Title: Four Christmases.Starring: Vince Vaughn, Reece Witherspoon, Robert Duvall, Mary Steenburgen, Jon Voight, Jon Favreau, Tim McGraw, Kristin Chenoweth.
Brief Synopsis: Brad (Vaughn) and Kate (Witherspoon) do their best to not have to see their families during Christmas time. Each of them are the products of divorced families and so do not believe in marriage or having children. They are all about each other and having a good time. When their flight is canceled due to fog and they are then interviewed on the news, the jig is up and they are forced to spend time with their families - four separate Christmases.
Opinion: Vaughn is starting to become the new Tim Allen when it comes to Christmas movies with his second in as many years. This one, however, doesn't even live up to Fred Claus, although I still felt the film was a good watch. It was rather predictable as most of these romantic comedies tend to be, but the journey to the end had a handful of funny moments worthy of a look.
Grade:
Title: The Ugly Truth.
Title: The Ugly Truth.Starring: Gerard Butler, Katherine Heigl, Cheryl Hines, John Michael Higgins, Eric Winter, Bree Turner.
Brief Synopsis: Abby (Heigl) is a producer of a news station that, to spice up ratings, hires Mike (Butler) a loud-mouthed "pig" who hosts "The Ugly Truth". There are obvious quarrels between Mike and Abby at the start, but once Abby starts to fall for Colin (Winter), Mike begins giving her dating advice that actual works.
Opinion: Another romantic comedy that had a pretty predictable outcome, but it was also a lot more raunchy than I was expecting. I have sort of hit my limit with Heigl, which is sad because before she made it big on Grey's Anatomy I actually liked her. This movie, however, had some laugh-out-loud moments worthy of a watch.
Brief Synopsis: Abby (Heigl) is a producer of a news station that, to spice up ratings, hires Mike (Butler) a loud-mouthed "pig" who hosts "The Ugly Truth". There are obvious quarrels between Mike and Abby at the start, but once Abby starts to fall for Colin (Winter), Mike begins giving her dating advice that actual works.
Opinion: Another romantic comedy that had a pretty predictable outcome, but it was also a lot more raunchy than I was expecting. I have sort of hit my limit with Heigl, which is sad because before she made it big on Grey's Anatomy I actually liked her. This movie, however, had some laugh-out-loud moments worthy of a watch.
Grade:
Title: The Proposal.
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Sandra Bullock, Craig T. Nelson, Mary Steenburgen, Betty White, Malin Akerman.
Brief Synopsis: Margaret (Bullock) is a very successful, yet very bitchy publishing executive. Andrew (Reynolds) is her assistant that has to continually handle her bitchiness so that one day he can be higher up in the company. Margaret, however, has just been told that she will be losing her job because her Visa to work in the U.S. has expired (she is Canadian). In order to stay in the country and remain in her job she gets Andrew to agree to marry her in order for him to move up in the company.
Opinion: Wow, I have been watching too many rom-coms lately. This is yet another one that has that typical ending that you just know is coming. This one, however, was much funnier than the other two. I really enjoy Reynolds' work and Bullock was pretty entertaining in this as well. Betty White was also pretty hysterical as Reynolds' grandmother.
Grade:
Title: Land of the Lost.
Starring: Will Ferrell, Anna Friel, Danny McBride, Jorma Taccone.
Brief Synopsis: Dr. Rick Marshall (Ferrell) has accidentally sucked himself, his assistant Holly (Friel) and a ride operator named Will (McBride) into a space-vortex. The land proves that Marshall isn't as crazy as everyone thought, but would they be able to survive and get back to prove it?
Opinion: This movie was based off a television show that I never once watch, but I had heard of. The CGI was obviously much better than the original series, but I have to say this was not the greatest of films. A lot of things were very confusing and were just not needed, plus a lot of the jokes fell flat.
Grade:
Title: Year One.
Starring: Jack Black, Michael Cera, Oliver Platt, David Cross, Christoper Mintz-Plasse, Olivia Wilde.
Brief Synopsis: This takes place a long time ago, a hunter Zed (Black) and gatherer Oh (Cera) are tossed out of their tribe and forced to fend for themselves. Along the way they meet a couple of Biblical brothers Cain and Able (played by David Cross and Paul Rudd). After killing his brother, Cain sells Zed and Oh to the king where it is discovered that the two women they desire have also been sold. It is up to Zed and Oh to rescue them.
Opinion: This sort of fell flat as well. Black and Cera have both done much better work and together it should have just been, well better. Especially with Harold Ramis behind the camera. There were a few good moments and jokes, which is why I don't give it a horrible grade. It was worth a watch, but don't expect too much.
Grade:
Title: The Proposal.Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Sandra Bullock, Craig T. Nelson, Mary Steenburgen, Betty White, Malin Akerman.
Brief Synopsis: Margaret (Bullock) is a very successful, yet very bitchy publishing executive. Andrew (Reynolds) is her assistant that has to continually handle her bitchiness so that one day he can be higher up in the company. Margaret, however, has just been told that she will be losing her job because her Visa to work in the U.S. has expired (she is Canadian). In order to stay in the country and remain in her job she gets Andrew to agree to marry her in order for him to move up in the company.
Opinion: Wow, I have been watching too many rom-coms lately. This is yet another one that has that typical ending that you just know is coming. This one, however, was much funnier than the other two. I really enjoy Reynolds' work and Bullock was pretty entertaining in this as well. Betty White was also pretty hysterical as Reynolds' grandmother.
Grade:
Title: Land of the Lost.Starring: Will Ferrell, Anna Friel, Danny McBride, Jorma Taccone.
Brief Synopsis: Dr. Rick Marshall (Ferrell) has accidentally sucked himself, his assistant Holly (Friel) and a ride operator named Will (McBride) into a space-vortex. The land proves that Marshall isn't as crazy as everyone thought, but would they be able to survive and get back to prove it?
Opinion: This movie was based off a television show that I never once watch, but I had heard of. The CGI was obviously much better than the original series, but I have to say this was not the greatest of films. A lot of things were very confusing and were just not needed, plus a lot of the jokes fell flat.
Grade:
Title: Year One.Starring: Jack Black, Michael Cera, Oliver Platt, David Cross, Christoper Mintz-Plasse, Olivia Wilde.
Brief Synopsis: This takes place a long time ago, a hunter Zed (Black) and gatherer Oh (Cera) are tossed out of their tribe and forced to fend for themselves. Along the way they meet a couple of Biblical brothers Cain and Able (played by David Cross and Paul Rudd). After killing his brother, Cain sells Zed and Oh to the king where it is discovered that the two women they desire have also been sold. It is up to Zed and Oh to rescue them.
Opinion: This sort of fell flat as well. Black and Cera have both done much better work and together it should have just been, well better. Especially with Harold Ramis behind the camera. There were a few good moments and jokes, which is why I don't give it a horrible grade. It was worth a watch, but don't expect too much.
Grade:
Though you have some kind words for a few of them (most of which I haven't seen), on paper this appears to just be a terrible, terrible collection of safe, formulaic films.
ReplyDeleteThe only one I've seen is Four Christmases, which I pretty much hated, and the only one that sounds even remotely fun (helped by your pretty good grade here) is The Ugly Truth, which I still think I wouldn't like.