Friends With Benefits: An Amusing Perspective on Casual Sex Relationships

Raitng:

***1/2

By: Da'Mon Guy

      Friends With Benefits is a light hearted, witty happenstance that comically focuses on the coping mechanisms that two heart broken people take on the path to true love. The film is the third romantic comedy to showcase a modern trend in society. The movie stars Justin Timberlake (Bad Teacher), Mila Kunis (Black Swan), Woody Harrelson (Zombieland), Patricia Clarkson (Easy A), Richard Jenkins (Let Me In), and Jenna Elfman (Love Hurts). It also features cameos by Emma Stone (Crazy, Stupid, Love), Andy Samberg (I Love You, Man), Jason Segel (Bad Teacher), and Bryan Greenberg (Bride Wars).

     Friends With Benefits is a humorous, clever undertaking that is a showcase for the story of two people who make an emotional connection that is marred by the hurt and disappointment of prior relationships. The film is a universally appealing mockery of the romantic comedy genre. It jokingly embellishes on the clichés and perceptions that other romantic comedies have created in society. The genre usually appeals more to the female dynamic of the relationship, however, this film finds a good balance of enjoyment for both sexes as it offers as many clever witticisms for men as it does for women.


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Horrible Bosses: A Hilarious Mockery of the Everyday Workplace

Rating:

***1/2

By: Da'Mon Guy



     Horrible Bosses is an entertaining, hilarious mockery of the everyday workplace. The film is a humorous undertaking that becomes a showcase for what many working class Americans have fantasized about at one time or another. It’s composed of a great cast of Hollywood talent featuring the likes of Jason Batman (The Change-Up), Jason Sudeikis (Hall Pass), Chris Day (Going the Distance), Kevin Spacey (The Men Who Stare at Goats), Jennifer Anniston (Just Go With It), Colin Farrell (Fright Night 2011), Jamie Foxx (Due Date), and Donald Sutherland (The Mechanic 2011).

    Horrible Bosses infuses a jocular approach to the extenuating circumstances that surround some workplace environments. The movie humorously exaggerates and then pokes fun at some of the everyday trauma that some employees face at the hands of their supervisors. It humorously embellishes on the thoughts of some Americans about their bosses. The movie stockpiled with a number of workplace situations that allows its audience to be able to relate to them and then it hilariously scoff at them.

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Sucker Punch: A Good Visual Onslaught that Masks Poor Story

Rating:

***

By: Da'Mon Guy

     Sucker Punch is an imaginative, action oriented manifestation that attempts to infuse a cutting edge visual onslaught as subterfuge for a disjointed story that lacks cohesion and never makes any sense. The film stars Emily Browning (The Uninvited), Abbie Cornish (Limitless), Jena Malone (The Ruins), Vanessa Hudgins (Beastly), Jamie Chung (The Hangover pt. 2), Carla Guino (Faster), Oscar Issac (Robin Hood), John Hamm (The Town), and Scott Glenn (Secretariat). It’s directed by Zach Snyder (The Watchmen).

 

     Sucker Punch is a collection of vibrant, intense images that mask the inconsistent and incoherent story. It is, however, one of the most imaginative movies that you will ever encounter. The film is a ground breaking assemblage of great visual effects that are forcibly conjoined with a accumulation of senselessness. The movie filters in a multitude of elements to incorporate the viewer into the concept that this is the fruition of a young girl’s imagination. The film throws everything but the kitchen sink into the picture.

     The biggest downfall of Sucker Punch is the lack of cohesion to the stories. Sucker Punch occurs in three separate realities but neither relate to one another or make any sense. The film is almost three different stories that have little to no connection. Each story moves forward but is barely connected to the prior. As amazing as it appears on film, the action of the film really has no place in the movie. The movie never shows what is going on in reality as Baby Doll creates this world filled with these fantastic sequences. That was a clear detractor as a return to reality would’ve helped to explain certain aspects of the film.

 

     Sucker Punch is a mirage that never returns the main story or makes any reference to the main story of the film which completely offsets the rest of the movie. Sucker Punch only references the circumstances within the insane asylum in the opening moments and isn’t seen again until its waning moments. The lack of relation to the primary story waste the breathtaking visuals and action that are visualized as Baby Doll delves deeper into her subconscious. As the audience is drawn into deeper into Baby Doll’s psyche, the story makes less and less sense.

 

     Sucker Punch’s greatest asset is it’s great cinematography. The film is filled with powerful dramatic imagery. It is visually amazing. The great action and visuals are completely astonishing, they almost make up for the senselessness and stupidity of the film.

     Sucker Punch isn’t a movie about performances. The film is more of a showcase for the radical imagery that it infuses as opposed to the performance of each of the actors. Young Emily Browning does about as good of a job as possible within this type of film. The lack of acting is more of a result of the script as opposed to the talent of the young actress. Conversely, Oscar Issac does a good job as Blue, the story’s atagonist, the events of the story coupled with his performance clearly compels the audience to hate him. In addition, Scott Glenn, who takes the role of Baby Doll’s conscience/ mentor, simply known as “The Wise Man”, and has a number of witty lines that enhance the enjoyment of each of the action stories.

     If you ever wanted to materialize a child’s over active imagination then you would come up with Sucker Punch. The film is a visual masterpiece that was director Zach Snyder’s chance to make a great action movie with little to no direction or and even less of a story. The film has an insane amount of great action with nearly no plot nor purpose. It is the biggest collection of images and mismatched characters to be placed in a single film. Samurai, dragons, zombies, Nazis, and robots, all appear within the framework of this devastating catastrophe. A ridiculous waste of some Intense cutting edge action without any true purpose or reason. One of the tag lines associated with the film was that reality is a prison and Sucker Punch truly embellishes on that concept as the film is a fantastic visualization of Baby Doll’s incredible imagination. Sucker Punch is clearly not made for anyone who enjoys a sensible story. The film instead plays out like the latest PS3 video game. Too much of the film is focused on the action and not enough on the compelling story that it starts with. Sucker Punch is a great movie if you are 13 but for those that are more seasoned then Sucker Punch will fall short.

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The Rite: A Good Suspense Story that Lacks the True Scare Factor

Rating:

***

By: Da'Mon Guy

     The Rite is a thought-provoking, daunting tale that will question one’s resolve and test their beliefs. The movie is a suspense-filled story of the constant battle between good and evil. The film stars Anthony Hopkins (Thor), Colin O’ Donaghue (Will Decembers), Alice Braga (Repo Men), Toby Jones (Captain America: The First Avenger), Rutger Hugher (Batman Begins).

     The Rite is a startling peak into the unknown. The film is the latest Hollywood take on exorcism and possession. The Rite is a fear inducing story of the Devil’s constant attempts to claim his stake in the world of the living through possession. The movie is inspired by true events, suggested from a book by Matt Baglio. The film is based on the true story of a possession that was foiled by a man who questioned his faith. It is the story of a young son of a mortician that becomes a priest in order to escape the trappings of the family business.
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Captain America: The First Avenger: Marvel's strikes gold!

Rating:

****1/2

By: Da'Mon Guy

     Captain America: The First Avenger is an extraordinary, near perfect extravaganza that aptly epitomizes what a great superhero movie should be. The film stays true enough to the origin of the character to satisfy even the most devout fan but is simplistic and more than entertaining enough to attract a mainstream audiences. It truly captures the essence of Captain America. The movie stars Chris Evans (The Losers), Hugo Weaving (Transformers: Dark of the Moon), Haley Atwell (The Duchess), Tommy Lee Jones (The Company Men), Toby Jones (The Rite), Neal McDonough (Traitor), Derek Luke (Notorious), Sebastian Stan (Black Swan), Stanley Tucci (Easy A), Dominic Cooper (The Duchess), and Samuel L. Jackson (The Other Guys). It’s directed by Joe Johnston (The Wolfman).
Marvel Comics kicks its Avengers initiative into high gear with the release of Captain America: The First Avenger. The film is the latest piece to the gigantic project that Marvel is using to set up its mega team up movie, The Avengers. This latest spectacle entails the origins of the Star Spangled Crusader, one of Marvel’s oldest and most popular characters.

     Captain America takes place in the 1940’s. The film has the suave, savvy look of the era. It tries to stay true to the origins of the character by making this a period film. The movie has the look and the feel of the time. This is one of the few films to modernize a character but still capture the true essence of the pages that it uses a source material. The only other comic book movie to maintain this high level of attention to the comics was The Watchmen (2009).

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Outlander: An Imaginative Intersection of Sci-fi and History

Rating:

****

By: Da'Mon Guy

     Outlander is a action oriented, creative commingling of action and sci-fi. The film is boasts an imaginative concept that comes to fruition in a multifaceted film. The movie stars Jim Caviezel (Deja Vu), Sophia Miles (Tristan and Isolde), Jack Huston (The Twilight saga: Eclipse), John Hurt (Hellboy 2), and Ron Perlman (Season of the Witch).

     An alien space warrior named Kanien crash lands on Earth in 709 A.D. He brings another alien creature named a Moorwen with him that has set out for revenge on all humanoid creatures. Kanien must join forces with the Norse warriors in order to kill the Moorwen.

     Outlander is an originative film that premiered in obscurity in 2008. The movie is an enjoyable combination of other sci-fi movies of the same nature. This film however creatively infuses a sci-fi premise within the confines of a historic, adventurous epic. The movie has a multitude of aspects filtered into it which greatly increase its entertainment value. The film has themes of honor, loyalty, and the value of family to name a few embedded within it.

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Red Riding Hood: A fairly entertaining suspensful take on the classic fairy tale

Rating:

***

By: Da'Mon Guy

   
     Red Riding Hood is a moderately enjoyable, halfhearted film that attempts to induce a new creative spin on the classic fairy tale of the same name. It is one of the latest stories to receive a modern updating or re-imagining. This latest iteration of the tale tells the story of a werewolf that hunts the village where Red Riding Hood lives. The film stars Amanda Seyfried (Chloe), Gary Oldman (The Book of Eli), Virginia Madsen (The Haunting in Connecuit), Shiloh Fernandez (Cadillac Records), Billy Burke (Drive Angry), Luke Haas (Inception), Max Irons (Dorian Gray), and Julie Christie (Glorious 39).

     Red Riding Hood is a lackluster, mediocre recreation of the long-endeared fairy tale by the same name. This is another film in the line of one of the current trends in Hollywood to remake any and every possible story in sight. This movie, however, isn’t as bad as some of the other victims of Hollywood’s remake craze. Red Riding Hood is a moderately entertaining film that creatively turns this classic fairy tale into story that is a caldron for a mixture of a love story, a horror, and suspense.


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Whip It: An Enjoyable Convergence of Comedy and Drama

Rating:

***1/2

By: Da'Mon Guy



     Whip It is an enjoyable, energetic interpretation of the often used coming of age tale. The film is an entertaining combination of comedy and drama. It effectively intertwines the two of them to inject a unique perspective to the frequently told story. The movie features Ellen Page (Juno), Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids), Eve (Flashbacks of a Fool), Juliette Lewis (Conviction), Daniel Stern (The Next Three Days), Marcia Gay-Harden (The Mist), Jimmy Fallon (Fever Pitch), and Alia Shawkat (The Runaways). The movie marks the directorial debut of Drew Barrymore (Going the Distance) who also appears in the film in a supporting role.

     Whip It premiered hit the big screen in 2009. It’s a fresh perspective on the frequently used coming of age story. This latest take on the tale revolves around a 17 year old girl who is struggling to find her place in the world while she is under a ton of duress from her mother. Bliss Cavender is an outsider who is pressured by her mother to take advantage of opportunities that are afforded by youth, like beauty pagents, but Bliss doesn’t accept her mother’s wishes. By sheer chance she crosses paths with some of the participants of the local roller derby where she joins the league and quickly finds a passion for the sport. Bliss quickly rises and becomes the star of the league.


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The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Tredder:

Rating:

***

By: Da'Mon Guy

     The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of Dawn Tredder is an enchanting, swashbucking escapade. The movie is a wondrous, magical third addition to the story that returns two of the original casts from the pair of prior films. The movie stars Georgie Henley (The Chronicles of Narnia 1& 2), Skander Keynes (The Chronicles of Narnia: 1& 2), Ben Barnes (Star Dust), Will Poutler (Son of the Rainbow), Anna Popplewell (The Chronicles of Narnia: 1& 2),William Moseley (The Chronicles of Narnia 1&2) Tilda Swinton (Burn After Reading), Simon Pegg (Star Trek 2009), and Liam Neeson (Unknown).

     The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Tredder is a creative continuance to the Narnia stories that builds on the existing foundation of the two prior films. This film, however, comes up short as it doesn’t captivate audiences in the same fashion as the prior pair of films. This is the third film to be based on the series of books by C. S. Lewis. Voyage of the Dawn Tredder focuses on the two youngest of the quartet of family members from the prior movies who return to Narnia.

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Bad Teacher: Someone Forgot that this was Supposed to be Funny

Rating:

**1/2

By: Da'Mon Guy

     Bad Teacher is an unscrupulous, dim-witted farce that completely abuses the R rating. The film is a lackluster mishap that is comprised of an incoherent collection of mind-numbing moments. It forces audiences to ponder how a catastrophe like this warrants production. This debacle stars Cameron Diaz (The Green Hornet), Jason Segel (Gulliver‘s Travels), Justin Timberlake (Friends w/Benefits), Lucy Punch (Sucker Punch), Phyliss Smith (The 40 yr old Virgin), and John Michael Higgins (The Ugly Truth).

     Bad Teacher is a tedious, lifeless dullard of a comedy that is stockpiled with a tremendous number of cricket spurring moments. This tragic happenstance tries to implement the formula from Bad Santa (2003) and apply it to the story of a teacher. However, Bad Teacher comes up miles and miles short. This travesty has a multitude of shortcomings as this film fails to deliver on the humor but it is stockpiled with enough rauchiness, obscenities, and vulgarities to fill up a trilogy.


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Gulliver's Travels: A Dismal, Dim-Witted Pilaging of a Classic Story

Rating:

*1/2

By: Da'Mon Guy

     Gulliver’s Travels is a ridiculously dismal, dim-witted attempt at humor that inspires a high level of repugnant sickness. The film is a mindless catastrophe that becomes more irritating the longer you view it. This catastrophe stars Jack Black (Kung Fu Panda 1 &2), Emily Blunt (The Adjustment Bureau), Jason Segel (Bad Teacher), Amanda Peet (2012), Billy Connelly (X-Files: I Want to Believe), T. J. Miller (She’s Out of my League), and Chris O’Dowd (Bridesmaids).

      Gulliver’s Travels is a cataclysmic pillaging of a classic story. The movie is an uninspiring abomination that makes a futile attempt to update the classic story by Jonathan Dean Smith. This lackluster, demoralizing travesty has an extremely limited number of humorous moments as it barely garners any laughs. It's just the latest vehicle for some tiresome, buffoonish antics of Jack Black that have been seen in many of his various films before this one. Gulliver’s Travels is about a man who has big aspirations but never fully realizes his potential. He embarks on a boating trip but is swept off to the land of Liliputh, a mythical land that is inhabited by diminutive people that are 1/18th the size of an average person.


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Machete: An Enjoyable Spoof of Action Moives

Rating:

***

By: Da'Mon Guy

     Machete is a ridiculous, unscrupulous satire that pleasantly scoffs at the love affair that audiences have with action movies. The film is stockpiled with enormous bouts of ridiculousness that highlight the outrageous nature of this enjoyable mockery. It is comprised by an all-star cast that fill nearly every role in the film. The movie stars Danny Trejo (Death Race 2), Jessica Alba (Little Fockers), Michelle Rodriguez (Battle: LA), Robert DeNiro (Little Fockers), Jeff Fahey (Planet Terror), Cheech Marin (Race to Witch Mountain), Lindsay Lohan (I Know Who Killed Me), Don Johnson (When In Rome), and Steven Segal (Above the Law) . The movie is directed by Robert Rodriguez (Predators).

      Machete is a moderately entertaining, action-packed farce that humorously taunts the action movie genre. The film creatively mocks the genre by implementing a number of larger than life aspects that endears the genre to the American cultureMachete is based on the trailer that director Robert Rodriguez used in one of his other films, Grind house presents Planet Terror/ Death Proof. The movie is a satisfying commingling of action and comedy. Machete premiered in late 2010.


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Transformers: Dark of the Moon: The Third is the Best

Rating:

****1/2

By: Da'Mon Guy



     Transformers: Dark of the Moon is an enjoyable, action packed extravaganza that epitomizes why movie goers love summer movies. The long awaited third addition is an enjoyable spectacle that becomes the rare exception when it comes to most modern trilogies; it meet and exceeds the prior two in many ways. This movie returns many of the cast that comprised the two prior films such as Shia Labeouf (Wall Street Money Never Sleeps) Josh Duhamel (Life as We Know It), Tyresse Gibson (Fast Five), Will Dunn (Unstoppable), Julie White (Transformers 1&2), John Turturro (The Taking of Pellam 123), Hugo Weaving (The Matrix), and Peter Cullen (Transformers). It also introduces some new stars into the Transformers universe such as Rose Huntington-Whiteley, John Malkoivch (RED), Ken Jeong (Hangover Part 2), Patrick Dempsey (Valentine‘s Day), and Francis Mcdormand (Burn After Reading).

     Transformers: Dark of the Moon exploded onto the big screen in theaters on June 29, 2010. The highly anticipated continuance to the Transformers series of films doesn’t disappoint.
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