My Review: She's Out Of My League

Review: SHE’S OUT OF MY LEAGUE

Well, it is certainly nice to have a comedy come out that does not have the same cast as 90% of the ones out! SHE’S OUT OF MY LEAGUE is smart and funny without repeating the same jokes that we have heard for the past year, even though it does carry a bit of that Judd Apatow flair that they ripped off a bit.

Kirk (Not our Kirk, Jay Baruchel) works in the field of airport security with his best friends Stainer (T.J. Miller), Jack (Mike Vogel) and Devon (Nate Torrence). He is obsessed with his ex-girlfriend Marnie (Lindsay Sloane), who broke up with him two years prior, but still hangs out with his family, and her new boyfriend. His life is hell. Then one day, a beautiful girl named Molly (Alice Eve) accidentally leaves her phone and Kirk promises to return it to her. When he does, she asks him to a hockey game and he discovers that she likes him. Now he is in a position where he thinks that he is in no way good enough for her, and his friends do not help with that!

Stainer is probably my favorite character in this film. He plays in a Hall and Oates tribute band, and has a dialogue that reminds me of some weird combination of Seth Rogan’s bite and Napoleon Dynamite’s voice. Baruchel has been in a ton of films, including the teen variety, and he plays awkward rather well. He and the actors that play his friends are rather entertaining to watch. Torrence rounds out the friends nicely by playing a love obsessed, clean cut boy who constantly quotes Disney movies.

Eve is a beautiful, funny girl who will make every girl in the audience take a second look in the mirror. She is extremely likeable, with a good head on her shoulders. I really like how they gave her a great sense of humor, so that she makes smart ass comments back, rather than just sitting and looking pretty. Her best friend Patty (Krysten Ritter) is quite the spitfire as well. She and Stainer have a strictly hate/hate relationship.

Is the film predictable?… Yes. Is the film still entertaining?… Yes. Although the story of the underdog getting the girl has been done a million times, the humor in this movie makes it a little less repetitive. Also, it is pretty hard to believe that a girl as beautiful as Molly would be chasing after a guy like Kirk, or any guy for that matter. The film is entertaining, but don’t expect it to top THE HANGOVER in comedy.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5

My Review: Remember Me

Review: REMEMBER ME

Tyler Hawkins (Robert Pattinson) is a screw up to his father (Pierce Brosnan) . He is in college but only to audit classes, he drinks too much, and he has a huge chip on his shoulder. It’s not as if he doesn’t care about anything though. He is incredibly protective of his younger sister, who gets picked on at school for being a bit odd. The two have a very strong bong, especially after the suicide of their eldest brother.

Tyler stands up for what is right, no matter the cost. One night, while out drinking with his best friend, he jumps into a fight to defend a stranger. When the police arrest the innocent man, Tyler speaks up and not only does he get arrested, he gets assaulted by the cop (Chris Cooper). To get back at the cop without getting into more legal trouble, Tyler’s best friend suggests that he date the officers daughter and break her heart. The problem is that he and Ally (Emilie de Ravin) end up falling in love, and together they try to straighten out their crazy parents. Tyler’s father is a wealthy business man who blows off his family for his fast paced job, while Ally’s father is a stressed out cop who has never coped with the death of his wife.

The first things that I had heard about this movie were negative because of Rob Pattinson being cast in the starring role. I have heard plenty of people write this film off without seeing it because “the kid from TWILIGHT” is in it. Let me tell you, that would be a mistake. Pattinson plays a passionate, conflicted young man in this film, and he does it well. The story is not a light one, and leaves the audience in a state of disbelief. He and de Ravin are an attractive young couple in this film, and their chemistry is rather appealing to watch unfold.

The love story is not the biggest draw to this film though. As cute as it is, it is very predictable. A bet is made, boy and girl fall in love, girl find out about the bet and they break up, and then boy wins girl back. The more interesting story is why they are the way they are, and the families behind them. Ruby Jerins, who plays Tyler’s sister, is a delight to watch. Although she is slightly odd, it is very hard not to like her. I think it goes without saying, but that would make for a boring review, but Pierce Brosnan plays a great asshole! He is very good at delivering a performance that really makes the audience despise him.

SPOILER ALERT!

The ending definitely shocked me beyond belief! I figured that with a title like REMEMBER ME , how they kept talking about Tyler’s dead brother, and that his character kept getting himself in dangerous situations that he would end up dying in the end. I did not think that it would happen the way it did. I do believe that is is better to not know how when going into this movie, otherwise you lose the shock value at the end of it. I think they did a really great job of keeping it in until the end, and leaving it up to surprise. They also did it in a way that kept it tasteful, which must have been hard to do.

Overall Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars

Alice in Wonderland

Review: ALICE IN WONDERLAND

“If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn’t. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn’t be. And what it wouldn’t be, it would. You see?”Alice : Alice in Wonderland (1951)

Alice in Wonderland has been one of my favorite tales since I was a little girl. It entwines magic, mystery and life lessons with its colorfully odd world. Being such a big fan, I was skeptical about how good a movie version would be compared to Lewis Carroll’s imaginative book. Having Tim Burton as the director helped to easy my worries a great deal.

WARNING: SPOILERS!

Alice Kingsley (Mia Wasikowska) is a dreamer. She constantly thinks of things that others deem as nonsense, such as staring at birds and wondering what it would be like to fly. She has only one dream from slumber, and that is the reoccurring dream of a wondrous land where animals can speak and cats can smile. On this occasion, her mother has brought her to a party where she is forced to dance with a drab young chap named Hamish (Leo Bill) . She later finds out that it is her surprise engagement party, and when he asks for her hand, she runs! She doesn’t just run for the hills though, she runs after a white rabbit wearing a jacket and carrying a pocket watch. She chases him to a rabbit hole, and while looking down it for the rabbit, she falls inside.

When Alice finally lands from the impossibly long fall, she finds herself in a room that she has been in before. When she finally finds her way out of the room, she is greeted by the White Rabbit (Michael Sheen), Tweedledee and Tweedledum (Matt Lucas), and the Dormouse (Barbara Windsor), who are debating if she is the right Alice or not. They want the Alice who had visited their world years ago. It is only the real Alice that can fulfill the prophecy and defeat the Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter). The Red Queen, accompanied by her Knave of Hearts, Stayne (Crispin Glover), stole the crown from the White Queen (Anne Hathaway), and started to destroy their Underland, which Alice always called Wonderland.

Along Alice’s way, she runs into a great deal of characters that help her along her journey, including the blue caterpillar (Alan Rickman), the Cheshire Cat (Stephen Fry), and the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp). Together, they must deliver Alice to the White Queen so that she may defeat the Jabberwocky (Christopher Lee) and end the treacherous reign of the Red Queen.

This movie was fantastic! I cannot remember a movie that made me grin as much as this one. Wasikowska was stunning as Alice. She was strong, courageous, and spunky in a refined sort of way. Depp as the Mad Hatter was incredible. His Hatter was unlike any character that I have ever seen him play! I don’t think I have ever seen him as crazy, and slightly frightening, as he is in the scene where he is walking with Alice on his shoulder (I believe reciting the Jabberwocky poem). He was charismatic, passionate, and sometimes quite crazed in the eyes. Bonham Carter is always fantastic in villain roles, and I think she hit the nail on the head with this one. Although her character is one that I have seen her play before, it still works. She was complimented by Glover, who I think is sometimes underrated. Anyone who can claim to have fathered Marty McFly is ok in my book!

Tim Burton really did the book justice in this film. Although it is an adaptation, about her return to Wonderland as an older girl, I think that he stayed true to the characters, as well as the central themes in the book. I have several theories on why he made the character of Alice older, and one of them has to deal with a rumor that came about with the original Alice books(Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass), which was that Carroll was a pedophile. (Sidenote: There is no evidence that Carroll was a pedophile!) I don’t think that Burton would have ever been worried of being put in that category, but I do believe that by concentrating on an older Alice, he took away that questionable element and put the focus back on the story.

In the original story there were two queens of the color red. There was the Red Queen and The Queen of Hearts. In this film they are combined as one. This does not take away from the story or jeopardize the integrity of the book, however. They also make a pretty delightful reference in the beginning of the film, where Hamish’s mother makes reference to the roses in her garden. She discovers that the gardeners planted white roses when they were suppose to have planted red ones. The Queen of Hearts is the one who says this in the books, so it is a clever way for them to compare her to the villain.

The effects in this movie were unreal! I saw it in Disney Digital 3-D and I have to say, my mind was blown. The images popped right out at you(as opposed to some of the cheaper 3-D movies), and were carefully placed so that it fit into the story, unlike a lot of films that incorporate odd effects that don’t match up with the story, just to impress the audience. Even if it weren’t in 3-D, the images are still breathtaking. The colors and shapes used to create this magical world could not have been better.

There is only one complaint about the movie, and that is the song in the ending credits. Really? Avril Lavigne? I didn’t even know she was still making music, but apparently someone needs to put a stop to that ASAP! The song lyrics, mixed with her nasal voice were enough to make puppies cry and unicorns to lose their whimsical powers. Still, even her rotten stinker of a song couldn’t put a dent in my fantastic cinematic journey! Thank you Tim Burton for making this a magical, wondrous experience for me!

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

Melissa Gets Hit By The Soul Train

Hey there boys and girls! It’s your good friend Melissa here, with another tale of movie-going horror. This is possibly the most ridiculous one to date. Be sure to stay till the end, because I’m not just bringing this column back, I’m changing it up a bit…

So, a few weeks back I finally went to see “The Hangover” at a local theater. It had already been out for a couple of weeks and it was a weeknight, so I figured that the crowd would be relatively small and pleasant. BOY WAS I WRONG!

I found a spot in the center of the seats, perfectly distanced from the screen, and settled in with my treats. There were only a few people in the theater so I gave a sigh of relief! They were all quietly sitting, minding their own business and waiting for the show to begin. The lights went down and the previews started with no problems. “Man!” I thought to myself, “This is great!”. Rule #1 of movie-going in the present time… You are never in the clear!

As the credits started for the movie and the opening theme music began, two teenagers and their mother snuck into the theater and decided to sit right in front of me. Wait, did I say sit? I meant that they put their stuff down and started dancing like it was a Friday night dance party! Once the credits were done, they settled into their seats and began talking on their phones. When I asked them to please quit distracting from the movie, the mom just scoffed and started mocking me to her children. “Ok”, I thought to myself, “I am not going to put up with this!”

I went outside of the theater and told an usher what was going on. He then informed the manager who came into the theater, warned the disturbing trio, and went back out to the lobby. Well, you’ll never guess what happened next! “Who Let The Dogs Out” happened! As soon as that song started playing, the dance party started again. Booty’s were quaking, “Awwe” ’s and “Git it” ’s were being called out between them, (since dancing has it’s own dumbed down language that is the mutated spawn of a football pep talk and a turrets inspired tick, triggered by anything with a baseline!) and I was furious! Round two involved me storming back into the lobby and speaking to the manager myself. His reaction was to stand inside the theater for five minutes and then walk back out! That only made things worse. The next thing I know, they are running up and down the aisles screaming, talking to each other from across the theater, and having some of the loudest and possibly the least coherent conversations on their phones that I have ever heard!

By the end of the movie I was fuming mad. My anger had been transferred from the ill mannered family to the manger on duty at the theater. I decided that he and I needed to have a talk, and it was not going to be a pleasant one. The conversation started with me describing everything that had happened, and how I was furious that he allowed that kind of behavior go on. He simply informed me that there was nothing he could do about it.

Nothing you can do about it? Aren’t you the manager? Can’t you kick them out or ban them from the premises? If they don’t comply I believe that there is a local enforcement task that will be more than happy to come and save the day! I believe they are called the police. I’m sorry, but there are about a million things that you can do! The manager even admitted that the unruly dancing clan didn’t even have tickets to the movie! ARE YOU SERIOUS!!! You can’t control any of these factors? I am pretty sure that we can find someone in this economy who is more than willing to keep order, do their job, and earn a steady paycheck! I was beyond angry that he had not taken responsibility for the behavior that he allowed, but what was even more frustrating was that he did not even try to offer an apology or a solution. I am never the type to look for a free ride, but I felt that I was owed my money back! When I brought this up he danced around it, claiming that the whole situation was something that I should just expect when coming to a theater and still denying any form of responsibility for allowing disruptive behavior to occur. Um, hello! You allowed MTV’s The Grind to make a comeback in the middle of your theater, I’m out $18 bucks, and I didn’t even get even get Eric Nies as a consolation prize!

An open note to theater owners everywhere,

Hello Movie Theater Owner,

My name is Melissa, and I love movies! I do not, however, appreciate the unruly behavior that is being allowed in a majority of theaters around the country. Please try to keep your theater a pleasant place to visit. If this means a zero tolerance rule to keep the peace then so be it! If there is a disturbance, such as talking, cell phones, or people acting inappropriately, it is not a difficult thing to give a warning to the rude party and move someone from the concession stand, a manager, or even yourself , the owner, into the theater to maintain a pleasant viewing environment and to keep a watchful eye. The number of patrons who attend theaters is on a constant decline because of disruptive behavior and not justbecause of the rising prices. I would personally pay a higher price if I knew that I could enjoy a movie in a quite environment! If someone doesn’t respond to a simple request to be silent and respectful, then it is your job to remove them so that the rest of us can continue to enjoy the show. Once the message is out that your establishment does not allow disturbances, you will have fewer incidents and I guarantee you will gain more movie loving patrons! So, please do your job! Otherwise I am going to blame you when “the movie theater” comes to a bitter end.

A Sincere and Serious Request,

Melissa

And I beg you, fans of film, to have a zero tolerance yourself. Rise up, my movie loving army, for your cinematic enjoyment rights! Do not feel awkward or nervous in asking your neighbor to please be quiet so that you can enjoy the movie! You paid to be there! Your time and/or enjoyment is just as important as theirs! If this does not work, it is your duty to make a polite, yet firm complaint to an employee or manager so that the disturbance is stopped and the rude party is made aware that their behavior will not be tolerated. If the theater or manager still does not respond, then it’s time to write to the owners, or in most cases, the major theater corporation that takes ownership over the theater.

Now, on to the slight change in my article. You have heard my stories, and now I wanna hear yours! Got a crazy real life story from going to a movie theater? Have a question about how to act in a theater, or how to handle a situation? I want to hear from you! Send your stories and questions to melissa@wearemoviegeeks.com and your story or question just might be featured in my column!

So until next time remember, I’ll be watching you!

Melissa

Jennifer's Body

Review: ‘Jennifer’s Body’

Oh, Megan Fox… What’s it like to be every boy and young man’s muse for sexual inspiration? She lives up to that expectation in the new “scamedy” (my new word for scary movies that are comedic whether they mean to be or not) Jennifer’s Body.

Jennifer (Megan Fox) is the hottest girl in Devil’s Kettle, a small town out in the middle of nowhere. She can’t go anywhere or do anything without her best friend since the sandbox Needy (Amanda Seyfried), a quiet, nerdy girl who is in awe of her super salty (pretty) BFF. (Just an FYI, teen slang is ALL OVER this movie!) When Jennifer drags Needy to a local dive bar to see some new band that she found on Myspace, all hell breaks loose. The bar is burned down, turning their night from seedy entertainment pursuit to the fleeing of a fiery deathtrap. The girls get separated when Jennifer decides to get into the bands van and the girls are separated.(LADIES: Never get into a musicians/bands van or tour bus unless you are looking for trouble, or A LOT OF FUN!) When Jennifer finally returns from her excursion, her body seems to have been taken over by demonic powers and she is destined to walk the earth and feed off of souls and flesh for the rest of her days. The only thing is she is still in touch with her personality, she is just also pure evil.

When Needy figures out that her best friend has transformed from chewing up boys and spitting them out, to literally eating boys, she not only confronts her BFF, but now must find a way to stop her before she goes after anyone else, including Needy’s boyfriend Chip (Johnny Simmons).

I was actually surprised by this movie. Sure, it was no award winning thinker, but it served the purpose of entertainment. I think the biggest factor was the fact that they made fun of modern bands trying to make it, especially through social networking. Adam Brody plays the lead singer of a band called Low Shoulder, and he does a great job of playing a mediocre musician who takes himself way to seriously! The soundtrack was like a teenager with ADHD. It jumps from modern bands such as Cute is What We Aim For, Hayley Williams from Paramore, and Panic! at the Disco to older bands such as Screeching Weasel and Hole.

The movie is far from original though. It is almost the doppelganger sister of the movie Ginger Snaps from 2000. In that story, the hotter, cooler sister turns into a monster and feeds off of people, while the nerdy, plain sister tries to figure out a way to stop her from killing anyone else. Hmmm… sounds pretty darn familiar!

I was really surprised by the kissing scene between Seyfried and Fox. With all of the hype that they media gave it, I figured that it would just be a little peck that was blown out of proportion, like it often is. NOPE! This is a pretty sensual kiss that lasts longer than the jaw dropping initial reaction of everyone in the theater. That image will be late night entertainment for a good majority of viewers! It was that hot! Even I would have made out with Megan Fox in this movie!

Fox and Seyfried were a pretty good teenage pair. They played off of each other well, and delivered some pretty fun one liners despite being filled with teenage slang. Let me fill you in on some of the new lingo girl speak… (apparently it’s speak, not talk anymore)

Justice League Of America

In 1960, a group of stealthy super heroes joined together to form one of the baddest gangs on the planet. The justice league, or Justice League America contained the DC trinity of epic super heroes: there was of course the DC trinity of superheroes, Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. Plastic Man, Hawkman, Atom, Black Canary, Plastic Man and the Green Lantern were also some of the man super beings involved. We should also quickly thank this team for inspiring Stan Lee to write the Fantastic Four… the comic… not the movie including a really bad actress who shall remain nameless, but gave us the movie Honey!

Personally, if I lived in munchkin land and had the chance to run around pint size with these legendary heroes, I totally would. Justice League started in 1960, in The Brave and the Bold #28. Since then , it has taken they have made their appearance through the Super Friends animated series from 1973-1986, a live action Justice League America series that never made it to air, and Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, which were their latest projects. In the 1950’s, DC asked Gardner Fox to help them re-introduce some of their older characters to a newer audience. The title quickly went from Justice Society of America to Justice League America, and gained a significant amount of popularity. The original lineup included Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Aquaman, Flash, Green Lantern, and Martian Manhunter, with Atom, Green Arrow and Hawkman to quickly join in. They had their super nifty hideout (as every super hero does) in Happy Harbor, Rhode Island, where their one lackey aka sidekick Snapper Carr use to hang out, often coming along on missions. Anyone else find it odd that super heroes often surround themself with one person who has no powers, and often gets them into even deeper trouble rather than helping out? Is this the same concept as the pretty, popular girl hanging out with the ugly duckling to make herself feel better?

Shortly after they realized that they were too cool for ground club houses, they acquired a satellite hang out. With 12 members that could never have overlapping powers, they were yet again a force to be reckoned with. They did soon let go of their strict 12 member, no duplicate power rule and let others into their elite club-o-powers. Despite new, evolving characters, they decided to go back to basics by the mid to late 90’s. The threats were bigger, but since they had the biggest and best super heroes on the planet back in the league, there was nothing that they couldn’t handle.

Long story shourt, as much as they tried to reinvent the JLA, they never quite got the same charisma as the original lineup. As of right now, other than the animated series and the 1997 made for television epic failure, there has not really been a decent live action portrayal of the super awesome gang. There is a Justice League: Mortal movie in development for 2011, but nothing has been revealed. There is a bit of speculation about the casting of this film, but from what I have read, it hasn’t been anything too exciting. (Adam Brody, Common, and a ton of amateurs that honestly do not look too impressive are rumored to portray the bunch). This is the epitome of super hero idol-ism, and if this isn’t done well, then it will be sure to break the hearts of comic book lovers everywhere. This movie could be AWAZING (awesome and amazing) if done well, and while new actors could be great for this movie, I am not impressed by a single person rumored to be in the upcoming cast. Bottom line, if you are going to attempt this movie, then make it with eyes open and go all out. This is one that cannot be half-assed and still sell tickets just because of the awesome subject matter. So, to the production company… In the words of my brother “If you’re gonna pull your pants down, f@#$! ” In other words, if you are going to do it, FREAKING GO ALL OUT AND DO IT!

Did You Hear About The Morgans?

Review: DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE MORGANS?

Unfortunately, I did hear about the Morgans, and I really wish that I wouldn’t have!

Meryl and Paul Morgan are separated. Meryl (Sarah Jessica Parker) an uptight real estate mogul who cannot seem to forgive Paul (Hugh Grant) Â for cheating in her. After a dinner attempt to get Merly back, Paul decides to walk her to her next appointment. When they get their, they witness that he has just been murdered and catch a glimpse of the killer. The killer, a professional hired by the mob, catches glimpse of them too. After a failed attempt to kill Meryl, the couple must now enter the witness protection program. Until their separate permanent sites are arranged, the couple must move together to a small town in Wyoming, and leave the big city, their businesses, and even their cell phones behind. Oh no! A big city couple moving to a small town… That has NEVER been done before!

Terrible does not even begin to describe this movie. The story was really generic and bland. There was no real life to it. Sarah Jessica Parker and Hugh Grant’s characters made no sense as a couple. Apparently they confused a spark with utter boredom! They weren’t even that out of place with how nice the townspeople were. There was one guy that was slightly unwelcoming. This hardly supports the storyline that they were complete outsiders trying to fit into a new lifestyle. Parker herself was the icing on this over-baked, tasteless cake. All she did was whine. For those of you that do not know, her voice is like nails on a chalkboard when she whines! I have even noticed that they tone her voice down and make her speak softly in those Garnier commercials. Hmmm, wonder why? She also looked like crap. For a big city gal, they didn’t really try to make her look the part. They gave her a horrible dye job, didn’t do her hair, and her make up job made her look sickly. So now, we get shrill AND attractively challenged! Swell…

Hugh Grant played the same part that he has always played, the sarcastic British man who needs to come to his senses. They really didn’t try to make any part of this movie original. Sam Elliot has been in a ton of western movies, such as Tombstone, so he fit the part of the sheriff without really playing a new character. Even Mary Steenburgen, who plays a gun slinging, tough country wife, plays a character pretty similar to Clara in Back To The Future Part III. The only thing more annoying that SJP in this movie is the townspeople.  This movie makes them out to be complete idiots. If I lived in a small town, I would be furious.

Please don’t waste your time, energy, or money on this film. You will just end up furious that you wasted your money on this film rather than spending it on a better investment, such as bubble wrap to pop, toilet paper rolls for a new sculpture, or dental floss for your hamster…

It's Complicated

Review: IT’S COMPLICATED

Wow! This is probably the best romantic comedy that I have seen in a long time. “It’s Complicated” is sure to be a hit around the holidays. Meryl Streep plays Jane, a successful, divorced mother of three with her own bakery. Her ex of 10 years Jake, played by Alec Baldwin has remarried a 20 something with a super tight body but is less than happy. While at their suns graduation, sparks fly and the two begin an affair. She also happens to be dating Adam, played by Steve Martin, a sensitive, divorced architect with a big heart. Now she must choose between an old flame and a new romance.

Streep, Baldwin, and Martin are FANTASTIC in this movie. They are funny, entertaining, and down right nutty. The humor is graphic and sexual at time, but they keep it on a funny level rather than it being uncomfortable. To be honest, I couldn’t decide if I wanted Baldwin or Martin to prevail as the winning middle aged Romeo. They were both too like-able and funny to choose between. Baldwin was less than shy about his physique, showing and making light of his pretty impressive, yet solid gut. He and Streep are very likable despite their affair in the film. She has a hard time accepting what she is doing, but the love that they have for each other has never truly died. The fact that they put the affair in a grey area, or even a slightly positive one would normally be bothersome to me, but they played this one juuuussttt right. Another notable character is Harley, played by John Krasinski. Harley is Jane’s future son in law, and boy is he funny in his role. He is often in the know when no one else is, and is visibly uncomfortable with it. His performance even upstages some of the veterans in a couple of scenes.

Streep shows that romance and sex appeal are not just for the young. At 60, she is vibrant, funny, and proves that she still has a sexy side. The whole cast actually shows that sex doesn’t die after 40. Most movies tend to show this in an extremely uncomfortable way. They did a very good job of keeping it fun, intriguing, and relatable. Â The writing was incredible too. Every moment was entertaining an intriguing. I was especially rolling on the floor when Streep and Martin took a stroll back 20 years at a party. Don’t worry, I won’t spoil it.

I highly recommend going to see this film. Even if you are male, it appeals to everyone! I will say that every male in the theater seemed to enjoy this film. This is not just a chick flick by any means.

Tooth Fairy

Review: TOOTH FAIRY

Do you want the Tooth? You can’t handle the Tooth! Tooth Fairy is a cutesy flick that you can safely take the kiddies to. And lets face it, Dwayne Johnson’s smile could even melt a snowman’s heart!

Derek (Dwayne Johnson) is an angst ridden minor-league hockey player, who is known as the Tooth Fairy because of his hard hits on the ice, and their  ability to knock a tooth out. After a night babysitting his girlfriend’s children (Ashley Judd as Carly), he takes it upon himself to almost kill her daughters dreams about the Tooth Fairy after she lost her tooth. Derek has now been summoned to Fairy World to serve hard time as an actual Tooth Fairy. Outfitted in tights, a tutu, and a magic wand, he must learn the fine art of collecting teeth from pillows. This, of course, is in no way an easy task for this big brute. Will he embrace the fairy lifestyle, which also means believing in dreams once again, or will he lose it all and continue to crush everyone’s dreams, including his own?

This movie was cute for being a kids movie. It wasn’t the best that I have seen, but it wasn’t the worst. I think the biggest save for the film is that Dwayne Johnson is just plain like-able! Every time he smiles, you can’t help but believe whatever he is saying! He was absolutely perfect for a kids movie, and his animated face makes him entertaining to children.

There were some really cute parts played by  by Billy Crystal, Julie Andrews as Lily, the Head Fairy, and Seth MacFarlane as Ziggy, the fairy who sells black market “stuff”. Ryan Sheckler plays Mick the Stick, a young, new player that starts to out shadow Derek. There is not much to say about Sheckler except that he is NOT a good actor! There is also Tracy (Stephen Merchant), Derek’s case worker. They fight quite a bit, while Tracy also deals with his “wing envy”. Randy and Tess (Chase Ellison and Destiny Whitlock) are the two main children in the film. They are Carly’s kids, and the kids that Derek must try to form relationships with. Randy is the one that Derek is having a hard time relating to. On the plus side, your daughters will love his swoopy hair and guitar playing.

The only thing that was slightly odd was the relationship between Derek and Carly. I’m just going to throw this out there… there was a significant hotness imbalance. I have always thought that Ashley Judd was really pretty, but she looked like crap in this film. There was something with their chemistry, along with interaction that just did not make sense. Even their kisses looked awkward!

Overall, the film is really cute. I have been a Julie Andrews fan since I was a little girl, and her interactions with Johnson are really entertaining. Like I said in the beginning, it wasn’t the best children’s movie that I have ever seen, but it definitely wasn’t the worst. If you are up in the air about whether to go see it, remember this… Dwayne Johnson takes his shirt off… and it IS GOOD!