Lost Boys: The Tribe (2008)

Holy crap it's Crap! So I watched this film on Netflix from my Wii, and I am surprised my Wii did not need a good wipe down after this crap came out of it. Lets take a classic great vampire movie and ruin it with surfing vampires and too much sex for it's own good. Ok, so Corey Feldman needed some cash, and what do we get?

Weak story, weak plot and I just got bored! Sorry thats my complaint. It just was not interesting. From Frog brothers comics to Frog brothers board shapers... LAME!!! Sorry this is a short review, only cause much can not be said.

Avatar (2010)

The much anticipated 3D film came out screaming! I had high hopes for this film and it did not disappoint. If we were to take Fern Gully and Dances with Wolves and mash them together in 3D, Avatar is what would come out.

Ok it has a relatively simple and familiar story, What I'd call Americans, have come to an alien planet in the quest for unobtanium, a resource native to the planet and a large deposit of it just so happens to be under the alien species home tree. There, as we know from history, the outsiders try to take what is not theirs not caring who they displace or kill on the way to get it.

We follow a marine who learns to love the people he is sent to infiltrate. Enough said.

This film is worth seeing, in 3D any of the flavors of 3D just don't wast your time seeing it in 2D. A film this beautiful must be seen, so go see it, I know it's getting pricey it cost nearly $30 just for my wife and I to see it, that was just ticket cost...

Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Quentin Tarantino is one of the only directors in our times that creates for audiences a true cinematic experience. He does it again with his latest opus, Inglourious Basterds. The film is sort of a remake of an obscure Italian B-movie from the 70s, but other than the name, time and location of the film, it's pretty much a completely different movie. Like many Tarantino projects, this follows multiple storylines than eventually intersect.

The Inglourious Basterds are a commando group of Jewish Americans dropped into France during the Nazi occupation of WWII. Brad Pitt is the head of the group. All the characters are strong and unpredictable. They scalp a lot of Nazi's. There is so much more to the plot, but that's all I care to share at this point.

The movie is beautifully shot by cinematographer Robert Richardson, who is popular with Scorsese and Oliver Stone. The pop soundtrack was limited in this Tarantino release, but present and appropriate. Also missing was the strong language usually found in his films. The language issue is this film is that there is dialogue in English, French and German. There are a lot of subtitles to be read.

Tarantino takes time in the film to also show off his knowledge of both French and German cinema knowledge of the 40s. There are references to films and actors from that time in both countries. It's not often to get a modern film referencing UFA (the principal studio during that period in Germany). There is also a salute to the old nitrate film stock.

The R rating comes mostly for the graphic violence, i.e. realistic scalping! (153 minutes)

District 9 (2009)

District 9 does what hasn't been done in a long time. On a relatively meager budget, it manages to pull off a convincing sci-fi/action/morality tale. The film takes place in the present. A large spacecraft has stalled above Johannesburg, South Africa. Aboard were a bunch of sickly aliens who look similar to humanoid craw fish. They are kept in a secured concentration camp-like area called District 9. The area has become a slum and the government decides to evict them all...action ensues in the process.

There is the obvious correlation of this story to South African apartheid, but also a bigger statement on how we treat each other and other living things. Everyone becomes expendable.

The film is presented somewhat in a reality show ala Cops fashion but then morphs into a regular narrative driven film. The movie is cast with unknowns which helps bring you into the story without being distracted by a celebrity face. The CGI aliens are very realistic and also are not a distraction. The pacing is just right as you move through the story in almost real time.

I walked out of this thinking, "this is a great movie!" I think most people would feel the same way. The film is Rated R for the violence and language...think Humans and Aliens...blowing up, literally. (112 minutes)

Land of the Lost (2009)

"Marshall, Will and Holly
On a routine expedition
Met the greatest earthquake ever known
High on the rapids It struck their tiny raft (insert screams here)
And plunged them down a thousand feet below
To the Land of the Lost
To the Land of the Lost
To the Land of the Lost"
Sid and Marty Krofft have done it again, well kinda. I went into this film not expecting much, I was a fan of the TV series with all its cheap blue screen tricks and recycled stop motion animation. Directed by Brad Silberling and starting Will Ferrell, Danny McBride and Anna Friel. It was everything I expected from a Will Ferrel movie and more. The countless call backs to the old TV series, the silly banjo music. It was quite a fun ride, if you are in the mood for a fun movie, this is it. The sequence when they all got loaded in the desert was pretty darn funny. Basically check it out.

Terminator Salvation (2009)

Terminator 4, or the first in a new trilogy, talk about action film! Thats what it was, so don't go in expecting something with a deep brilliant story. We meet Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington) on death row, signing over his body to science like 10 years before skynet takes over. Then Bam, Christian Bale is almost nuked at a facility where the resurrected Marcus Wright comes crawling from the tomb, and so the story begins.
Pretty much non-stop action, explosions and lots of CG. Some looked cheesy some was pretty rock solid. The CG Arnold was pretty weak, like our Governor.... There were lots of call-backs to the old films, Molten Metal, Freezing, semi-truck chases and kicking out windows.
Anyway, it was a very good setup for the next 2 films, we'll see how they pan out. This has the potential to bleed into the matrix franchise. So if you are in the mood for Action and not much thinking, this one's for you!

~Matt

Star Trek (2009)

J.J. Abrams, a brilliant creator and story teller has done it again, from some long running awesome TV shows to some stunning feature films. Star Trek was everything it was cracked up to be. From beautiful visuals to a well crafted story. Have no fear all you Star Trek Geeks, it all ties in to the Star Trek Galaxy. The well picked cast was excellent and we hope they stick around for the next batch of films.
Really this film is a must see, for ANYONE. If you know nothing about Trek you will still have a great ride. If you want space battles, hand to hand combat, a story, it's all here. J.J. really pulled this one off.
I wont give any spoilers but what it comes down to is, just go see it.

-Matt