"You look like Kid n’ Play." "That’s actually two people.”

Hot Tub Time Machine, 2010. Two and three-quarters stars?

I didn't know how to feel about when I finally got the opportunity to see this movie, because the first round of reviews I heard was that it kinda sucked, but then the second round of reviews I heard made it seem like the most hilarious thing ever. But I did want to see it because of all four of the main actors in it...

Turns out it's just okay. It runs hot and cold. Meh. There were some really funny parts, and there were some really uninspired moments.

The thing that ticked me the most was the deadpan deoivery of the line "It must be some kind of Hot Tub Time Machine." Actually, there are a lot of great lines in this movie. ("It’s called male bonding, okay? Haven’t you even seen Wild Hogs?") And I appreciated the unexplained innuendos about Cincinnati.

I usually enjoy the Rob Corddry, but I was unenthused with his character in the movie (though he pulled it off really well, of course. But he deserved a less stupid part). John Cusack... sorry dude, the 80's won't leave you alone. I wish they would. Making an interesting movie in this decade would be pretty cool, right...? I LOVE Craig Robinson (Who wants linoleum floors?), and I'm really really happy with pretty much anything he does. Clark Duke, I'm glad that you and Michael Cera's careers are taking off, but I miss your website.

I was surprised and stoked that Lizzy Caplan was in this, I only know her from Mean Girls but she's the best and I need to pay more attention to her.

So, Crispin Glover is in this too? He is my favorite Hollywood weirdo. I was more pumped about his performance than Chevy Chase's involvement in this flick.

The random Red Dawn allusions were delightful!

Even though this was a pretty uneven movie, I still enjoyed watching it. I don't think I'd see it again though.

Now I'm in the mood for a really funny movie. I want to see Pineapple Express again!!

"Lay down some phat beats for me to kick my buddy's ass to, alright?"

Iron Man 2, 2010. Three and a half stars.

Well, I should get started on this summer's movies before the summer ends, eh?

I thoroughly enjoyed Iron Man. In fact, I loved everything about it! And I'd been anxious to see Iron Man 2. I didn't have much hope for it being good: Usually movies I love have awful sequels, especially if they're big Hollywood blockbusters.

But this movie was pretty great! I mean, I feel like it's a different kind of movie, so it's like comparing apples and oranges: the first one is establishing the characters and movie universe, the second one is delving in more and taking it to the next level. Even though it was good... right now I'm giving it three and a half stars. That might change once I watch it again... Really it's good though!

Robert Downey Jr. continues his awesome performance as Tony Stark. There were a few points in the movie that I actually didn't like, that were (believe it or not) too fantastical that took me out of the movie. But his performance was so strong that he made it work. Like: the race-track scene where Vanko (BTW: Mickey Rourke? Excellent!) was Whiplash-ing cars to get to Tony... there would, and should, have been more destruction, shrapnel, and accidental hits that would have hurt or severely injured waaaaaaay more people. It's science, dudes. I know it's silly that something like that irked me, but, it did and does! Tony's reactions kept me from throwing things at the screen though. And that lame part with the little boy, Robert Downey Jr. made that cheesiness work in the end by having it be just so Tony.

Don Cheadle!! Terrence Howard was good as Rhodey in the first movie, and I'm not quite sure what happened here (I heard it was about $$, but I also heard it was a surprise to Howard...), and it's sad, but... Don Cheadle!! He is awesome, and if anyone had to successfully replace a prevalent character in a prevalent movie, it could only be him.

Scarlett Johansson. Blah. Sexy but pretty boring. And "Natasha Romanoff" shouldn't really be boring... right??

Pepper Potts! Gwyneth Paltrow is still good and as adorable as ever.

Has anyone else noticed that the ladies in this movies are wearing high heels that are too extreme and end up looking like they're walking in sand all of the time? Sexy while standing, awkward while walking.

Everyone in general is pretty much great in this. Sam Rockwell (slowly becoming one of my favorite character actors of all time), Sammy Jackson, like I said Mickey Rourke, and even Garry Shandling, who somehow sometimes makes me uncomfortable. And also, DAMN Jon Favreau's CV is getting pretty impressive, eh? Good for him!

"They're pissing on us and not even giving us the courtesy of calling it rain."

Avatar, 2009. Three Stars.

The general public seem to go ape for this movie. Since I Don't Believe The Hype, I knew I probably wouldn't like it.

Also I have a few friends that haaaaaaated this movie. Even though I avoided hearing their reasonings in order to preserve a fresh outlook on it when I finally did see it, it's another reason I knew I probably wouldn't like it.

If I did end up seeing it, it would be in IMAX in 3-D to see all the fancy visuals... And thanks to a friend's suggestion on a cold Friday morning, that's what I did.

And I liked it.

I normally can't stand CGI when CGI takes over where costumes/puppets/analog would have been better (Iron Man, I love you, but you already had an Iron Man suit made, why not just use that??). But the CGI in this was appropriate and couldn't have been done as good in another way, and it looked GOOD. The story was not original, but it was strong, and was not as trite as I was originally lead to believe. Also I like when good guys win, and I like Ewokian battles.

The 3-D felt a bit wonky at times, maybe it's because there was a lot of extreme foreground-background stuff going on. Maybe it's because I'm not used to 3-D and expect it to be perfect. It's probably because I was wearing my 3-D glasses over my regular glasses. Six Eyes.

Here's something weird. I don't mind violence in movies most times because it's not real life, just a movie. And I actually think over-the-top violence/gore (Shoot 'Em Up, Dawn of the Dead, District 9) is fun! But because such a good job was done making this world realistic, both visually and its compatibility with reality, that the death and destruction ended up shaking me up.

Pretty much fell in love with Neytiri, Zoe Saldana did a great job as her.

It was awesome to see Giovanni Ribisi as a corporate dickhead (I first saw him in an X-Files episode, that was like a lifetime ago!). But I'm a little sick of seeing Joel "I'm typecast as a plucky nerd" Moore, he seems to be cropping up everywhere lately for me. I get so happy when Sigourney Weaver is in a movie. Michelle Rodriguez wasn't obnoxious in this.

I didn't know that the guy that played Jake Sully was also Marcus in T4. Did he lose half a person for this role?? I remember him being pretty huge as a half-Terminator...

I only gave this movie three stars because even though it's good, it's just another big Hollywood box office smash. And it's hard for me to get emotionally attached to those kinds of movies. I don't think it has what it takes to make that huge impact on me that it has with other people. I'll leave it up to other people to give it four or five stars, which they will.

"No, don't tug on that, you don't know what it's attached to."

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension, 1984. Three Stars.

How has this movie not been in my life until now? Buckaroo Banzai is a scientist and doctor who also races cars and is in a rock band, and he and his friends battle sinister beings from another dimension. I love this.

Amazing people are in this movie too.

Like, ROBOCOP!!

"Oh my God, what's wrong with your hands!"

Star Trek, 2009. Four Stars.

That T4 review really threw off the timeliness of my reviews. I need to play a bit of catch-up.

I saw Star Trek when it came out in the theatre. Saw it opening night, and we liked it so much that Tim and I took his mom to see it a few days later for Mother’s Day! And after all the hype the movie generated, I want to see it again STAT to see how I still feel about it. When does it come out on DVD??

Just checked: November 17th! Rad!

So, as stated in earlier reviews (par example, Star Trek: Insurrection), I like Star Trek. And I like this movie. I thought I would hate this new “My daddy’s dead” brat-faced Kirk, but, he was still cute and a bad-ass! Just had even more edge.

Zachary Quinto is a perfect Spock, but it’s too bad that his “Sylar” face looks like his “Spock” face, because even though he’s totally being Spock, all I can think about is Sylar.

Uhura and Spock are a thing? I’m totally okay with that.

Actually, I loved everyone in this, and they all did a great job breathing new life into these already-established characters. I got a kick out of Karl Urban’s Bones. (In fact, it's the only time I've ever gotten a kick out of Karl Urban.) A friend told me that was one of the only parts of the movie she didn’t like since he mimicked the original Bones’s character, while everyone else’s character is a unique adaptation. I can understand it, but really Urban did such a phenomenal job that I think it works fine in this reboot, plus it's really enjoyable! And like I mentioned in the T4 review, I really didn't mind that Anton Yelchin was in not one but TWO summer blockbusters, and as pretty important characters. His Chekov is commendable comedic relief, and I like that he's a kid. And he does it all with integrity. Also, SCOTTY!!!

I liked that Leonard Nimoy is in this, because I like him.

Since I mentioned so many actors, I feel badly if I don't mention all of them now. Eric Bana. Bruce Greenwood. John Cho. Those are the only ones I was familiar with before seeing this, and they were all great. Except, Winona Ryder. I don't know how I feel about her being in this.

This movie is really fun and enjoyable, and it looks cool. If you're not a big sci-fi fan, you still might like this. If you're a die-hard "Original" Star Trek fan, you still might like this.

"Can I get some pants?"

"Stargate Universe", 2009. Possibly Three Stars, so far.


I liked the Stargate movie. And I was a big fan of SG-1 and Atlantis, and am bummed that they’re both off the air (SG-1 I can understand since it’s been on for so long, but I think Atlantis still had weekly tune-in-ability!).

And now there’s ANOTHER Stargate show going on the air?

Will it be good? Or will it be a disaster.

Just saw the first episode. I didn’t mind it. It didn’t immediately grab me, but it didn’t repulse me either (I was afraid it would). It was two hours long, which is amount of time to establish the series plot and characters and relationships.

Yay, Carter and O’Neill make an appearance! And so does Daniel Jackson in video form! Eli seems like a lovable Rodney McKay (well, actually I like Rodney, but in general I mean!), so yay! I don’t get how everyone’s so suspicious of Rush. Did he do something horrible that I missed? I also don’t understand how everyone’s generally being bitchy at each other. Wouldn’t being on a moving, old, broken Ancient ship bring people together despite their differences to work toward a solution for survival??

I think it’s cool (and smart) that something new’s being done with the Stargate universe: Instead of purposely exploring new planets and galaxies, these people are transported to a moving, old, broken Ancient ship that hey have no control over. And seeing how this fleshes out is what really has me interested in checking out more of the series. And the first episode hasn’t deterred me from watching the next one, so looks like I’ll be giving this series s shot!

"What did you expect?" "They used to dance."

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, 2008. Three and a Half Stars.

This was better than the first one. And there's so much brutality!

Perhaps this is a better story?? Or maybe I'd just seen too many versions of "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe" as a kid. (Fun fact: As a kid, I saw a version of this on TV, and I didn't know what the heck a "Turkish Delight" was. I thought it involved turkey. I thought that it must've been the worst candy in the world!)

The mouse? Surprisingly not annoying! Because usually cutesy live-action animal secondary characters are.

It must be sad to be a kid who has lived a full life of magic and fantasy, only to turn back into a kid again. And also to be part of two completely different worlds: I have a difficult enough time feeling like I have a place to belong to, and I live in only one reality!

"I don't want to be human! I want to see gamma rays! I want to hear X-rays! And I want to — I want to smell dark matter!..."

"...Do you see the absurdity of what I am? ...I'm a machine! And I can know much more! I can experience so much more. But I'm trapped in this absurd body! And why? Because my five creators thought that God wanted it that way!"
— Brother Cavil

"Battlestar Galactica", 2004–2009. Five Stars.

YES FIVE STARS! ITS MY HIGHEST RANKING!! This was such a stupendous series. There is so much to say. But I will only say a few important things.

Yeah I'm in to Science Fiction, which is why I started watching it. Interestingly, I'd never seen any of the original series (neither '78 nor '80), and I kind of refused to watch "Battlestar Galactica: The Miniseries" because I thought it looked dumb. But when they made it into a TV series, I decided to give it a shot. AND I LOVED IT!! Robots! Apocalyptic themes! Space travel!

But wait, there's more! There's also amazing acting! Drama! Mind-blowing character development! Heavy religious and philosophical themes! I consider this more of a drama/thriller than a straight-up sci-fi show.

After the first or second season, I did go back and watch The Miniseries. And yup, it was good!

I LOVE HOW THE SERIES ENDED. I won't mention anything because I don't want to spoil it, but if you want to fight about it in real life, just name the time and the place!!

There was a separate miniseries called "Razor", which was pretty intense. Though it was a little difficult to watch at some parts, I dug it.

I haven't watched this; I'm generally not a fan of webisode "extras" that go along with TV series. Has anyone seen 'em though? Recommend watching them?

All of the actors are PHENOMENAL, and it would take up too much of my time and patience to write all about it here. But I want to mention, the one actor I'm most impressed with is Tricia Helfer, who plays the Six models. She's pretty darn hot, and it's no surprise to me that she was a model. But I am surprised that she was relatively new to acting when she started the show. She did an AWESOME job playing the different Six Cylons, which had the most significant and varied personalities and looks, most notably "Caprica Six" (both the version that Baltar sees and the real life one, who are both so different), and the abused & raped victim-turned-warrior "Gina Inviere" found on Battlestar Pegasus. Lately I've been noticing her on some other shows too, like "Burn Notice" and "Chuck". I hope she keeps up the good work!

I recommend this show. It might be a good idea to start with the Miniseries first, then watch Season 1. And if you're not feeling it after Season 1, then you can choose to stop watching if you want. But I suggest watching all of the seasons before you come to a conclusion.

So, there's going to be a movie called "Battlestar Galactica: The Plan". It's about everything that happened, but from the Cylon point of view. I'll check it out, it could be pretty interesting!

I am, however, not really looking forward to "Caprica", which is supposedly a new TV series happening later this year. It deals with the Adama family and happenings on Caprica 50 years before "BSG." So it'll deal with topics like the development of the Cylons and how the war came about and such. This could be a terrible, terrible spin-off, but I'm still probably going to give it a chance.

"I blame the fish-people."

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, 2007. Two and a Half Stars.

Meh, kind of stopped caring about this franchise after the first movie. But whatever, it was entertaining.

I did like the whole "Island of Jack Sparrows" thing, and having to flip the boat upside down.

Kiera Knightley is pretty bad ass, per usual. And you can never go wrong with Bill Nighy!

I played a Dancing Pirate Girl in the Wollaston Elementary School's 5th grade rendition of "Peter Pan," and we danced to "A Pirate's Life For Me." It's a fun song to dance to, but pretty dumb to make a movie about!