The emotive performances in Brothers were top notch, I’ll give them that. Not the biggest or best movie on the planet but it’s good for what it is. I was surprised during the opening credits that it’s based on a recent Danish movie called Brodre. A damn foreign remake? If I’d have known that, I might not have went to see it to be honest. But I wanted to see Toby Maguire deliver the goods I always knew he was capable of and boy did he ever. Just like Tom Cruise, I want to see him playing more villainous roles. Not just a run of the mill protagonist, but villainous. And maniacal. Natalie Portman didn’t do a bad job either. Even that ugly kid Bailee Madison stepped it up to own her role.

About the only complaint I have is that when Maguire’s character was flipping out in the kitchen talking about what his hands were capable of, he didn’t slap himself hard enough. Motherfucker shoulda been slapping his face like a black ghetto booty taking some dick. Other than that, it’s a nice little movie that tells a tale about another side of the affects of war on people and families that we don’t usually get to see. This movie is 90% dramatic with a little comedy in some places. It’s good dollar movie or dvd viewing. I’d recommend it if you’re into this genre. I give it 6.5 out of 10 stars. It only rates that low cuz you’re not getting crazy special effects and it does have a slower pace but that works for this movie. If you’re smart, you’ll understand the significance of the ending.

Finally finished that dl of the Orphan alternate ending a while back. It shoulda been the theatrical cut. It makes tons more sense and is much better overall for closure regardless of it being left open for a sequel that will probably never happen since Isabelle Fuhrman is only getting older. Either way, the movie is definitely worth watching, especially with the deleted scenes. It maintains its 8 out of 10 stars. Not sure how the dvd/bd menu is, but if you can watch it with the deleted scenes and alt ending already intact, go for it! Very enjoyable movie. Hell, I’d watch it again. It’s that good.

Yep, I’m one of the few gen-x’ers who’s never seen any of the Rambo flicks. I know, I’m a lamewad. But whatever. At least I finally did. Peeped them during the christmas weekend. I had no expectations for the first part. Had no clue what to expect as I was watching it. Thought it was gonna be a straight up war movie with Rambo killing everything and everyone in sight but that didn’t happen. It was more like the hunted becoming the hunter in an urban setting. Like all the flicks, Stallone didn’t have much for dialogue but his performance at the end of the first flick proves he had some chops back then. The theme for the first 3 flicks was about how America treats its war veterans. The 4th one was more transitional as plot devices laid in the 3rd flick continued into this one and it appears that everything will be resolved in what should be the 5th and final one that’s coming up.

Parts 2 and 3 are very similar while part 4 has the same level of body count and violence but much more graphic due to advances in special effects. What stood out most to me was seeing a young David Caruso in the 1st part. Part 2 had some great camera movement as they showed a pig pen with the animal waste draining off into a pit where Rambo was being held in chest deep. As the camera moved, I was wondering why they were showing the flow of the waste. Then they showed Rams all fucked up and tied up in that shit. Can’t lie, that shit had me cracking the fuck up cuz I ain’t never seen no sick ass shit like that before. But I do believe it to be an authentic torture method. It’s totally conceivable.

Part 3’s theme was about the people of Afghanistan being so unified to the point where they never back down from foreign invasion and that they’ve never lost a war. Well, here we are post-911. I wonder what the filmmakers think about that shit now? It looked a bit lower budget than the previous flicks too but it was cohesive. The opening credits had me dying laughing. As they opened, they were playing the music softly. Then out of nowhere they showed the Rambo III logo and some damn music just hit like an old Dolby Digital demo or some shit. I got surround sound and my speakers are pretty loud when I’m watching a movie. That shit just hit so hard cuz I wasn’t expecting anything like that to happen. I couldn’t even stop laughing. It was like, “Yep, that’s the 80’s.” Seriously, words can’t even describe it. I can imagine being in a movie theater and that shit happened all loud as fuck. It’d probably be one of those unforgettable theater moments. Just picture the old Maxell commercials of that guy in his chair and that speaker in front of him is damn near blowing him away. That’s the effect that shit had on me.

Part 4 had a moment where one of the American hostages was hung out to dry and fed to some pigs. It was a delayed introduction technique that was very well done. The rebel leader gave the order and later on in the movie they showed the result. The fucking pigs were eating away at his feet! Nothing but torn flesh and stumps left where his feet shoulda been and they were still there eating him. Now that’s some fucked up shit, man. And just like part 2, I believe it. Sly was clearly showing his age in this part but the violence was super graphic. I do look forward to that 5th part. As a whole series, I give it 6 out of 10 stars as it does provide a level of entertainment that doesn’t bore you in any way.

Like almost everyone else alive, I was looking forward to Avatar but I’ll be god damned if I was going on opening day or even opening week. I waited and lucky me, when I went to see it in IMAX 3D at 10a on a Saturday morning, there weren’t even 30 people in the auditorium. Clean, comfy, and quiet. Just the way I like to see my movies that I pay for. Online ticketing was trying to charge my ass 15 bucks plus service fee. I said FURK DAT and paid at the box office cuz I knew that shit wasn’t gonna sell out like it did the night before when I really wanted to go. 9 fucking bucks was the tally. Can’t beat that.

Say what the fuck you wanna say and feel how the fuck you wanna feel about me for saying what I’m about to say, but I thought the movie totally sucked! That’s right, I said it. Yeah, fuck you too, murdafurka! This movie might as well have been a fucking children’s book it was so god damn fluffy. Minimal cussing (even with the military present in this flick), no non-human nudity, straightforward plot with no twists or turns, ultra predictable, monotone and unmemorable characters, borderline unrealistic war motives, pointless deaths, uncreative and fairy tale climax, and the environmental theme was thrown in your face so much that you’d think you were watching a PBS special. Special effects aside (they were top-notch), there was nothing I liked about this movie. I very rarely laughed. Shit, I don’t think I did at all. Only thing that got a chuckle from a few peeps was when the antagonist said he was part of the Jarhead Clan. That’s about it. It was a practically emotionless moviegoing experience.

I mean, c’mon. You turn on your own species over a bitch? Bitch gives you some alien pussy and that’s all it takes? That shit musta been biting hard! I can see about him wanting to become one of them cuz of the girl and having a functional body but is he really ready to live the natural life and abandon tv, internet, and all the other wonders of human technology? Yes, the tech is a demon and it can also be a godsend. I get it. But that morality was never discussed or explored. No civilized human alive would just switch that quick. I ain’t buying it. Regardless of the cost for him to get new legs, I ain’t buying it. Things coulda been done differently. The world they created and the creatures within it were a little too forced for my taste. Took up too much screen time that coulda been devoted to adding more complexity to an otherwise oversimplified plot. The whole deal was just too textbook. No depth at all.

3D effects, on the other hand, weren’t so good. All the previews before the movie were of 3D movies, all of them cgi kid movies. I expect more from 3D. I’ve gotten more from 3D. Those previews and the movie didn’t deliver the goods. Depth perception is altered but nothing moves beyond the four corners of the screen or comes out at you. The IMAX screen was big with a crisp, clear picture and sound. I’ll give credit where it’s due. But save your money and if you have to see this movie, just watch it on a regular screen for regular price. I would tell you to just wait for it on bd and if you have a nice sized tv, just watch it that way. To me, it’s not worth a penny. It’s boring and not at all entertaining. The only surprises were seeing Sigourney Weaver and Giovanni Ribisi. Wasn’t expecting to see those two. If this movie was rated R and more authentic, then maybe it’d be worth a whirl. But as it is, if you have the mentality of a simple-minded and impressionable 10 year old, this movie is tailor-made for you. I give it 4 out of 10 stars. I don’t give a damn how popular it is or how much money it’s made and is gonna make. For me, it sucks chicken bones. A complete and total waste of time and money. I’m disappointed more than anything. I expect better from James Cameron.

Even with all that said, the damn thing still got a round of applause when it finished. Now it joins the ranks of Equilibrium, the Godzilla teaser trailer, Spirited Away, and the first live-action Transformers movie as the only movies I’ve been in attendance of that have gotten some applause. Nothing happens after the credits so don’t waste your time even further like I did. And when I left the auditorium, there was a long line of people waiting to get in for the next showing. Wanted to tell them so bad that the movie is a dud but everyone has their own tastes. I woulda been super-pissed even more if I had to wait in a line like that to see such a horrible movie. It only got those 4 stars from me cuz of the innovative special effects and Zoe Saldana’s voice acting. Everything else? FURK DAT!