Watching movies is another of my free time To-Dos. I guess this is why working at the movie theatre during high school was a good job choice. I'm not sure which happened first, though, my interest in watching movies or my job at a movie theatre.
So, in true blog fashion, I decided to share some of my personal reviews of some of the movies we've watched this summer. Of course, my husband and I prefer watching in a movie theatre, but sometimes we rent some great ones to enjoy in our home "theatre." We also prefer to only watch a movie in 3D if it was originally filmed that way. There IS a noticeable difference to avid movie watchers.
* * * *
Toy Story 3 in 3D
I tend to be skeptical of the quality of a sequel, probably due to the fact that I've seen plenty of not-as-good sequels. Dare I say this movie is AS GOOD AS Pixar's original Toy Story movie?
Andy is going to college and his mom is requesting him to go through items in his room to either store them in the attic, donate them, or trash them. (Been there, done that.) The toys are accidentally placed in the trash, so they quickly run to the donation box. The toys think they've reached toy paradise, where toys are always wanted and loved, but find they feel differently once the daycare toddlers arrive. (4 out of 5 stars)
* * * *
Inception
Usually the characters in this sci-fi are stealing secrets from people in their dream states, this time they are planting one. This is not a movie where you can feel comfortable with taking a bathroom or snack break from the theatre. The storyline keeps you interested through the whole duration of the movie and leaves you to draw your own conclusion in the end. On top of that, the special effects are great. (4 out of 5 stars)
* * * 1/2
The Book of Eli (rented)
This is a great movie with a twist at the end, which I love. A man is on a journey in a war-torn world to the West. Along the way we learn that he carries with him the last remaining Bible, which another character is after. I love a good movie that keeps you in suspense and keeps you trying to figure out exactly what's going on. ( 3 1/2 out of 5 stars)
* * *
Knight and Day
This movie falls under the spy and action movie category. One cool thing is that part of the setting of this movie is Wichita, Kansas. Woot! Woot! A secret agent is attempting to expose a fellow agent gone rogue. Along the way, a young woman is swept up in the action and adventure, forced to decide which agent to trust. (3 out of 5 stars)
* * 1/2
The Last Airbender (in 2D, not 3D)
M. Night Shyamalan directed this movie, so our expectations were high. This movie is unlike his other movies, which we like. The main character, a young boy, is the next successor to a long line of Avatars that bring unity to the world. One particular race of people is after his knowledge and domination of the world. One problem I had with the movie was that the characters in this movie didn't really follow the ethnicity you would expect based on where they were coming from. The movie was directed in such a way that the director could make a sequel (or series of sequels), but because of the criticism, I'm guessing there will not be others. (2 1/2 out of 5 stars)
The rest of this year looks to produce
some much anticipated (by me, of course) movies:
Despicable Me, Nanny McPhee Returns, MegaMind,
and part 1 of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows