movie review

Ted

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Last night we decided to rent Ted – we’d both heard it was a pretty funny movie and wanted to give it a try.

Ted (from IMDb)
Ted (from IMDb)

Director: Seth MacFarlane

Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, and Seth MacFarlane

Runtime: 1 hour, 46 minutes

Plot Summary (from IMDb): John makes a Christmas miracle happen by bringing his one and only friend to life, his teddy bear. The two grow up together and John must then choose to stay with his girlfriend or keep his friendship with his crude and extremely inappropriate teddy bear, Ted.

Rating: TV.

Ok, I’m not sure exactly what I was expecting from this movie. I had heard that it was funny, which it was, but it seemed to lack that special something that makes it the kind of funny movie that you buy and watch over and over. I think the funniest part was the “Thunder Song” that the John and Ted sing together because they’re scared of it:

When you hear the sound of thunder, don’t you get too scared. Just grab your thunder buddy and say these magic words: “Fuck you, thunder! You can suck my dick! You can’t get me thunder ’cause you’re just God’s farts!” [blow raspberries]

Google it… seriously, it’s funny. In fact, Mike says he might sing it with Shadow the next time we get a good thunder-storm. This movie has A LOT of cussing in it, so if you’re easily offended, you probably don’t want to watch it. It’s definitely Seth MacFarlane humor (he wrote, directed, and starred in it)… all in all pretty funny, but probably not worth spending money on.

Ratings Explanation:

  • Theater: This means the movie is awesome. Go see this movie in the theater – well worth the $100 you’ll spend for a night out to see it on the big screen!
  • On Demand: Since no one actually rents movies anymore, this category has changed to On Demand. This means it’s a great movie, but it is as good at home as it is in the theater and worth seeing a little sooner.
  • TV: This means the movie is ok. Wait for it to show up on HBO and see it for free.
  • Skip It: Movie sucks, don’t waste your time.

Lawless

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Lawless (from IMDb)

Lawless (from IMDb)

Director: John Hillcoat

Stars: Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf, Jessica Chastain, and Guy Pearce

Runtime: 1 hour, 56 minutes

Plot Summary (from IMDb): The three Bondurant brothers run a bootlegging operation during the depression, up in the mountains of Franklin County, Virginia. Crooked Special Deputy Charles Rakes is after a share of the brothers’ profits. Compounding their troubles, the local competition is elbowing in on their activities. Forrest’s boisterous defiance and Cricket’s knack for moonshine production help the brothers gain a local monopoly. When Forrest is wounded as tension with Rakes escalates, Jack, initially the timid one, must prove his worth against gangster Floyd Banner’s mob, and we see him metamorphose into a cocky exhibitionist in his attempts to woo the off-limits preacher’s daughter, Bertha.

Rating: On Demand.

I really liked this movie. Until yesterday, I had not even heard of this movie, with the exception of one Dish commercial. Mike suggested we watch it yesterday afternoon. I was very surprised that there were not more previews for this. It’s actually based on a true story and a novel written by Matt Bondurant, the grandson of Jack Bondurant. I think they did a great job casting and the movie flowed very nicely. Definitely give this one a try!

Ratings Explanation:

  • Theater: This means the movie is awesome. Go see this movie in the theater – well worth the $100 you’ll spend for a night out to see it on the big screen!
  • On Demand: Since no one actually rents movies anymore, this category has changed to On Demand. This means it’s a great movie, but it is as good at home as it is in the theater and worth seeing a little sooner.
  • TV: This means the movie is ok. Wait for it to show up on HBO and see it for free.
  • Skip It: Movie sucks, don’t waste your time.

The Dark Knight Rises

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Last night Mike and I watched “The Dark Knight Rises“, the first movie we’ve watched with our new surround sound. We missed this one in theaters and have been patiently waiting for it to come out On Demand. Apparently Shadow thinks that the subwoofer creates thunder in the house, so he ran around barking for most of the movie. We’ll have to work on that.

The Dark Knight Rises (from IMDb)
The Dark Knight Rises (from IMDb)

Director: Christopher Nolan

Stars: Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Morgan Freeman, and Michael Caine.

Runtime: 2 hours, 45 minutes

Plot Summary (from IMDb): Eight years after the events of The Dark Knight find Gotham at a time of peace. This is due to Batman taking the fall for Harvey Dent’s murder. However, a new evil force named Bane has arrived in Gotham and aims to take over the city and expose the truth behind who Harvey Dent really was. Now that Wayne Manor has been completely rebuilt – Bruce Wayne has become almost reclusive, rarely leaving the estate. And with Bane taking over the city by force, it forces Batman to come out of retirement. But his allies are few and far apart. An elusive jewel thief by the name of Selina Kyle could be the key to stopping Bane – but whose side is she on?

Rating: On Demand.

I think this would have been a good movie to see in the theater, but if you have a good sound system at home, it’s probably just as good. To be honest, I didn’t totally love Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle. I don’t know why, but there was just something off about her as that character. That said, of the Batman movies, this one was probably one of my favorites – it had a unique storyline that made it different from all the rest.

Ratings Explanation:

  • Theater: This means the movie is awesome. Go see this movie in the theater – well worth the $100 you’ll spend for a night out to see it on the big screen!
  • On Demand: Since no one actually rents movies anymore, this category has changed to On Demand. This means it’s a great movie, but it is as good at home as it is in the theater and worth seeing a little sooner.
  • TV: This means the movie is ok. Wait for it to show up on HBO and see it for free.
  • Skip It: Movie sucks, don’t waste your time.