Movies I Loved in 2014

Hello and here comes another list.

This year I went to the movies a lot and I watched some seriously awesome movies that made me so very happy, so here is my list of the best of the year, plus a few trailers!

The Pretty One and What If?

Genre: Rom Com, for the most part. 

I loved both of these movies, which starred Zoe Kazan and Jake Johnson, and Zoe Kazan and Daniel Radcliffe respectively. 

The Pretty One starts with two identical twin sisters who couldn't be more different but love each other fiercely, one of them is super outgoing and glamorous, while the other is stuck in their home town wearing their mom's old clothes and tending to their father. When they get into an accident together, everyone thinks Laurel (the shy one) is the one who dies, when actually was Audrey (the pretty one of the title), so Laurel takes her place and discovers there was plenty she didn't know about her sister. 

What If? is a friends to lovers kind of deal, and I loved that the characters took the time to get to know each other, it's pretty obvious that they are attracted to each other from the start (though they are both in denial) yet they really do become good friends and respect each other's relationships as they were. It was sweet and I totally bought Dan Radcliffe as a romantic lead, who would have thought Harry Potter had actual game?

Big Hero 6, Penguins of Madagascar and How to Train Your Dragon 2 

Genre: Comedy, Animation

I was sitting here trying to figure out what these, my favorite animation movies of the year had in common, and I realized they are all about family, and the many incarnations of it. Plus they were all really funny movies with surprising turns of drama and, in some of them, tragedy. All three movies gave me big warm fuzzies by the end though and I can't recommend them enough. 

If I Stay

Genre: Book Adaptation, Drama, Young Adult

It's no secret that I ADORE this book (though I probably love Where She Went even more) and I think the movie did an great job of capturing all the things that broke my heart wide open when I was reading the book and translating them to the screen. Yes, there were some changes but I didn't mind any of them. Also this is how you make me cry with a movie: you show me the characters and what matters to them, and then let me crumble all on my own when the bad stuff happens... you don't just throw cancer at me and expect me to care *cough*Fault in Out Stars *cough* while I can see and resent the strings you are trying to use to pull at my emotions. 

100 Feet Journey

Genre: Drama, Romance, Foreign-ish 

This movie was so adorable!!! It had food and romance and family and was just such a lovely story about a young indian chef and how he's captivated by French cuisine when his father decides to relocate to France and open a restaurant there after a big tragedy strikes their family - the movie never turns dark and sad, by the way. Absolutely loved it. 

Guardians of the Galaxy, Dawn of Planet of the Apes and Edge of Tomorrow

Genre: Action, Comedy (Guardians), Drama (Edge of Tomorrow and Planet of the Apes)

I group these three together because of me they are made of similar stuff, these three movies thrilled me and made me enjoy the popcorn experience in the theater. Guardians was super funny, I appreciated shirtless Chris Pratt for the first time EVER and I LOVE Rocket and Groot. 

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes was so fast paced and exiting, I loved humans and apes alike (and hated some apes too). 

Lastly Edge of Tomorrow fulfilled so many of my manga/anime loving heart fantasies. I loved the story and how it played out. Probably my favorite Tom Cruise movie since A Few Good Men, he plays the sleazy, kind of cowardly thing so well (yet I didn't hate him) and actually shows some range as he's character changes through out the course of the story. and Emily Blunt, I loved her, probably my favorite female performance of the year. 

The Invisible War

Genre: Documentary. 

The Invisible War was an amazing and brave film about sexual assault and abuse in the US military, it was hard to watch at times, slow in some places but very eye opening. It's not a fun documentary but very worthwhile. 

ListManiac: Top 5 Favorite Movies of 2013

Yes, I forgot I had a graphic for these things. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!! Also, as promised, here I bring you another list about my favorite movies of the year!!

#5: Thor: The Dark World.

I saw the first Thor movie and I thought it was okay, I hadn't bothered myself much with the Marvel universe before The Avengers to be honest, but post Avengers you get I went to see Thor. And I loved it, it was fast paced, fun and it had Loki - Enough said!

#4: Monsters University

I was never a fan of Monsters Inc - until Planes, I thought it was the worse movie Pixar had ever put out, but I really likes MU, it was basically a college comedy without the lewdness and all that stuff I don't like about college humor. I loved seeing Mike and Sully as teenagers. And you have to admit that that kindergarden-aged Mike W was one of the cutest things ever. 

#3 Elysium

I wasn't interested in Elysium when I first saw the trailers, not at all, but when I heard it was by the same director as District 9 I knew I had to see it. It was smart, action packed movie with a message to deliver and a story to tell. Definitely recommend this one. I think it said more about immigration reform than any politician this year, and it did it better. 

#2 Frozen

And yes, I mean the original version with the voices of Idina Menzel and Kristen Bell. I usually prefer the dubbed to Spanish versions (because our voice actors are wicked funny) but this time there was nothing that could match the original songs or the powerful vocal performance by everyone in the cast. Loved the songs, loved Olaf, loved Sven and I have a bit of a crush on Kristoff. Best part though? that this was a princess fairy tale that I can totally get behind, about the different strengths that two sisters have, and the love they have for each other. 

#1 Pacific Rim

I totally raved about this movie and I pimped out whenever I could. I just loved it that much. It was funny and fast paced and basically just robots punching monsters in the face. And it was Awesome. I don't generally like Del Toro's movies, but Pacific Rim is one that I'm going to keep watching for a long, long time. 

So, that's my top 5, what about yours?

Next up: Favorite books of 2013.

Added later: I totally forgot to mention 3 movies that I really liked but I didn't see in theaters.
First, the best documentary I saw this year, Blackfish - which uses the tale of Tilikum, one of the orcas being kept by SeaWord, to make an industry-wide commentary on why keeping orcas and other sea mammals as amusement park attractions is not good, yet is not preachy, just states the facts as it knows them.

And Second, What Maisie Knew - this has to be my favorite remake/adaptation of a book I saw this year. Maisie is a five year old caught in the middle of her parents' divorce - who use her as a bargaining  chip though they love her in their own selfish ways - and finds refuge and love in their respective new spouses.

Lastly, the best made for TV movie I saw this year goes to: How to Fall in Love. It actually came out last year, but I didn't see it until this one when I was binge watching tv movies. It's the story of a former nerd called Harold who ends up hiring the Annie, the girl he had a crush on in high school, as a dating coach. So fun, so sweet, probably the best romantic comedy I saw all year.

At the Movies: Thor - the Dark World

After my second viewing of Thor: The Dark World (which will be quickly followed by my third, tomorrow) (yes, I love it that much), I feel ready to write a review about it. 

To start with, this is very much a sequel and and I don't recommend skipping Thor 1 or The Avengers, because you'll be depriving yourself of a lot of the scope of the movie if you do. 

It picks up relatively soon after the events of the Avengers with Loki being brought back to Asgard and Thor working to bring peace to the Nine Realms after the destruction and troubles his brother left in his wake. 

It might have been two years since he last saw Jane, but he hasn't forgotten her and he still cares very much about her. Meanwhile,  Jane is on Earth, trying to move on but still looking for Thor, which makes her come in contact with something quite dangerous, something that Asgard's enemies - The Dark Elves - want to get their hands on, prompting Thor to come back for her and protect her. 

This starts a chain of events that lead to an incredibly fun movie. 

I'm not going to spoil it of course, I'm not that mean, but there are 2 pivotal points in the story, one that changes Thor and Loki's journey, and another that does something JJ Abrams with his stupid Mystery Box approach to making movies wishes he could pull off: A Plot Twist that totally changes your perception of the movie, right at the end. And it has a great pace. 

I loved the movie, honestly, is so much fun. I loved Loki and Darcy particularly, as they made me laugh almost every time they were in any scene. I think Darcy is my favorite regular-human in this universe honestly. 

Anyway, as I said, totally loved the movie and Thor is shaping up to being my favorite avenger - or at least tied in first with Tony Stark - and that's saying something because, growing up I hated watching the Thor cartoon, it was the second most boring thing on TV after the Captain America cartoon, which was on a league of its own. 

Go see this movie for the fun of it, it's not perfect, but it's awesome and you will love it! And, as always, STAY through the credits!! there are TWO bonus scenes, and one comes  after ALL the credits have rolled up!!!. 

And yes, it's getting a Kissy Bear: 

Grade: A 

At the Movies: Pacific Rim (Finally!!)

Okay, first off, I'm still alive, just very very busy with work. But work = money for books, and movie tickets and tennis balls for my 9 yo puppy (and food and other non-essentials like that). So, work it is!

Anyway, onto: PACIFIC RIM!!!!!!

I'm going to do this review a little different and just gush about it and fangirl like crazy, OK?OK!

Pacific Rim was awesome. I went to see it with four different people (3 the first time, one the second) and we all found stuff to like, even my dad and he so does not do summer movies, he hasn't liked one since Independence Day (before that it was Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope).

The story is fairly simple. One day these big-ass monsters called Kaijus started coming out from the Pacific Ocean, and the first couple of times they thought it was just a one-off, but then everyone realized that wasn't the case, and the whole world came together to build this big-ass robots called Jaegers, and suddenly humanity started winning the war on the Kaijus... but a few years later the tables turn and humanity started to loose (all of this happens in the first 10-15 minutes of the movie, btw).

And then the movie starts in earnest, now we are at the end of the war, and Marshall is putting together the last few robots and crews together to run a last ditch effort to close the Kaiju source for good. Enters Raleigh, former pilot (sidelined by a personal tragedy), whom the Marshall contacts to get him back into a Jaeger, problem is... they got to find him a co-pilot, since running a Jaeger is too much for one single nervous system. The more in sync you are with you co-pilot, the better you fight.

And that's it, that's the story. There are no big twists or game changers. 

I LOVED IT FOR IT!!!!!

The movie doesn't over explain, it shows what's going on and trust that the audience will be smart enough to pick up the subtexts and who is who and what they stand for, mainly thanks to characters that are drawn broadly and archetypal enough that you can identify them easily, but with enough unique characteristics to keep them from being cliches and token characters. Yet, they remain cartooney. It's odd to explain but it works. 

Also, the robots and kaijus were awesome. You can see this is a Guillermo del Toro movie in the monsters, definitely, but also in the Jaegers, oddly enough. And let me tell you, the robots were AWESOME!! I grew up watching stuff like Mazinger Z, Voltron, G force and even Astro Boy. I know my Mechas. And Pacific Rim was the Mecha Movie of My Dreams.

They look solid and like, yeah, you can fight a big-ass monster with that, and each is unique and works differently... *happy sigh*, and the design!! It's probably the most awesome design I've seen since Magic Knight Rayearth or Escaflowne, though stylistically it looks closer to the EVAS from Evangelion.

And speaking of Evangelion! Yes, the movie is going to remind you a little of Evangelion but not in a way that's going to piss you off, more like you're in the same stream of consciousness as the people behind the movie. I was skeptic about this at first - the first time I saw the movie I was all "That's a mecha!! That's freaking Evangelion! The hell?!!!!!"; but once the movie starts, you forget all about that.

If anything, I think Pacific Rim has the most in common with Independence Day than with any other movie of recent memory. And it holds up well in a second viewing, I'm even considering going back tomorrow and giving it a bit more of my money :)

Anyway, go see it. It's probably my favorite thing I've seen so far this year, bar none (including Despicable me 2 and Monsters U ).

And yes, it's getting a Kissy Bear: 

Grade: A (Because it was just so much fun)

PS!! I leave you two reviews that I really liked!!  ComicbookGirl19's and MovieBob's , fair warning though, if you start clicking around on their sites, you'll get totes addicted! 

At the Movies: Iron Man 3

Tony Stark is awesome, and no one knows it better than himself. However, he's starting to realize he might not be invulnerable, as he tries hard to protect the one person who loves the most, his girlfriend Pepper. 

And that is before a terrorist called The Mandarin starts wrecking havoc in his life. 

All right, so I just went to see Iron Man 3 and it ROCKS! I love Tony Stark and pretty much everyone in the Iron Man/Avengers continuity and this movie totally gets why people goes to see big super hero movies: to have a good time and eat lots of pop corn and it delivers. 

It's great fun all the way through and you don't have to have seen the previous movies understand what's going on. There are plenty of laughs, a plot that actually says something without punching you on the face with it and it's just insanely fun. 

Unabashedly recommend it!!!

A 

At the Movies: Argo

What can I say? We like our movies in our house so we went to see Argo and I have to say that I really liked it! (even more than the Silver Linings Playbook, which I reviewed last week). 

The story revolves around the Hostage Crisis in Iran during 1980, focusing on the extraction of six people who worked at the US embassy in Tehran and who were kept in hiding by the Canadian Ambassador and his family for months. 

Of course, this is a fictionalized account but it works really well as a movie. The tension is kept through out, and it also has parts where it's quite funny. And I actually loved Ben Affleck in this movie, something that hasn't happened since probably Armageddon, I think he has matured a lot as an actor and as a director. And I found Affleck kind of hot in this movie, I'm not gonna lie. 

I can't help comparing Argo to Zero Dark Thirty - which was also a pretty decent movie that also dealt with a fictionalized account of historical events - and I have to say I liked Argo a lot more. 

ZDT was good, and let's call it 'realistic' and I applaud how matter of fact it was about everything that happend... but as a movie it felt flat a few times, there were chunks of time where nothing was happening, and I understand the why of this, but it is a long movie and by the end you really feel it. 

In contrast, Argo comes out on top in the entertainment value. It just is more enjoyable to watch and easier to get into. The mix of Hollywood shenanigans with a really high stake undercover operation was awesome and it works well and I totally believe it. 

In closing, I get why it won the Oscar; out of all the Oscar movies I saw - and I so almost all the movies nominated- it was the best in my opinion, so I'm giving it an A

At the Movies: The Silver Linings Playbook

Okay so the whole movie mania has struck my house and we have been going to the movies quite a bit in the last few weeks! And one of the movies I saw was Silver Linings Playbook. 

The story follows Patrick - a bipolar guy - as he tries to regain a sense of normalcy after being released from a psychiatric hospital, where he was sent after he assaulted the man his wife was cheating with, his whole motivation is to get back to his wife Nikki and he will do almost anything to make it happen. 

So when he meets Tiffany - a somewhat unstable young woman who recently lost her husband and she claims to be able to get him in contact with Nikki (because her sister Veronica is Nikki's best friend) he agrees to do her a favor in exchange for her help. 

Soon he's spending most of his day with Tiffany and seeing things in a different light. 

I had heard a lot of good things about the movie before I went to see it but I wasn't really expecting much, part of me was even braced to not liking the movie, but it surprised me by how funny and movie it was. 

Do I think it's one of the best movies of the year? not necessarily but, again, it was fun and sweet and I actually enjoyed the time I spent in the movie theater - which is more than I can say of, say, Flight.

It was a quirky romantic comedy and sure I was annoyed of how hung up Patrick was on his ex Nikki, and Tiffany was sometimes just Too Much. But both Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence had plenty of charm and chemistry to keep Tiffany and Patrick from being overly annoying. 

Secondary characters were great too, I really liked Patrick's therapist and Danny, his friend from the hospital that was always trying to escape. The whole subplot with Patrick's dad and his business as a bookie was a bit meh to me but it was okay. 

At the end of the day, I give the movie a solid B and I do see myself re-watching it in the future. 

At the Movies: Christmas With Holly

After being left at the altar, Maggie Conway decides she needs a plan B for her life and eventually decides to move to Friday Harbor - a town she visited often as a child - to open a toy shop and start over, finally doing what she always wanted to do. 

Following the death of his sister, Mark Nagle found himself responsible for his six-year old niece Holly, who hasn't spoken a word since her mother died.

 Unable to make a go of things in Seattle - where Holly and her mom Victoria lived - Mark moves them back to Friday Harbor and into his brother Scott's house (where their brother Alex is currently living as well). 

None of them really knows how to deal with a 6 year old girl, but they try their best, often stumbling in the process. Maggie and Mark keep running into each other around town both because Holly is very drawn to Maggie's store and because they are attracted to each other. 

Okay, sorry for the choppy summary, I know it's not my best work but that really is the basis of Christmas With Holly, which is based on Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor by Lisa Kleypas (A novella that launched her Friday Harbor series). 

While they are several differences between the book and the movie, I found that I liked Christmas with Holly quite a bit. It's a lot more family oriented that the book, and there isn't quite as much romance (and there wasn't THAT much romance in the original book to start with, actually), but it works. The central theme of the book was still there - starting over after life deals you a shitty hand - even if it doesn't go to as dark a place as the book does. 

I liked that the relationship between the Nagle brothers was still complicated, even if it wasn't so dark, they were pretty independent and kind of each did his own thing, up until Holly moved in and made them a family. What I don't get is why they changed their last name from Nolan (from the book) to Nagle (in the movie). 

Bottom line, I think haters are gonna hate and disair of the changes, personally, I didn't mind them, Christmas with Holly was what I expect of a Hallmark movie and it was good. I'll probably even watch it again sometime. So, I give it a C+ and it's not a bad thing, it was a pleasant, sweet movie, perfect to watch at home. 

At the Movies: Pitch Perfect

The Deal: Beca isn't exactly thrilled to start her freshman year at Barden University - where her father works and which she attends for free- she would much rather be in L.A. working toward becoming a D.J. 

But she's stuck at Barden, and eventually agrees to join the a capella singing group The Bellas, even if she doesn't really love the songs they sing. 

Still, the Bellas's leaders Chloe and Aubrey are determined to re-deem themselves after a disappointing performance in the previous year's A Capella National Championships (where Aubrey quite literally lost her cookies), and they put together a motley crew of singing voices. 

My Thoughts: I'm very torn about Pitch Perfect. On one hand I thought it was really funny and I loved almost all the characters, and the singing was pretty awesome. 

I particularly loved Rebel Wilson as Fat Amy, Brittany Snow as Chloe and Anna Camp as Aubrey (she's awesomely neurotic), but I HATED Anna Kendrick as Beca!! She doesn't care about anything or anyone but her dream of becoming a DJ, she's often rude and hurtful toward people who are just trying to be nice to her and I couldn't very well find it within me to like her. 

Also, I understand she was some type of musical genius but I don't understand why Chloe trusts her so fast. I quite frankly couldn't understand why anyone liked Beca, like, at all. 

Other than that, the movie is very funny and if it had had a leading lady a little more likable, I would probably be giving this movie an A. As things are, though, I think is more B- material. 

At the Movies: Frankenweenie

Victor is a quiet kid who much rather spend time inside making movies or playing with his dog Sparky, than being outside with the other kids. He doesn't have many friends but he at least has Sparky. 

When a series of events lead to Sparky's accidental death, Victor is unconsolable, until his new science teacher unknowingly says something that makes Victor think there might be a way to bring Sparky back. 

But what'll happen when the whole town finds out?

Frankenweenie is basically Frankenstein but with a kid and a dog. And I really wanted to like it but sadly this movie and I didn't click. 

There is the esthetics of it, and it's not pretty, it reminds me of the low-budget scary shorts I used to watch when I was little in my country's version of PBS, only a lot more pretentious. 

The story is slow paced with nothing much happening until the very end. The movie wasn't funny or even really scary, it was creepy but not cool. And it's not a movie for kids. I heard at least two children in the theater asking if they could leave already, because it's not the type of movie that capture's kids attention. 

The only part I somewhat liked was Sparky. 

So the movie gets a C- from me. 

At the Movies: Brave

Merida is a young princess who feels more at home riding her horse and shooting arrows than wearing pretty gowns and being 'lady-like'. Her mother, Queen Elinor is always telling her what ladies should and shouldn't be doing, to a point that drives her a little crazy. But, as Merida turns 16, her mother tells her that she's to be married soon to the son of one of the other three clans that make up their kindgom. 

Merida is less than thrilled with this proposition, which leads her to take some very drastic, rash decisions that might affect the fate of just about everyone in her life. 

I know Brave has been out for a while, but I still don't want to give away the big plot points and twists of the story, so sorry for the vagueness of the summary. 

I went to see Brave two weeks ago with my mom and sister and it was quite a lovely experience, because it does speak to that mother-daughter bond. It's also very funny and, while I'll concede it's not exactly Pixar's usual, I still loved it. 

The characters are distinct, the setting and animation simply beautiful. It does have a few minutes toward the middle where the story slows down, but I don't think it demerits the movie. 

I was able to connect with Merida in a way that I'm not always  able to connect with some other princesses. She's 16 and doesn't want a suitor, and I was just like that in my teens, I had more fun being free to do whatever I wanted rather than hanging on a guy, I honestly didn't want a boyfriend at that age and there is a part of me that still doesn't want to have to deal with Other People's drama and crap, so I understand that part of Merida's personality that she wants to do what makes her happy. 

On the other hand, she is a little selfish and has to learn a lot about compromising and listening and that sometimes you have to do things you don't like because it's what needs to be done. And the learning curve is a bit steep, but I liked seeing her grow. 

Oh, and her little brothers - the little terrors - where awesome! I wished there was more of them in the movie. 

The one thing I'm willing to concede to the critics is that Brave is a story that could have been told in a number of other mediums - like traditional animation or even live action - unlike previous works by Pixar. 

All in all, I give this movie a B+

At the Movies: The Mighty Macs

In the 1972, Immaculata College was a small all-girls, Catholic school on the verge of being closed and sold, when Cathy Rush was offered the position of women's basketball coach. 

A former player and married to an NBA referee, Cathy sets out to create a winning team with little resources and only a handful of girls willing to play. 

She slowly gets to know the girls of the team - each with her own troubles -and finds an unexpected ally in Sister Sunday, a young novice who is wondering if she's cut for a nun's life after all. 

Eventually finding the college's team spirit, Cathy, Sister Sunday and the Mighty Macs become a championship team. 

I won this movie from Carrie @ At In the Hammock Book Reviews (you can check her review of the movie here) and I loved it. It's just such a nice, feel good movie. I love sports movies like this - because it's not so much about the sport itself but about becoming a team and a family and all that stuff that sounds corny but it's still fun to watch. 

My sister and I both loved it and we don't usually like the same movies, but we both liked this. 

Also, I need to say that I loved all the shoes and outfits Carla Gugino, who plays Cathy, wore in this movie 'cause they were awesome. 

All in all, I was happy to add The Mighty Macs to my movie collection and I give it a B. 

At the Movies: The Pirates! Band of Misfits

The Pirate Captain might not be the best known pirate of the seven seas, but he has a crew that loves him, Ham Night and Polly, his beloved parrot - even if she's a little fat for a parrot. 

But he also wants to gain the respect of his peers, so he decides to enter the Pirate of the Year Award. Only that, while he does have an spectacular beard and rousing pirate songs, he isn't really all that scary nor does he has the biggest bounty.

And, after being humiliated by other three pirates - all front runners for the Pirate of the Year title -  Pirate Captain decides he's not going down without a fight, and sets out to bet enough bounty to show them he's a great pirate.

Eventually, this quest leads him to meeting Charles Darwin and eventually even tangling with Queen Victoria in a series of strange adventures. 

I found The Pirates! A Band of Misfits to be a cute movie in stop-motion (which I LOVE) by the same people who did Wallace and Gromit and Chicken Run, I found it to be very clean and vibrant in colors and texture, which can be hard to accomplish with stop-motion, but I found this movie to be technically brilliant. 

I loved the cast of mistfits - the Pirate with a Scarf, the Surprisingly Curvaceous Pirate, etc - and Polly the parrot/dodo. And I loved the villain of the story - Queen Victoria. I found the inclusion of Darwin and his butler monkey Bobo to be a little strange sometimes, but Bobo had some of the best 'lines' and laughs. 

Now, if I have a problem with the story is that it felt a bit sluggish at times, and I thought it was a tad long for a kid's movie. though the kids at the theater where I saw it seemed to like it a lot - and they got pretty involved with the fate of the characters - so maybe it was just me.

Over all, I thought it was a fun movie and I give it a B.

At the Movies: The Lorax

Ted Wiggins lives in "Thneed-Ville" a place were everything is artificial and people like it that way, and Ted doesn't really care either way until the day Audrey - the pretty, older girl next door - tells him her biggest dream in life is to see a real, living three. 

Ted sets out to find a real three for Audrey, and the only advice he gets comes from his grandma: to go out of the city's walls and talk to the Once-ler. The Once-lear lives on the wasteland outside the city, and is a bit of a recluse who grumpily agrees to tell Ted what happened to all the threes if he agrees to listen to his story over the course of several visits. 

Ted agrees but his sneaking out of the city catches the attention of Mr. O'Hare, the richest man of the city  who owns a bottled-air company, and who really wants Ted to desists. But Ted doesn't and eventually learns how the Once-ler arrived to a valley full of Truffula Trees and discovers the tufts from these threes are the perfect material for his invention. 

However, his chopping trees doesn't sit well with the valley's dwellers and The Lorax - an orange spirit that speaks for the threes - is summoned. The Lorax is annoying and is out to teach the Once-ler a lesson, but the two reluctantly become friends.

This movie is cute! Very cute in fact, and for the most part I really loved it. It had a good message, the animation was good and I think that even very small kids can understand it. My one problem with it were the musicals... there were about four musicals too many and they just kept chopping the rhythm of the movie, and only two or three of the songs were any good.

Over all, I would give it a B-

At the Movies: My Sassy Girl

Charlie was on his way to visit his aunt - whose son recently died - when he found a young woman leaning over the rails at the subway station, and he rushes to save her life. The young woman's name is Jordan and from that moment on she kind of takes over Charlie's life, dragging him into all sorts of crazy adventures and generally getting him in trouble. even with her father. 

Charlie comes from a middle-class midwestern family and his dream is to get into this big agricultural company that his father has worked for for most of his life, but he keeps getting derailed by Jordan and they start to fall in love - even after Jordan confesses that her fiance recently left her. 

I'm going to stop there because I don't want to give away spoilers. I have such a fond memory of the first time I saw this movie - because it was during a rare visit with my best friend Vi and we saw this movie and we both loved it. 

I liked it because it's a funny, little romantic comedy and it felt like that - I've found that so-called romantic movies of late, are anything both, someone always die or is such a ridiculous struggle for people to get together and half the time I don't buy they are going to stay together; but I totally bought into Jordan and Charlie's story.

Jordan could be a bit much at times but she was fun and I liked this movie over all. It is more the kind of movie you would watch with friends. It's a small, unassuming movie though the story-telling might be contrived at times. By the way, this is based on a Korean movie by the same name.

And I give it a B-

At the Movies: The Hunger Games

Every year, on the day of Reaping, a young man and woman (ages between 12 and 17) from each of the 12 districts that form Panem are taken to the Capitol to participate in the Hunger Games. 24 people go in, and only 1 comes out. 

Katniss Everdeen is 16 and from the 12th District, she's devoted to her sister Prim and hunts in order to provide for her and their mother. On Prim's first day of Reaping, she's chosen as tribute but Katniss ends up volunteering in Prims' place and is taken to the Capitol alongside fellow tribute Peeta Mellark.

The Capitol is a world away from their poor District, and all too soon they are trusted into the Arena, where they have to fight for their survival. 

Okay, that's my bland attempt to summarize the movie without spoiling it, thought I kind of think pretty much everyone has read the book by now - or at least heard enough about it that they know what's what - and the movie is pretty close to the book.

Now, I didn't love The Hunger Games-the book, and I'm sad to say I didn't like the movie, either. The movie is kind of long, but that's fine, the problem is that it FEELS long. It takes bloody forever for the actual games to start and once that happens the movie does pick up, but its grueling to get to that point. 

As I said, the movie follows the book pretty closely, and the few changes made were well done, on that regard I didn't have any issues. But I have to say that I felt like some things were never quite explained. 

Cinna rocked, he's awesome, and I think Lenny Kravitz was great in the part. The girl who played Rue was exactly as I imagined Rue to be, and I liked her as well. Jennifer Lawrence was OK as Katniss but I realized that she just isn't my cup of tea as a character.

Also, why did they let a drunk person hold the camera in some scenes? it was just bleh. 

Personally, I give it a C, and if you're not a fan, wait until is out on DVD. 

At the Movies: Looking for Alibrandi

Josie Alibrandi is an scholarship student at a prestigious All-Girls catholic school where she's finishing Year 12 (a.k.a. Senior Year). An excellent student, she hopes to go to university and study law. Her life is defined in a lot of ways by the two women in her life: her Nonna Katia and her single mom Christina. Her father has never been in the picture, though Josie knows who he is and in which part of Australia he lives. 

Josie is used to being a team with her mother, even though they don't see eye to eye in some regards, but with her Nonna Katia, Josie clashes constantly. An Italian immigrant, Nonna Katia has pretty outdated ideas about the mixing of "Italian" and "Australian" and has a very Us versus Them mentality. Katia's relationship with Christina is also a bit strained, mostly because Katia showed little support to Christina when she got pregnant at sixteen.

And things are about to be shaken up in the Alibrandi household. First, when Josie meets Jacob Coote, who goes to a public school, can make up a speech at the drop of the hat, and is the resident bad-boy of Josie's life. And then, Michael Andretti, Josie's faceless father moves back from Adelaide to Sydney... and lets just say that their first meeting is everything but ideal. There is also John Barton a sensible, nice, smart and rich guy in whom Josie finds something of a kindred spirit. 

Surrounded by her friends, her family and even her school nemesis, Josie is set out to live the year that might very well change and define the rest of her life. 

Looking for Alibrandi is based on the novel by the same name by Melina Marchetta, and though it follows the book pretty closely, it has some deliberate differences that keep it from being exactly alike. However, I'm happy to say that all my favorite parts of the book made it to the movie. 

Alibrandi is a movie that feels very Australian and its a lot of fun. Though nothing can ever compete with one's own imagination, it was easy to see the actors as the characters. I particularly liked Anthony LaPaglia as Michael Andretti. 

I do have to say that sometimes it was hard to understand what Nonna Katia was saying, like at all. And that I found her a bit more likable in the book.

All in all, Looking for Alibrandi is a must see for any Marchetta fan, and a very nice teen movie even if you haven't read the book. I give it a B+

This review is part of Marchetta Madness, hosted by Chachic's Book Nook 

At the Movies: Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Oskar Schell is an awkward and vaguely anti-social kid, who adores his father and loves going around New York City in the adventures and quests his father, Thomas, plans for him.  

But after the September 11 attacks, his life changes completely as his father, Thomas, was in the Towers when it happened and died as a result. Always closer to his father than to his mother, Oskar is left in shock, more afraid than ever.

Then he finds a key in his father's closet and is convinced it's part of one of the quests his father used to send him on, so Oskar becomes obsessed with finding the lock that fits the key, thinking it will bring him answers and closure. 

He designs a plan and gets help from an elderly man renting a room in Oskar's grandmother's house. The Boarder doesn't speak - hasn't for years -but maybe that's why Oskar feels like he can talk to him and tell him his secrets. 

I went to see this movie expecting I would like it, I had heard that it was good, but I'm sad to say I didn't like it.  I found the kid, Oskar - played by Thomas Horn - to be incredibly annoying and I failed at connecting with him 100%. He was just plain unlikable. 

The story itself wasn't bad, and I would have probably cried like a baby had the central character been more likable, because it was pretty heartbreaking and I thought the grown ups were very good playing their parts. 

As it is, I give Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close a C- 

At the Movies: The Artist

In 1927, George Valentin is the biggest film star there is, his silent movies are widely popular and he can't imagine a time where it won't be so. He certainly doesn't believe that 'talking' movies will stick. By chance he meet a young ingenue actress named Peppy Miller, with whom he feels an instant connection - something that his marriage is currently lacking. 

But the moment passes and years go by before they see each other again. In the meantime, George's career takes hit after hit, and when the 1929 depression hits, things deteriorate for him fast, and even his marriage is over, leaving him but with the company of his faithful butler/driver and his dog. On the other hand, Peppy went off to become a huge film star. 

But Peppy has never forgotten George - how kind he was that one time he was an extra in one of his movies, or the chemistry between them - and she's ready to do whatever she can to help him. 

I admit that I went to see The Artist full of skepticism, before I went I even joked with a friend that I couldn't believe I was going to go see a silent movie - I have no trouble with black and white, but silent? - but I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked the movie. 

Jean Dujardin is so charming, and you buy into his character and the lack of words doesn't even bother you, he just has to smile and you're there. Berenice Bejo played her part well, and was pretty likable too. 

Now, the dog totally steals the movie, he was AWESOME. 

Also, one thing this movie made me notice is how important music is, because it was totally what was settling the mood and the pace of the movie and it was beautifully done. 

I give this movie an A-

At the Movies: The Descendants

After a boating accident leaves his wife in a coma, Matt King (George Clooney) has to face a few harsh realities about his life. Like the fact his marriage was a bit in shambles, that his wife was cheating on him and that he doesn't know whom his daughters Alexandra and Scotty have become.

Also, the fact that his wife is never going to wake up and it's time to say goodbye.

Aside from having to decide how to tell this to younger daughter and the rest of his family and friends that his wife is going to die soon, Matt also has to decide the future of a massive plot of land his family has owned for generations, which may bring his family a great deal of money if they sell. 

Not ready to make either decision, Matt distracts himself tracking down the man his wife was having an affair with, with the help of his eldest daughter, Alexandra, and her friend Sid. 

The Descendants was a movie that touched me a great deal not because a lot of things happen but because the few things that do are quietly momentous, the kind that shake you to your foundations and you don't realize it until you're dealing with the consequences. It's a movie about family and grief, and how life goes on even when you think it won't. 

I loved it from start to finish - Matt's opening monologue was awesome. This movie made me cry and laugh and then go to my mom and tell her how awesome it was. 

I give this movie an A. 

Love,