When the Suite Life used a hotel as a background for the show...it was funny. You could see such random things happening to two kids who lived there and basically had the run of the place. What a paradise for two rowdy mischivious boys. But..time moves on..and suddenly, they are being sent to a "Sea School"...on board a cruise ship of all places. And...wow...not only are they going...so is the stressed out manager, Mr. Mosby..who always seems to the one who suffers the most when things go crazy. The spoiled rich London Tipton is still there. You would think with all of Daddys' Money..she would have been whisked off to an exclusive resort/private school somewhere. She was slightly cute and funny before...but is still the same brain-less diva she was as a younger girl...didn't she learn anything over the years besides shopping 101? They replaced the smart girl with a slightly less intelligent one...a farm girl..who somehow got a scholarship on this floating school...but constantly talks about her little home town..."Kettlecorn". Bailey is suppose to replace Ashley Tinsdale...who must have gotten tired of being a Disney Kid or something. Bailey is OK...nothing special either. She is the exact opposite of London. Yes..we get that part. They added an actual teacher...who seems to teach everything....but the teens are rarely in the classroom. When they are....they are all in the same class...learning the same stuff. Are they all the same age? I thought London was older than the twins..? It is hard to tell how old anyone is really though. The magic of Disney and all. You could be 25 and still be playing a teenager. A couple of new faces are on board too. Woody...who is a big lug who isn't very smart...the fall guy for a lot of stuff too...and the token black kid...Doc...the credits say. I nickname I am hoping. He is suppose to be a performer, entertainer...or something...I am not sure why he is there really. Gone is the singer/mother of the twins. Carey Martin has gotten a big break...and got to dump her kids on this ship to follow her dreams I guess. Once in a while she shows up...just to remind us that the boys do still have a Mom. Wow..great parenting. Arwin...the wacky maintenance man is gone too....we assume he is still attempting to fix and improve things at the Tipton...while he secretly lusts after Carey. He never gets a clue it ain't gonna happen...ever. He makes an appearance on the ship...just briefly...and that was fun. He helped make the hotel show a good one to watch. I do wonder how the writers can continue to come up with interesting adventures for Zake and Cody. How much silliness can you manage on a cruise ship? Why don't they show the boys exploring some port of call somewhere..? If they are suppose to be seeing the world...where is it? It is like a lost cruise...no one gets on...no one gets off. Not very believable. Little kids are bound to ask their parents why this is so. Honestly...the show is one of the better ones on Disney...compared to junk like "Sonny With A Chance" and "Wizards Of Waverly Place". Both of those shows can give you a headache very quickly. What is missing from most of Disney programing is the Disney touch. Where is the magic and family entertainment factor? It is slim to none now for the most part. Disney writers are cranking out carbon copies with every show and television movie they are producing. Not every Disney kid will turn out to be a Miley Cyrus...who can sing and perform without the Mouse being behind her. Force feeding the network with these kids is like trying to over-dose the world with smiling constantly cheerful perfect kids. How phony is that? No thanks.
Reviews
45 Reviews
The Walking Dead
(2010–2022)
Lets; Hear It For Those Shufflin' Zombies....!
8 November 2010
Wow. That is the first word I can think of to quickly describe this series so far. When I first saw it advertised...I was thinking it was just going to be another badly written/overly advertised mess. But..I was so wrong. The storyline is awesome...the characters compelling...you want to know who they are, where they come from, and how they came to be where they are now...in what appears to be a world over-run with the walking dead. It seems realistic...not sci-fi and unbelievable like so many zombie flicks are. The disaster could have been anything and these people would still be worth paying attention to. Why did the survivors manage not to be turned into zombies as the others did? Are they smarter or just lucky? Or...are they doomed to a fate worse than death itself? The part where the redneck was going on and on...offending everyone with his small minded white trash attitude was brilliant. We will see more of this bozo...I am sure...somehow he will get out of those cuffs and cause more chaos...or meet a very gross ending..which is what I am voting for...the zombies can have him. I am guessing that the cops' wife was already fooling around before this all happened...and how lucky for her...now she can play the grieving widow and have fun at the same time...or so she thinks. Will the good people survive or will those with little or no morals prevail? This reminds me of a Stephen King mini series....The Stand...where various individuals somehow survived a deadly virus. They begin to rebuild their lives...in a changed and cruel world. Everything us humans took for granted is gone...as in this storyline. Survival of the fittest or smartest? Who knows. I look forward to the next episode. If it is as good as the last two...it will be awesome. The other networks need to take clear notice of this show....it is creative beyond belief...and anything BUT mainstream television....THANK GOODNESS.
Hawaii Five-0
(2010–2020)
Not Bad.....But Could Be Better
21 October 2010
This has the makings of a great show...but they need better story lines to boost it along. I wasn't sure that I would be interested in a re-made version of a great show I recall from childhood...but I like the actor who is playing McGarrett from other things I have saw him in..and when I saw he was going to be cast in this I thought I would watch. Like so many other remakes...I thought it would truly be a piece of junk..which it wasn't at all. I remember looking forward to seeing the undated version of "Miami Vice"...and was sorry I ever bothered when I did...it just did not have the same flair and style of the original. But...I can say this new show has promise. Scott Cahn is a decent actor..he seems to work well in this case too....as the cop who doesn't quite fit in..but seems to be trying anyway. Changing up a character from male to female seems to work too...but after all...the original did not have any female cops in it at all...being a police detective, etc. was a male oriented thing back then. Times have changed. While it is doubtful that a police chief would have full rein to do as he pleased while wearing a badge is doubtful...it kind of makes sense here...and after all...it is just a script not reality. The last episode had McGarrett in bed with a sexy woman....obviously this is a modern version of more or less the same guy? In older times...sex may have been implied but NEVER really dwelled upon....the censors said NO-NO...not allowed. It was a mainly cop show...from beginning to end. It is still the same show...with modern things added. Maybe the tag-line "Book-em Danno" is going to be used a little too much...it seems like it is...but over all...it is a good show and worth watching.
Bandslam
(2009)
Not Sure About This One...
15 October 2010
Parts of this film were good...and kept you interested in what was coming next...but then part of it was so predictable you could leave the room and still know what was going on when you came back 20 minutes later...as it drags along so slowly. The new kid...Will..moves into town with his rather odd mother...and tries to start fitting in somehow. Right away...he meets two girls...one is a dark brooding emo chick...who is overly serious..about what we aren't too sure...and the other girl is a blonde who is trying to be overly mature for her age with witty comments and attitude to match. She once was a cheerleader...but that was..as she puts it "in another life"....how deep can you get? She has left all the trappings of being a silly high school girl..including a jock boyfriend...(who looks way too old to be in high school to begin with). She is also the lead singer for a band trying really hard to stand out but cannot find a real way to do it...they simply attempt to do covers of rock songs..and do it pretty badly...but...of course..they think they are THE BEST at it. The band is made up an odd assortment of kids...the kind that don't fit into the mainstream...and they plan to win BIG at BANDSLAM...which is THE EVENT of every year. The problem is though...they will be up against another band with more or less the same name....GLORY DOGS...I guess finding an original name was just too hard to do. Will..being the cool kid he really is...(and he doesn't know it...)gets the band to re-think everything...their style, their music..etc..etc...and POOF...they suddenly the PERFECT BAND! While all this is going on...Will is also trying to decide which girl he truly likes the most...and which one truly likes him in return. Neither girl is the "girl next door"...and we wonder what will become of them after high school...when the real world comes knocking. The movie is kind of a coming of age thing...kids trying to find their identities while trying to survive high school at the same time. None of the characters have any real depth...as if what they are doing at that moment is all they ever will do in life. No one will peak any farther than they have already...mundane lives for everyone...with the only highlight being BANDSLAM..which they will talk about over and over to anyone who might listen. The director was trying to cash in on using Vanessa Hudgens...the cute girl from High School Musical...and she tries to do the exact opposite of what she did for Disney...tries a little too much really. And...the other girl is very overly sexy with pouty lips and smoldering facial expressions that are way too old for her to be doing. Both girls are going to attract the attention of men way too old for either of them. Gross. Anyway...it is a decent film....for the most part. I am not sure if it is suppose to be a cutting edge indie type film...or just a film that was made on a low budget. Either way...it is one most teens would enjoy...even though they might not have a clue who David Bowie or Cheap Trick is.
The Back-up Plan
(2010)
Another Predictable One....
11 October 2010
Funny..? Check...Sex appeal offered by both main stars...Check. The writers trying too hard to make you like this film..BIG CHECK. It was SO predictable after the first 20 minutes. Single professional gal decided her life would be more complete with a kid...but..woops...she is not involved with anyone worthwhile create one with...so she heads off to the local sperm bank...and presto..she gets it done. Who needs man..she does not! But..wait...wait..you know it's coming...she meets a NICE guy..right after she does the deed at the doctors' office. Of all the cabs all over NYC she gets into the same one he has chosen. Fate? Accident? Oh wait..this is fiction...so it was planned...LOL. They hit it off...as strangers always do of course...and they begin a relationship..very rapidly actually. She finds out that she is indeed in the family way...woops..will this throw a wrench into the works so the NICE guy runs away? I mean...doesn't EVERTY NICE GUY do the right thing when he finds out the woman he is seeing was already expecting when he met her? Of course he does. He has fallen deeply in love with her...and all kinds of wacky falling in love adventures happen because of it. The cheese scene is way over the top...who wants to roll around in cheese? Imagine the smell? Gross. To me...this was just an easy vehicle for J-Lo to use to get her face back into the mainstream again. After all...it had been a while since she had to prove to the masses that she was a MOVIE STAR as well as a MUSICAL PERFORMER! I guess being married and raising twins had gotten boring. I am a fan of Alex O'Loughin..he was so sexy in "Moonlight" as a vampire/cop...and his new series "Hawaii 5-0" has proved to be a good choice as well. He did seem to have some chemistry with Lopez...but it was clearly her show all the way. She isn't that young anymore...and soon won't be able to play the scatter-brained single chick for much longer....no matter how good she looks. No one wants to see a 50 something play the part of a 25 yr. old....I hope it doesn't come down to that for her. I guess she more or less has her pick of what she does and doesn't do on camera....but this was not the best choice for her. It didn't seem realistic for the most part...even though there were funny moments here and there. It was a film better suited to DVD rental than buying it outright.
Fred: The Movie
(2010 TV Movie)
It Has Its' Moments of Total Hilarity
20 September 2010
After seeing this show advertised endlessly...it finally premieres to the huge delight of the kids in my household. They watched it...recorded it..and have played it over and over...often fast-forwarding the slower parts so they could see the wacky stuff. Wherever they found the guy who portrays "Fred" needs a big pat on the back...as he is a great mixture between a nerd and that guy no one wanted to sit by in the lunchroom in school. He whines, he pouts, he loses control..quite often...making us adults think he needs Ritlain or perhaps a straight jacket. When we see his mother though..we kind of understand why he is the way he is. She is obviously not going to be elected mother of the year at the PTA. We kind of feel sorry for both her and Fred really. But...he has over-coming being treated bad by other kids and keeps trying anyway. His love interest is a very blonde teen with an English accent...who barely acknowledges Fred at all most of the time. I wasn't sure if she was really English or pretending for the part though. She was the prize his heart wanted...and he was determined to get to her...even after she moved across town. Craziness ensues throughout as Fred packs up and travels to where she now resides...somehow expecting her to welcome him with open arms and an open heart. Of course this is a NICK creation...and it goes as most of the NICK shows do. Fred started out as a bit part on ICarly...and was so popular they made this movie. The only thing I can think of that might be a problem is having FRED act so stupid and naive all the time. It kind of like Steve Urkel in "Family Matters"....he was labeled as a nerd in that show and that character followed him long after the show ended. I could see the same thing happening here. If FRED is going to hang around...let him evolve...at least a little bit....but keep him on the edge of silliness too.
Money Train
(1995)
Just An Average "Buddy" Film....
11 September 2010
Warning: Spoilers
While this film is several years old now, it is still not too bad to watch when it shows up on network TV. At the time it came out, both Woody Harrison and Wesly Snipes were HUGE box office draws..so they put them both together in a film..expecting magic to happen. It wasn't a amazing memorable film though. Fun..yes...parts were kind of laughable. The idea of them being "brothers" of sorts was cool too. They aren't perfect people with perfect lives..the flaws were quite clear..but we like them anyway. Adding Robert Blake was great as well. His tightly wound character looked like he could explode at any moment. It makes us wonder about how warped other parts of his life might be. I did think having Jennifer Lopez on board as a female cop/love interest was a little too much. She was just coming onto the scene as a performer..and it shows here...although not much has improved about her acting skills over the years...she needs to stick with music in my opinion.Did we need to be reminded she was a woman AND of ethnic decent too? The part could have been played by anyone...or simply not been added at all. I guess she was more or less eye candy here. I think my favorite part was the ending...when they had rolled the train..and were confronted by Robert Blakes extremely enraged character in the subway. After all they had been through...they still could stay cool enough to handle in with one swift and direct punch...which he dearly deserved. They end up getting away with the crime..which was wrong..yet..right too. Did they deserve all the money? Maybe. The fact they screwed the system and got away with it? Awesome.
3000 Miles to Graceland
(2001)
Nothing Sweet Or Silly Here....
21 August 2010
I never saw this film on the big screen. I wish I had...as it is made for that size screen. Having 2 big names stars in it was a draw to begin with. Cosner and Russell do excellent jobs as bad men..who do everything outside of the law. Cosner is especially sadistic at times...he has no regard for anyone or anything. Russells' character is a criminal..but seems to have some redeeming qualities about him at times. To mix it up a little..they add a woman...Courtney Cox..to the mix..along with her kid..a rather smart mouth one at that...who may or may not be Russels' son..(it is implied...). So..it is about bad guys who basically want MONEY...and they are going to fight each other to get it. Sharing does not fit into their plans at all...as they travel to Vegas...the land of casinos and Elvis...and of course..MONEY...which is what they plan to get by dressing up as Elvis impersonators..no one will notice that since there is an Elvis convention going on there. It makes for a perfect cover. As the film goes along..we kind of want to root for the underdogs to get away...but we know by now that they probably won't win. The kid sees all of this stuff go down...he is more or less a hostage of sorts. He is getting a huge crash course in being tough and being a grown man. We cannot help but wonder what kind of man he will actually grow up to be in later years. I did like the ending quite a bit...with Coaster being gunned down...and Russell getting away via the stolen ambulance...helped by Cox and the kid. Did they live a happy and sweet life with all the stolen money? We kind of want to hope they did. Crime doesn't pay..as this film clearly shows...but maybe it also shows a kind not so bad guy might be able to change his ways when he finds out he has a son and a woman who truly loves him.
The Others
(2001)
Glad I Never Bothered....
15 August 2010
Warning: Spoilers
When this film came out...I thought it might be good..worth seeing at some point..in the theater. I am glad I never wasted my time and money to do so then. It starts off boring..stays boring..and does little to make you want to watch it until the end. It did not take long to realize the main characters were dead..and did not understand what had happened to them. The kids...the boy..is wimpy..and the girl is rather mean and hateful. No wonder..with a mother who seems to have major mood swings at the drop of a hat. The husband...a war hero of sorts..comes home..suddenly..out of the fog...unsure of how he got there...and with the idea the war is still being fought...so he must go back and leave his family again. To live in that gloomy house..surrounded by fog..no wonder he wants to leave. The caretakers of the place...they all seem to know SOMETHING...but none say a word...why? The housekeeper simply does the bidding of the woman..with a grim look on her face..as if she doesn't approve. Why doesn't she speak up? The kids are supposedly sensitive to light...so everything is kept dark..windows covered...she thinks the sunlight will kill them...how does she know that? Who told her? A doctor..? Or is it part of her delusions? She seems very uptight and almost manic at times..ranting and raving...which would have been the perfect time for someone to tell her the truth. Apparently..her husband was killed in the war...and she lost her mind because of it...killed her children and the people who worked for her...and then herself....or she was loony all along and that sent her over the edge? The mansion sits far from anything...it seems...no one comes...no one we see anyway...but when the curtains disappear...we know someone or something has taken them down...ghosts we are thinking..? Someone trying to kill her children...the woman is thinking. I never did get the idea of why the woman kept all the keys to everything. Every room had to be kept locked...another of her delusions? If she was so fearful of the place...why didn't she gather her children and leave? Fog or no fog? Any good mother would have gone for help or something of the sort. She gets a gun and attempts to shoot...another hint at what she might have done at one time to the living? I wanted to like this film...and I am not a big Nicole Kidman fan at all..but after I figured out the plot..it was no longer interesting. They called the unseen people "The intruders"...and it scares the children. Who would scare children like that? If they have to spend eternity being afraid because of things their mother did..it seems wrong. The séance scene finally lets you in on what is going on...duh...we knew that already. What people would hold a séance to find out of the place was truly haunted before they decided to buy it? Weird. The place will continue to stay empty..because as Nicole Kidman says in the end "no one can make us leave this house". It reminded me of another haunted house type story.."Rose Red" by Stephen King...which made a much better movie. Watch that instead...I think you will enjoy it a lot more.
But I'm a Cheerleader
(1999)
Such Satire,...and Such Fun,,,,at the Same Time...
15 August 2010
You can almost see this as really happening somewhere in the country. The poor girl...a cheerleader...is suspected of being a lesbian by her parents...gasp! So they have an intervention and send her off to a camp to turn her straight. It is slightly over the top...campy and off-beat. The characters are all kind of weird...entire movie has that John Walters/Tim Burton feel to it. The thing is...there are people like this in real life...they think someone who is gay or lesbian can be "cured"...with therapy and group sessions. They want the poor girl to conform to what the rest of the world thinks is right...so she will fit in and so her parents won't be ashamed to show their faces in the neighborhood. It is more than just campy movie...it is statement about how society views many things...and judges them as right or wrong. This could be about gender, race, creed or what flavor of ice cream is the right one...the message is...if you don't fit in...you need help. Those helping you might need help of some type more than you do...but that isn't the point...right? Follow the rules...follow the crowd...fit into the right mold. The place is called "True Directions"..but every direction they give in this film is the wrong one. Take it for what it is and if you like off beat stuff...you probably will enjoy this too.
The Roost
(2005)
A Throwback to Horror Junk of the 70s?
31 July 2010
This is such a typical "bad" attempt at making a horror film. The usual storyline: a group of random friends on a trip somewhere who take the wrong road, get lost, etc..etc...and find HORROR instead of a way back to the highway and anyone even remotely normal to help them. All of these people are hapless individuals who probably are fine in their regular lives...but put them in a rural setting...in the dark..with nothing..and OMG..they cannot function...alone or as a group. They spend endless amounts of time looking scared/confused/lost...and stupid in almost every scene. We should go..we should stay...OMG...what do we do NOW? And...they talk about it all the time...trying to make plans to do SOMETHING. If they go outside...SOMETHING will get them...in this case vampire bats are doing the terrorizing. Of course...they don't all stay together..one or two have to wander off...go look for help...get the car...they never should have left in the first place...blah, blah, blah. They know they made a mistake...and now...well..they have to deal with it...as one by one...they probably are all going to meet a gross and untimely death in some way. Tbe scenes are of poor quality..the lighting is bad...the reactions of the actors are even worse most of the time...over-acting is at the top of the list here. We don't cheer for any heroes...or find anything worth saving here as this film goes on and on and on. Yawn. If you played this one at an all night horror film festival...everyone would be asleep before the night even got started. Save the popcorn for something worthy...cos this one isn't even good enough to be found in a bargain bin at the dollar store.
Leverage
(2008–2012)
Not Sure If It Was Good....
28 July 2010
The first few times I saw commecials for this show, I wasn't too interested. I like Timothy Hutton...he is a talented and experienced actor..so I decided to give it another chance. I am glad I did...because now...after watching a few episodes..I find myself looking forward seeing more. Is it possible that the writers actually took the time to create something besides mindless garbage for a change? Wow. That in its' self is amazing. While so many networks are choosing to dump "reality" everything on the viewers...it is refreshing to know there are still creative and inventive writers, directors and producers out there in Hollywood. I hope this show has a long run on TV. As with so many shows we get into and enjoy..you just never know when the big shots upstairs will decide to cancel something because they want the "next big thing" on their schedule first to boost ratings. Leave "Leverage" alone. It is GOOD show.
The Little Rascals
(1994)
Kids Will Always Like This...
24 July 2010
A friend of mine has a son...who when he was little...looked exactly like Bug Hall..who plays "Alfalfa" in the film. She laughed herself silly watching it..and invited me over to see it as well. As someone who loved the old original "Our Gang" shorts...I was happy to go watch this. I thought it was funny, cute and very entertaining. Yes..it was silly as well..but it was about kids doing kid things. Granted..in a modern setting..kids doing these mischievous things would have been in major trouble with any adult that might have been passing by. Parents would have been notified...police called..well, you know the rest. However..there were very few parents in evidence anywhere during most of the scenes. Kids allowed to roam all over town alone? It just was not safe really...but in the "Our Gang" films it was O-Tay...bad guys simply did not exist as they do today. I imagine getting these little kids to do as the director wanted was not easy. Distractions would be everywhere on a movie set. I know in the originals they would say and do mean things to the kids to get them to cry on cue...that was long before there were rules and laws against it. In this..most of the kids looked like they were having fun. Hopefully, they were. Funny this is..none of this kids probably ever heard or saw any of the stuff the original kids did way back when until this film came into being. The casting was really good...especially "Spanky" and "Alfalfa"...they fit just right. Adding cameos with Donald Trump and Woopie Goldburg could have been left out...I wasn't quite sure why they were necessary here. It is a feel-good movie that I believe all kids will enjoy at least once..and when they have kids someday...they will like it too. I hope they do not do any re-makes of this film. It was kind of a homage to the old shorts...but now it has been done...so leave them alone. :)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
(1992)
Campy and So Cheesy...at the same time...
24 July 2010
This is just pure nonsense entertainment. There is no moral to this story..there is no deep seated lesson being learned by the main characters..except maybe for Buffy herself..who learns to be less of a shallow snobby cheerleader after discovering she is a slayer. Considering when this film was made...it fits with the times...but there are teens today who will watch it and get into too. I recall everyone being amazed at seeing "Dylan" from "90120" in a real movie. Opposites attract..and Buffy and Pike are very different...in every way. As the movie moves along..Buffy seems to mature in attitude and realizes her friends are basically brainless idiots. They cannot see the BIGGER picture...but she now CAN..thanks in part to the training she is receiving from Merrick...aka Donald Sutherland. Seeing such a top notch actor in a film like this was a little surprising really. Maybe he liked the script when he read it. I do know..after reading about the film...that a lot was left out...some of the more gruesome details being one. It was suppose to be a dark movie...but became a campy one instead. If the film was made today..in 2010...Merricks' character would be considered very creepy...even perverted..since he was almost stalking Buffy by following her around. I did think it was odd that even though so many people in the film were disappearing without a clue...yet no one seemed too concerned..even the adults that were briefly shown here and there. Like most teen films..the ones here don't have a clue about anything the kids are doing. The principal of the school was a hoot...thinking he was in touch with the kids..when he was anything but cool. Stephen Root is so good at playing these kids of characters...his "Milton" in "Office Space" is priceless acting. I would say this is a movie about girl power..and she does kick ass..but still manages to stay girly. Rugar Hauser did an OK job of being the head vampire...I guess they didn't want too deep of a performance...the character was quite full of himself...almost vain. Seeing Pee Wee Herman in this was funny too...it was difficult to think of him as a vicious killer who drank blood..without something goofy coming out of his mouth. The best part of the movie...to me...is the dance at the end. Buffy finally makes her OWN decisions for herself...wears the boots with the dress and goes with Pike..she isn't quite ready to let go of being a high school girl yet..but will be the chosen one..in her own way. I didn't care much for the television series..it was too different from the film...there is little to compare the two. See the original film to get the real effect. Enjoy.
The Malibu Bikini Shop
(1986)
Ah,,,,The Junk Films Of The 80s....
21 July 2010
Of course this was shown on a free "Showtime" channel. Who would spend any $$ on it as a rental? Even when it was a new film...back in the 80s..did it last long in the theaters? I am fairly sure it didn't. First of all..the two guys...brothers..look nothing alike..but then I guess that was on purpose somehow because they are SUPPOSE to be polar opposites of each other? The smart business one seems lame when it comes to doing anything unless it is business related..and he shows up to help his beach bum type brother with handling a late aunts' final wishes. She died and left them everything..a huge house on the beach and a surf shop that seems to be well stocked but lacking in customers most of the time. The girls who work there are all seen in some kind of beachwear...ugly bathing suits that were in style then..but still look tacky. What surf shop has its' employees dressed like that anyway? None of the girls looked like they spent much time actually in the sun..maybe they worked 24/7? The funny brothers...who in some way reminded ne of a young Dennis Quaid...had his moments of being funny...but he was a slacker..and yet the girls were all over him..how sexy is a guy who washes up in a sink...and never seems to be really clean? Gross. The girl who played the very immature rich girl the other up-tight guy was engaged to was WAY over the top. What guy in his right mind would want any of THAT MESS? He seemed to nice to be doing it just for a position in her fathers' company. He could not have had the super hots for the daughter either...she was as unsexy as you could get. Woof. Various people wander in and out of scenes...the delivery guy was NOT at all humorous...a character that was a waste of time..he added nothing to even the small scene he was in. The addition of the smart girl..the one who was a college major or some such...seemed OK...and predictable..a match for the smart brother of course...but she seemed too old for the part...as did most of the "young" characters in this stupid thing. The girls all pitch in an make AMAZING bikinis out of random stuff they got..and PRESTO!! Instant fashions!! There is a scene where one of the sales girls dances in a dream-like moment...and well..the dancing was worse than anything I had ever seen. I guess she was the best dancer who applied for the part...which is not saying much. There are bare breast moments with a big breasted girl...who has no idea there is a two way mirror in front of her...wow..hardcore..which is off set by a ugly fat woman doing the same thing...thinking she is sexy and will fit into a tiny bikini. How predictable. The storyline is easy...smart brother falls in love with smart girl at the store...they hook up...and he realizes his fiancé is a dog...meanwhile...the slacker brother is bed hopping and it is a party for him at every turn...But...both brothers learn something..and the movie ends sweetly...after a bunch of ridiculous chaos ensues. A funny movie if you crave bad 80s flicks...but to use it as an example of what went on during that time frame in history...think again. LOL.
The Sorcerer's Apprentice
(2010)
Disney Does It Good
17 July 2010
When I first heard they were making this film, I was like "yawn"...not another "blockbuster" dumped on us with the Disney label on it. But..since I am a Nic Cage fan..I decided to give it a chance...and it was worth it. The film tells the story of rival sorcerers who have been locked in battle forever and the nerdy college kid who finds out he is the chosen one who will become an all powerful sorcerer some day...if he can survive the training and can actually believe in what is happening to and around him that is. There is also a love story that evolves...the quirky dude meets the girl of his dreams...again..after 10 years..is it fate? Or magic? Maybe so. They click despite being different...and it is sweet. We find out that the sorcerers who are battling are doing so because of one thing....LOVE. They fell for the same beautiful sorcerer and it ended their friendship...and they try to destroy each other all over New York City. Nic Cage does an excellent job of being the slightly odd Baltezar..playing off beat characters has always been his speciality and he does it well. It was great to see him in a really good part again. The chase scene through NYC was cool..is there anywhere else to do one? The changing vehicles was a good touch..and the audience in the theater cracked up when the ugly little Pinto came onto the screen...only those who lives in the 1970s would understand that part...a few cheered when the little car got smashed down to junk too...good riddance..LOL. I did think the ending could have been a little bit better...the special effects were good...but you could tell they were just that...special effects...without the magical feel to them. One part I thought they did an excellent job with was the homage they paid to the original "Sorcerers" Apprentence" aka Mickey Mouse...the dancing mops and brooms, etc...was cool. Tampering with a classic like that had to be tricky...even if it was Disney who was doing it. Mickey and Walt would approve.
Wizards of Waverly Place
(2007–2012)
Lots Of Copying Going On Here
14 July 2010
When I first saw an episode of this show, I thought it was funny..but I also thought the main character...AKA Selena Gomez..was a very rude teenager..who apparently just said and did just about anything she pleased..even when her parents forbid it. The family is made up of wizards..except for the Mom..who isn't..but she married the Dad who is. He is trying to teach his kids...all with magic abilities, to be responsible and manage not to use magic they aren't quite skilled at using yet. Of course, they use it anyway...causing all kinds of disasters..but they never seem to learn any lessons from doing it..as they do it over and over. Selena doesn't fit in...and seems to only have one real friend..who dresses in tacky self-made outfits that would look more suitable on Cyndi Lauper than a teenage school girl. The older brother is shown as the "chosen one"..who is suppose to be the main wizard someday...I am not sure why. The younger kid doesn't get much of a storyline...he just has one liners and seems to just hang around, eat and sometimes annoys everyone. Random characters are shown from time to time...(the vampire girlfriend for the older son, Justin is an example of that)..but there are few that stay and become part of the entourage. I wondered if these people/wizards had ANY friends or people who come to visit, etc. It didn't seem like that happens at all. Ms. Gomez is clearly labelled to be the "next HUGE Disney star"...and also has a singing career outside of this show...(all Disney kids apparently are required to do a music video at some point). While she is very cute...I fail to see her doing anything major outside of the stuff Disney shoves her into. Disney is in the business of making money..which comes first over truly entertaining us with amazing entertainment like Disney once did years ago. Kids and teens laugh at this stuff, buy all the junk generated by these shows and drive their parents insane while doing it. When Disney finally does some original stuff again..it might finally produce some memorable shows and movies. This..however is not one of those at all.
Sonny with a Chance
(2009–2011)
Was This Show Necessary?
13 July 2010
I have seen most of the shows on NICK and Disney channels...and all are geared toward kids...mostly of the pre teen and teen age groups. No problem there. In years past, there was Kenan & Kel and All That for kids and their families to enjoy. Those kids grew up..and have been replaced by Hannna Montana, Raven and now Sonny With A Chance. I get that Sonny is out of her element and learning to deal with new people in a new place, etc...but must all the episodes be SO STUPID? The acting is mediocre at best..the laughs seem forces and predictable as well. It is a clash of personalities between Sonny and Tawny...and then there is the addition of Sterling Knight...as the ego-filled actor who seems too shallow minded for words. As usual, the adults..who are rarely shown for long, are outrageous and fairly useless when they are on camera. This is suppose to be about a show within a show..yet even THAT pretend show seems lame. If anyone out there remembers All That when it was THE SHOW for kids...they will quickly know this is a badly made copy of that. Where is original stuff? Stop using old ideas.
Big Time Rush
(2009–2013)
Big Time Has Already Been Done...
13 July 2010
Obviously, anyone who was a kid or teen in the 70s will recognize this show...it is basically "The Monkees" redone for this generation. The guys...cute as they are...are trying to become famous..want to be serious performers and not screw up...but of course they do...ALL THE TIME! I have only seen and heard them a few times...thanks to the kids in my household....but I honestly think if you see one episode, you can figure out the plots for the next ones...they are all going to be basically the same...with a few extra things and or characters thrown in to mix it up a little. I know...it is NICK...and NICK like Disney in in the business of cranking out junk and then over promoting it ad nauseum. I know NICK was developed just for this reason...draw the kids in and keep them coming back...over and over...but Disney no longer is what Walt Disney entended it to be when he first opened Disneyland and Disneyworld. There is little original stuff coming out of that gate...including the actors and actresses they find and promote. All are fresh young faces, of course..but the seem to lack the real magic others from the past did. I doubt the memories of todays' kids will be as special as the ones kids have from watching the Disney of yesterday. That is kind of sad in a way. As for if any of these young stars remain stars after Disney and Nick days pass by...time will tell.
The Bachelorette
(2003– )
Can It Ever Stop?
12 July 2010
How many more "reality" shows are going to be churned out by the studios before someone says "STOP!!"...? They simply go on and on..and become more ridiculous as they go on. The concept of a single person actually finding true love this way is slim to none. Of course there are going to be major attractions between contestants...after all..aren't these people perfect? And aren't they going to seek out the same perfection in a mate? Probably so. Forget there is an audience, lights and cameras and strangers all around...watching you. Kind of a voyerlistic if you think about it. It makes you wonder why these perfect humans have not found real and solid relationships already at some point. No doubt it gives the men on the show a huge ego boost to have a woman gushing over them while they go on all kinds of wonderful and memorable "dates"...and the woman is placed on a pedestal because all those guys WANT HER to pick THEM!! They get to have all expenses paid for vacations in romantic places...way out of the realm of what most single people do on date night. This isn't reality...it is a well thought out design by writers, directors and producers...to boost ratings and give the tabloids something to get excited about. After the lights and cameras go away...what is left? Oh yeah....people who got rejected for the most part. Why can't there be actual creative stuff being presented to the viewers out there? This junk is a waste of time.
Texas Rangers
(2001)
Not Too Bad...But....Lacking
12 July 2010
I never heard of this film before seeing it listed on Showtime. I thought it was a fairly decent film...even when I saw "Dawson" and then "Kelso" come on the screen. Nevermind Usher being there too. I thought..Oh great...this will be so lame. Not so. It could have had less scenes where the good guys were riding hell-bent for leather across the plains...it was shown over and over..I wondered if the same areas were used for each of those scenes? It was some what predictable most of the time too...of course you knew the Mexican girl wasn't dead...the attraction between her and Lincoln was too obvious for her to die so soon. I was surprised that Aston could do serious acting..his stint as Kelso seemed to be the extent of his screen talents in my opinion...sorry..he isn't a big deal to me as far as Hollywood "stars" go. Being married to Demi means na-da..big deal. Anyway...I liked it..enjoyed it...and wished it had been a stronger movie all around. The characters needed more depth..we needed to know when, why and how they came to all be where they were. The director, producer and others cashed in on the two main stars being so hot at the moment when this film was made. With a little more effort it could have been a HUGE film...which I think it should have been. Instead..it ended up on a video store shelve somewhere and of course..offered for free on channels like SHOWTIME. Pity. I would have paid to see it on the big screen if it had been showcased as a blockbuster.
All My Children
(1970–2011)
A Long Time Viewer...But...
6 July 2010
I am not sure when I started watching AMC...but I believe it was when an aunt came down to spend a summer with me..she watched several...but it is AMC that I recall most. Of course Erica Kane was the star..always..and the other characters were for the most part great to watch as well. Fast forward several years to present day: Erica is still the DIVA she always has been..although I do wish Jack and her would FINALLY have their wedding..it has been too long already. I miss Palmer and Adam..another era has ended there perhaps. I wish Julie Bar would return as Brooke full time too. But..please someone tell me WHY they thought the actress who is playing Annie was right for the part? She is NOT sexy enough to pull of the sceming gold digger in my opinion. Giving JR a rather plain and sweet wife as they did seems too unbelievable too...he is a rich spoiled man...there is no way it would happen. Whenever they change actors always seems to change the dynamics too...especially when we have gotten used to the actor who originated the part. The addition of the guy who is playing Caleb is unnecessary too..he is attracted to Erica..even though they seem to have a love/hate thing going on at the moment...but come on..he is an angry,rude guy...not at all sexy...unless you like this type. Jack is way SEXIER in every way. The new Bianca is going to take a while to get used to as well...the new girl is cute..but doesn't quite fit yet. She is too goody goody...more so than the original was. The bottom line is that I won't stop watching the show..I just wish the writers would try a little harder to make it a "must watch" show.
Starsky & Hutch
(2004)
Stop With The Undated Remakes...
4 July 2010
Starsky % Hutch was a COOL show in the 70s. It was..for the times...cutting edge. Two detectives who weren't afraid to take chances to get the bad guys off the streets..even if they had to bend the rules a little to do it. Add a car that turned heads...The "red striped tomato" as it was called...a Gran Torino...and WOW..this was THE show to tune into. Guys watched it for the action...girls watched it for the sexy stars of the moment...David Soul and Paul Michael Glaser. It was a far cry from the standard cop drama stuff...and what cop is friends with a dude names "Huggy Bear"? Who was an informant..a pimp...and well..he knew a lot about things going down on the streets. OK..so now they decide to update the show...it has become hip to bring back retro things...here we go. The casting of the main characters with Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson just did NOT work. They slightly resembled the original guys...but that is about where the similarities end. They tried...they really did...but neither could pull it off. I also always have liked Vince Vaughn in most of his films...and in this one..he was so-so...just playing a ridiculous character who is the bad guy. Un huh..I didn't buy it. Julia Lewis did not work as his sexy girlfriend either...she kind of faded into the background. I will admit the car...THAT car...well...they got THAT right...thank goodness. After all..that car MADE that show famous for the most part. Those who are familiar with the TV show might enjoy this...but those who lived in the 70s might also be offended...are they poking fun at that era with this movie? Kind of. I liked seeing the original guys show up at the end...it tied the old with the new...too bad they did not show up earlier...it would have been interesting...and probably funny too.
Nobody's Baby
(2001)
Taken By Surprise
4 July 2010
After watching this film..and finding that it came out in 2001...I wondered why I had never heard of it before now. The casting seemed just right and the storyline was as well. Garu Oldman never disappoints in any film he is in..he is one of the best actors in Hollywood. Skee Ulrich is underrated and deserves far more exposure than he has gotten. Over all...the writing done on this is outstanding...it told a story without stupid garbage being included. These characters are flawed...and are not perfect...just as people in real life are. There was just enough craziness put in to make you pay attention and not get bored...which is something too many films seem to do. Do not pass this movie up at the video store or on the movie channels..in favor of some predictable junk...you will not be disappointed.
Sex and the City 2
(2010)
Just Say NO...
4 July 2010
When I heard they had made a Sex In The City film..I thought.."cool"..even though I wasn't an avid fan of the show. I caught a few episodes now and then..and usually enjoyed them. Of course...some of the story lines were slightly lame and after a while..it was easy to get tired of the characters. Sno why did they think it was necessary to make a sequel to the first one? Sure...I know there are major fans out there who want to BE Carrie Bradshaw and company...the lifestyles seem amazing!! But come on...do intelligent,accomplished career women actually act like these women? I would hope not. What firm or business would tolerate them being around...imagine the rumors. The insecurities of each of them were too extreme as well...none seemed capable of meeting a decent guy or establishing a lasting relationship. Mr. Big...who we all know is Carries' man...never seemed to care he was leading her on...and well...she let him..dropping everything whenever he showed up. What a pig...despite his money and good looks. Does being a career woman...a successful one mean you also drink too much worry about designer clothes and shoes? Sounds unappealing to me. Sending a message to women that is you are successful you will have to be like one of these ladies is ridiculous. I hope there is not a 3rd sequel planned..that would be a waste of time.
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