The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

I will be the first to admit that The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is actually a surprisingly curious movie. Since curiosity is the key word I will give you a very brief review that should peak your curiosity.

Here are some keywords to help you know what to expect when you see it.

Brad Pitt
Abandoned Baby
Make up
Reverse Aging
New Orleans
Flashbacks
Forrest Gumpy
Death
Long

I thought it was well done and I actually got drawn in towards the end when Benjamin was getting younger yet dying of old age as a little kid. I give it 7.5 stars

Valkyrie

Valkyrie is a movie based on historical events of War War 2 when Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg and other Nazi officers attempted to assassinate Adolph Hitler. They obviously didn't succeed with their plot but for a moment you feel that they did and you wonder how they could have changed history. Valkyrie was well done and was quite suspenseful. The cast was excellent and they gave the movie a very realistic and believable feel.

I like Tom Cruise despite all the negative Scientology PR that follows him. On a side note, this is one of the few Cruise movies that does not feature him sprinting in on of the scenes. I thought it was strange that I was rooting for the Nazis in this movie but at least they were the ones trying to get rid of Hitler.

Valkyrie is one of the better war movies that has come out in the last 10 years. I give it a 7.7 stars.

Land of The Lost

Despite my disdain for excessive movie remakes based on TV shows, when I heard that Land of the Lost was coming out I was willing to make an exception and give it a shot. How can you go wrong with Sleestacks, crystals, dinosaurs, pylons, and Chaka? When I found out this was a Will Ferrel movie and a comedy I lowered my expectations.

Let me save you some time and just tell you that Land of the Lost is best as a movie trailer. You've probably seen most of the funny parts on all the commercials over the last several months. I'm a Will Ferrell fan, but Danny McBride made me laugh more during this movie. There were some funny moments but overall it was a negative experience.

It's rated PG-13 and is extremely heavy in the crude humor department. I was surprised to see a notice posted by the movie management indicating that despite the rating they felt it was not appropriate for kids. I would have to agree that this is definitely not a kid or family movie.

I'll be the first to admit that the 70's TV show was not a masterpiece but it is better than this movie. Any fans of the original series will be disappointed. I'm glad I had free movie passes to it and didn't spend any money on it. I give it 5.6 stars and just hope for better when the inevitable Sigmund and the Sea Monsters movie comes out in the future.

Forever Strong

This movie certainly falls under the category of a motivational sports movie. I think is is appropriate to refer you to my prior comments on that genre when I reviewed The Express. I love sports and I love motivational movies, but do they always have to be so predictable and end with a last second slow motion play that wins the game?

While watching this movie I couldn't help but think that it seemed so familiar. I then realized it was because I had recently seen Sean Faris in a similar role in Never Back Down. A talented yet troubled teen moves to a new area and finds a way to overcome his weaknesses and develop discipline through sports while being mentored by a patient role model.... It's also similar to the premise for Stick It, but at least Stick It didn't take itself so seriously.

I understand that this film is based on a real team and I don't want to take anything away from the accomplishments of Highland Rugby, but I'm just tired of how Hollywood handles sports movies. There are some great values and lessons taught in this movie, the acting was good and there were many things I liked about it, but I'm still only giving it 6.6 stars.

Paul Blart: Mall Cop

I don't have a lot to say about Paul Blart. I don't think anyone going to see this movie was expecting real action or drama, just some slapstick and humor provided by Kevin James. I'll admit that I laughed several times during the movie and I think James can be a pretty funny guy. He has assumed the John Candy/Chris Farley good hearted heavy set funny man role.

This movie turned out to be more of a kids movie than I expected. The villains were the worst part of the movie. They take over the mall and ride bikes, skateboards, and do ridiculous Parkour stunts as they chase Blart around. This was obviously geared to a very young audience who would think these guys were cool and tough. The lead bad guy reminded me of a young Christian Slater who needed a shave. I could go on with how lame they were, but I need to remind myself this was geared to a young audience.

I should not get off comparing the action scenes in this movie to Die Hard either since it is obviously a comedy spoofing that idea. Was it funny? Pretty much. Was it formulaic and totally predictable? Yes. Is it worth a rental on DVD? I'd say yes, especially if you are tired of trying to find a movie the whole family can watch together. It's rated PG and I was surprised how clean it was since it's a Happy Madison production. I give it 6.5 stars.