100 movies in 2008
51. Definitely, Maybe (3.5/5)
Ryan Reynolds makes a lot of things easier to watch. Not that DM is bad because it definitely isn't. I was a little surprised by how much I actually liked it because although I'm a whore for romcoms, as it's been stated numerous times, I wasn't sure how I was feeling with Ryan in one. First, the ladies are all fabulous. I am a big fan of Elizabeth Banks, Rachel Weisz is all kinds of hot (although I'm a little curious as to why she did this particular movie...) and I can easily see why Isla Fisher is going to shine. Abigail Breslin is Abigal Breslin. She's kind of always adoradle and wise beyond her years. I liked that although the ending wasn't sad, it still had heart and wasn't all just fluff. I really had no idea who the mother was and liked that I didn't know. Looking back, I probably should have been able to figure it out more but I think I was actually so interested in the story they were telling that I wasn't bored and trying to guess.
52. Mamma Mia! (4/5)
Okay, it's not the best. The singing is kind of not so great by some of the cast - oh, lord, Pierce Brosnan. For real, man, never sing again. BUT it's all so bright and sunny and infectious and kind of cheesily awesome. I'm really glad Amanda Seyfried has a chance to do something besides be an airhead and a dead girl (both at which she excelled at) but to see her really shine is sweet. She's really the only one who can sing and she looks great with Greece as her backdrop. Meryl is always kind of great, right? I mean, I'm hard pressed to remember any movie, even the bad ones, that she doesn't try her all. And there's Colin Firth who really didn't have much to do but he smiles a lot and takes of his shirt. I am a fan of both of those things so... It's A LOT of Abba but I like them so it all didn't bother me. There are some really touching moments that made me tear up - mostly having to do with mothers and daughters and how that relationship always has its ups and downs, even when it's always been the two of you and of course, the dad stuff which, I don't know, I live it and I kind of appreciated the realism in that in a movie that has no basis in reality.
53. Enchanted (4/5)
I didn't expect to like it as much as I did but I just felt really happy after it was over. It was so cool to see a Disney cartoon come to life and Amy Adams totally brought it. She's really come a long way since Cruel Intentions 2 and Tara's cousin on Buffy. Patrick Demspey didn't really annoy me all that much which is a plus and again shows that Grey's Anatomy RUINS EVERYTHING PRETTY IN LIFE. But, really, James Marsden is fantastic. I laughed more with everything he did than other time during the movie. I was quite impressed with him.
54. Rescue Dawn (3.5/5)
I have to admit that I didn't pay close attention to this because it was sloooowwww. Christian Bale is interesting to me. Sometimes I LOVE him - and not when he's Batman - and other times he can really annoy me. Steve Zahn, on the other hand, does not work enough and I think he is always fantastic. It was good but, yeah, slow. Too slow for me at times.
55. Reservation Road (4/5)
Joaquin, Mark and Jennifer? Nifty. You can read the description and know that this isn't going to be a happy movie but I appreciated the way the subject matter was handled and I thought everyone was really, really good. It's obviously Oscar-bait movie but whatever, they're all excellent actors and sometimes it's nice to see a movie that's just good all the way around, despite how sad it is.
56. 21 (3.5/5)
The lead guy is pretty cute! Kate Bosworth didn't annoy me! Kevin Spacey was...Kevin Spacey (not that that's a bad thing, but you know...)! I think it's a really cool story and the movie had some great moments but I figured it out and that's always disappointing. I am curious to read the book, though, and see how much they Hollywooded it up for the screen.
57. National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets (3/5)
I don't particularly like Nic Cage. His hair really bugs me. Not that that's a legitimate reason not to like someone but whatever I'm not always rational. I think it's an excellent thing that Dianne Kruger (probably butchering her name, don't care) is so pretty because ehhhhh on the acting. And I'm pretty sure they had an open casting call for all top over actors EVER: Nic, Ed Harris, Jon Voight, Harvey Keitel...It wasn't bad. I liked the first one better because I thought all the historical tie-ins made it really interesting. This one seemed a little lacking.
58. The Bank Job (4/5)
It's definitely slow to start but it gets very good and is very interesting. Plus? Jason Statham. Yes, please! Saffron Burrows is like a completely different person than she was in Circle of Friends and I'm sure her cheekbones could cut glass. We really liked it. I know I expected something a little different and was pleasantly surprised by it.
59. P.S. I Love You (3/5)
OMG, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, you completely slay me. Even with a questionable Irish accent. There's JDM bum! It's worth the rental. It's worth dealing with Hillary Swank and her horse teeth and bad comedic timing. It's worth it all. What I found the most difficult was Gerard Butler. I think I'm so used to 300 Gerard that this one is just a regular guy. Not that he still isn't completley adorable but JDM beats his ass any day of the week. Kathy Bates is always awesome. I actually kind of liked both Lisa Kudrow and Gina Gershon. I was shocked to see James Marsters but really happy. Dean Winters is and will always be hot and dirty. AND I have such love for Harry Connick Jr. and I really liked him here. It's not as bad as I thought it would be. It's totally schmaltzy and ridiculous but I don't know, I kind of liked it. Or JDM.
60. Street Kings (2/5)
I didn't pay much attention because it gave me no reason to. LOTS of people - good people, too - and I was still completely meh about the entire thing. I thought it would be more Training Day and less...I don't know, something crappy. I didn't really buy into any of it and it's extremely predictable.
61. The Lost Boys 2: The Tribe (...)
Okay, NOT my choice. I'll watch bad movies (see IKWKM, Prom Night, etc) because I know it will be stupid and kind of campy and horrible. D. watches them and likes them. /headdesk SO I mostly did wedding stuff while he watched it but all the gratuitous boob shots and gore was a little hard to ignore. It's not good. In any way. He thinks its great and normally I would wonder if he was just messing with me but I don't think he is. When a movie as awesome as the original happens, you don't make a sequel to it, 20 years later, just to make a sequel. If you feel the need to do it, do it right, man. For the love of all things! Make it a little decent. But NO. It's complete and utter suckfest.
62. The Jacket (3/5)
Do you remember Adrian Brody? Yeah, right? He was great! Watching this made me miss him. It's strange and interesting. Reminds me a litte like a cross between Jacob's Ladder and The Time Traveler's Wife. It was different. Not as scary as I thought it would be. I liked it. I wouldn't run out to see again but I did enjoy it. I liked how it ended but that could just be the sap in me.
63. Shutter (3/5)
Biased because of Josh Jackson? Hmm, maybe. It's typical American-remake of a Japanese horror film. It's not terrible. I've seen worse. The idea is always the same, right? I wish they did a little more with it, made it a little more interesting character-wise but they never do. It's not what it's made for, I suppose. I particularly liked the very last scene.
64. Prom Night (1/5)
Hmm...not good. When I can think of something else to add to that, I will.
65. Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (4/5)
Okay, I LOVE John Cho. LOOOOVVVVEEEE. So, again, probably a little biased here. It is FUNNY. We watched the unrated version which I could have done without, I think. So I just imagined what the regular version would have been like and decided I really enjoyed it. It's on par with the first one for laughs and NPH KILLS ALL with his time here. We just had a great laugh with it and sometimes, that's very very important.
66. Redbelt (3/5)
David Mamet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Ricky Jay...Tim Allen? Somehow it works. I got it for D., mostly, because he hearts martial arts (I rhymed!) and I heart Mamet. It was not at all what we expected; he was mostly bored and confused and I was mostly interested but confused. Mamet is known for character studies but maybe he's been working on The Unit too long because the tension in this was lost on me. Mostly because I don't do the zen martial arts thing so all this integrity of the art and being your own master is all over my head. The acting is good, the story is good, it's just slow. And I know Mamet can do slow burn with great payoff (see Spartan) so this was just okay.
67. Charlie Bartlett (4/5)
I heart Hope Davis. Ever since Next Stop Wonderland, I have adored her. I wish she did more things but I guess it's a treat when she does. She's really great here as the mom and RDJ is always good. I enjoy the girl - can't be bothered to find her name - the Nick & Nora one and the boy who plays Charlie. We laughed quite a few times and it may get a tad heavy-handed but it's still pretty freakin' good.
68. Leatherheads (1.5/5)
I feel bad. Bad that I didn't like it, bad that I didn't like something with JKras and Clooney in it, bad that I even watched it to begin with... RZeg bugs me. She is not spit-fire His Girl Friday type actress. It doesn't work for her. Maybe I would have liked it better with someone else. JKras was fine, he looked cute and he was charming but the movie was going for one thing and failing so miserably at it that it didn't matter if the cast was good or not. I just really didn't like it at all.
69. August Rush (1.5/5)
Okay, this was all on D. I had heard how shmaltzy it was and I wanted nothing to do with it, despite my girl love for Keri. She is too pretty. It kills me. I'm not the biggest fan of JRM (thanks, Match Point) and Freddie Highmore is adorable. Robin Williams is RIDICULOUS. I wish I could even...it's so bad. And it freaks me out how much RW, Bono and Glen Close are all looking almost the same lately. D. liked the guitar playing. That was why we watched it. Unless you really love watching someone slap an acoustic guitar, I'd say skip it.
70. Indian Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2.5/5)
There were some things I liked but the overall arc, I totally hated. BUT it was fun to see Indy again and Karen Allen. I like Shia and Cate Blanchett can never do any wrong. For me, it just could have been better. It only made me miss how good the other ones were - even the second one which eek generally speaking.
71. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (3.5/5)
Jason Segel is cute...and NAKED. Like all the time. But whatever. We laughed and I tried not to hate on KBell too much and Mila Kunis is FAR too gorgeous for her own good. Russell Brand was funny so it made up for the MTV thing. It was enjoyable and good on Jason for writing and starring in it. I hope he has more successes like this. Starting with a decent haircut. ;)
72. Penelope (3/5)
Oh, James McAvoy, how I love you - whether you're a half man goat guy, a physician for a dictator, a nothing with a destiny, the romantic foil to one of the most romantic writers ever - whatever it is, I'm there. And this isn't bad - Christina Ricci isn't so great in it - kind of very whiny and screechy in parts but she does look adorable with her pig nose, I have to say - but it is predictable and it is what it is. I pretty much watched it for the McAvoy and I got what I came for.
73. The Strangers (4/5)
Awesome. I was so paranoid afterwards, I kept getting out of bed to check the locks and I couldn't sleep at all. It's not perfect but the horror genre hasn't seen a movie this good since The Descent (and before that, we're looking at a few good years where it's mostly crap). Scotty Speedman doesn't have a whole lot to do here but he's good in what he has and he looks REAL good. This is definitely Liv Tyler's show and since I have always had a girl crush on her, I think she does a damn good job. It's not particularly gory (take that, torture porn) and it relys heavily on mood and pacing to scare the bejeesus out of you. There's one part where you KNOW what's going to happen, you know there's a scare just waiting behind the curtain and I still screamed like a little girl. Yay, I'm a whore for a good horror film!
74. Made of Honor (3.5/5)
OMG, I kind of actually liked this. I don't know what's wrong with me. It's a rom-com which I've established I love no matter what which is bad enough on my part but it also has Patrick Dempsey who used to be swoon worthy but since I see McDreamy as McAsshole, I've kind of lost the love. BUT here...he's good. In the beginning, he even looks like he did in Can't Buy Me Love which is awesome. I sort of like Michelle Monaghan - she seems to be in almost everything lately. There are some cute parts and yes, it's predictable and it is what it is. It could also just be me wearing some severe wedding goggles and loving anything wedding-related.
75. The Happening (1/5)
I can't even begin. I'm not entirely sure where TO begin. The first 2 minutes are actually almost cool. And then, it's quite possibly one of the suckiest suckfests I've ever sat through. The acting, the writing, the direction, et all is just NOT good. I don't know how a man who did The Sixth Sense and Signs with effective creepiness and an interesting story ends up here with The Happening. It's just not good. I don't even want to spend more time on it than that.