THE SETUP: After getting to White Castle and escaping Guantanamo Bay, a couple of stoners who have grown apart only to be brought together on Christmas Eve to find the perfect tree. The only thing in their way – the mob, drugs, timing, stupidity and Neil Patrick Harris (NPH).

THE THOUGHTS: The Harold and Kumar movies, though not for everyone, do have a bit of charm. You can’t help but like the two main characters (John Cho and Kal Penn respectively) as they get into one stupid situation after another. Is this the best of the trilogy? Well it has a bigger budget. And that’s really where the majority of interest in this movie should lie. The 3D is pretty awesome. From eggs to candy canes to waffle batter, the use of 3D special effects is better than most films I’ve seen in the last few years ( read: Clash of the Titans and Alice in Wonderland). Where the first two movies either were directly for the stoners or making a political comment, this one is really about visiting these characters with a statement on growing up. Not any break through for acting here as  Cho and Penn slip comfortably back into these roles. Of course, you come for them but stay for NPH. Over the top and hilarious, he makes fun of himself while pretty much stealing the show. Think Barney from How I Met Your Mother with less morals, bigger ego and no censor. I don’t think we need another Harold and Kumar movie but this is a nice end to the series.

A VERY HAROLD AND KUMAR 3D CHRISTMAS Rating:
1 ticket – go, but don’t tell anyone. If you like your Christmas movies raunchy , inappropriate and funnyish, rent this bad boy. At the very least, for NPH alone. Due to the 3D, (and the coast of those TVs), you’ll probably have to see this in the theatre to get the full effect.

Rating system:
½ ticket – rip up your ticket. (don’t bother)
1 ticket – go, but don’t tell anyone. (rental)
2 tickets – good movie, take a friend. (worth seeing in the theatre)
3 tickets – tell everyone you know. (stop reading, go see it)

Random Recommendations
Harold and Kumar go to White Castle (2004) – Where the stoner adventure started. A fun introduction to a couple of buddies with the munchies and the first of a series of nights from hell. As per the other two movies, NPH takes it.

Dazed and Confused (1993) – Arguably the greatest of the stoner films, and it happens to be a pretty damn funny film too. A collection of up and coming actors (Matthew McConaughey, Ben Affleck, Mila Jovovich, Parker Posey, etc.) in director/writer Richard Linklater’s look at high school in 1973.

THE SETUP: A former boxer / loser (Hugh Jackman) is having bad luck and making a string of bad choices, and then he’s suddenly saddled with a son he doesn’t want. Did I mention this is a story told in the future world of professional robot fighting? Yeah, I should mention that because to redeem himself, he’s got to find the right robot to get him back on top. I’m sure the kid will help

THE THOUGHTS: How can you not think “rock’em, sock’em robots” when you first see this trailer? It looks cheesy, kinda silly…but what it does actually bring to the table is a lot of heart. If any of the actors hadn’t played this completely 100% serious, it wouldn’t have worked. And it does. The special effects and robot fights are kickass, the acting (dare I say it) is ernest and the story isn’t rocket science but it’ll keep you interested. It’s hard to bring more charm than the truckloads Hugh Jackman brings. Evangeline Lily adds more than the usual girlfriend role. And, the child actor in this is fine too. I’m not a fan of “cute” kids in movies and this kid was pushing it but he didn’t take away from my enjoyment. What really was impressive was that you felt the robot Atom was a genuine, thinking, feeling machine. Like Wilson in Castaway but with more punching. I left this movie pleasantly surprised (which is good when you have expectations of lame). Adding to the goodness pile: rumour is, the final fight was a shot by shot recreation of the Rocky/Drago slugfest from Rocky IV. Nice!

REAL STEEL Rating:

Two Tickets

2 tickets – good movie, take a friend. A movie that kinda sneaks up on you in how fun it is. Real Steel does something I didn’t think it would make me do….care. I’d put this above a renter.

Rating system:

½ ticket – rip up your ticket. (don’t bother)
1 ticket – go, but don’t tell anyone. (rental)
2 tickets – good movie, take a friend. (worth seeing in the theatre)
3 tickets – tell everyone you know. (stop reading, go see it)

Random Recommendations
Rocky IV (1985) – It’s got Drago. It’s got ridiculous training montages. It’s got Bridgette Nielsen. It’s got overblown American propaganda. It’s got James Brown. This is everything that was awesome/terrible about 80s sports movies. Watch it, but watch it knowing what you’re getting in to. Craptastic.

Cinderella Man (2005) – The down and out fighter with one last shot at the big time. There’s been about a million of these movies but one of the better ones was this. Ron Howard directs Russell Crowe in a true story of a boxer making a come back in the 1930s. Great story and amazing boxing match (it’s long but worth it).

THE SETUP: The manager for the Oakland Athletics (Brad Pitt) is stuck with little money and an interest in non-competitiveness from the team’s owner. Looking to try something different, he hires an economics graduate (Jonah Hill) to implement a very unpopular computerized method of drafting players called “moneyball”.

THE THOUGHTS: I’m not a fan of baseball. I’ve never played. My hometown doesn’t have a professional team. No one I know plays. But, there’s something about the mythology of baseball. There’s a reason movies like The Natural, Field of Dreams, and Eight Men Out are great…they make the game about more than hitting a ball. Moneyball is no exception. Brad Pitt’s Billy Beane wants to change the way the game works and he’s great at showing the excitement and frustration of challenging the status quo. You really root for him as you learn his story and his relationship with his daughter. Jonah Hill was great as the analyst, dialing down his usual frat boy personality to really add something to the film. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Robin Wright Penn share supporting roles but it’s really Pitt and Hill’s movie. If you’re not a baseball fan will you still get the technical aspects of the story? Yes. It’s pretty straight forward and pretty damn interesting. If you’re looking for scenes of playing ball, you’ll be disappointed as all the action happens in the offices and in the locker room. The focus here is about the people, not the sport…which is funny to say when they’re using a computer to pick players.

MONEYBALL Rating:

Two Tickets

2 tickets – good movie, take a friend. I may never have watched the 2002 season that this movie, and the book before it, was based on but, as Brad Pitt says in the movie: “It’s hard not to romanticize baseball.” And it was hard not to like this movie.

Rating system:
½ ticket – rip up your ticket.
1 ticket – go, but don’t tell anyone.
2 tickets – good movie, take a friend. 
3 tickets – tell everyone you know.

Random Recommendations
Eight Men Out (1988) – In 1919, eight players from the Chicago White Sox took money to throw the World Series. This is that story and yes, that is Charlie Sheen…but still give it a chance.

Hoosiers (1986) – Considered one of the best sports movies of all time and I’d have a hard time disagreeing. The true story of a coach with baggage (Gene Hackman) and his drunk assistant (Dennis Hopper) who take a high school to the championships. You’ve heard of movies with heart? This wrote the book.

THE SETUP: A woman (Gwenyth Paltrow) returning from a business trip in Japan unknowingly starts a contagious disease chain-reaction that threatens the global population. This is the story of how the world, and individuals, react. I always knew Paltrow would cause the end of the world.

THE THOUGHTS: OK, this is freaky. And I don’t mean horror story freaky. I mean, “holy crap, this could actually happen” freaky. I have to give the director Steven Soderbergh credit for going with the realistic approach over the Hollywood one (read: Outbreak). There are a lot of “movie stars” in this one (Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Lawrence Fishburne) and they make a point of toning down the star power to capture a powerful, “real world” story.  Told from the perspective of the powerful and the powerless, and how those roles are pretty quickly reversed in the face of an unprepared for epidemic, this is an effective snapshot of how ill prepared and ignorant the world would be. Also, how very human we would be…for good and for bad. Well told, scary as hell, and impactful. It’s almost clinical in its storytelling as it doesn’t tell you how to feel (ie. Music cues) but rather let’s you feel. I still can’t get over that we touch our faces 15 times a day. In an environment where a disease is transmitted by touch, that’s a scary thought.

CONTAGION Rating:

Two Tickets

2 tickets – good movie, take a friend. Could a disease put the world into a state of shock causing societal breakdowns? Who knows. But this is an effective thriller playing on this fears. Don’t touch your face. Stop it.

Rating system:
½ ticket – rip up your ticket.
1 ticket – go, but don’t tell anyone.
2 tickets – good movie, take a friend.
3 tickets – tell everyone you know.

Random Recommendations
Andromeda Strain (1971) – I mentioned Contagion had a clinical tone. This is as clinical as you can get. Scientists try to determine a cure for a diseased brought to Earth from a satellite. Special effects are pretty lame but the story is captivating. Be warned – VERY dry its delivery.

28 Days Later (2002) – The opposite of dry delivery, a man (Cillian Murphy) awakens from his hospital bed to discover a disease has taken over the planet, devastating the population and turning people into rabid berserkers. Not so fun. Scary and intense, this movie will freak you out…at the very least from things jumping out at you.

THE SETUP: A stuntman (Ryan Gosling) with no name and no past, who moonlights as a getaway driver for robbers, finds blossoming love with a single mom (Carey Mulligan). Unfortunately, the mom comes with the baggage of an ex-con husband who owes some bad, bad people lots of money. Threats are made to the family and the driver gets involved…violently.

THE THOUGHTS: After I saw the trailer for this, I was hooked. And, thankfully, the movie held up to my expectations. Feeling like a throwback to the 70s, this is pure style and experience over substance…which isn’t a bad thing if it’s a very cool style and experience. Gosling is believable as both a quiet, inverted love interest and as a cold-blooded, badass thug. If you’re looking for deep character moments from him, you won’t find it in this movie. This is a very “Point A to Point B” story with some quiet moments but not one’s that develop any of the actors. I’ve heard it compared by the director to a fairy tale or a John Hughes movie but, as much as I love this movie, this is nowhere close to Sixteen Candles. Those movies told relatable stories about teenagers while Drive is more a hammer over your head. In a good way. It’s intense, gory (the elevator scene comes to mind), brutal and almost….sweet. The interaction between Gosling and Mulligan, as well as her kid, was great. Everyone else was as great as you’d expect: Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks and Ron Perlman. This is a movie you’ll remember.

DRIVE Rating:

Two Tickets

2 tickets – good movie, take a friend. A retro crime thriller with huge doses of badassery. Maybe not as much driving as you’d expect from the title, but that’s because the Driver is too busy busting heads. Check it out.

Rating system:
½ ticket – rip up your ticket.
1 ticket – go, but don’t tell anyone.
2 tickets – good movie, take a friend.
3 tickets – tell everyone you know.

Random Recommendations
Thief (1981) – Michael Mann is known for directing the hell out of gritty, intense crime dramas – Heat, Miami Vice (TV show, ignore movie), Manhunter. So if you haven’t seen this movie about James Caan doing a job for the mob only to get screwed, you’re missing out.

City of God (2002) – I like my life. I don’t carry a gun to get through my day and I watch my drug dealing on TV. Not so much if you live in parts of Brazil. This is a great story of two friends who travel very different paths – one a photographer and the other a criminal. Definitely an eye-opening experience and well worth the rent. Has found a home in a lot of “greatest movies” lists.

THE SETUP: He isn’t just Captain Jack Sparrow. Yes, this is how he made the majority of his money and won the hearts of children everywhere…but is it acting or just going for over-the-top? Don’t get me wrong, the first Pirates of the Carribean was brilliant. Still is. But the man use to be known for non-commercial, out of the box kind of movies that really snuck up on you. When I reviewed the latest Pirates movie, I recommended two of them – Blow and Donnie Brasco. Here are a few more to remind you where the heartthrob from 21 Jump Street started and what you should check out.

Edward Scissorhands (1990) – Only Tim Burton could have done an adult gothic fairy tale set in a suburb. This movie has so much heart and humour to it that it’s usually listed as one of Depp’s best. They create a world that feels so cartoonish but real at the same time. It’s rare when you find that balance but here it is.

Ed Wood (1994) – It’s no surprise that even on a short list like this, two of them are from collaborations with Tim Burton. Some of Depp’s best early work was with the eccentric director and he really shined as the legendarily bad director who loved to wear women’s clothing. It’s black and white, it’s twisted and it’s hilarious.

What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) – When people remember this movie, it’s usually Leonardo DiCaprio’s that people think of.  What is missed is Depp’s role as the anchor to of his family, stuck in a role he never wanted but content to play the part. He plays role completely straight, really grounding the rest of the movie.

THE SETUP: A trio of Mossad secret agents assigned to capture a Nazi war-criminal must deal with the consequences of that mission, 40 years later and the very bad little secret they’ve had to live with. And, if that secret were ever revealed, would pretty much make life suck.

THE THOUGHTS: I hadn’t seen an intense, quiet spy movie in a while so this came as a really nice surprise. But it wasn’t the story that sold this movie, though that is one of the best parts of it…it’s the performances from the always reliable Helen Mirren and the breakout talent of Jessica Chastain. Both playing the same woman Rachael, at different points in her life. Chastain was amazing as a woman dealing with her first major spy mission and the emotional weight of the situations she was put in. Mirren…well she’s Helen F’ing Mirren so every time she’s on screen you can’t take your eyes off her. The rest of the cast almost seemed to be in supporting roles to the actresses. Tom Wilkinson, Sam Worthington and Marton Csokas were just there to push Rachael’s story forward and I’d wished I’d gotten more from them…or cared more about them. The story itself had equally quiet and intense moments right up until the very satisfying kickass conclusion. That ending and the exchanges with the war criminal are the story high points. Sorry, if you’re looking for a summer blockbuster, that ship has sailed. This is a smart, well-told thriller that reinforced why I’m a Helen Mirren fan.

THE DEBT Rating:

Two Tickets

2 tickets – good movie, take a friend. The performances of Helen Mirren and Jessica Chastain make this one to catch. Thankfully, they’re part of a well paced spy movie that keeps you engaged right until the very end.

Rating system:
½ ticket – rip up your ticket.
1 ticket – go, but don’t tell anyone.
2 tickets – good movie, take a friend. 
3 tickets – tell everyone you know.

Random Recommendations
Shakespeare in Love (1998) – Director John Madden has another movie I’d recommend under his belt. Winner of that year’s Academy Award for best picture, this is a brilliantly written comedy of Shakespeare’s time as a struggling playwright. Joseph Fiennes, Gwenyth Paltrow, Geoffrey Rush and yes, even Ben Affleck are fantastic and remind me to watch this again.

Director’s Cut of Kingdom of Heaven (2005) – Got some time to kill? Check out Ridley Scott’s version of this epic flick…and make sure it’s his version and not the edited down one. Yes it’s long but it’s gorgeous, amazingly shot, stock full of kickass fight scenes, some great actors…and Orlando Bloom. OK, I may have lost you with that last bit but this story of Jerusalem durng the crusades is worth a watch.

THE SETUP: Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) is back, minus Orland Bloom and Kiera Knightley, to find the Fountain of Youth. And it’s a pretty easy journey except for uneasy alliance with Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), vicious mermaids, a former flame (Penelope Cruz) with her own agenda and the supernatural Blackbeard (Ian McShane) who just doesn’t like anyone.

THE THOUGHTS: So we’ve already been through a trilogy of Captain Jack Sparrow’s adventures, which started promising but had really overstayed itself by the end. Did we need another? Sure. He’s a fun character that can still entertain. Depp really looks like he loves playing Jack, and it shows…so if the story lines are good enough…why not. This movie certainly dialed down the over-the-top set pieces and green screen (cough budget cough) and the story benefits from it. It’s more about the characters and the journey they take rather than, “look at the pirate ship sail over sand dunes” or “have you seen the zombie-skeleton monkey?” All the actors are fine in their roles but really they are there for the Sparrow Show. The only one to bring some real presence was Geoffrey Rush but he’s had a few Pirates movies of experience. Director Rob Marshall still shot a beautiful movie with some enjoyable action. It’s a summer move, not rocket science.

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES Rating:

Two Tickets

2 tickets – good movie, take a friend.  Turn off your brain and enjoy it for what it is…a summer movie with an old friend. As long as he’s bringing his A-game and not dialing it in…I’ll set course for the next Jack Sparrow adventure. (I’m comfortable with cheesey)

Rating system:
½ ticket – rip up your ticket.
1 ticket – go, but don’t tell anyone.
2 tickets – good movie, take a friend. 
3 tickets – tell everyone you know.

Random Recommendations
Donnie Brasco (1997) – It’s true, Johnny Depp doesn’t just do fantasy/action movies as crazy charactures. He actually acts. And sometimes even well. It’s pretty close to being a Scorsese-level gangster flick. It’s great to watch Al Pacino and Depp play off each other in this true story of an undercover agent going a little too undercover.

Blow (2001) – This isn’t the first time Cruz and Depp acted together. Previously, they told the story of George Jung, the man who kick started the cocaine boom of the 70s in the U.S. Not a happy tale but a damn well told one.

THE SETUP: A scientist (would you believe James Franco?), trying to find the cure for Alzheimer’s, discovers that he’s actually boosted the intelligence of one of the apes (Andy Serkis) he was experimenting on. What happens next? Did you read the name of the movie?

THE THOUGHTS: You may have noticed on the movie poster that academy award nominee James Franco doesn’t have his name above the title. Nor is he anywhere on the WATCH THIS MOVIE image. There’s a reason for this – he’s not the star. Enter Andy Serkis (aka Gollum from Lord of the Rings and King Kong from the Peter Jackson remake). He absolutely steals the show as Caesar, an ape trying to understand why he’s different from other apes and from humans. He is amazing. You will completely forget it’s a human doing all those movements and you’ll completely embrace his performance. Whether he’s the star or the villain doesn’t really matter but really you understand why he is the way he is. The rest of the cast? Well, there’s Franco who’s fine in the more supporting role. Freida Pinto (from Slumdog Millionare) is a complete waste here, not adding anything but a pretty face. The veterans are great though. John Lithgow as the ailing father who’s the motivation for Franco’s obsession and Brian Cox as the “evil” animal wrangler. Neither had big roles but were necessary to get the story where it needed to go. Before I forget, this is a summer movie so there are the necessary over-the-top special effects pieces, especially the climax at the Golden Gate Bridge and the army of apes. Stunning to watch but it’s the subtle effects of Caesar’s facial expressions that blew me away. Acting, story, special effects, emotion. More than we deserve from summer.

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES Rating:

Three Tickets

3 tickets – tell everyone you know. An unbelievable performance from Andy Serkis, stunning special effects from the subtle to the grandiose, and a story that will keep you captivated. This movie does what few summer blockbusters do – gets the heart of the movie right to properly fuel the big effects.
Rating system:
½ ticket – rip up your ticket.
1 ticket – go, but don’t tell anyone.
2 tickets – good movie, take a friend. 
3 tickets – tell everyone you know.

Random Recommendations
Planet of the Apes (1968) – How could I not recommend the original movie? Though it’s a little dated with its special effects, it’s a great movie with an important message that still stands. Charleton Heston finds himself as a pet/slave in a civilization where apes are the dominated species.

Gorillas in the Mist (1988) – From a fake story of CGI apes to a true tale about the real thing. Sigourney Weaver plays Diane Fossey, a scientist researching and living with apes in Africa who comes under danger from poachers and a culture that’s helping to cause their extinction. A well done movie about a truly amazing story.

THE SETUP: A manly-deficient man named Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) would give anything to fight for his country, unfortunately his body doesn’t match the size of his courage. That is until an experiment transforms him into a super duper soldier…good timing too because the Red Skull (Hugo Weaving) and a secret Nazi group are trying to take over the world. You know, the usual.

THE THOUGHTS: When I heard they were going to make this movie set in World War 2, I was thrilled. When I heard Chris Evans was going to play Captain America, I was intrigued. When I saw this movie, I wasn’t let down. The story has heart, humour and is far less “in your face” patriotic than you’d think, especially about a guy who is covered in the American Flag. The hardest part of the movie to sell in a believable-ish way is the costume and they do it masterfully…even fun (cue music number, no spoilers). Chris Evans did a great job as the Sentinel of Liberty, grounding it in a way few actors could. Hugo Weaving on the other hand does what he always does…steals every scene he’s in. Unfortunately, he’s not in as many scenes as we’d like but that’s probably best as displaying his ghoulish make up (outstanding by the way) too much would take away from it. The rest – Stanley Tucci, Tommy Lee Jones, Hayley Atwell play their roles well, adding humanity and heart to what could have been a straightforward comic book movie.

The story is fun without being campy. Everyone plays it straight and that’s really the only way they could have gone with it. There’s a cool nod to the campiness that it could have been and the World War II propaganda Captain America was originally a part of that really stands out. A great movie and a great addition to summer 2011.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER Rating:

Two Tickets

2 tickets – good movie, take a friend. Though it’s one of the many lead-ins to next year’s Avengers movie, this movie stands alone and etches out its own place both as a summer blockbuster and as a movie that elevates the comic book genre. I would have given it 3 tickets but that’s more of a “classic” classification. Note – re-evaluate in a few years.
Rating system:
½ ticket – rip up your ticket.
1 ticket – go, but don’t tell anyone.
2 tickets – good movie, take a friend. 
3 tickets – tell everyone you know.

Random Recommendations
The Great Escape (1963) – A great World War II movie that stands above great World War II movies. Take a true story, add a concentration camp full of evil Nazis, stuff it full of the manlinest actors of the day and you’ve got a pretty kickass movie. Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Sir Richard Attenborough, James Garner, Donald Pleasence, James Coburn… ‘nuff said.

Spartan (2004) – Anything by David Mamet is worth a look. Sometimes it pays off, sometimes not so much. This is a pay off and one of the few recent Val Kilmer movies I can say is any good. Lots of twists and turns and smart dialogue as we discover what happened to the daughter of a high-level politician. Intense with some great performances.