Reviews Written by RussellMania
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January 6, 2007
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December 26, 2006
DESCENT IS BARELY DECENT
Pros: Acting and directing was good. Actually believed I was in a cave.
Cons: Typical horror movie with the people all freaking out and doing stupid stuff.
This movie is very similar to The Cave except this time with all woman (kind of a sign there is gonna be a lot of screaming....and there was). I liked the two lead actresses (Shauna Macdonald and Natalie Mendoza) but didn't really care for the story. This movie wasn't anything exceptional by any means. I could of done without seeing it as it felt like a movie I had already seen before anyways. But with horror movies now days I kind of expect to be let down. I guess it's just not my genre. I should stick with action and comedy. ...
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December 24, 2006
Step Up
Pros: Excellent dance and music.
Cons: Just a little too much street stuff and not nearly enough dancing or romance.
This movie stars Channing Tatum (She's the Man) as a streetwise punk who has to do community service at the school of performing arts he help to vandalize. This is one of those feel good movies where the kid has to fight the pull of the streets and dare to want to do better for himself. Nice music and excellent choreographed dance moves. I think I pulled a muscle just by watching and trying to imitate a couple of the moves. This is similar to Take the Lead that I had seen earlier this year that I also recommend. ...
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December 24, 2006
American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile
0 of 3 Yahoo! Users found this review helpfulPros: Nudity, T & A everywhere.
Cons: Lacks a good script and heart.
Believe me I like gratuitous T & A as much as the next guy but not all the blood drains from my brain that I don't require a good story as well. Guys in the pursuit of women and getting laid is all and good IF the movie is clever, funny and smart. This is not. Just how many Stifler's out are there anyways. Aside from a couple of scenes and the nudity (which I have seen more and better directed in other movies) this movie doesn't have anything much else going for it. I recommend watching good movies such as Road Trip, Eurotrip or The Girl Next Door instead. ...
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December 23, 2006
My Super Ex-Girlfriend
Pros: Funny. Good cast.
Cons: Story not very deep but the comedy makes up for any shortcomings.
Uma Thurman stars as a super heroine who turns her super powers against the guy (Luke Wilson) who dumped her. This is by veteran comedy director Ivan Reitman (Stripes, Meatballs). I didn't expect much from this movie going in but I found my self laughing my way through it. Anna Faris, Eddie Izzard, and Wanda Sykes co-stars. I really like this movie a lot and will be adding it to my film library. ...
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December 23, 2006
Scoop
Pros: Scarlett Johansson is HOT!!
Cons: Woody Allen won't shut up.
Mystery where Scarlett Johansson is a journalism student who gets the scoop of her life which just could kill her. A deceased newspaperman confides with Johansson with information of the identity of a serial killer. She teams up with Woody Allen who plays a magician pretending to be her father. They gather clues and try to prove that a prominent Englishman (played by Hugh Jackman) is the serial killer the police is looking for. Not everything is as it seems. This is the second pairing for Allen and Johansson. They team up her as actress he as director earlier on Match Point. Scoop is not nearly as good or well written as Match Point but if you can get past Allen and even Johansson's babbling this film wasn't bad. And Scarlett is red hot in that red one piece bathing suit. ...
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December 20, 2006
Lady in the Water
Pros: Excellant director (just nothing exceptional in this outing)..
Cons: Complex and boring story.
The Sixth Sense and Signs writer/director M. Night Shyamalan returns. This time he tells a bedtime story? about a water nymph cut off from her home and the group of people who must unite to help her get back there. Paul Giamatti is the stuttering "hero" who saves Bryce Dallas Howard's water nymph. This is just not a very good story and there is nothing special about it. M. Night is 2 for 2 in my book. I didn't like Unbreakable either. ...
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December 19, 2006
The Ant Bully
Pros: Great animation. Good voice cast.
Cons: Another ANT movie. Kind of short.
The Ant Bully is a nice animated movie with a good message. Visually very entertaining even more so for me than either of the previous Ant movies....Antz or A Bug's Life. Stars the voice talents of Nicolas Cage, Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep and Paul Giamatti. When a boy turns his frustrations on some ants and their home....the ants retaliate by shrinking the boy to their size so he can know how it is to be an ant. They must all team up to fight a do or die battle vs. "The Exterminator". I was definitely surprise how much I like this one and I recommend it for your kids or for yourself. ...
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December 18, 2006
Closer
Pros: Cast, Natalie Portman nearly naked.
Cons: Muddled story. Timeline not explained very well. Jude Law as a Wuss.
This movie has an all star cast starring Julia Roberts, Natalie Portman, Jude Law, and Clive Owen. Portman and Owen both won Golden Globes for their roles and were both nominated for Oscars. I thought that they did good but the directing and writing were not all that good. I never really figured out what time frame these people were all dating one another and found myself confused from scene to scene. I don't normally find any film too vulgar or sexually explicit but several times I thought this movie was walking a very thin line between a R rating and a X. Natalie Portman stripping for Owen was by far the most interesting scene....stupid director and camera angles....but Clive sure got an eye full. But I would recommend Match Point instead as substitute for this movie. ...
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December 14, 2006
Dr. Dolittle 3
Pros: Entertaining.
Cons: Eddie! No Eddie Murphy.
Alright sometime there comes a movie I care less if I see or not. This is one of such movies. It went straigtht to video, Eddie Murphy was not in it, and it contained animals. Not something I had to see. But the library had it and I got it for my girl. I wasn't even planning on watching it. But somehow I did watch it and after the first 20 minutes I found myself actually enjoying it. It's not a great movie by any means but it has some heart and some funny moments. Don't expect the humor level of part 2 but it wasn't that bad of a movie. ...
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The Proposition is a bad deal.
Pros: Western....we need a few more good ones.
Cons: Dark, Boring, and drawn out.
I grew up watching Clint Eastwood and John Wayne in westerns so I appreciate a good one. This is not a good one. Takes place in the old west of Australian. Only useful thing I take away from this movie is that if I ever go to Australia I better remember my large can of Off spray. Flies everywhere. Guy Pierce is the lead who must hurt down and kill his ruthless brother in order to save he and his younger siblings life. Oh hum. Not very exciting and boring. Kind of dark and grisly. I recommend watching an old western where the heroes were larger than life and the stories were actually well written and entertaining. ...