start by saying that I was absolutely positive that this film would lack substance. I figured the 2 and 1/2 minute trailer probably had any and all jokes the movie had to offer. Was I wrong. This has easily turned into one of those films I can watch over and over again. The first time I watched it, it surprised me, but the next 10 times when I knew the jokes and the punchlines I still loved it. It played on one of my 11 HBO's every hour for at least a month, so I got my fill. That was a while ago. The other day I got to thinking about one of the memorable quotes and unable to stream thru netflix, I went out and bought it for $5. Worth every penny. I'm not pegging this as one of the great comedies or anything like that, but enjoyable? Absolutely. Its actually one of the dumbest comedies ever, but it pulls it off. Rod (Samberg) is a stuntman like his Father before him. His #1 priority is doing kick ass stunts. #2 priority is beating up his stepfather Frank (Ian McShane). He must defeat him to earn his manhood and Frank's respect. This is where the movie is best. The relationship between Frank and Rod is classic. The way Frank is unrelenting in his mission to ridicule and put Rod down, both emotionally and physically. Rod has a crew comprised of his possibly semi-retarded half brother Kevin, Rico (McBride), Dave (Hader), and the newest member Denise (Isla Fisher). They help him set up and promote his stunts which are laughable to say the least. His life was crap before, but when Frank needs a new heart, and the fact that if he dies Rod may never become a "Man", well, Rod is at his wits end. Rod comes up with a plan to get Frank a heart. He must raise $5,000 to fund a stunt that could raise the $50,000 they need. "I'm gonna get you better Frank, then I am gonna murder you!" Classic. The film has obvious need for about 20 minutes of filler to be able to eclipse the 90 minute mark. Cool Beans and the Forest Dance do a good job of being stupid, yet enjoyable. Will Rod save Frank? Will he hurt himself? Will AM radio ever be on top again? Watch and see. I will tell you to watch it if for no other reason the final fight between Frank and Rod may be one of the great fights of all time. Maybe even better than anything Tyler Durden showed us.


NBM rates Hot Rod - Awesonomenal

Brewster's Millions

Who wouldn't love the opportunity to see if they could spend 30 million bucks in 30 days and have nothing to show for it? I wish I had that opportunity. What a brilliant concept. You're poor, unknown rich relative dies, you can have 1 million now or spend 30 million in 30 days while not buying a single asset to inherit 300 million. That would be awesome. Brewster (Pryor) is the inheritor, but he cannot tell anyone the stipulations of the contract. He is a minor league pitcher with dreams that will soon expire due to his age. His best friend and Catcher (Baseball/not gay) is Spike (John Candy). They do everything together including spending the money. They rent out a penthouse, hire staff, have pitching practice in the hall, and blow through money so fast, it is sickening. He does want to catch the eye of the accountant keeping track of everything, but can't seem to get her to look at him as anything other than irresponsible. It really shows how difficult this task would be, especially with the lawyers against him. See, if he fails, they get the 300m, and Brewster gets nothing. I love he orchestrates for his minor league team to play against the pro team for practice. He just wants to be a pro and this is as close as he is gonna come. He knows that, so in this case, money does buy happiness. At one point he breaks the rules and buys an extremely rare stamp for 100k. The suits think they win, because he now has an asset. Then they receive a postcard with said stamp now worthless due to postmark. Brilliant. By the end, a couple things have changed in Brewster's life. He now hates money, but he doesn't want the suits to win, He took his old life for granted, he wished none of this ever happened, and though the smoke stacks are directly behind the field he plays at 4 days a week, he never actually had any idea a man from the MK Ultra tests named Jerry is being held there. Hilarious movie with two of the greatest comedic minds of all time.

NBM rates Brewster's Millions - Phenomenal

A Serious Man

Classic Coen Brothers in every sense of the word. This one is more along the lines of Intolerable Cruelty or Barton Fink or Fargo. It follows the human emotion down to the T. Lawrence Gopnik's life is falling apart all around him and he cannot stop it from happening. He can't even seem to slow it down. His daughter is self obsessed like all 17 year old girl's are. His son is days away from being Bar Mitzvah'd, plus he likes the pot. The real kicker, however, is that his wife wants an official Jewish divorce so that she can marry their mutual friend Sy Ableman. Based in the 1960's, the movie has an absolute perfect feel to it. Our hero however, wants it all to end. As I sat and watched, all I thought what how much of a loser this guy was, and everyone in his life knew that and exploited it. He is a college professor on the brink of tenure, but some mistakes may put that into jeopardy. His brother is living with them and he is not a good influence, but the banter between Lawrence and three different Rabbi's, his attorney, his wife, his son, Sy Ableman, and the Columbia Record company. When he and Columbia get into it over the rules of the records being sent to him, there is only one word that can describe it...Genius. That scene right there makes the movie. He is constantly trying to figure out how to "win", but everyone, including himself are keeping him down. More than anything, the movie is about a man looking for answers. Answers of life and not much more. Does he get what he seeks? Not hardly. Instead, I feel he ends up more confused than when he started. In typical Coen Brothers fashion, the film ends in a way open for interpretation by the viewer. I had no idea it was about to end, and then it did. Lawrence may be one of the biggest saps in cinema history. For that alone...

NBM rates A Serious Man - Awesome

Blue Chips

I was given the task to review a Shaq Diesel movie upon the announcement of his retirement. Kazaam was brought up, but I think a basketball film is the way to go. I saw this in the theater as I, like many, was a big fan of Shaq - even though I was an enormous fan of his co-star Penny Hardaway. It also seems to be perfect timing with all the controversy and league violations Universities have been facing as of late in every major NCAA sport. This film is about one coaches decision whether to break the rules to win or just keep losing. The coach is Pete Bell (Nolte) who at times seems like a knock off of early Bobby Knight. He has never broken the rules in his whole career, but with 3 top prospects on the horizon and him having little to no chance of securing any of them he does what he has to. He is aware of other coaches practices and if they haven't been caught then why would he. He goes after Neon (Shaq), Ricky Roe, and Butch McCrae (Hardaway). They all have different attributes and if it was possible to get them all on the same team, they would be hard to stop. Coach Bell knows this, as does every other coach. He tries recruiting his way before he breaks the rules. Bob Cousy shows up to give some advice, though he does not play himself, but more of a mentor to Bell. Bell has the three boys on the line, but he needs commitments. Neon seems cool, but Butch and especially Ricky want certain things. He finally caves to the pay to play rule. Ricky is a farm boy who is a bit of an arrogant jerk who wants way more than the others, but when Coach Bell has given Ricky and Butch what they want, a brand new Lexus shows up at Neon's door. He proclaims he doesn't want it, but the Coach didn't want him to feel slighted. The pressure of cheating begins to get to him and he starts coming apart at the seems. I haven't watched this in more than 10 years I'd say, but with the recollection I have of it, I must have liked it. It's a good look inside the basketball world through a coaches eyes. As for Shaq, 19 seasons and 4 rings later, he will always be known as one of the greats. I love his attitude on life and how funny he could be and I wonder if he could be as good and funny of an announcer as Barkley is. Guess we will wait and see. 

NBM rates Blue Chips - Awesome

X-Men First Class

The movie should have been called something more like, "Magneto and his Pals", because Fassbender steals the show. McAvoy keeps up really well, but other than the superb acting, the script was just really good. I mean, REALLY GOOD. X-Men First Class gets to the root of where it all began. The opening scene with Erik Lenssher is to die for and when you see it you will remember the first time you watched X-Men directed by Bryan Singer back in 2000. The way they decided to start this film off could be the most thought out perfection ever. This is the truest of origins stories. It follows Erik as a boy learning his skill under the duress of Nazi prison camps and the scientist named Klauss (Bacon). Meanwhile, far far away, Charles Xavier is dealing with his own issues of being different. Then we go from 1944 to 1962 and the story begins. Basically the CIA commissions Erik and Charles to find other mutant to help in the stopping of a man named Sebastian Shaw (Bacon's 1962 name). He is pitting superpower USA and superpower USSR against each other in a plot to rid the Earth of every non mutant life form. Humans as they are called. Erik is on his own mission while Charles tries to get him to understand what it all means. I really enjoyed the rage and revenge that Erik delivers throughout the film, while Charles shows he is a young party boy with loads of wisdom. The recruiting scenes are very enjoyable and in these scenes there is a very special cameo by the one...the only...Well, watch and see. It's the first, but not the last very well kept cameo secret in the film. Both were done awesomely and although they total only 5 seconds each, they add so much to already great film. The threat of nuclear war is looming and the X-Men are trying to stop it, but they are also being targeted. There are so many great visuals while the origin part of the story which is mostly about them recruiting and teaching young mutants how to harness their abilities is excellent and not at all boring. I also love the introduction of new characters I don't really know as I am not a hardcore comic book guy. Banshee, Havoc, Angel, and Darwin along with Mystique, and Hank McCoy aka Beast are the newbies in the film. In my opinion this movie is head and shoulders above Thor in every aspect. Although Thor was great, this was brilliant. The nukes on the beach was the cat's pajamas. I am also gonna give you some friendly advice based on the following transcript.....

Dean-O: Be sure to stay till the end of the credits.

Me: For sure.

Me: Hey Dean-O, I stayed and nothing happened.

Dean-O: I know. I just wanted you to endure the same disappointment we did. Oh, and I'm an insufferable DOUCHE BAG that likes to waste everyone's time while I giggle quietly in a corner by myself because I have no real friends, and the friends I did have, I alienated by pulling stupid pranks that held no bearing on the happiness of one's life.

I added the last part, but you get the point. Don't worry, not even Dean-O could ruin this movie for me. Can't wait for the DVD release as I will add it to my ever expanding Marvel movie collection.

NBM rates X-Men First Class - Phenomenal

Unstoppable

I have no toe nails left. I have no finger nails left. I drank my beer nervously and with fervor. If I was a smoker, I would have had to light up at least 4 times during this film. By now you know how I feel about Unstoppable. Tony Scott made a wicked good movie. When I first began seeing promos for this last year I was not in any rush to go watch it. Then RT rated it so high for a film that is sort of like the movie Speed, but on a train. Also, instead of an act of terrorism, it actually an act of stupidity of the human kind. An unmanned car "gets away" from some yucks in charge of relocated it inside the train yard to make room for other traffic. While Dewey (Ethan Suplee) thinks he has the train in idle mode, he soon realizes something has gone wrong as he cannot catch back up to it on foot. Then we have 28 year veteran Frank (Denzel) with his rookie conductor Will (Chris Pine aka Capt. Kirk). They have a different problem. They are heading directly at the unmanned train which is going very fast. They have to get out of the way before disaster strikes. The movie follows 3 to 4 stories. The yard that lost the train. Will and Frank. Then we have the all mighty higher ups trying to lose the least amount of money. There are so many crappy scenarios to begin with, but the fact that the runaway is carrying loads of hazardous material that would devastate any town it crashes into. The train company have tried several ways to stop the train before Frank and Will must intervene which could do one of two things. Make them heroes are make them dead. Really dead. At 90 minutes long short, it is the absolute perfect length. Nothing is wasted. I never felt it was missing anything and when it got over, it was over. Perfectly done. Easily one of the most intense films I have seen in quite some time and I recommend it to everyone. Also based on true events makes it all the more intense and enjoyable.

NBM rates Unstoppable - Phenomenal