What's Up Movement

2012-02-09T16:57:00.000-08:00

The Grey- Review

They may have nothing in common except for the lead actor, but to me, The Grey is the third in the Liam Neeson kicks everyone’s ass series. The first two, Taken and Unknown are a bit more urban. The Grey takes on the wild. When an oil drilling team’s plane crashes, Neeson’s character leads a handful of survivors on a trek to escape the pack of wolves stalking them. Read More >>

2012-02-08T19:02:00.000-08:00

Man on a Ledge- Review

My biggest question surrounding Sam Worthington and his two new releases (Man on a Ledge and Wrath of the Titans) is this: why does he have a mullet? Important, not really, but why would anyone grow a mullet these days? In the case of Man on a Ledge, maybe it’s to show his character spent time in prison. Read More >>

2012-02-06T13:20:00.001-08:00

One for the Money- Review

At some point over Katherine Heigl’s long run of romantic comedies, people started to think of her as a bad actress who only does bad movies. If you go through her filmography, it’s actually not as bad as you think. Now she takes on the comedy mystery One for the Money, based on the first of a popular book series.
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2012-02-01T19:45:00.000-08:00

Red Tails- Review

Someone walks in to a bar. They are met with hostility that their “kind” isn’t welcome there. A team of fighter pilots identified as “red” and a call number. A hotshot pilot, who is the best, knows he’s the best and doesn’t like being told otherwise. Name this movie. Obviously, since this post is under the heading Red Tails, you know the answer. But I imagine other Star Wars aficionados picked up on these parallels too. Read More >>

2012-01-30T19:29:00.000-08:00

The Accessible Oscars- Editorial

The Oscars are strange. I’ve seen the movies, I enjoyed a good number of them, yet I’m never quite satisfied when the award show is over. What if there was an Oscars that wasn’t contingent on the opinions of Hollywood insiders living within their politically pretentious bubble in Sunny California? Read More >>

2012-01-23T11:50:00.000-08:00

Underworld: Awakening- Review

When the battle between the vampires and the lycans is exposed to the humans, a war breaks out with the goal of purging the opponent clans. Kate Beckinsale returns as Selene the automatic pistol wielding death dealer in Underworld: Awakening. The fourth film in the series combines the elements of a crime procedural with the mythology that fans of the series are used to. Read More >>

2012-01-18T08:14:00.000-08:00

Contraband- Review

How about that Mark Wahlberg? He has expanded his reach in Hollywood with work in comedy (The Other Guys) and been right in the middle of Oscar contenders (The Fighter.) But he knows what his real strength is, and returns to the tough guy role in the action film, Contraband. Wahlberg plays a former smuggler who must run one final job in order to save his brother-in-law from a drug smuggler. Read More >>

2012-01-18T08:08:00.000-08:00

The Iron Lady- Review

An overview of the life of former British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, The Iron Lady is an interesting look at the figure. With Meryl Streep starring as the controversial leader, the story is intriguing for a viewer not as familiar with Thatcher’s policies and decisions as someone from England would be. Read More >>

2012-01-09T19:06:00.001-08:00

Top Ten Films of 2011- Editorial

While 2011 box office numbers were down and people griped about sequels dominating the theaters, the truth is that there were tons of great films out there. I definitely saw some that stunk, but the seasons that promised quality definitely delivered. The summer had massive blockbusters, the late fall brought on the award show buzz and many new faces came along who are happy we paid that 3D surcharge. My top ten film list is based on 105 different films, which I saw in theaters during 113 trips. Read More >>

2012-01-09T13:49:00.000-08:00

The New Grading System- Editorial

Following up my 100+ trips to the movie theater in 2011, I have decided to update my grading system for What’s Up Movement. The previous method saw 101 possible scores between 0.0 and 10.0, though most of those possibilities never came up. Because of that, I received much scrutiny about always giving movies sevens or eights. But by my standards, most of them fell in that range. Read More >>

2012-01-09T13:32:00.000-08:00

The Artist- Review

As a rare (mostly) silent film, The Artist is forced to balance the norms of the almost extinct form with contemporary filmmaking. Jean Dujardin stars as George Valentin, a silent film star in the late 1920s. When talking pictures burst onto the scene, he encounters resistance to the old form and watches a young actress (Berenice Bejo) rise to prominence as he attempts to stay in the spotlight. Read More >>

2012-01-09T13:13:00.000-08:00

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy- Review

Giant 70’s glasses have never looked as cool as they do in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Taking place in the appropriate decade for those glasses, the story is about a retired British intelligence agent (Gary Oldman) who is hired to find a well-placed mole inside MI6. With an impressive collection of British actors starring in the film, there was little doubt about the integrity of the project and the quality of the script. Read More >>

2012-01-02T18:38:00.000-08:00

War Horse- Review

Following a resilient horse and his journey from farm life in rural England to the trenches of World War I, War Horse is Stephen Spielberg’s entry into the award season shuffle. The horse called Joey experiences a number of episodes, which coincide with the difficulties of war. But even though the horse is the lead, he mainly acts as a marker to bring the audience to different sets of characters and different perspectives. Read More >>

2012-01-01T22:04:00.000-08:00

We Bought A Zoo- Review

I didn’trealize how awesome it would be to purchase a fully functioning zoo until I sawthis film. Luckily for the animals that would be involved, I don’t have enoughmoney. But Matt Damon’s character does as he moves his family to a house on azoo’s grounds in order to get a fresh start after the death of his wife. Read More >>

2012-01-01T18:35:00.000-08:00

The Darkest Hour- Review

Under the guise of a Christmas blockbuster, The Darkest Hour ends the year in alien encounter films on a low note. Starring Emile Hirsch and a cast of others who you would vaguely recognize from their other films, The Darkest Hour has a group of tourists in their early 20s encountering an alien race attacking Earth in order to drain our energy supply. Read More >>

2012-01-01T18:28:00.001-08:00

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol- Review

The fourth film in the sequence, Mission: Impossible- Ghost Protocol has Ethan Hunt (Cruise) emerging from a foreign prison just in time to be set up for a bombing at the Kremlin in Russia. His small team is all that’s left of the once expansive IMF and they are forced to clear their names by finding the true culprits. Read More >>

2012-01-01T18:12:00.000-08:00

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows- Review

After the critically acclaimed success of director Guy Ritchie and Robert Downey Jr.’s first take at the legendary detective, the quality of its sequel, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows was almost a foregone conclusion. Though this take has a different focus, which deals heavily with Holmes’ arch nemesis, Professor Moriarty, played by Jared Harris. Read More >>

2012-01-01T18:09:00.000-08:00

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo- Review

Based on the bestselling novel, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo stars Daniel Craig as a journalist attempting to find a long missing girl. After employing the help of a skilled computer hacker, played by Rooney Mara, the pair find themselves in danger, a sign the perpetrator is still close by. Read More >>

2012-01-01T18:06:00.001-08:00

The Adventures of Tin Tin- Review

The hype on The Adventures of Tin Tin is mainly to do with its celebrity director, (Steven Spielberg) producer, (Peter Jackson) and the fact the England seems to generally love the adventure-seeking cartoon. But since the character is so well known in international markets, there is a lack of introduction for us yanks who don’t know anything about it. Read More >>

2012-01-01T18:04:00.000-08:00

New Year's Eve- Review

After the commercial success of Valentines Day, a similar holiday film makes sense. Starring more actors than I would care to list, the film tells a number of interweaving stories regarding New Year’s Eve in New York City. Now as far as fun romantic comedies go, this film has some flaws. Read More >>

2012-01-01T18:02:00.000-08:00

My Week With Marilyn- Review

As far as Oscar contenders go, My Week With Marilyn is easily one of the most accessible. Focused on a very specific time in the life of Marilyn Monroe, Michelle Williams stars as the influential actress during the filming of The Prince and the Showgirl opposite Sir Laurence Olivier, played by Kenneth Branagh. During this time, Monroe befriends Colin, a young employee for the film, played by Eddie Redmayne. That begins a short-lived relationship, which provides some reprieve from the tension filled film-set. Read More >>

2011-12-21T17:33:00.001-08:00

Five Things We Learned From The Golden Globe Nominations- Editorial

If you haven't had the chance to study the nominations chosen by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, check out this countdown. Let the award season begin. Read More >>

2011-12-21T17:20:00.001-08:00

Melancholia- Review

Occasionally I have found myself in the following situation. I invite a friend to see a new movie with me. This movie is much less mainstream than the friend is used to. They repeatedly turn to me and say, “What the hell kind of movie is this?” Well that is my best way to describe Melancholia. It is that kind of movie. Read More >>

2011-12-21T17:18:00.001-08:00

Young Adult- Review

For a movie that looked like it would be very awkward and unpleasant, I must admit that Young Adult exceeds my expectations in those categories. Charlize Theron stars as a writer of young adult novels, who receives a birth announcement from her old flame, played by Patrick Wilson. Reading this as a sign that he’s unhappy with his life, she returns to her home town and attempts to win him back. Read More >>

2011-12-21T17:13:00.001-08:00

The Sitter- Review

In The Sitter, Hill’s character volunteers to babysit three kids so that his mom can have a night out with her friend, the mother of the children. Then when he gets a call from a girl he wants to date, he gets caught up in a series of awkward events involving drugs and such. All of this of course happens with the children, who are equally screwed up in different ways, are with him. Read More >>

2011-12-21T17:11:00.001-08:00

The Muppets- Review

Jason Segel wrote and stars in the new film appropriately named The Muppets. After his big screen puppet debut in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, his involvement makes sense. The story follows Segels’s character, his brother Walter (a puppet) and his girlfriend (Amy Adams) as they go on vacation in California. While there, they learn a plot to destroy the Muppet Theater and must reunite Kermit and the gang to stop it from happening. Read More >>

2011-12-21T17:09:00.001-08:00

The Descendants- Review

It’s probably safe to say that George Clooney’s character in The Descendants is going through some of the toughest situations anyone can go through. After his wife is injured in a boating accident and lands in a vegetative state, he must accept the fact that she will die. And to make matters worse, he learns that his wife was cheating on him for a substantial period of time. It’s not really a movie to go see as a pick-me-up after a stressful week at the office. Read More >>

2011-12-21T17:08:00.001-08:00

Hugo- Review

For those who have not seen Hugo yet, I think it may be a bit of a surprise when/if you do. The story follows the titular character (Asa Butterfield) and his friend Isabelle (Chloe Moretz) as they try and solve a puzzle, which they are both linked to. Hugo, an orphan living inside the walls of a train station possesses an automaton, which can only be activated by Isabelle’s heart-shaped key. Read More >>

2011-12-21T17:06:00.001-08:00

Happy Feet Two- Review

Just like the first Happy Feet, the second installment begins as wholesome family fun with toe-tapping renditions of popular music. But then once you let your guard down it becomes a human hating ode to environmentalism. In case you haven’t seen the films, I’ll let you know that it turns out that all humans stink. Maybe I should take a step back for a minute. Read More >>

2011-12-21T17:04:00.001-08:00

Arthur Christmas- Review

In this tale, Santa Claus (Jim Broadbent) is essentially a military leader who runs the operation of delivering presents each year. Arthur (James Mcavoy) is Santa’s youngest son, who is a bit dim while also being very caring and enthusiastic. When it is learned that one child has been missed on Christmas, Arthur goes on a mission with his grandfather, known as Grandsanta (Bill Nighy) to get that final child her gift. Read More >>

2011-12-21T17:02:00.001-08:00

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part I- Review

In addition to the records it is breaking at the box office, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part I also brings about the first time I’ve reviewed three movies in a franchise. What an honor. This fourth film in the vampire/werewolf series brings about some answers that have been asked over the sequence. Bella (Kristen Stewart) marries Edward (Robert Pattinson), while Jacob (Taylor Lautner) broods alone in the woods, shirtless. Read More >>

2011-12-21T16:59:00.000-08:00

Tower Heist- Review

Tower Heist may boast a famous cast, but it is one that would have had more pull in the late 90’s than it does in 2011. Ben Stiller stars as a hotel manager who falls victim to a Ponzi scheme, losing the pension money for his entire staff. In a desperate move to regain the money, he assembles a team of everyday guys to steal the money back from his mogul boss, who perpetrated the crime. Read More >>

2011-11-30T19:44:00.001-08:00

Puss In Boots- Review

Puss in Boots has some Shrek-sized shoes to fill being a spin-off of the ogre’s franchise. Antonio Banderas voices the lead, in this origin story of Puss, who grew up in an orphanage with his pal Humpty Dumpty. He is then forced to live as an fugitive after a run in with law. Selma Hayek also stars as the new character, Kitty Soft Paws. Read More >>

2011-11-23T16:54:00.000-08:00

Immortals- Review

I find it interesting that there is now a whole sub-genre of special effects filled realistic fiction based in Ancient Greece. And because of the success of 300 and Clash of the Titans, there will likely be more of this very specific category. Immortals fits that bill as essentially a combination of those two films listed above. Read More >>

2011-11-22T17:04:00.000-08:00

J. Edgar- Review

The film chooses a number of intriguing points in Hoover’s life to focus on. From his battle with communism to his relationship with his mother (Judi Dench) and his long time number two, Clyde Tolson, (Armie Hammer) there is no shortage of material for the film to use. Read More >>