Thursday, February 24, 2011

I Am Number Four Reviews

On February 22nd, we went to see I Am Number Four.
What's it about? In brief: it's about an alien teenager running for his life from enemy aliens while also navigating the perils of high school and first love.
And there are lots of special effects and explosions.
What did our panel of reviewers think?
  • Brad: It was good, not exceptional a solid 7.5.
  • Kirk: A little disappointing. I know it's written about/for teenagers but the dialog felt clunky/forced at several points. Also a tad heavy on the melodrama at points. Laughably so.
  • Cathy: Cool effects; a little tedious at times. The comic relief helped with this though. I'm so glad the doggie is ok. :)
  • Rebecca: It was cute. Funny. Long. Occasionally went for the smart joke instead of the obvious one, which was a welcome surprise. Very shiny, lots of explosions but the romance was eye-rolling.
  • Laurie: Titan AE meets the The Matrix meets X-Men with a brief smattering of Cujo. It was entertaining but barely.
  • Tom: Question - Why isn't the title, "I'm The Number Four?"
  • Curtis L: Things I've learned from this movie: 1) All aliens turn to ash when they die. Instantly. 2) Aliens, like werewolves, fall in love with one person forever. Despite this, I Am #4 is a heckuva lot better than anything with vampires in it.
Of course the real question becomes... Will we see the inevitable sequel?

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

February 22 = Out @ I Am Number Four

Let's start off with who didn't make it: The Eagle & Just Go With It each scored 3 votes. Unknown and From Prada to Nada tied for second place with 6 votes each. [FYI for those who wanted to see From Prada to Nada: it doesn't appear to be playing in Halifax.] So our winner must be...
I Am Number Four
Time to see a movie about a teenage alien discovering his super-powers and meeting girls. And one of those girls also has super-powers!

The Plan...
  • Location: Empire 8 Park Lane
  • Day: Tuesday, February 22nd
  • Time: A bit complicated. The movie starts at 7:30. We usually head in 15-20 minutes before the movie. However, kids are out of school for February break (up to and including most university students). And it's cheap night. So this could be quite busy!
    To ensure we have seats, we'll be heading into the theatre at 7. That means you should arrive between 6:30 and 7.
  • As usual, look for the guy in glasses and an orange ballcap (that's me!).
  • If you arrive later, I'll wear the ballcap during the commercials and previews.
  • Tickets are $5.99 (and can be pre-purchased).
  • After the movie, we'll brave the February weather for a walk down to the Second Cup (corner of Spring Garden Road and Queen).
  • Once there, we'll discuss the movie and write up our reviews for the blog!
  • If you're on Facebook, you can RSVP to the event. And invite your friends!

Here's the full recap of what we're heading out to see:
I Am Number Four
Three are dead. He is Number Four. D.J. Caruso helms an action-packed thriller about an extraordinary young man, John Smith, who is a fugitive on the run from ruthless enemies sent to destroy him. Changing his identity, moving from town to town with his guardian Henri, John is always the new kid with no ties to his past. In the small Ohio town he now calls home, John encounters unexpected, life-changing events-his first love, powerful new abilities and a connection to the others who share his incredible destiny.
Cast: Alex Pettyfer, Timothy Olyphant, Teresa Palmer, Dianna Agron, Kevin Durand, Callan McAuliffe
Trailer:



Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Just Go With The Unknown Eagle From Prada Four

2011 is here! And we are a month behind in our movie outings. So let's make February a great movie night.
The date? February 22nd. The place? Empire 8 Park Lane, of course! The movies? ...We'll get to that in a moment.
First a plea: I need volunteers to act as hosts in March. I'm a full-time student (again) and have classes most weeknights so can't do the regular hosting duties. Which is why there was no movie night in January. I won't be able to host again until after classes finish in early April.
What would you have to do as host? Well, let's start with what you wouldn't have to do. I'd do all the leg work getting people to the movie theatre (creating blog post, e-mails, twitter, Facebook, etc). You need to arrive early wearing something distinctive (so newcomers know how to find you) and make everyone welcome. Make introductions and ensure everyone knows the plan (e.g., watch the movie and then go somewhere for post-movie discussion). After the movie, collect reviews from everyone who attended and get them to me (either physically or electronically) so I can post them here. And that's it! If you're interested, send me an e-mail.
So...
What are the potential movies for February 22nd?
  • From Prada to Nada: From riches to (not-quite) rags.
  • Just Go With It: Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston together again for the first time!
  • The Eagle: Roman warriors! Rarrh!
  • I Am Number Four: Alien super-power action type flick.
  • Unknown: Liam Neeson doesn't know who he is. So he starts killing people.
Note: the only two that open the Friday immediately before our outing are I Am Number Four and Unknown.
Read on and vote below.
From Prada to Nada
(Opens February 11)
Two sisters, one a young beauty who chooses passion over logic, the other a law student whose fixed moral compass keeps her from following her desires, are uprooted from their luxurious home when their father suddenly passes away. Out of money and out of options, the women move into their Great Aunt Aurelia's modest, but lively home in the Latino-centric Boyle Heights neighborhood where they find themselves thrown into a world that, despite their heritage, seems completely foreign. Over time, they discover the beauty of the culture they once fought so desperately to hide. And in the process they find the one thing that had eluded them: love.
Cast: Camilla Belle, April Bowlby, Alexa Vega, Wilmer Valderrama, Nicholas D'Agosto, Kuno Becker, Adriana Barraza, Karla Souza, Alexis Ayala
Trailer:


Just Go With It
(Opens February 11)
In "Just Go With It", a plastic surgeon, romancing a much younger schoolteacher, enlists his loyal assistant to pretend to be his soon to be ex-wife, in order to cover up a careless lie. When more lies backfire, the assistant's kids become involved, and everyone heads off for a weekend in Hawaii that will change all their lives.
Cast: Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, Nicole Kidman, Brooklyn Decker, Bailee Madison, Antoinette Nikprelaj, Nick Swardson, Heidi Montag, Rachel Specter, Elena Satine
Trailer:


The Eagle
(Opens February 11)
A Roman epic adventure, based on the classic novel of the same name, set in the dangerous world of second-century Britain. In 140 A.D., 20 years after the unexplained disappearance of the entire Ninth Legion in the mountains of Scotland, young centurion Marcus Aquila arrives from Rome to solve the mystery and restore the reputation of his father, the commander of the Ninth. Accompanied only by his British slave Esca, Marcus sets out across Hadrian's Wall into the uncharted highlands of Caledonia -- to confront its savage tribes, make peace with his father's memory, and retrieve the lost legion's golden emblem, the Eagle of the Ninth.
Cast: Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Mark Strong, Donald Sutherland, Tahar Rahim
Trailer:


I Am Number Four
(Opens February 18)
Three are dead. He is Number Four. D.J. Caruso helms an action-packed thriller about an extraordinary young man, John Smith, who is a fugitive on the run from ruthless enemies sent to destroy him. Changing his identity, moving from town to town with his guardian Henri, John is always the new kid with no ties to his past. In the small Ohio town he now calls home, John encounters unexpected, life-changing events-his first love, powerful new abilities and a connection to the others who share his incredible destiny.
Cast: Alex Pettyfer, Timothy Olyphant, Teresa Palmer, Dianna Agron, Kevin Durand, Callan McAuliffe
Trailer:


Unknown
(Opens February 18)
Dr. Martin Harris awakens after a car accident in Berlin to discover that his wife suddenly doesn't recognize him and another man has assumed his identity. Ignored by disbelieving authorities and hunted by mysterious assassins, he finds himself alone, tired, and on the run.
Cast: Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger, January Jones, Frank Langella, Aidan Quinn, Bruno Ganz, Sebastian Koch, Mido Hamada, Karl Markovics, Stipe Erceg
Trailer:


Poll will remain open until the evening of February 15th when the winner will be announced and invitations sent out.
[Can't see the poll? Go to http://poll.fm/2ohsb to cast your vote.]

Friday, February 4, 2011

Tron: Legacy Reviews

Well, since today is February 4th and we saw Tron: Legacy (in fantastic 2D!) on December 21st, I think it's long past time that we got those reviews up! You can also head over to our Facebook page and see some photos of the post-movie coffee time.
What did everyone think? Well, it's a mixed bag. Read on!
  • Overall, I'll give it 3/5 stars. Short on story, big on effects. I think they blew their budget on the Jeff Bridges' CGI. - Laurie M
  • What can I say, "I loved it." Although I did not see the first one, my plan is to rent the first one and go see it again in 3D. - Ken
  • Gorgeous design and art direction with a couple of plot holes to drive a light cycle through while The Dude knocks on the sky. - Peter
  • I liked "Tokyo Nikkei Index." - Tom
  • Loved Tron! I plan ti see it again in 3D IMAX - Les
  • Nice visuals, with a plot that's philosophically deeper than at first glance. - Curtis L
  • I found it tedious in places; I didn't really buy into the plot. It had some funny moments though and I enjoyed the pretty, pretty lights. - Cathy
  • I thought the graphis for this movie were much better than the first. Loved Quorra. - Mary
  • The company and popcorn were great! Happy holiday everyone. Oh, the movie was okay. - Tammy
  • I miss 1982. - Calvin.
As you might've guessed: there was no movie outing in January but we will have another on February 22nd!