Taken  

Posted by: Isabel in , , , , , ,

Former government operative Bryan Mills begins the longest 96-hours of his life--and the hunt for the fearsome organization that has taken his daughter Kim. Mills had only recently given up his government career as what he calls a preventer to be near Kim, who lives with Bryan's ex-wife Lenore and her new husband. To make ends meet, Bryan joins some former colleagues for special security details (like guarding a pop diva), but most of his time and energy are spent re-connecting with Kim. Bryan's familial goal is nearly derailed when Kim requests his permission to spend time in Paris with a friend. All too aware of the dangers that could lie ahead for Kim in a foreign land, Bryan says no, but Kim's disappointment leads him to very reluctantly relent. Bryan's worst fears are realized when Kim and her friend Amanda are suddenly abducted--in broad daylight--from the Paris apartment at which they've just arrived. Moments before Kim is dragged away by the as yet unseen and unknown assailants, she manages to phone Bryan, who begins to expertly piece together clues that will take him to the darkness of Paris's underworld, and to the City of Light's plushest mansions. He will face nightmares worse than anything he experienced in black ops--and let nothing and no one stop him from saving his daughter.

This movie was bad ass. That's all I can say. I wanted to watch this cause of Rowena's review and because our friends told us this movie is bad ass.

You have Bryan who retired from the CIA. He's trying to build a stronger relationship with his daughter after so many years of not being there. Despite him having to be away from his family, he always made sure to be there for his daughter, Kim's, birthday.

Kim asks Bryan if she can travel to Paris with her best friend Amanda. Byran is not comfortable with it but Kim needs his consent since she is under 18. She cries and leaves. His ex wife Lenore tells him he's being uptight. Finally Bryan says ok. But when he drops her off at the airport, he finds out Kim and Amanda are traveling Europe to attend U2's concert. And Lenore approved of it.

First of all.. Lenore is dumb. I don't know... maybe it's me but I wouldn't let my underage daughter travel all over the US let alone Eupore alone. I mean yeah you have to let your kid grow up sometime but still.

Anyways... Kim and Amanda arrive in Paris. They start chatting up with some French guy. Amanda is really stupid by telling him they are alone, where they are staying and showing him where they live and what floor. Didn't your mom tell you not to talk with strangers. Hello.

As Kim talks with her dad she witnesses Amanda's kidnapping. Bryan explains to her she will also be taken but to scream out everything she sees. Bryan goes into CIA agent mode and prepares to do everything he can to save his daughter. Turns out they were kidnapped by Albanian Mafia to be sold as prostitutes/sex slaves. Bryan ex cia buddy tells him the average window of finding these girls before they disappear is 96 hours.

So Bryan just swoops in and starts beating/killing people left and right. At one moment my husband and I looked at each other and said "damn, liam neeson is bad ass" I know I keep saying that but those are the only words I can think of to describe this movie. We really enjoyed this one. I really admire Bryan to doing everything he could to find and save his daughter.

If you get a chance watch this movie. Grade: B+/A-

TV: Drop Dead Diva.  

Posted by: Rowena in , ,


I'm addicted.

I first heard about this show before it started and I marked it down on my calendar (literally) so that I wouldn't forget to check it out when it came out.

I forgot to check it out when it first premiered.

But that didn't stop me from catching up online before watching the second episode and I'm so glad that I caught up because this show is too cute for words.

This TV show is about with a skinny model Deb who dies in a car accident on her way to an appointment and after a mix up in heaven, she thrown back down on earth into the body of a portly young lawyer named Jane. Jane was shot at work by an irate client of the firm's, she died as well. So now Deb's soul and memories are in Jane's body and Deb get an entirely new outlook on the life she had and the life she has now.

I'm really enjoying this show so far. There's been three episodes so far and they've been very enjoyable episodes. In the first episode, both Deb and Jane die and then Jane comes back to life with Deb's soul. We meet Deb and we see her living her life with her boyfriend, Grayson and we see how shallow she is and just how clueless she is about a lot of things. Then we meet Jane, who's very guarded and very work oriented and living an entirely different life than Deb. They come from two completely different worlds and to see them sharing a body, memories and brains...it makes for some very good entertainment.

In the second episode, we see Deb trying to find her way in Jane's world. She's trying to get over the fact that now that she's Jane, she has to stop being Deb. Everything and everyone that she knew and loved as Deb don't know her anymore. She sees her old self through new eyes and we see her deal with all of that. On top of turning her back on her old life, she has to deal with seeing Grayson at work everyday...as Jane and not as Deb. You see, Jane got Grayson the job as a lawyer at her firm by putting in a good word for him and so now that Deb is in Jane's body, seeing Grayson everyday with all of their shared memories and him not knowing that she's Deb is killing her a little more everyday.

In the third episode, Deb came out more and more while she was supposed to be working as Jane. It got to be a bit annoying because Jane was in court and when she started crying, I wanted to smack the shit out of her. Alls well that ends well but you could totally tell that she was kind of falling apart at the seams. I'm very interested to see what happens next week so woo hoo, I only have three more days.

If you haven't seen this show then you should definitely pencil in the time to check it out. For all of your romantics out there, this show would definitely appeal to you. I promise! Check this show out!

new releases on DVD for July 28  

Posted by: ~ames~ in

Movie Review: Push.  

Posted by: Rowena in , ,


From Yahoo! Movies:

Starring: Chris Evans, Dakota Fanning, Camilla Belle, Cliff Curtis, Djimou Hounsou.
Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, brief strong language, smoking a scene of teen drinking.
Grade: B

The Division, a shadowy government agency, is genetically transforming citizens into an army of psychic warriors--and brutally disposing of those unwilling to participate. Nick Gant, a second-generation telekinetic or "mover," has been in hiding since the Division murdered his father more than a decade earlier. He has found sanctuary in densely populated Hong Kong--the last safe place on earth for fugitive psychics like him--but only if he can keep his gift a secret. Nick is forced out of hiding when Cassie Holmes, a 13-year-old clairvoyant or "watcher," seeks his help in finding Kira, an escaped "pusher" who may hold the key to ending the Division's program. Pushers possess the most dangerous of all psychic powers: the ability to influence others' actions by implanting thoughts in their minds. But Cassie's presence soon attracts the attention of the Division's human bloodhounds, forcing Nick and Cassie to flee for their lives. With the help of a team of rogue psychics, the unlikely duo traverses the seedy underbelly of the city, trying to stay one step ahead of the authorities as they search for Kira. But they find themselves square in the cross hairs of Division Agent Henry Carver, a pusher who will stop at nothing to keep them from achieving their goal.

Hmm.

I liked this movie. I didn't think I was going to because so many people thought it was just "meh" but despite it not being the BEST MOVIE OF 2009, I still enjoyed it. Chris Evans was the draw for me. I think he is super smexy and anything that he's in makes me curious enough to want to see. This movie had a lot of action, a lot of super powers that I wish I had and lots of things going on. It was kind of hard to keep everything in place when the whole movie was moving in different directions and I felt like the pushers were working their magic on me. It was kind of fun to be thrown all over the place but as a whole the movie was pretty good.

It was an enjoyable way to pass a couple of hours on a bright, sunshiny Saturday afternoon and I'm glad that I watched it. Watching Chris Evans in action was a treat for me so any excuse to see him wielding cool powers is always a plus for me!

Would I recommend this movie? On who? All of my friends have already seen this movie so I'm sure nobody gives a crap anymore.

Movie Review: Madea Goes to Jail.  

Posted by: Rowena in , ,


Starring: Tyler Perry, Keisha Knight Pulliam, Derek Luke, Tamela J. Mann, Vanessa Ferlito.
Rating: PG-13 for for mature thematic material, drug content, some violence and sexual situations.
Grade: B-

After a high-speed freeway chase puts Madea in front of the judge, her reprieve is short-lived as anger management issues get the best of her and land her in jail. A gleeful Joe couldn't be happier at Madea's misfortune. But Madea's eccentric family members the Browns rally behind her, lending their special "country" brand of support. Meanwhile, Assistant District Attorney Joshua Hardaway is on the fast track to career success. But Hardaway lands a case too personal to handle - defending young prostitute and former drug addict Candace Washington - and asks his fiancée and fellow ADA Linda Holmes to fill in on his behalf. When Candace ends up in jail, Madea befriends the young woman, protecting her in a "motherly" way as only Madea can.

I haven't watched any of Tyler Perry's plays and I haven't watched all of Madea's movies but I want to and so I netflixed this movie. The thing about Tyler Perry movies is they're all feel good movies. Like Disney movies for adults. There's always the drama, the heart warming message and hilarious characters that crack you the hell up. This movie is no different. There are laughs, there are tear jerking scenes and there are characters that make you want to befriend them.

And then there is Madea.

Oh goodness, watching Madea in action again is always worth sitting through a couple of hours of a movie. Madea is the reason why I watch these movies and Madea is the reason why I will continue to do so. She delivers the laughs at the same time that she's delivering the make you think and consider your life stuff.

This movie wasn't as funny as the other movies that I've seen but it's still a good addition to the Madea movies. I enjoyed getting to know the characters as their problems and lives played across the small screen. This movie seriously pulls at your heart strings at the same time that it's tickling your funny bone. I think that all Madea fans will enjoy this movie but I don't think that it's for everyone. I recommend this to fans of movies like Friday, Why Did I Get Married? and other movies like those.

For me, it was good stuff but not the best stuff!

Movie Review: 17 Again.  

Posted by: Rowena in , ,


From Yahoo! Movies:

Starring: Zac Efron,
Rating: PG-13, for language, some sexual material and teenage partying
Grade: C

What would you do if you got a second shot at life? Class of 1989, Mike O'Donnell is a star on his high school basketball court with a college scout in the stands and a bright future in his grasp. But instead, he decides to throw it all away to share his life with his girlfriend Scarlett and the baby he just learned they are expecting. Almost 20 years later, Mike's glory days are decidedly behind him. His marriage to Scarlett has fallen apart, he has been passed over for a promotion at work, his teenage kids think he is a loser, and he has been reduced to crashing with his high school nerd-turned-techno-billionaire best friend Ned. But Mike is given another chance when he is miraculously transformed back to the age of 17. Unfortunately, Mike may look 17 again, but his thirtysomething outlook is totally uncool in the class of 2009. And in trying to recapture his best years, Mike could lose the best things that ever happened to him.

I saw this movie over the weekend and I'll be honest. The only reason I wanted to watch this movie in the first place is because I love me some Zac Efron. He's the one youngster that I would totally teach a few things to...just sayin'. HA!

Anyway, I thought this movie was going to be better than it actually was. It was cute and fun but it didn't have that extra umph to make it a great movie! It was pure cheese but I still watched the entire thing. I thought it was funny in parts (Ned was hilarious) and when Zac cut his hair and dressed like the teenagers dress nowadays, he was a total stud but even Zac's cuteness couldn't make this movie that OMGOSH you need to see this movie good. It was just okay.

Yeah, that's all I have to say about this movie.

Movie Review: The Hangover.  

Posted by: Rowena in , ,


From Yahoo! Movies:

Starring: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Heather Graham, Justin Bartha
Rating: R, for pervasive language, sexual content including nudity, and some drug material.
Grade: A

Two days before his wedding, Doug and his three friends drive to Las Vegas for a blow-out bachelor party they'll never forget. But, in fact, when the three groomsmen wake up the next morning, they can't remember a thing. For some reason, they find a tiger in the bathroom and a six-month-old baby in the closet of their suite at Caesars Palace. The one thing they can't find is Doug. With no clue as to what transpired and little time to spare, the trio must retrace their hazy steps and all their bad decisions in order to figure out where things went wrong and hopefully get Doug back to L.A. in time to walk down the aisle.

I shit you not, this movie had me laughing so much I almost peed my pants. I didn't think it was going to be as funny as it was but man, it was so much more and I don't care what Heather Graham said, that baby's name is Carlos! LOL.

Chelsea and I went to the movies on last week and we thought we were going to watch My Sister's Keeper but instead, we went and saw The Hangover. Now, The Hangover came out last month on June 5th and it's gotta tell you how funny and how good the movie was that when we went to see it, the theater was jammed packed with people. It was so crowded in the theater that we had to sit in the handicapped section.

From the beginning of the movie to the end of the movie, I laughed and laughed and laughed. It made me want to go to Vegas and live it up again because I had an absolute blast the last time that I went out there and the way these fools partied it up in Vegas, is the way you're supposed to do it.

What I liked about this movie is that they didn't take the normal, predictable route by showing the partying. I liked that they switched it up and made the night of serious partying a mystery. I liked that we found out what happened the night before as the guys found out about it. It was frickin' genious and I swear I'm going to see this movie at least twice more in the theaters before I buy it when it comes out in DVD.

This movie rocked my socks and I want to marry Bradley Cooper, he's a sexy beast!

new releases on DVD for July 21  

Posted by: ~ames~ in


Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince  

Posted by: Isabel in , ,

Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. Together they work to find the key to unlock Voldemort's defenses and, to this end, Dumbledore recruits his old friend and colleague, the well-connected and unsuspecting bon vivant Professor Horace Slughorn, whom he believes holds crucial information. Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very different adversary as teenage hormones rage across the ramparts. Harry finds himself more and more drawn to Ginny, but so is Dean Thomas. And Lavender Brown has decided that Ron is the one for her, only she hadn't counted on Romilda Vane's chocolates! And then there's Hermione, simmering with jealousy but determined not to show her feelings. As romance blossoms, one student remains aloof. He is determined to make his mark, albeit a dark one. Love is in the air, but tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again.

Since everyone and their moms are reviewing this movie, I'll keep mine short and sweet. I went and watched this movie on opening day. It wasn't too crowded but it was pretty full.

I loved this movie. It's been a while since I read the books so I don't remember exactly what was kept and left out. I do know two important scenes were left out. Which was a bummer but I didn't miss them. I did wish they expanded more on who the half blood prince was.

As for everything else, I loved it. Loved the teenager hormones. Loved watching Harry and Ginny. My heart went out to Hermione when she saw Lavender kiss Ron. It was sweet Harry went and comforted her.

My favorite movie of the year so far.

Ellen Page's new movie  

Posted by: ~ames~ in , ,

Can't wait!!

TV Shows: The Great Debate.  

Posted by: Rowena in , ,


It's getting pretty boring in my neck of the woods so aside from reading, I've been watching a lot of shows on USA, VH1 and MTV.

One of the shows that I'm enjoying the heck out of right now is: The Great Debate on VH1.

This show is just one battle after another. It asks the questions that makes me laugh. All of the debates so far have been things like:

  • Who's the sexier or most memorable girl band? Pussycat Dolls or Spice Girls?
  • What drug helped men the most? Rogaine or Viagra?
  • Who was the better and tougher Arnie character? Conan the Barbarian or Terminator?
  • Who played the better woman? Mrs. Doubtfire or Tootsie?
  • Who was the meaner principal in teeny bopper movies? The guy from Breakfast Club or the guy from Feris Buler?
  • Who would you rather adopt? Arnold (whatchu talkin' bout Willis?) or Webster?
  • Which was the better car? Kitt or the car on Dukes of Hazard?
  • Who's the sexier Simpson sister? Jessica or Ashlee?


You know, all those kinds of questions and then they take to the comedians, actors, athletes and just all sorts of celebrities and they tell us why they think so and so should win. It's frickin' hilarious, to see these people actually debating stupid things like this. Oh man, it's so frickin' funny so you guys should definitely watch this if you're in the mood to laugh.

new releases on DVD for July 14  

Posted by: ~ames~ in






Buddy Movie Review: The Proposal  

Posted by: ~ames~ in , , , , , ,


Movie description from yahoo movies:

When high-powered book editor Margaret faces deportation to her native Canada, the quick-thinking exec declares that she's actually engaged to her unsuspecting put-upon assistant Andrew, who she's tormented for years. He agrees to participate in the charade, but with a few conditions of his own. The unlikely couple heads to Alaska to meet his quirky family and the always-in-control city girl finds herself in one comedic fish-out-of-water situation after another. With an impromptu wedding in the works and an immigration official on their tails, Margaret and Andrew reluctantly vow to stick to the plan despite the precarious consequences.

So today's movie review is more like a discussion between myself and Isabel. We both got a chance to see this movie and we're both in awe of Ryan Reynolds in all his shirtless glory. LOL

Isabel: So… what did you think of the movie? I thought it was cute and funny. When I saw commercials, I knew I'd netflix it. But what made me go and watch in theater was my MIL describing a shirtless Ryan Reynolds. LOL.

Ames: OMG shirtless Ryan Reynolds totally made this movie for me.

But yeah, he also appears shirtless a few times. And with the towel on....oh my!!

I was going to wait to rent this too because romcoms lately have been really disappointing - but this was really smart and cute.

Isabel: What was your favorite besides the shirtless part?? Oh and by the way, Sandra Bullock looks like she had a nice little body going on. Damn. lol. I'm jealous.

Anyways... other than the shirt part, my favorite scene was probably when she's dancing in the woods with grandma and singing that rap song. ha ha.

Ames: LMAO that part was hilarious! I think had tears coming out of my eyes at that part.

I liked any little scene with Ramone. He's on my show the Office so it was good to see him doing something else that was freaking hilarious. Ramone!!

I got a little thrill in my heart when Ryan goes to New York to get Sandra and he's like 'imagine my surprise when I find myself wifeless' and i was look, here's a man who knows what he wants. I like when he got a bit forceful there.

And every scene where he made her do something for herself, how he kept her on her toes in his natural environment. I liked that.

I also like that the comedy derives from a fish out of water situation - not let's make the lady do something totally embarassing and demeaning (shopaholic, he's just not that into you). Like I said, this was a smart movie.

Isabel: Ramone was funny! I liked how he just kept popping up. lol. waiter, shop keeper, stripper and minister. Ha ha. Funny.

Oh yeah when he said he found himself wifeless... sigh. I'll be your wife Ryan! ha ha. I like in the beginning when he said the latte was like Christmas in a cup. Lmao. Also how everyone in the office would im each other to warn everyone she was coming. Sounds like something we would do at work .

What else did I like… Oh I liked how they didn't try to have the ex step in between Sandra and Ryan. Like when she comes into his room to talk with him.

Ames: Oh yeah! I was just waiting for that cliche to happen. LOL

I loved Gammy - she was just too cute!

And Christmas in a cup - that was just brilliant.

Ryan Reynolds humor is the kind of humor I like - it's sharp.

Isabel: Oh and how they kept throwing the baby maker far away from them. Too funny.

Gammy was funny and cute. I thought for sure the wedding dress would be altered to something contemporary. I liked they kept it the same.

Yeah I just watched him in Just Friends and that movie is funny too. I didn't care for him in waiting.

Was there anything in the movie you didn't like?

Ames: The puppy was cute too! And when the eagle grabbed the puppy? LOL And the baby-maker was its own damn character. Like when Gammy comes into the room at one point and said, “Let’s give the baby-maker a rest tonight.” haha

Ok what I didn’t like- I felt like we didn't see enough of a relationship develop between Ryan and Sandra's characters. It's like she fell in love with him and everyone attached to him - not just him alone. Do you know what I mean? What about you?

Isabel: Oh yeah. I was like… no they are not going to hurt that puppy!!!!

Yeah it was kind of fast they fell in love. I mean... I know there is love at first sight. But how do you go from hating your boss and then loving them just like that. I could understand... caring about that person, liking them. But...i don't know.

Sandra's character.... yeah... now that you mention it, it is like she fell in love with his family. Also... I expected a little more with the ex girlfriend. Not with her trying to come between them. But more of a… i don't know... It's like they threw her in there.

Ames: She was kind of random, the ex-girlfriend.

But yeah, that was the only thing that didn't work for me - just how fast it came together.

Isabel: Yeah I think they could have done without the ex girlfriend. Anything else we forgot to mention?

Ames: I don't think so.

Isabel: so what grade would you give this movie?

Ames: B- you?

Isabel: A B. The shirtless scene. :)

new releases on DVD for July 7  

Posted by: ~ames~ in


The Wrestler  

Posted by: Isabel in , ,

My mom and dad watched this and they recommended the movie to us. First of all, my sister and I loved used to love watching WWF. Hulk Hogan, Macho Man and Miss Elizabeth, The Ultimate Warrior, Jake the "snake" Roberts, ravishing Rick rude.. yeah we loved watching wrestling. So watching this in a way brought back those childhood memories.

Anyways...

This is actually kind of a sad movie. You have Randy the Ram Robinson who used to be this great wrestler. Now he just wrestles on the weekends at local events. at one of the matches, he's pretty.. what's the word... not beat up but ... just kind of jacked up. He's bleeding, he has staples on his body and the doctors are pulling them out. When they are done, Randy throws up and passes out. He's had a heart attack.

The doctors say he should not wrestle anymore. It's too much for his heart. So randy tries to live a normal life. At the advice of a stripper he's befriend, he contacts his daughter. She wants nothing to do with him. But Randy asks for a chance and the daughter gives him one.

It looks like everything is going well for Randy until he forgets a dinner date with his daughter. She tells him that she can't handle how he's hurt her anymore and to stay out of her life. Randy had been trying to get closer to Pam/Cassidy, the stripper. But she doesn't want to let him in.

Randy decides to wrestle again. Pam follows him to the match and asks what about his heart. He says the real world is where he gets hurt. In the ring he's adored. While wrestling his last match you can tell he's having symptoms of another heart attack. Randy knows it too. His opponent says he'll take care of everything and tells Randy to pin him. But Randy climbs the rope to do his signature move. He looks up for Pam but she's left. You can see the tears in his eyes and you know he's accepted what's going to happen. As he jumps off the top rope it fades to black. Just like it did when Randy had his last heart attack.

It's a good movie and my heart went out to Randy. If you get a chance to watch this one you should. I give it a B.