Riding with the window down…

Okay, maybe not brilliant - I mean it did pretty much rip off another of my all time favorites - Quantum Leap, but darn it, I like Journeyman. Kevin McKidd is fast becoming one of those actors that turns in solid performances every time out and this short-lived scifi show was no exception.

The bad news is that it was canceled just 13 episodes into the series. The good news? I guess its that all the episodes are available to watch over at Hulu.

Oh yeah, and they have Quantum Leap too! (for a limited time)

Dawn and I went to see Valentine’s Day on… uh, yeah - you guessed it - Valentine’s Day. My overall view of the film was good (for a chick flick.) It had some good comedy, some sappy romance, and even a cameo by Director, Garry Marshall.

Okay, naming a cameo by Marshall as one of the top things is a little harsh, I mean - it was fun. I think Dawn said it best when she mentioned she liked it better when it was called He’s Just Not That Into You. Seriously, both of them had a cast chock full of stars - each of their stories were intertwined - some turned out devastatingly bad, others turned out amazingly well.

The main thing that annoyed me about the film was the sheer number of long-haired, skinny brunettes. I couldn’t tell them apart! Trying to keep a story as intertwined as this one straight when four of the leads look so much alike was tough.

So overall, there is nothing great about the film - but nothing bad either. The fact that a couple can watch it and both walk out without being pissed is a big plus. Great date movie. Geez, it’s almost as if it was planned that way.

RATING 6 out of 10

Now if you want great family fare - Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief is the movie for you! It has something for everyone.

First off, who doesn’t like a good adventure film? Uh, nobody! I was really not expecting much more than a quick flick created to take advantage of a popular book series (can anyone say New Moon?) This film stands by itself even if you have no association or interest in the Percy Jackson book series. The writing is good, the acting is above par, and the special effects are very solid.

I loved the fact that Kevin McKidd appeared as Poseidon and Pierce Brosnan did a great job as Chiron. Logan Lerman made the transition to leading man very well as Percy Jackson and should do a fine job in the sure-to-come sequels.

If you enjoy mythology, this is a cornucopia of fun characters with lots of fast-paced action and witty banter to keep you entertained throughout. This may even be worth a second viewing.

RATING 8 out of 10

Back in 2005, I railed against Ashlee Simpson as the perfect example of what is wrong with the music industry.  It has been my contention that the big record labels had long ago lost touch with good music in favor of cute teeny boppers that could become a brand for movies, tv shows, perfume, lunchboxes etc. (I’m talking to you, Miley.)  That was part of the reason that podcasting exploded in popularity - people were fed up with being spoon fed no-talent hacks that looked good in their headshots.

Look at all the crossover that happened in the music scene thanks to talented artists jumping on the podcasting wave - Ingrid Michaelson, Death Cab for Cutie, and on and on.   Just when I was starting to think that labels were finally “getting it,” out pops Taylor Swift.

Sure, her music sounded great on the radio.  It was full of catchy lyrics, seemed very contemporary, and her voice was one that you didn’t mind hearing every twenty minutes across the Clear Channel stations.  I can’t say I was ever a fan, but even I almost fell for the marketing.

First the fact that she was so overplayed annoyed me nearly as much as the lyrics that sounded like they came from the latest tweener vampire romance.  The repetition did its job and I found myself singing along to songs I detested.  Next came what was Ashlee Simpson’s big downfall - Saturday Night Live.  For Taylor, it played out much better.  She came across as a happy, fun-loving jokester that really got into the “other side” of her marketing machine.  I almost got sucked in off the SNL appearance alone.

In the end, the true test of any singer is…. well, uh - singing.  Can you say “EPIC FAIL?”

Swift’s live performances on the Country Music Awards, quickly followed by live performances at the Grammys were horrendous!  I cannot stress enough how badly she sucked.  To say she couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket is an insult to that old saying.  I have heard tomcats having makeup sex that was easier to listen to.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 says “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.”  I have to trust that is true, but I can’t for the life of me figure out what purpose Taylor Swift’s music has - unless it is to encourage people once again to turn off their radios, stop ‘drinking the kool aid,’ and discover the great music probably right under their nose at local gigs.

There are two seasons where you can usually count on seeing a good movie or two - the Summer blockbusters and the Christmas blockbusters. This Christmas season has provided me with two good movie outings. Both of them made me skeptical at first, but in the end, both delivered solid entertainment.

First up was Avatar - the nearly HALF A BILLION DOLLAR blockbuster by James Cameron. Visually, this film was amazing. This is another notch in Cameron’s bankability belt - when his name is on it - you’re looking at a hit. Even lame films like the last Terminator do well - because Cameron is associated with it. (Interestingly, Sam Worthington - who played the lead, Jake Sully was also in the last Terminator and will be in the remake of Clash of the Titans, he has action hero star written all over him.)

This film really had little to do with Cameron or Worthington… it was all about the CGI and in that respect, it ROCKED! Sure, the storyline was weak and a very transparent political/social commentary. Sure, the characters were as stereotypical as anything to come out of Hollywood. But visually, Avatar made you overlook all the flaws.

It was slow in the opening third of the film and predictable throughout, but you just couldn’t take your eyes off the screen. I would watch it again just for the visuals.

RATING 7 out of 10

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Next was Guy Ritchie’s interpretation of Sherlock Holmes as portrayed by Robert Downey Jr. Now you have to understand that there is likely no more important fictional character in my life than Sherlock Holmes. I have always loved Holmes, and I have seen every single incarnation available. For that reason, I was extremely nervous seeing the previews for this film as it looked to be nothing like the legend created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Downey was nothing like the Basil Rathbone or Jeremy Brett Holmes (my favorite) but not nearly as quirky as the trailers made it appear.

Yeah, he did a serviceable interpretation, but in the end, there was too much Robert Downey Jr. in the character. He was no different than he was in Iron Man - no different than he was in The Pickup Artist - no different than he has been in ALL of his roles. Face it - Downey has no range. Don’t get me wrong, I am a big fan of RDJ and I think he may have a role that he could continue for years in Holmes. This is a great character for him to play because Holmes is so cocksure, smart, and witty. The fact that so many older people have played the character successfully leads me to think that he could be doing remakes for a couple more decades without missing a beat. This is one instance when typecasting is a good fit.

Because Holmes has been such an important literary figure in my life, I am sure that I will see each and every incarnation of the famed sleuth of 221B Baker Street, and although I will be skeptical, I will give them a fair shake. Robert Downey Jr. I can get used to - Jude Law as Watson I can get used to - Rachel McAdams as his tough-as-nails female foil, uh, I guess - Guy Ritchie, MTV-generation fight sequences in a period piece like this…. that may be a little tougher.

RATING 8 out of 10

There are a few things that put a guy instantly on guard when it comes to choosing a film to watch. First and foremost - is Sandra Bullock playing the lead? This is usually a sure sign that you are in for a romantic comedy complete with sappy love story and comic pratfalls. From the opening sequence of The Blind Side, I knew I was going to like this movie. It not only started off a “guy” film, but despite turning into a very touching story AND including Sandra Bullock - it kept the guys interested throughout.

Along we way, it delivered lots of fun football action, some great comedy, and good performances by Tim McGraw and Quinton Aaron. This has to be the perfect “date night” film. It had just enough Sandra Bullock and heartfelt emotion to keep the womenfolk happy and just enough football and smart @ss remarks to keep the guys entertained.

This is easily one of the top movies I have seen in 2009. When I discovered that it was based on a true story, it made The Blind Side all that much better. See it with a date and you will both walk away feeling better - or see it by yourself. Whatever you decide, just see this movie.

RATING 9 out of 10

I was warned not to make fun of The Twilight Saga: New Moon because I would be sucked into seeing it just to spite me - well, I did and I did. Not only was New Moon one of the worst excuses for a movie I have seen in ages, it probably felt worse because I knew going it that it would “suck monkey balls.”

I am sure at this point that I have already alienated a large number of my readers that are devoted fans of the campy, tween romance novels, but I have to risk that and tell what I feel. Sure, I may have liked it more had I read the novels (and I use the term loosely.) Sure, I may have like it more had I seen the previous film (another generous description.) Sure, I may have liked it had I taken a blow to the head from a heavy object followed by an IV drip of estrogen… but, should you have to do that to like a film?

Not only did it feel like my eyes were being stabbed with a thousand cute daggers, but I could actually feel the brain cells dying at the horrible dialogue, pedestrian acting, campy special effects, and a story more transparent than air on a clear day. This movie actually hurt to watch. The only thing that kept this from rating 1 star, were the scenes involving the werewolves.

If you are a teenage girl - enjoy… if you are not - well, be warned.

RATING 2 out of 10

I went to see 2012 because New Moon was sold out and although I give Dawn a hard time about not wanting to see the vampire flick, I think it will actually be pretty decent. I was happy to take in 2012 though because I have wanted to see it ever since I took in the previews.

My expectation was that it would be an amazing film in terms of special effects, have a pretty lame story, and have the science dumbed down for the masses. True on all counts! The special effects were amazing - from the city streets buckling to the Yellowstone caldera exploding, they did an excellent job on the visuals. The storyline was as lame as expected, but John Cusack did his usual fine job of taking a subpar script and adding humanity.

See it for the visuals -see it for John Cusack’s frenetic comedy - forgive it for one too many narrow escapes - forgive it for the junk science and you will be entertained.

RATING 6 out of 10

Okay - so I’ve never been a big fan of Angelina Jolie. Sure, she’s not hard to look at. Sure, she has some amazing… uh, assets. I finally saw the movie that took her personal quest and made it visual - Beyond Borders.

Okay, I admit it. I started writing this review about fifteen minutes into the movie. At that point, all I had seen was a solid scene by my man, Clive Owen and the setup for what looked to be a decent film. By the time I had gotten this far in my writing, I saw this flick turn into a heaping pile of poorly-written, over-acted, super-simplified, guilt-ridden garbage.

Now I see why she is joked about. The makeup on the African refugees was so over-the-top as to be insulting. Really, I commend her for adopting some children to rescue, but can’t help but think she could have done so much more by investing some time and money into a better script, better acting, better everything on this film. This is such a powerful medium for change and information that it could have done a lot to help the cause, but instead seems to preach to us about how uncaring we are while insulting our intelligence with every scene.

Okay, the film has its moments, and it certainly does make the point once you get past the poor film-making. Again, kudos to Jolie for trying to do something… just a weak effort.

RATING 5 out of 10

I recently watched the SNL episode hosted by Megan Fox and was struck by the fact that I had no flippin’ idea who the heck Megan Fox is. Seriously. She claims that we may know her from TV - uh… that doesn’t help at all.

Now, I have never been a big celebrity maven, but I thought I was somewhat connected to what was going on in the world of entertainment. Am I really that disconnected from the world… or has the world of entertainment finally gotten so boring that I just don’t care?

Kind of a weird ramble, I know - but it just struck me as odd that this was the first episode of SNL I have seen where I didn’t know the host. Seriously, I have seen most of the shows in the past 20 years or so and this is the ONLY host that I didn’t know. Weird, huh?

Netflix, combined with a weird sleep schedule, has been useful in allowing me to watch more movies recently. The selections I have watched recently are a bit eclectic - that is what happens when you have a queue with nearly 500 films.

Being a longtime fan of Daniel Craig, I was interested when I saw the one trailer for Defiance. You would think that with him, Liev Schreiber, and a WWII setting, I would love this film. It’s weird that while I enjoyed all of it - I just never got into it. I have to place the blame on the story and/or direction. I just felt disconnected from the entire movie.

It’s a decent little film, but it brings nothing new to the table and doesn’t even deliver very high marks in doing the same old thing.

RATING 6 out of 10

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In keeping with the WWII Nazi theme, I watched Valkyrie recently as well. Although it didn’t seem to do very good in theaters, I actually liked this movie. I wonder if Tom Cruise is still suffering from the “Tom’s a crazy guy” backlash or if it was just a bad economy for downer films? Who knows?

I thought Cruise did a fine job as Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg and was surrounded a solid cast - Kenneth Branagh, Tom Wilkinson, and Terence Stamp are just a few of the excellent actors. This films tells the little-known story of Nazi insiders plotting to kill Hitler.

Bryan Singer does a great job of telling a very suspenseful tragedy and while it may not end the way you would like - it was a fine job of bringing you along for the ride.

RATING 7 out of 10

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You would think that somewhere I would have found something a little more manly to review, but when in Rome…