Baby Mama

A cute, funny movie that made me smile. Before I even watched it, I already knew I would find at least one part of it humorous, because I'd seen a clip of Angie's conversation with Carl where she told him the ultrasound picture he'd found looked like a squirrel. Carl's response? "That's because it was a squirrel. It's the only one I could find on the Internet." Luckily, that wasn't the only funny part. I had been a little worried, because movies with Saturday Night Live people in them can tend towards the stupid (A Night at the Roxbury, anyone? OR... just about any movie with Chris Farley in it??) but I should have known that Tina Fey is too smart to make a stupid movie.

Based on the squirrel ultrasound, I already knew prior to watching that Angie was faking her pregnancy with Kate's baby, but I didn't know it would turn out that Angie was actually pregnant the whole time, so that was a nice surprise. However, I saw Kate's pregnancy coming from a mile away... although it made for such a sweet and happy ending that I didn't care.

It's nice to actually like a movie for a change. I was starting to wonder if I've just become so critical that I can't enjoy watching movies anymore. But now I know it wasn't me, it was the movies. Whew!

Quantum of Solace

Rather than bothering to write a new blog entry for this movie, I might as well just have you read my previous entry about Casino Royale. OK, so it wasn't exactly the same movie, but I really have nothing new to say about Quantum of Solace, right down to my disbelief at seeing James Bond in a Ford, which is just so wrong.

I lied. I do have one thing to say about this movie. It was surprising to me that it is a direct sequel to Casino Royale, following Bond's response to Vesper Lynd's death (which centers around revenge). I asked Hud whether this was the first Bond movie treated as a sequel (he knows lots more about Bond movies than I do) and he agreed that it was.

Superbad

I had no idea that this movie goes into American Pie territory. It makes There's Something About Mary look like it took place in a convent. And all I can think is, were the guys really like THAT in high school??? I assume most cops are nothing like the pair portrayed in the movie, so maybe most boys aren't this bad either... but I really don't even want to know.

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

One of the better movies I've watched in a while. It's a pretty riveting crime drama, or what happens when people who aren't criminals try to pull off a heist. (It doesn't work well, by the way). It definitely can't be classified as a "dramedy," as there's absolutely nothing funny about it, although with its basic premise you would think it could have been quite humorous. That's just not the direction it went. I'd say this is one of those movies that "they" would call "gritty."

I must admit that about an hour into the movie I looked at the clock and couldn't believe there was still an hour to go, but I didn't look at the time again between then and the end. I think this one was actually worth cutting into my 8 hours of sleep to watch.

Be warned that right from the very first scene you will realize you don't want to watch this movie with your momma, especially if your momma is anything like my momma.

The Haunted Airman

This is a made-for-TV-movie by the BBC. It really wasn't scary at all, although it was quite weird and somewhat confusing, not the least because it's never absolutely clear when the main character is dreaming, hallucinating, or experiencing real life. Oh, and if you happen to suffer from arachnophobia, you might find it quite a bit more creepy than I did. I mean, I wouldn't want spiders crawling on me any more than the next girl, but seeing them in a movie (this one, at least) isn't about to make me jump and scream. The treatment of this movie did, however, make me interested in reading the book, "The Haunting of Toby Jugg."

The main character (Jugg) is played by Robert Pattinson, who I had seen in Twilight. It was nice to see him in another movie, because judging from Twilight I really couldn't decide whether I thought he was a good or bad actor. His portrayal of Edward Cullen didn't seem to be completely consistent. I think he did very well in this movie; but if nothing else, he is a beautiful boy!

Be Kind Rewind

This was a really stupid movie.

I had originally intended for that to be the extent of my entry, but I find I feel compelled to say more about it.

In his movies, Jack Black is always partly a loser, so that's nothing new. He usually makes up for it by being hilarious, and by having at least a few endearing qualities. However, in this movie he is a complete loser, and also perhaps somewhat insane... and I must have missed the endearing qualities.

Best part of the movie: When Jerry (Jack Black) stood up between the signs that said "Keep" and "Out", mimicking the message Mr. Fletcher had been trying to pass on to Mike (which was, of course, "Keep Jerry out.") You're probably asking yourself, "and she thinks that is the BEsT part of the movie?" Yup, that's what I said. The entire movie was disappointingly un-funny, and was slapped together like one of Mike and Jerry's Sweded videos. There were points during the movie where, judging by the soundtrack, they were trying to convey poignancy or tension, but... it wasn't working. I'm not sure if they were trying and failing, or if they were mocking movies that try to convey poignancy and tension. Either way, it didn't work for me.

I had been hoping that this movie would be hysterical, perhaps even funny enough to usurp the ruling position of "There's Something About Mary" on my Best Comedies Ever list (not the least because that movie is raunchy enough that I'm embarrassed to call it a favorite) but it wasn't even close.

We Are Not Amused.

Princess Protection Program

I don't actually have anything to say about this movie (another Friday Family Movie Night selection) other than the fact that the entire thing screams DISNEY. There is just one reason why I am adding an entry to my blog for this movie, and that is Selena Gomez. She is a really good actress! Very believable as a teenage girl in high school. OK, so I don't know how she would deal with a role that forced her to stretch some, but in all seriousness, she has a very natural manner that keeps you from remembering she's acting. Most Disney divas beat you over the head with their subconscious, "I'm acting!! I'm acting! Look at me act!" throughout their performance. Not Selena. I actually first noticed her skill in an episode of The Wizards of Waverly Place that I was forced to endure. She was the only actor in the show, surrounded by over-actors. (You like that term? I made it up. In case you weren't certain, it refers to actors who over-act. Otherwise known as bad actors). It doesn't hurt that she is also super cute. Or maybe, like my friend Jill might have said long ago, she is cute with a pretty twist. I like her! I am looking forward to seeing what kinds of movies she makes if she ever gets away from Disney.