Jones Movie Corner and Restaurant Review

Leavin' on a jet plane..

2010-09-10T02:03:00.000-07:00

OK not really, but this blog has moved!

I have consolidated all my blogs into one! Please update your bookmarks to:

http://blog.jonesonthenet.com

The Art of Travel

2010-08-17T00:15:00.000-07:00

Starring:
Christopher Masterson
Brooke Burns
Johnny Messner

Directed By:

Thomas Whelan

Written By:

Brian LaBelle

Thomas Whelan

I've recently started using the NetFlix Streaming service and it has introduced me to a whole new world of Independent Films. The movie is about a young man named Conner, who after finding out about his fiances infidelity, decides to go solo on his honeymoon.

His journey begins in Nicaragua of all places, because Nicaragua is no where near his original honeymoon destination. Flash forward to a coffee shop in Panama where Conner (Christopher Masterson) runs into Darlene and Johnny (Brooke Burns and Johnny Messner), an adventurous couple who intend on breaking the world record crossing the Darian Gap. He is supposed to return to the states to go to college the day following the meeting, but curiosity gets the best of him and he embarks on what turns out to be the journey of a life time!

I recognized Christopher Masterson immediately as the older brother from Malcom in the Middle and Johnny Masterson I remember most from Tears of the Sun. The whole time I was watching the movie I never really felt like anyone was "acting". The way the characters meshed made it seem as if I was just following along with a group of colleagues on their epic journey. The cinematography was beautiful as they journeyed to all four corners of the earth.

Somehow in the middle of all of this adventure a love story breaks out. A love story filled with adventure.

I would definitely recommend this movie to everyone. It has something for all tastes in movies.

The movie is rated R for nudity and language (nudity is very brief) and the language I really didn't even notice.

Overall I give this movie 8 out of 10.

America's Incredible Pizza Company Now Open in Draper

2010-06-18T19:23:00.000-07:00

Ally saw the flier we got in the mail announcing that they were open and she just HAD to go!

I promised her if she was good we would go one day this week (this was on Monday). Before I knew it Friday was here and we hadn't gone yet. So today was the day!

Americas Incredible Pizza Company is located in Draper right behind the new Cowabunga Bay and is attached to the north side of the Outlet Mall.

The prices were reasonable. The all you can eat lunch buffet was 6.99 for adults. 5.99 for kids, 3 and under are free. Seniors eat for 4.99 all day. The best deal for kids is to get the 10.99 deal which gets you a $10 game card and the all you can eat buffet. You must purchase the buffet OR a $10 game card to get in.

I was very impressed with the buffet, the selection was huge. There was a full salad bar, 5 pizzas to choose from, a pasta bar, chicken strips, mashed potatoes, gravy, french fries, baked potato, biscuits, corn bread, mac & cheese, taco / nacho bar, hot dogs (with buns), cheeseburgers, AND a full desert bar (I'm sure I missed some items). As I was dishing up some chicken strips I noticed the guy come and replace the fries with fresh ones, but to my surprise he didn't put the old one back on top, he tossed them in the garbage. I went back to the table and told Grammy, Pop, and Nal about it and Nal said she had read that they are big on the freshness of the food on their buffet. I read up on this before I posted this blog and found that they do swap out the food every two hours AT THE LONGEST. This policy is truly reflected in the quality of the food.

The kids could hardly wait for the adults to finish so they could move onto the games! When you buy a game card they load it with however much you pay and then each game / activity has a price listed on it and a place to swipe the card. Most of the arcade / ticket games cost $.30. There was a play area for smaller kids to play in that was free. Mini-Golf and Bumper Cars were $3.00. The most expensive activity was Laser Tag which was $4.50 for a 10 minute round. They had Race Cars and Bowling too which I didn't catch the price of.. hopefully Nal can comment on here and let us know. The best part of the ticket games is THERE ARE NO PAPER TICKETS!!! The tickets are automatically added to your game card. If you run out of money on the game card you can charge it at a station similar to an ATM. I guess I should mention the shooting gallery they have there, it had a couple items that you could shoot and they would shoot water at you, this was a big hit with all the kids.

We will definitely be going back, this place is much better than Chuck-E-Cheese. They have birthday party packages available.. check them out at http://www.ipcparty.com

Book of Eli

2010-01-31T21:16:00.000-08:00

Starring:

Directed by:

Written by:

I wasn't really planning on seeing this movie in the theaters, after seeing the previews I figured it was one that could wait till it came out to rent. That being said I can say that the movie did not disappoint, it was worth the price of a ticket.

I really expected there to be a lot more of a religious vibe to the movie than there turned out to be. The movie starts out in post-apocalyptic war torn United States. Eli (Denzel Washington) is walking cross-country, headed west to deliver a book to a place that he has been told it will be safe and put to use for good. During his journey he is careful not to get involved in other peoples problems and to stay true to his quest. He comes to a town (or what's left of it anyway) that is populated by a few of the survivors and their offspring. The town is run by a man named Carnegie (Gary Oldman) who has a group of men that he sends out on motorcycles with only one mission, bring back books by an means necessary. Carnegie is only looking for one book however, The Holy Bible. Carnegie is a survivor of the war and knows that all religious documents of any type were burned after the war because it was believed that is what caused the war in the first place. The war seared the sky and depleted the ozone so the sun is extremely lethal to those not wearing protective lenses and proper skin protection. Carnegie knows that if he finds a Bible he can use its words as his own to gain the worship not only of the people of his town, but people all over the country and possibly the world. Carnegie finds out Eli has a Bible and the chase ensues.

I am not used to seeing Mila Kunis play a serious role, so it was hard for me to not see Jackie from That 70's Show up on the screen, but overall I think she did a decent job portraying her character. She really didn't mesh well with Denzel Washington in my opinion. It just felt like that was a gap that needed to be filled the whole movie. Gary Oldman always plays an excellent bad guy role and he did not disappoint. I was first introduced to Ray Stevenson in King Aurthur and then again in the HBO Series Rome. I enjoyed his character in both of those roles and wish he had more lines and screen time in this film.

The movie is rated R for graphic violence and language.

The fight scenes were very well choreographed. I do wish there was a bit more about the "war" itself that describes exactly how the world came to be in the shape it was in.

Overall I would give this movie a 7 out of 10.

Avatar

2010-01-03T08:04:00.000-08:00

Starring:

Written and Directed by:

James Cameron

This was the first main stream movie I have viewed in the new 3D format. The effects were amazing to begin with, but add the 3D and it made them seem even more real. I must say James Cameron never does anything in small scale, and this movie proves that more than any of his others. His last big blockbuster was Titanic, which was a special effects marvel as well, but in Avatar Cameron has created a whole world for us to explore.

While the special effects were breathtaking, the actors and the characters they portrayed made this movie so enjoyable to watch, that there was never a moment when I stopped and thought, man this is really dragging! Which is something that is very rare for a movie with a runtime of almost 3 hours. Jake Scully (Sam Worthington) is the Avatar, a marine who is the only one eligible for the position after his brother who was originally chosen for the position and had begun training was killed in a random street mugging. The moon called Pandora is where the story takes place and the people of Earth have begun mining operations for a precious metal found in the ground, but soon find that the local population called the Na'vi might prove to be a bigger problem than originally thought. Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) runs the Avatar program, whose only goal is to try and understand how the Na'vi seem to form "bonds" with everything the touch, even the ground itself. Colonel Miles Quartich (Stephen Lang) is a bloodthirsty commander of the troops on Pandora who convinces Jake to help gather valuable intel on how the Na'vi hunt, where they live, etc.. so that he might use it in an attack later on. The Colonel gets his orders from Parker Selfridge (Giovanni Ribisi) a businessman whose only concern is the precious metal and he will do whatever it takes to get his hands on it.

The movie delivers a pretty clear message, people will stop at nothing to get what they want even if that means destroying or displacing an entire race. This movie has set the bar extremely high as far as special effects go. The whole time you are watching Avatar you truly feel like they are actually filming on location on some alien world.

The movie carries a PG-13 rating for some suggestive dialogue and violence.

I'm going to give this movie a 10 out of 10 because I really can't think of anything I didn't like while watching the movie. It has definitely earned a spot in my favorite movies of all time.

So I was browsing Hulu the other day...

2009-12-20T09:47:00.000-08:00

First post on this blog since September.. and first post from me since August. With winter coming though I should have more time to try to keep up with all my blogs. So let's get on with it...

I should explain that my monitor I use for work has Picture-In-Picture capability, so I plug my Xbox into that monitor as well as my work PC and use the PlayOn plugin allowing Xbox Media Center to stream Hulu through my PC to the Xbox using the secondary input on my monitor so I can literally watch shows while I am hard at work fixing stubborn server issues at hospitals. :)

I usually use Hulu to stream the latest TV shows I may have missed, but on this particular day there were no shows aired that I hadn't already seen, so I started browsing their Feature Films section. As I am browsing I was pleasantly surprised to find "So I Married An Axe Murderer.." in all of the selections. I immediately started watching it and man did it take me back.

Mike Meyers is a comedic genius. For those that haven't seen the movie, here is a plot summary. Charlie Mackenzie (played by Meyers) is a poet who has had a string of failed relationships due to what his friend Tony (played by Anthony LaPaglia) calls mild delusional paranoia. Ever time Charlie starts falling for a woman he comes up with some bogus reason to leave her, leaving his latest girlfriend after accusing her of stealing his cat.

Looking for some Haggis to surprise his parents (played by Brenda Fricker and Mike Meyers himself plays Stuart Mackenzie his father). Charlie goes into a butcher shop where he meets Harriet (played by Nancy) the owner of the shop. He is immediately intrigued by Harriet and uses Haggis as an excuse to keep going back and seeing her until he musters up the courage to ask her out.

After a few successful dates Charlie starts noticing some odd things about Harriet that coincide with an article his mother had read to him from her "news paper" (which is actually just a local tabloid) about the notorious Mrs. X who kills all her husbands on their wedding night. Tony tries to convince him he is just being paranoid, and this time he actually listens and decides to ask Harriet to marry him, and that is where I'll leave off as the rest you have to see for yourself!

If you haven't heard at least one or two lines from this movie at some point in your life I am pretty sure you have been living in a cave. It is truly one of the funniest movies I have ever seen. I am so glad that I found it and was able to watch it again for the first time in years. Do yourself a favor and check it out either from your local video store or on Hulu by clicking here.

Pirate Island

2009-09-05T15:30:00.000-07:00

My friend told me about this place a couple of weeks ago. Because she mentioned tokens, I assumed it was basically a variation of Chuck-E-Cheese. I found out today that my assumption could not have been more wrong.
One of our favorite DJs (Cort Johnson, from 101.9 THE END) was broadcasting live from Pirate Island in Orem today, AND he was giving away Miley Cyrus tickets. Also, my good friend Brooke lives in Provo so we decided that would be a great place to meet up with her and her family too.
I was impressed right from the moment that we pulled up because there was a giant pirate ship out front and big wooden doors to go inside. To give you an idea how big this place is, they have converted and older movie theater into a restaurant.
THE ATMOSPHERE: When we walked in, my first thought was that it seemed a little bit like the Mayan. The atmosphere was awesome. It basically felt like you were at Disneyland and the Pirates of the Caribbean ride stopped so you stepped off into this place. Our table was over in an area that had a bayou feeling. There were huge fake trees and fireflies that kept lighting up and you could hear crickets and frogs. It reminded me a lot of the Blue Bayou restaurant at Disneyland, except the prices were reasonable and the food was good. Part of the place was painted like a giant pirate ship and every once in a while canons would fire from it. Then, as you continued past the pirate ship you ended up in Tortuga, which had a much more rowdy and kid-like atmosphere. The arcade was over that way and there was a small play area for younger kids. Out of the two, I was really glad that we sat over in the bayou area, because my kids are old enough that they could go over to the arcade by themselves but I didn't have to see it or hear it. Did I mention that all of the waiters were dressed like pirates? The kids really liked that.
THE FOOD: When we first got there I asked to look at a menu, because after I saw the place inside I figured it was going to cost a fortune. The menu had a lot of variety, especially since I was just expecting cardboard pizza. I noticed that the prices were decent too. Kids meals were in the $3 to $4 range, and were your basic kid-friendly choices. The kids menu even turned into a pirate hat. The regular menu had reasonable prices and lots of different choices. Soup and a salad bar started at $5.99 and then there were different wraps and sandwiches, etc in the $8.99 range. We ended up ordering a pizza for Guy and Hannah and myself to share. We chose the medium-sized chicken/bacon/ranch pizza for $16.99. It was DELICIOUS and there was even one piece left-over. One of the coolest menu items was the Kraken pizza. It was 24" wide (yes, that's 2 feet). It would probably feed 8 to 10 people, assuming you could all decide on the same kind of pizza. They did say they could even do 1/2 and 1/2, and could cut it into normal slices or even into smaller squares so they weren't SO big. We saw one come out to a nearby table and I have to say it was pretty impressive.
THE BILL: I had decided to treat since it was my idea and I know things are tight for Brooke and Chad right now with school starting up. I figured that if the 10 of us (4 adults and 6 kids) could get out of there for $70 we would be doing pretty good. Imagine how pleasantly surprised I was when the bill came and it was just under $50. That included one medium pizza, 4 kids meals with sodas, 2 soups and salads, and 3 regular sodas. I left a $10 tip and still got out of there for ten bucks less than I was planning on spending.
I HIGHLY recommend this place. It is in Orem, just past the University Mall, in the old movie theaters, behind the brand-new movie theaters. There is also a Costco right there in the same area. It is definitely a great place for kids, but it is even a place that I would consider going to with only adults. I was very impressed!

Red Rooster Waffle Company

2009-08-19T21:25:00.000-07:00

I noticed this place was opening up as I was leaving India Fusion at Jordan Landing (review to come later). The menu was posted on the window and my buddy Jesse and I decided we had to try it out when they opened.

One Monday Jesse and I were trying to decide where to head for lunch when we realized that the Red Rooster Waffle Company was now open, so we headed out to Jordan Landing and walked into a neatly decorated deli-style restaurant. Their menu was quite large with so many selections to choose from, with breakfast, lunch, and dinner type entrees. I decided to go with "The Original" Chicken and Waffles and a huckleberry soda. Jesse went with an omelette (I can't remember which one).

My chicken and waffles were absolutely delicious. The chicken had a coating that is like nothing I have ever had before it was completely original and awesome! The belgian waffle was light and fluffy yet slightly crispy on the outside. It was served with a citrus maple syrup that was very light and refreshing. Jesse got a dessert waffle that was extremely rich and choclatey.

I am linking an UrbanSpoon article that has photos of the menu so you can see all they have to offer. http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/54/1455576/restaurant/Salt-Lake-City/Red-Rooster-Waffle-Company-West-Jordan

I highly recommend checking this place out! The prices are reasonable anywhere from $5 to $11 per person.

Funnel Cake Sticks

2009-04-14T21:03:00.000-07:00

First off, let me say that I am honored to be a guest writer on a blog of this magnitude. Until now I have just been an amateur mom-blogger, bragging about my kids every chance I get. I feel like I have finally made it in the blogging world now that I am associated with the Jones Movie Corner and Restaurant Review. That said, let me begin my first review:

Today, while strolling though the mall with my stir-crazy kindergartner, I remembered that Jones had mentioned the new Funnel Cake Sticks at Hot Dog on a Stick. So this is not a review of a new restaurant, but of a new product at an existing "restaurant", if you can call it that. Now, let me say that while funnel cakes are definitely delicious, the thought crossed my mind that maybe a big part of their appeal comes from the fact that a person is usually at Disneyland or another fun place when they eat them. This would most definitely put funnel cakes to the test, since I was just at the mall.

When I got my order of Funnel Cake Sticks, my first thought was that they were kind of small. There were probably 8 of them in the little tray like their hot dogs come in. They were golden brown and covered in powdered sugar. I shared an order with my mother-in-law, but I definitely could have eaten every last one of those little morsels. They were delicious - and there wasn't even a hint of hot dog flavor to them like I was expecting :)

I can't remember the exact price but I think they were between $2 and $3. A great little snack! If you close your eyes while you eat them you can pretend you are at Disneyland, so in reality you will be saving yourself $1,500 to $2,000 by purchasing Funnel Cake Sticks from Hot Dog on a Stick.

Fast & Furious

2009-04-03T22:37:00.000-07:00

Starring:
Vin Diesel
Paul Walker
Jordana Brewster
Michelle Rodriguez

Directed by:
Justin Lin

Written by:
Chris Morgan

I have to start off my review by stating that it may be slightly bias just because I am a huge fan of this series of movies regardless of how good the story is or how good the acting is. I LOVE CARS!

Bringing back the cast members from the original film to me was the best thing that they could have done. Vin Diesel offers up a powerful performance as a man with nothing to lose. Paul Walker and Jordana Brewster still have that awesome on screen chemistry.

The time frame in which this movie takes place is before Tokyo Drift because we see Han Lue assisting Dom with one of his jobs. Due to an event towards the beginning of the movie that was a huge surprise to me I won't go too far into the story so I don't spoil any part of the movie.
Brian O'Conner is now an FBI agent who is on a task force to take down a drug lord who is using street racers to bring drugs across the Mexico border.

Kudos to the writer, definately the best written story of the series. The story really got me into the movie which made the cars a nice added bonus. The race sequences were intense and I really enjoyed how they brought more muscle cars into the picture. It was a nice blend. I really enjoyed the emotion that the movie portrayed, it wasn't just one action sequence after another.

The movie carries a PG-13 rating for drug references, some violent fight scenes, and language.

Again I will mention my bias about this movie as I give is a 8 out of 10 just because it is one of those movies that I could watch over and over and never get sick of it.

Bohemian Brewery and Grill

2009-04-01T08:58:00.001-07:00

Bohemian Brewery and Grill located at 94 E 7200 So. in Midvale Utah is a place you have probably driven by numerous times and not even noticed it. I know I had.

When you first walk into the restaurant you are greeted by the warmth of a large fireplace and a cabin feel. The decor is similar to that of a hunting lodge.

The menu is surprisingly large with a wide variety of dishes from salads to schnitzel. They offer four beers brewed at their facility, the Czech Pilsener is a pale ale, the Viennese Lager is an amber brew, the Bavarian Weiss is their own Heffeweissen, and finally the Cherny Bock is their dark beer. They also offer an extensive wine list.

My dish was the Philly Brat Sandwich served with battered garlic fries. The sandwich was absolutely delicious a grilled bratwurst topped with carmelized onions, apples and swiss cheese.

My wife had the Halibut Filet which is a horseradish and parmesan crusted filet served with mashed potatoes and veggies. The horseradish was almost non existent in the taste, but the fish was flaky and the crust added a nice texture. The potatoes were prepared slightly lumpy with good flavor and the veggies were not over cooked.

My mom had the Pear Salad, mixed greens topped with poached pears, roasted hazelnuts, brie cheese wedges, and blue cheese dressing. This salad was amazing, the brie was some of the best brie I have ever tasted and its pairing with the pears was absolutley perfect.

I had the Cherny Bock, and was surprised at how mild it was for being a dark beer. So don't be afraid to try it even if you are not a fan of dark beers.

They brought out a coloring book and kids menu for my daughter which was unexpected, but a nice gesture.

A couple dining at the Bohemian Brewery and Grill can expect to pay anywhere from $25 - $50 for the meal and $4.50 - $6.00 more if beer or wine is ordered.

They also have a website http://www.bohemianbrewery.com/Home.html

New additions to the blog..

2009-03-31T21:57:00.000-07:00

I have decided to add another genre for review to the blog. When most people head out for a movie, they usually hit a restaurant before or after so why not review them on my site along with movies people may want to see.

I recently posted on FaceBook about a delicious dinner I had at the Bohemian Brewery and Grill and a few people replied about it and my cousin Natalie mentioned that I should create a blog to review Restaurants and that she would contribute.. so I am going to hold her to her offer and have added her as a contributor to this blog.

So please check back often for not only reviews on movies we have seen, but now restaurants we have visited!

Gran Torino

2009-02-09T15:06:00.001-08:00

Starring:
Clint Eastwood
Christopher Carley

Directed by:
Clint Eastwood

Written by:
Nick Schenk
Dave Johannson

This movie restored my faith in the movie industry. It has been so long since I have been able to say "that was one of the best movies I have ever seen." Actor / Director Clint Eastwood (Walt Kowalski) gives one of his best performances not only as an actor, but as a director as well. Movie new comers Bee Vang (Thao Vang Lor) and Ahney Her (Sue Lor) provide an excellent contrast to the rough and ragged Eastwood. I had never seen Christopher Carley(Father Janovich) star in anything else, but I really enjoyed his character and how well his character fit in the movie.

Walt Kowalski is a retired Korean War Veteran who has just lost his wife and it doesn't take long before you find out that he is an EXTREMELY onry individual would prefer everyone, even his own two boys and their families, leave him alone. He lives in the middle of a very ethnic neighborhood, surrounded by Mong(H'Mong) people, which are a specific group of Vietnamese individuals. You can tell right away there is going to be conflict when you hear Walt discuss his time in the Korean war and uses every slang term there is for Koreans from "slant-eye" to "gooks". When a fight breaks out next door and it crosses onto his lawn he breaks it up and unknown to him saves a boy (Thao) from a gang looking to recruit him. This starts a chain reaction of kindness from his neighbors toward him even though he doesn't want it. Sue Lor, Thaos brother, finally gets him to come over for a family BBQ and from there on out he has a new respect for the H'Mong people, even though he doesn't openly show it, still referring to them as gooks and other slang terms. He openly admits that he has more in common with them than with his own kids, and a new family circle is born between him and his neighbors.

Everything about this movie just worked for me. The story kept me guessing and entertained throughout. I've read some reviews that say the movie had to many "cringe" moments because of the racist dialogue, but to me it was authentic and real. I have heard numerous war veteran refer to their foes in slang / racist terms to this day, that is just how it was. So I didn't feel the cringe at all.

This movie carries an R rating for language and violence. There was no nudity to speak of.

I am giving this movie a 9.5 out of 10 as it will remain in my top 10 movies of all time list for long while I am sure.

Four Christmases

2008-12-14T21:24:00.000-08:00

Starring:
Vince Vaughn
Reese Witherspoon
Robert Duvall
Sissy Spacek

Directed by:
Seth Gordon

Written by:
Matt Allen
Caleb Wilson

Let me start out by saying that this isn't the first movie that I have seen since Death Race, but since starting my family blog I haven't been able to find the time to write as many reviews as I would like. That being said, I'll get right to it. Vince Vaughn (Brad) and Reese Witherspoon (Kate) had decent on screen chemistry, Reese was able to keep up with Vince's quick wit and did an excellent job overall. Robert Duvall (Howard) plays Vince's father in the movie and fit quite well into the role. Sissy Spacek (Paula) plays Vince's "out of this world" mother. Jon Voight makes a cameo appearance as Reese's father. Tim McGraw also makes a cameo as Vince's brother.

The best way I can describe the overall feel of this movie is in one word, UNCOMFORTABLE! Brad and Kate have always came up with an extravagant story to avoid Christmas with their families. This year they get fogged in at the airport and are spotted on the news by their relatives and forced to spend Christmas Day at each of their parents house. Problem is both of their parents are divorced meaning four stops. Each stop provides a more uncomfortable situation than the last and it also provides a look into their past and they discover things about the other that they never knew.

While the laughs are abundant throughout the whole movie, so are the awkward situations that make some kringe, myself included. There is enough romance in the movie for it to be considered a romantic comedy.

The movie carries a PG-13 rating, I am guessing for language although I really don't recall the language being all that bad.

All in all for me the movies uncomfortable situations made it less enjoyable to watch than the laughs made up for so I give this movie a 5.5 out of 10

Burn After Reading

2008-09-27T21:24:00.000-07:00

Starring:
George Clooney
Frances McDormand
Brad Pitt
John Malkovich
Tilda Swinton

Directors:
Ethan Coen
Joel Coen

Written by:
Joel Coen
Ethan Coen

Burn After Reading is the next movie created by the bizarre minds of the Coen brothers since their multiple Oscar winning film No Country for Old Men. And when I say bizarre, they seem to have carried on the tradition with this movie. I couldn't help but send out a tweet after I saw this movie proclaiming it "The #1 WTF movie of the year". Because literally, that three word phrase passed through my head multiple times while I was viewing this film.

This movie features an all star cast, most of which have earned academy awards, including the directors themselves. Although this time around I don't think they are shooting for oscar gold, however, I could be wrong as a variety of different films lately have garnered those honors. The movie plays out as John Malkovich's character, Osbource Cox, has quit the CIA after being forced into a demotion. A couple of gym employees get a hold of some information that belongs to him, and they believe this to be highly classified information. They hope to get a "reward" out of Osbourne for it and instead find themselves threatening extortion. And in the mix is George Clooney who plays is a nervous sex crazed maniac who is having an affair with Osbourne's wife played by Tilda Swinton and also gets greatly intertwined with all the chaos.

In this movie you find some of the most bizarre circumstances taking place. You wonder how in the world could something like this happen and I couldn't help but agree with one of John Malkovich's lines where proclaims that everyone around him are morons. But the movie does bring a few unsuspecting moments that really change the pace of the movie (and also made me say WTF). It also had some pretty good inconspicuois humor and was even more hilarious when the CIA agents come on screen and make their professional analysis of all the chaos.

I would give this movie a 7 out of 10.

Traitor

2008-09-14T22:23:00.000-07:00

Starring:
Don Cheadle
Guy Pearce
Jeff Daniels

Directed by:
Jeffrey Nachmanoff

Written by:
Jeffrey Nachmanoff
Steve Martin

Before I saw this movie, I really didn't know what it was about. All that the trailers told me is that the FBI was hunting down someone. But it was shown to me in a way that made me interested in it. I can see why the trailers didn't reveal much as this is a story where you need only be revealed elements of the plot as the story moves forward.

Also, I find that this movie will be difficult to review without revealing too much of. But I will stay away from spoiling anything and give a quick review. Guy Pearce is an FBI agent investigating terrorist activities and Don Cheadle is a Sudan born individual that served in the US military that is now involved in the terrorist activities that the FBI is investigating.

This is a movie that left me on the edge of my seat. I couldn't help wonder what the next move was going to be from each group that was involved. There definitely were some upcoming moments that were predictable, but I feel that it also had an equal amount of moments that kept you wondering what would happen next.

I also feel a little surprised that this wasn't a controversial movie, or at least not one that I heard was controversial. There are parts of this movie that show how a terrorist group plans and carries out massive scale attacks against various countries. These attacks are also chillingly similiar to ones we have seen before. There were parts of this movie that I found myself cringing at some of the things these people did.

Everyone did an excellent job in their roles, althought I can't say that anyone was really outstanding. It was good to see Guy Pearce again as he seems to have been missing for a while, and I really like him. This movie also seems to have elements of other similar international, espionage type movies, so many people may not find anything too unique about this picture.

I am however, glad to have seen it, as this seemed to be a rather quiet opening.

I would give this a 7 out of 10.

Death Race

2008-09-07T12:02:00.001-07:00

Starring:

Directed by:

Written by:

I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. The publicity for it didn't really scream "must see". When I showed up in the theater on the first Friday after opening there was 3 other people in the theater with me, so needless to say I wondered what I was in for. I am glad to say I was in for one heck of a thrill ride. Joan Allen does an excellent job in her role as the Warden, she is the person you love to hate. Jason Statham plays his usual tough guy role, but as the movie goes on you begin to see that there is more there than the tough exterior. I loved Ian McShane in the HBO series Deadwood, and his performance in this movie doesn't disappoint either. Tyrese Gibson does a great job portraying the guy you want to hate, but something about him makes you not able to.

The story starts off in 2012 and the economy is tanking. Crime is at an all time high, Federal run Correctional Facilities are bursting at the seems, so private run institutions are formed to accommodate the need. These institutions raise money by holding various events that are broadcast on TV, one such event is Death Race. Warden Hennessey (Joan Allen) formed the Race to grab ratings and advertising cash after viewers started getting bored with boxing and gladiator fights other institutions had started. Death Race is a 3 stage Race with Cars built and driven by inmates. The cars are equipped with both offensive weapons and defensive weapons. Which are activated and deactivated at the flick of a switch so Hennessey has total control. Jensen Ames (Jason Statham) is an ex-race car driver turned still mill worker who is just trying to provide for his wife and daughter. After his wife is found dead and he is found laying next to her with a bloody knife in his hand he is sent to Hennesseys institution and invited to drive in the Death Race. This is where he meets Coach (Ian McShane) who built the car he is to race in. Win 5 races and you are set free. Machine Gun Joe (Tyrese Gibson) has won 3 races and is not about to let Ames get in his way of freedom.

The movie carries a R rating for language and gore. There is no nudity or sex in the film.

As I stated before, this movie surprised me with how well it was written and how well it stuck to the plot and never left you saying to yourself "c'mon get on with the show already."

I am giving it a 7.5 out of 10.

Tropic Thunder

2008-09-03T01:50:00.000-07:00

Starring:
Ben Stiller
Jack Black
Robert Downey Jr.

Directed by:
Ben Stiller

Written by:
Ben Stiller
Justin Theroux
Etan Cohen

I originally was not interested in this movie at all. I've never been a big Ben Stiller fan, in fact I really don't think there has been a role he played that I liked. To add to that, the only movie he directed that I had ever seen was The Cable Guy and I never understood that movie. Well, I gave this one a chance, and I am so glad I did.

The idea behind this movie is a bunch of "A-list" actors have come together to star in a big budget Vietnam war movie. But since these actors are used to being the main stars and being waited on hand and foot, they find it difficult to work with each other, and the rookie director is unable to manage them appropriately. Taking some desperate advice, the director places the actors away from their hotels and comfortable living and into the jungle to force them to make a movie on schedule and more realistic. From there, the differences between movie magic and real life are blurred and the cast get into more war like circumstances then they realize.

This movie had a huge cast in it. Did I mention Ben Stiller? I hope so, cause he's in it, and I would have to say that I actually liked him in this movie. Funny thing is, this was fairly typical to his acting style. Confused? So am I. I guess I feel his character fit so well in this movie that I didn't find him as awkward or annoying. Still plays the "action star" for this movie. Jack Black plays the controversial, loudmouth "comedian", and he is, well, typical Jack Black. Robert Downey Jr. plays the multiple Oscar winning actor who goes as far as dying his skin to play this role in the movie they are filming, and when the actor starts to play a role he refuses to ever go out of character on or off set until the movie is in consumer hands. What is hilarious about this is he doesn't sound or look anything like Downey Jr. I also found myself pleasantly surprised that Matthew McConaughey was in this movie and that he even had a substantial role.

Then you come to Tom Cruise. I found that he played one of those characters that I just can't stand. Remember when I said I didn't like typical Ben Stiller roles? The character Cruise plays, is along those lines of an annoying Stiller. But yet, I found myself laughing every time Cruise was on screen, because it was so atypical Tom Cruise. It was great to see him stop taking himself so serious and let loose for once.

I would say that I really enjoyed this movie. It wasn't so cheesy a comedy that it was too unrealistic and yet it was still funny. In addition, you do find a good amount of action sequences to accompany the slapstick situations and they tie into the story quite well. And you can't help but laugh at these actors who are either trying to just get by or the ones that just can't seem to let go of the roles that they play.

If I had to rate this movie, I would give an 8 out of 10.

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

2008-08-03T23:20:00.000-07:00

Starring:
Brendan Fraser
Maria Bello
Jet Li
Michelle Yeoh

Written by:
Alfred Gough
Miles Millar

Directed by:
Rob Cohen

First of all, let me introduce myself, my name is Jesse, and I like movies. I will weigh in from time to time on some of the movies I see if Jones himself has not already done the honors.

Now, introductions aside, I recently went to see The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. This is the third installment of this franchise (although some may disagree with that statement). This time around our hero, battles against a new foe, an ancient and ruthless Chinese Emperor who has been re-awaken. Familiar faces such as Brendan Fraser and John Hannah return. All new this time is Jet Li as the new Mummy, Michelle Yeoh as his immortal foe, and Luke Ford as the O'Connells' son who is now much older since we last saw him. Maria Bello steps in this time around as the character of Evelyn originally played by Rachel Weisz. Unfortunately this was the worst decision. Maria would have done well as a new character, but placing her as Evey was just not believable to me and I found my brain really reaching to be convinced that this was the same person.

Unfairly though, I am a sucker for an action\adventure movie. And the action and adventure scenes in this movie were done really well and I can see that they spent a lot of time on them. Also, the new setting and new mummy are a refreshing change to the series and was a step in the right direction. Jet Li does well in his role, but is seen very little as most of the time he is in other, unhuman, forms. The ancient backstory behind the Emperor, his General, and their love interest was fun to get lost in, but was incredibly similiar to that of the original Mummy, just placed in reverse as to who betrayed who. Also, once again you find forces trying to resurrect an ancient army to conquer the world, that being familiar to the second Mummy movie. So in all, the story was rather unoriginal.

The jokes were mediocre, and the love story was rather silly. You do find a second romance brewing in this version, which means they could have easily dropped the Evelyn character, as I believe they should have. But in all, I did find this move enjoyable to see. If you like action with a little bit of science fiction, and you like the other movies in the Mummy franchise, you will probably still like this movie.

I would give it a 6.5 out of 10.

The Dark Knight

2008-08-01T08:44:00.000-07:00

Starring:
Christian Bale
Heath Ledger
Aaron Eckhart
Michael Caine
Maggie Gyllenhaal
Gary Oldman
Morgan Freeman

Written by:
Jonathan Nolan
Christopher Nolan

Directed by:
Christopher Nolan

This movie was definitely the best movie I have seen all summer, and quite possibly one of the best movies I have seen period. The Dark Knight has it all. This movie is quite a bit darker than the first, but it doesn't leave you down by any means, it has plenty of laughs, action, and romance too. This was Heath Ledgers best performance in my opinion, he took this role and made it his own. The Jokers voice is still echoing in my head a day later. Aaron Eckhart does an excellent job as well in his role as Harvey Dent. Christian Bale comes forward again with a powerful performance as Batman. I feel the spotlight was evenly distributed in this movie and not shining on one character for too long.

A robbery of a bank where mob bosses store some of their money causes them to meet and discuss options and coincidentally they find one, The Joker shows up and gives them a proposal. Ever since Batman showed up in Gotham, their business has been dwindling and will continue on a downward spiral until someone takes care of Batman, so The Joker offers to rid them of Batman for half of their money. What the mob doesn't know is by agreeing to this they have unleashed the most diabolical, insane criminal Gotham has ever seen. The Joker uses people to try and draw Batman out and reveal who is truly is. He starts killing public officials and promises to keep killing until Batman reveals himself. This causes the people of Gotham to turn on Batman and call for his arrest. What follows is a thrill ride of car chases and shoot-outs. Several twists and turns keep you guessing through the whole movie. We also meet Two-Face in this movie, and I have to say that is some of the best CG work I have ever seen. His face is truly disturbing.

The movie carries a PG-13 rating for violence, language, and some gruesome scenes. I wouldn't take any kids to this movie that are sensitive to violence and gore.

Overall I give this movie a 9 out of 10.

Step Brothers

2008-08-01T07:43:00.000-07:00

Starring:

Written by:

Directed by:

I'm not sure where to start on this one. I usually know what to expect when I go to see a Will Ferrell movie, but this one completely surprised me, it was unexpectedly bad. It is almost as if they didn't even try with this one, they just threw some funny scenes into the movie and hoped it would be enough to keep people entertained. For me it was not.

The story is about a woman, Nancy Huff (Mary Steenburgen) who has a 39 year old son, Brennan (Ferrell) still living at home. During a medical conference Nancy meets Dr. Robert Doback (Richard Jenkins) and she soon discovers that he also has a middle aged son Dale (John C. Reilly) still living at home. They fall in love (overnight it seems) and soon after get married and move in with each other. This is when Dale and Brennan meet and at first hate each other, a few fist fights, name calling, and a violated drum set later they find a person they both hate more than they do each other, Brennans younger brother Derek (Adam Scott). This mutual hatred causes them to form a bond and find other mutual interests they share.

Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly are hilarious on-screen together, but for me there was not enough funny scenes to make it worth sitting through the rest of the movie. Talladega Nights to me was a much better Ferrell / Reilly movie overall as there was enough other entertaining factors to fill the gaps.

The movie is given a well deserved R rating, for vulgar language and slight nudity (brief shots of Hustler magazines and some of male genitalia)

Overall I give this movie a 3.5 out of 10.

Jumper

2008-07-15T16:45:00.000-07:00

Starring:
Hayden Christensen
Jamie Bell
Rachel Bilson
Diane Lane
Samuel L. Jackson

Written by:
Steven Gould

Directed by:
Doug Liman

Jumper is an action movie that has a superhero slash comic book movie feel to it. The hero David Rice (Christensen) discovers he has the ablility to "jump" or teleport from one place to another after falling through the ice at age 12. He comes from a broken home, his mom left when he was 5 and he doesn't get along with his dad. So he decides to use his new found powers to go on a series of adventures that take him all around the world, to fund these adventures he "borrows" money from banks by "jumping" in and out of bank vaults around the world, leaving IOU's behind. Years later he returns to his hometown and calls upon an old friend of his, Millie (Bilson) and takes her to Rome, a place she has always wanted to go, but they travel via airliner as he doesn't want to think he is some kind of freak. It is in Rome that he encounters Griffin (Bell) and finds out that he isn't the only "Jumper" and that he is part of a war that has been going on for centuries. Roland (Jackson) is a Paladin, a religious group of soldiers who feel that no one but God should have the power that Jumpers do.

Hayden Christensen does a good job in the role of David Rice, he shows his emotion strongly, maybe even too strong in some parts. Samuel Jackson plays his usual villain role similar to his performance in Unbreakable. Rachel Bilson isn't much different in this role than her role as Summer on The O.C. Jamie Bell offers up the most powerful performance of them all in my opinion. His delivery and actions really added to the movie.

I think that the movie should have showed a bit more into the history of Jumpers and how the whole jumping thing works exactly, but overall I think that it was a fun to watch movie that will keep you entertained.

Overall I rate this movie a 6.5 out of 10.

**Spoiler alert** Click here to read more of my review that may contain spoilers!

Apparently what makes a jumper special besides his ability to teleport is to also they can withstand lethal amounts of electricity pulsing through their body. If someone can explain the whole using electricity to create portals and jump through them to me I would greatly appreciate it.

Definitely, Maybe

2008-07-11T21:58:00.000-07:00

Starring:
Ryan Reynolds
Abigail Breslin
Rachel Weisz
Kevin Kline
Elizabeth Banks
Isla Fisher

Written and Directed by: Adam Brooks

This is one movie that flew way under the big screen radar in my opinion, it didn't have much advertising and the box office opening was only $11.4 million with a total US gross of $31.9 million, which is why I didn't catch it until it came out on DVD.

Ryan Reynolds offers up one of his best performances in this film, and after seeing him in National Lampoons Van Wilder I really didn't think I could ever picture him as anything but the crazy, funny party guy. This movie proved that theory wrong. He takes this role very serious and does an excellent job portraying a Ad Executive going through a divorce and trying to explain to his daughter Maya (Abigail Breslin) how her parents met. In telling his story we learn how he aspired to be a politician hoping to get a big break working the Bill Clinton campaign and also about past loves of his which include Rachel Weisz, Isla Fisher, and Elizabeth Banks who all at one point broke Reynolds heart whether they truly knew it or not. Kevin Kline plays a small role as a professor in the movie, but as always, no matter how small the role he adds charisma and zing.

The movie is rated PG-13 which I consider fair as there is some swearing and sexual language used.

If you are looking for a movie to watch with your spouse or significant other I would highly recommend this film as my wife and I enjoyed it highly.

Seeing how this can be classified as a "chick flick" I let my wife rate the movie.
Her rating is 7 out of 10.

Wanted

2008-07-06T22:42:00.001-07:00

Starring:
James McAvoy
Morgan Freeman
Angelina Jolie

Based on the Comic Book Series by:
Mark Millar
J.G. Jones

Directed by:
Timur Bekmambetov

Wanted is action packed from beginning to end. James McAvoy offers up a decent performance as the anxiety stricken Accountant turned Hit-Man Wesley. Morgan Freeman portrays Sloan, the man who calls the shots (literally) at The Fraternity, he does an excellent job of bringing some control to an almost out of control story. Angelina Jolie offers up a bunch of exciting moments with her character Fox, there is never a dull moment when Angelina is in the scene. You will be constantly entertained as long as you don't look too deep into the plot of the movie because frankly it has quite a few holes. It seemed to me like the directors goal was to try and have the viewer be so stunned by the awesome special effects and stunts in the movie that no one would stop and say "wait a minute, how did a bunch of ancient weavers know how to turn 1's and 0's into letters." I have read other reviews and there are alot of people stating there is too much violence in this movie, to that I say define "too much." Yes the movie is violent, but I don't feel that it was any more violent than Fight Club and much less violent than say Shoot 'Em Up.

This movie is not for those looking for a realistic movie with a strong plot and a well developed story line. It's a movie that provides great entertainment through its fight sequences, special effects, car chases, and comical narration from James McAvoy. The movie kept me entertained, but I was left with too many unanswered questions at the end.

The movie is rated R and rightfully so due to graphic language, a couple sex scenes (no they don't include Angelina Jolie), and graphic violence. You do see Angelina Jolies butt in this movie along with her back full of killer tattoos, but that alone wouldn't qualify for an R rating.

Overall I gave this movie 7 out of 10

**SPOILERS** Click here to view more of my review that may contain Spoilers.

So Cross left The Fraternity because Sloan found out Cross knew that Sloan had covered up his own name (Sloan's) coming out of The Loom and realized Sloan was manufacturing names for profit and not truly relaying names from The Loom. Cross then began defending himself by killing all members of The Fraternity that would try to kill him and trying to save his son by not letting The Fraternity turn him into a Hit Man. Was this the reason all members of The Fraternitys names came out of The Loom, because Sloan had manipulated them? Or did their names never really come out of The Loom and Sloan just made that up?

Why couldn't Wesley see that Cross didn't want him dead after 2 open attempts where Cross could have killed him and didn't?

Hancock

2008-07-06T18:36:00.000-07:00

Starring:

Will Smith
Charlize Theron
Jason Bateman

Written by:
Vincent Ngo & Vince Gilligan

Directed by Peter Berg

Hancock was a great action movie that supplied the proper amount of comedy, drama, and even a little romance. Will Smith provided a powerful performance, you could really feel the emotion he potrayed. Jason Bateman and Charlize Theron also gave excellent performances, all three really fit well together on the big screen.

I feel the story as a whole was well written, though I feel that Hancock's history deserved its own story with flashbacks or some other kind of visual, instead of just a few lines of dialogue explaining it. The antagonist deserved more history as well.

Hancock is by no means your typical superhero type movie, it is more racy and off the wall. I think the PG-13 rating is fair. there is no nudity, the language is fairly mild though the F word is brought up once or twice, and the violence level is on the same level as Spiderman, but the gore level may be a bit higher.

The movie had me laughing and definitely held my attention with its great action sequences and special effects.

Overall I give this movie a 8 out of 10.

**SPOILERS - Click here to view my comments which may contain spoilers!

I feel they should have really gone deeper into the history between Hancock and Mary Embrey (Charlize Theron) I don't understand what "we were built in pairs" means. Also when Mary says "They find you through me" who are They and is the man with one hand from the bank robbery somehow tied to them?

Getting Started...

2008-07-06T11:45:00.000-07:00

Hello!

I have created this blog as a means to find out what other people think of movies that I have seen and also to discuss how movies could have been better, different etc.

My goal is to not only blog about the new movies that I go see, but also about classic movies that are in my collection.

I look forward to seeing where this blog goes and hope to have lots of feedback.