Sherlock Holmes

Just watched this movie Sherlock Holmes with an updated story and with a big Hollywood actors cast in the roles. I was expecting less but got more. It was a very entertaining movie and made me laugh a few times. Definitely worth watching so check it out.



Netflix Summary:

Robert Downey Jr., in a Golden Globe-winning role, stars as the legendary London sleuth Sherlock Holmes, joined by Jude Law as Dr. Watson, in this Guy Ritchie-helmed reinvention of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's detective series. Based on a comic book by producer Lionel Wigram, the story follows Holmes and Watson as they face off against the villainous Blackwood (Mark Strong). Rachel McAdams co-stars as sharp beauty Irene Adler.

Saint Ives aka All for Love

This is a period piece made in 1998 but even though it is old it made me laugh. The movie was good but the humor injected in it makes me recommend it even more. Watch it and enjoy.

Netflix Summary:

During the Napoleonic Wars, the British capture French officer Viscount Jacques St. Ives (Jean-Marc Barr) and send him to Scotland as a prisoner. He falls in love with local beauty Flora (Anna Friel), who's also being courted by the prison warden, Major Chevening (Richard E. Grant). While St. Ives teaches the major a few things about women, Flora arranges his escape and reunites him with his long-lost grandfather in this light-hearted romp.

The Four Feathers

This was another period piece that I thought was very insightful. I liked the view of the British Empire from a person who didn't approve of what they were doing. The main character had to prove he was no longer a coward because of his friends and fiance made him feel bad. I thought it was a silly decision but important to have for a storyline.

I liked the movie and it had some good acting by:

Heath Ledger, Wes Bentley, Kate Hudson, Rupert Penry-Jones, Djimon Hounsou, Michael Sheen, Kris Marshall, Alek Wek, Lucy Gordon, Alex Jennings, Tim Pigott-Smith


Netflix Summary:

In 1898 Sudan, Harry Faversham (Heath Ledger), a British officer, resigns his post right before a battle against rebels (the battle of Omdurman), prompting his fiancée (Kate Hudson) and three friends to give him four white feathers as a symbol of what they perceive to be cowardice. Little do they know he's going undercover and may soon have the chance to redeem himself in their eyes. This classic adventure is based on the novel by A.E.W. Mason.

10 Things I Hate About You

I had seen this movie many years ago, but wanted to see it again with my wife. We were on a streak of watching some bad movies, then on a streak of good movies, and just wanted to continue watching decent movies.

Even though this is a corny high school romantic comedy, there are big named actors in it. They are super young in it and it is interesting to see all the movies they did after and how there professional lives unfolded. I would still give this a recommendation to watch, even though it is a bit dated.

On a side note, I have been to Seattle twice since I originally watched this movie and it was fun knowing all the landmarks and even the neighborhood this was filmed in. It made me check out my old Seattle trip photos.

Netflix Summary:

After learning that Bianca Stratford (Larisa Oleynik) is forbidden to date until man-hating older sister Kat (Julia Stiles) finds a beau, Bianca's would-be boyfriend hatches a plan: Pay moody school rebel Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger) to escort the churlish Kat around town. Larry Miller plays the siblings' overprotective dad in this witty farce that transplants William Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew" to a contemporary Seattle high school.

It's Complicated

This movie was a fun Hollywood type of movie with great big named actors. I think my wife and I needed to see a decent movie that was light hearted and this did the trick. It is funny at times and definitely makes you smile.

I am in my 40s so that might make this comedy funnier than it really is. As long as you know what you will be watching, I think you will enjoy it too. I recommend watching this romantic comedy movie.

Netflix Summary:

Ten years after their divorce, Jane (Meryl Streep) and Jake (Alec Baldwin) enjoy an amicable friendship. When the two unite for their son's college graduation, their romance is rekindled. But Jake is married, and Jane's architect, Adam (Steve Martin), has a thing for her. Now cheating on the younger woman for whom he left Jane, Jake wants his ex-wife back. But Jane's busy getting to know Adam. Nancy Meyers(Something's Gotta Give) wrote and directed this Golden Globe-nominated comedy.

The Counterfeiters

This period piece is during World War 2 and deals with the Jewish people and Nazis in a special concentration camp with the purpose of counterfeiting pounds and dollars for war purposes. I don't know if this actually happened historically, but I am sure it was an idea that was kicked around.

This movie was put together very well. The character development was good. Not just the main character but all the supporting characters on both sides. The storyline and plot was good, too and told from the perspective of the survivor. Even though this story isn't original, the movie is directed well that you never lose interest at any time.

You might have to be in the mood to see it, but I recommend you watching this movie.

Netflix Summary:

Facing an ethical quandary, Jewish master forger Salomon Sorowitsch (Karl Markovics) must choose between abetting the Nazis and saving his own skin in this taut, Oscar-winning drama based on actual events during World War II. Assembled at a death camp, a cadre of printers, artists and chiselers is tasked with counterfeiting currencies to weaken Allied economies. But will Sorowitsch's conscience begin to gnaw at him as the war draws to a close?

Sauna aka Filth

This was a crappy movie. Again, I am mislead by the netflix community into thinking this was an Indie or Art House type movie with their glowing reveiws. I should have known by the previews on the dvd before the movie started, that I would hate this movie.

This is a foreign movie that pretends to be a horror movie but it is mostly a drama. The characters are all unlikeable. The plot simply fails from beginning to end. The movie is slow paced and could have been told in 10 minutes.

Avoid this movie! The trailer is better than the whole movie.

Netflix Summary:

While mapping the new border with Russia in 1595, Finnish soldier brothers Erik (Ville Virtanen) and Knut (Tommi Eronen) stumble upon a spooky, almost-childless undocumented town. There, they find a mysterious sauna that forces all who enter it to face their past sins. Finnish director Antti-Jussi Annila's masterfully atmospheric horror film screened at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival.

The Hitch Hiker

This animation is not worth renting. The show is simply the original radio show broadcast with some poor animation to correspond to it. Again, another high rated netflix movie that fails to deliver.

Not worth the time looking for the trailer and posting it here if it does exist.

Netflix Summary:

Applying modern animation techniques to vintage radio theater, director Michael Anthony Jackson tells a spine-tingling tale of a man (voiced by Orson Welles) who descends into madness over the course of a cross-country road trip. This uniquely rendered thriller is based on the 1940s radio play by Lucille Fletcher and was considered by Welles to be one of the greatest suspense plays ever written for the medium.

Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant

This vampire comedy movie was OK but didn't deliver too many laughs for me. It was corny but not really humorous. It seems like it was written and executed poorly.

I was surprised to see some of the big actor names like John C. Reilly, Salma Hayek, and Willem Dafoe in it. Even they could not save this movie. It ends with the promise of a sequel. I am not sure why. I was not entertained by this movie and don't think you will be either.

For some reason, I thought it would be pretty good from the trailer. I was wrong.

Netflix Summary:

Things get freaky fast for 16-year-old Darren Shan (Chris Massoglia) when his friend (Josh Hutcherson) takes him to a circus that's chockfull of sideshow oddities. There, he meets vampire Larten Crepsley (John C. Reilly) and receives a life-changing bite on the neck. As the newest member of the mysterious Cirque du Freak troupe, Darren keeps company with Madame Truska (Salma Hayek) and sparks a war between the vampires and their rivals.

The Hangover

If I judged this movie by its trailer, I would of simply passed on it. My wife and I decided to give it a shot even though it looked like a predictable comedy. I remember it getting many bad reviews when it was released in the theaters.

Surprise! We liked it. It was not a great movie but it did make us laugh through out the movie. That is what a comedy is suppose to do so they accomplished that. As long as you don't expect more than a few laughs, I think you can enjoy your popcorn watching this movie.

Netflix Summary:

When three friends (Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis and Bradley Cooper) finally come to after a raucous night of bachelor-party revelry, they find a baby in the closet and a tiger in the bathroom. But they can't seem to locate their best friend, Doug (Justin Bartha) -- who's supposed to be tying the knot. Launching a frantic search for Doug, the trio perseveres through a nasty hangover to try to make it to the church on time in this Golden Globe winner for Best Comedy.

The Invention of Lying

This movie had an interesting idea. Kind of the opposite of Jim Carrey's Liar Liar. I even like most of Ricky Gervais' movies. I think the movie is funny for about the first 15 minutes, but then it starts to take itself to seriously in developing a long and boring plot.

The development of the characters only makes them more unlikeable and nonsensical. And quite honestly after 45 minutes, the movie just starts to painstakingly drag. The ending is predictable and goes in the Hollywood happy ending way, but by then it is just too late to redeem itself.

You will get a couple of laughs from this romantic comedy, but it doesn't make it worth your time. Skip it in my opinion and save your popcorn for one of Gervais's other movies.

Netflix Summary:

In a world where no one fibs, fiction doesn't exist and people take each other at their literal word, unsuccessful screenwriter Mark (Ricky Gervais) gains fame and fortune -- and maybe the girl of his dreams (Jennifer Garner) -- by saying things that aren't true. Gervais co-writes and co-directs this original comedy that co-stars Rob Lowe. Look for cameos by Tina Fey,Jonah Hill, Louis C.K. and Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Wonderful World

I thought this was a comedy because Matthew Broderick was in it. I was wrong. This is a drama and had very little humor in it.

There were some good things about this movie that I liked, but I don't think I can recommend you watching it. The trailer looked funny to me, but the movie isn't anything that I expected. Not good but not bad. There were scenes that I liked in the film when the main character gets inspired and decides to make changes in his life even though it goes against his heavily ingrained negative attitude.

Again, for some reason the trailer made me think it was a comedy.

Netflix Summary:

Dejected, divorced and jobless, Ben Singer (Matthew Broderick) is not inclined to see his glass as half-full. But when his roommate falls ill and Singer must host the man's Senegalese sister (Sanaa Lathan) in their apartment, his outlook begins to change. Darkman writer Josh Goldin makes his directorial debut with this drama (which he also wrote) about the attitude-adjusting romance that blossoms between Singer and Khadi.

The Lovely Bones

I didn't know what to expect from this movie. It had some big stars in it, but I knew it was about a murder from a child's point of view. From the trailer, I thought the girl's spirit tells her living father who her murderer is and he kills the murderer.

A couple of other things I thought the movie captured was the innocence of that time. It just seemed safer back then. I do remember a time when child predators were not as common as they are now today. Now we have pictures of kids on milk cartons and amber alerts.

The plot was very creative from beginning to end. Don't worry though, it makes sense through out the whole movie and is easy to follow. I liked the movie and would recommend it.

What is surprising is that this movie didn't get nominated for an Oscar considering all the 10 movie nominations. This was better than half of the nominated films and more deserving.

Netflix Summary:

When 14-year-old Susie Salmon (Saoirse Ronan) is murdered, she watches from above as her family deals with her tragic death -- and as her killer prepares to strike again. Torn between vengeance and healing, Susie's loved ones are forever changed.Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz star in Peter Jackson's adaptation of Alice Sebold's riveting, best-selling novel; Susan Sarandon and Oscar nominee Stanley Tucci co-star.

Prête-moi ta main aka I Do: How to Get Married and Stay Single

This was a movie that redeems itself in the end. In the beginning, I didn't care for any of the characters. They were all arrogant, rude, and selfish. However as the movie progresses, the characters become better developed and you start to like them.

The whole storyline is different and completely unpredictable. Of course, the ending was done in Hollywood fashion, so that part was telegraphed. Even so, the movie was entertaining and enjoyable. I think if this was an American made movie it may have just been simply corny.

This is a French movie and requires reading English subtitles unless you understand the language. I couldn't find a preview with the subtitles.

Netflix Summary:

Successful perfume executive Luis (Alain Chabat) is happily single, but his mother and sisters want him to settle down. After they arrange a string of disastrous blind dates, Luis concocts a crazy scheme that will make his family happy without his getting married. All he needs to do is hire a girl to act as his fiancée and then dump him at the altar. But when Luis meets Emmanuelle, the plan takes a turn he never anticipated in this French comedy.

The Line aka La Linea

I really wanted to see an crime action thriller type of movie. It doesn't seem to be that many out there that looked appealing to watch. I found this movie The Line which is not an action or thriller but more of a crime drama. It had some big actors in it, but I never saw previews of this when it came out.

I thought the movie was better than decent and would recommend watching it. It is slow paced and really more of a crime drama film. In the end, the plot comes together with a twist. The acting is good and the cast fairly strong.

Netflix Summary:

Seasoned assassin Mark Shields (Ray Liotta) hunts down Salazar crime cartel leader Pelon (Esai Morales) in Tijuana, Mexico. Meanwhile, he becomes involved with Olivia (Valerie Cruz), a mother and meth addict struggling to clean up her act and improve her daughter's life. Andy Garcia, Armand Assante and Danny Trejo co-star in this action-packed crime drama inspired by the infamous Francisco Arellano Félix drug cartel.

Law Abiding Citizen

I like Gerard Butler movies but don't care for Jamie Foxx. I decided to watch the movie hoping Foxx would not ruin it for me. Overall, the movie was very decent, but would have been better if someone else was cast in his roll like Denzel Washington.

This did have a Hollywood ending and would have been much better if they allowed Butler to succeed in bringing down the system. In the end, the director took the safe route which made it a predictable movie.

Worth watching once, but there are better movies out there that are much more entertaining.

Netflix Summary:

Traumatized by the atrocious murders of his wife and daughter -- and the flawed justice system that set the killers free -- Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler) gives in to his rage and sets out on a course of vengeance. He soon takes on not only the prosecutor involved in the case, Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx), but also the city of Philadelphia. Director F. Gary Gray's bold crime thriller co-stars Viola Davis andMichael Gambon.

The Tournament

This action movie had some recognizable names and the plot was not too bad. However, the movie was completely predictable and the priest character was a little silly for my taste. The movie was too long and the execution was not good.

Again, the netflix community gave this glowing reviews and the trailer was done extremely well. This is again where the trailer is just so much better than the movie itself. You will feel cheated if you go in with high expectations because the movie doesn't deliver what you see in the trailer.

In the first 10 minutes you will know if you like this movie or not. I watched it all the way till the end. I wish I didn't though. I guess you have to watch a lot of bad movies to really appreciate the good ones.

Netflix Summary:

Every seven years, the world's deadliest hired guns converge on a random town to compete in the Tournament. The rules are simple: The last contestant standing receives $10 million and the title of the world's greatest assassin. Meanwhile, the competition is recorded on closed-circuit cameras and broadcast live to a secret room, where billionaires bet on the results. Ian Somerhalder, Kelly Hu and Robert Carlyle star in this killer thriller.

The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior

I have to watch these types of movies because I can't help myself. I knew it was going to be bad because it had an mma fighter in one of the lead roles. I prefer Randy Couture in the octagon than in movies.

That being said it wasn't a completely bad movie. It just wasn't good compared to the first Scorpion King. If there is nothing else to watch, then you might want to watch this streaming on netflix. When I watched it I was a little tired so the movie made me sleepy. I guess that is not a good sign for an action movie. Lol.

Netflix Summary:

This prequel to 2002's The Scorpion King tells the heroic tale of young Mathayus (Michael Copon) and his relentless quest for justice against an evil and powerful villain, King Sargon (Ultimate Fighting champ Randy Couture). Mathayus faces many heart-stopping tribulations during his adventurous, odds-defying trajectory toward his ultimate destiny as the formidable warrior king of an ancient desert empire.

Bright Star

This movie was based on a true story on the John Keats and Fannye Brawne romance. I watch a lot of BBC and period pieces, so this movie appealed to me.

Overall, the movie is presented well with good acting and a straight forward plot. I had higher expectations but the film is better than decent. If you enjoy this type of movie, then you will want to see this at least once.

Netflix Summary:

Critically acclaimed Australian filmmaker Jane Campion helms this drama detailing the passionate three-year romance between 19th-century Romantic poet John Keats (Ben Whishaw) -- who died tragically at age 25 -- and his great love and muse, Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish). Much of the story was inspired by Keats's poetry and the actual love letters the pair exchanged. Thomas Sangster, Paul Schneider and Kerry Fox co-star.

Moscow, Belgium (2008)

This movie sounded interesting and the trailer looked decent. Of course, I was also tricked by the positive reviews by the netflix community. Why do I listen and fall for these glowing reviews.

This film for me was like watching a long boring TV show. The characters were not likeable and the scenery was a bit depressing. I wish I could say something nice about it, but I just can't recommend watching this movie. The description says it is a romantic comedy, but it was not funny or romantic at all.

The trailer is better than the movie itself. Upon seeing the trailer again, I should have known better than to listen to the netflix reviewers who are too generous with their reviews.

Netflix Summary:

When harried mother of three Matty (Barbara Sarafian) causes a fender bender with twentysomething Johnny (Jurgen Delnaet), their flirting blossoms into an unlikely affair. But when Matty's estranged husband, Werner (Johan Heldenbergh), declares that he wants back in her life, she must choose between old, familiar love and the uncertainty of starting life afresh. Christophe Van Rompaey directs this comedy.