The Spy Next Door

JACKIE CHAN BRINGS US MORE OF HIS MAD SKILLZ! My Rating: ***1/2 - Good

Jackie Chan has given us yet another entertaining film. Although his latest addition seems kind of like a ripoff of "The Pacifier" (2005) with Vin Diesel. But, either way I think they both brought something special for the whole family. This one brings JACKIE CHAN for Pete's sake! I mean, what more can you ask for in a film like this?! The plot is about a top-notch secret agent (Jackie Chan of course) named Bob Ho who has been an agent for a while and has finally found a life he can settle down in and he wants to retire. He's met a girl named Jilian who has three kids. She really loves him but the KIDS however, well, hate him. One day her dad is hospitalized and he offers to watch her kids while she's gone. Along the way, he must fight off Russian (simply put) "evildoers" who have invented a chemical that literally EATS oil. Basically they want to use it to sabotage the world's oil reserves and get rich. On top of that...he has to bond with the kids. So, while watching recent films, I learned a very important lesson(which, I should always keep doing as a movie critic somewhat in training). You have to keep your opinions about the films

but you can't really say you didn't like it because it wasn't something from a certain genre. You have to consider what the movie was SUPPOSED to be in the first place. I mean, you can't walk into a Jackie Chan movie expecting it to scare your pants off. He does mostly "LIGHT" movies. You can't walk into a horror film saying it wasn't good because it wasn't funny! Just like I can't say this film sucked because it wasn't serious or morally filled. Because it was meant to be a simple, kiddy, entertaining family movie. Not "The Dark Knight: No, I mean the Jackie Chan Version". And, for it's target genre and audience, it works well. I brings in some classic Jackie Chan action scenes that we all know and love. It combines slapstick comedy and physical accidents that still seem like kung-fu, just maybe a more proper name would be "funny-fu". The villains are all Russian people who aren't that smart which, is kind of an insult to their intelligence. At least "Iron Man 2" had a SMART Russian villain. I hope Russia is not offended by the way they behave in the film. The leaders consist of a trigger-happy moron, a lady who doesn't really dress in fighting clothes(as if she expects a day at the office), and a guy who is obsessed with money and doesn't really give a good performance. But, then again, you want to keep it simple for the targeted younger audience. The acting is very "uneven" so to speak. Some of the acting is really fake (the bullies at the kids's school), some of it is average(Jilian and government agents at the headquarters), some of it is good (the kids), and Jackie Chan gives by far the best performance in the film. But that's not surprising. You know, Jackie Chan is very good at what he does. He does very well in the fight scenes for every movie he does and he does his OWN stunts! He's 56 years old! If i was an actor at that age (no offense to Jackie Chan because he's not old I'm just saying that that's a little past the best age for stunts) If I was an actor at that age doing those stunts, I would have been like "I'm getting to old for this crap!" He had to go through many injuries for this stuff. But, he still does great and it's probably the best crap known to man. He gets a lot of buzz for this and he's definitely earned it. He's not a full-of-himself actor. He used to make 80 cents a DAY. He has worked his way up over a very long period of time. He adds that talent to this film. Something the whole family could watch. Although it could have been a little more realistic and wee-bit more serious. Sometimes things go on and off in the link of an eye. There's no explaining or sense of it changing gradually. Bob and Jilian are kind of confusing at points. But in the end, it closes with just your classic entertaining Jackie Chan battle. His fight sequences are very well choreographed but are funny and you still get the feeling that leaves you going "Aaahhhh, that never gets old." And it keeps it cool without the blood and guts of "Ninja Assassin". It's a good family movie, but make sure your kids don't watch the out takes at the end where it turns from kid friendly to the constant dropping of the f-bomb. Overall, it has diverse acting but Jackie Chan is good as always, good action sequences, and a light and entertaining family movie with a heart. If you have a family with little kids looking for a good family movie, this one is right next door.

Starring: Jackie Chan Director: Brian Levant

George Lopez

Billy Ray Cyrus

The Losers

YOU WIN SOME YOU LOSE SOME. IT'S JUST THAT THESE GUYS WIN A LOT MORE. My Rating: **** - Great



"The Losers"? Considering how good the film is, more like,"The Winners". This new action film was much more than stellar. With a title like that, you can't really tell what the film is about just by hearing it so I will explain it. The plot is about a secret military team known as "The Losers". Not the C.I.A., N.S.A., F.B.I., or heck not even the A.B.C.D.E.F.G.H.I.J.K.L.M.N.O.P. . They are a team of five highly-trained operatives. One day, one of their missions goes wrong and innocent lives are lost. They try to call off the attack when they realize these innocent CHILDREN will get hurt, but the attack continues. Then, they find out that the guy in charge of the job knew they would get hurt in the first place. Then, they try to save them but the kids are killed by the guy in charge because he thought that the helicopter containing the kids was actually containing the losers. The operatives want no part of this anymore and burn their dog tags in the wreckage. The man in charge spoke mysteriously on the phone with them and all they know is that his name is "Max". Then, from that point on, they are wanted fugitives who are pronounced dead to almost everyone. They go into hiding until they meet a girl named Aisha (Zoe Saldana) who wants revenge on this "Max" too. She can also fund their mission to get back to their homes in the U.S. and get some payback. There is no doubt a lot of action in the movie that is both adrenaline-filled and exciting. This film also adds a lot of comedy too. When the Losers aren't running into more problems or getting shot at or well, say magnetically extracting an armored car while in a helicopter getting fired at with next-generation weaponry, they add in some very clever and funny comedy. Sometimes that may even fall INTO the action. You will have no problem paying attention to the film or enjoying it. Most films start out slow and then speed up. But in this case, the film starts out very fast and then slows down a little bit. You are thrust into 30 seconds of comedy and then right into the action. As the movie progresses, you can see that it delivers on what the previews promised - a legitimate and realistic comic-book movie. You can tell that that is what it was meant to be and it works well that way. The team isn't just something the movie passes by, it goes through and you can see each one's personality and it feels like you know each one of them. Almost like they are the "Ninja Turtles" or something like that. Although sometimes the movie may move a little too fast and not very deep but you do get to see that these guys aren't brainlessly fighting and they have families to get back too. The acting is pretty good in the film with particularly good performances by Zoe Saldana as Aisha and Chris Evans as Jensen. Chris Evans is actually a little-known yet very good actor. His most famous roles were in the "Fantastic Four" series as "The Human Torch". He can next be seen in "The First Avenger: Captain America" in July of next summer, 2011. And yes, to all you geeks out there I said "Captain America". Marvel is making that film and Chris Evans is starring. Zoe Saldana is very good too. Her last amazing performances were in "Star Trek" and "Avatar". With these good actors, it seems real and you feel sometimes like you are actually reading the comic book. So overall, very good acting, entertaining action, very funny comedy, and a good comic-book-ey feel. I enjoyed this and the movie does slightly hint at a sequel so I am definitely up for that. For a movie called "The Losers", it sure does a lot more winning than losing.

Starring: Jeffery Deam Morgan Director: Sylvian White
Idris Elba
Zoe Saldana
Chris Evans
Columbus Short
Holt McCallany
Oscar Jaenada
Jason Patric

Iron Man 2

FAVREAU AND DOWNEY SMASH THE RECORD! My Rating: ****1/2 - Outstanding

You know what? I had a good feeling about "Iron Man 2". I knew that it would have a lot to measure up to after the first "Iron Man"(2008) but I thought that it just might actually do that. And , well, it did. But it wasn't in quite the way I expected. The new sequel takes away some of the good things about the first Iron Man that I wish it hadn't but it also brings many new things to the plate. I liked a lot of them but some, however, I really didn't. But, that didn't stop the film. The plot takes place 6 months after the end of the first film and a man named Anton Vanko dies and his son, Ivan Vanko, thinks that the idea for the machine keeping Tony Stark alive was really made by his father and not Tony's father, Howard Stark. He also thinks that Howard fired his father so he could steal the idea and then they become poor causing his father to die without proper care. So, seeking revenge, Ivan studies his father's old blueprints for the invention and makes one to power a suit that has long electric whips attached to it. And so he sets out to kill Iron Man. On top of that, the gadget in Tony's heart is poisoning his blood which is ironic(get it? "iron"-ic ? hahaha!) because the very thing keeping him alive is also killing him. So he is hiding this from everyone. And, at the same time, the government is demanding that he turn over his suit to the military which he REALLY doesn't want to do. So, this film as you can tell, shows the depth behind being the superhero. The fact that it's not just about beating up the bad guys and taking names but there is a lot of stress these characters deal with. Fiction as it may be, there are ways it may relate to real human life. This was also shown well in "The Dark Knight" and the "Spider-Man" movies. Which brings me to my next point, in an interview, director Jon Favreau said that superhero films are on a scale ranging from "The Dark Knight" which is very deep and serious to "Spider-man" which is very deep and playful. He wanted this to be in the middle. I respectfully disagree. I say that it should have been just a wee bit more on "The Dark Knight " side. Then, this film would have been even better. One major thing trying to push me away from the movie was the Rhodey character. He was greatly portrayed in the first film by Terrence Howard and now he is being played by Don Cheadle. Mr. Cheadle is a good actor and I know that Terrence's replacement was due to a contract miscommunication but the film makers didn't have him even act the way Rhodey acted in the first. They don't really seem like friends in this one and Rhodey sometimes seems like he thinks of Tony as a pest rather than a long life friend. He is always so serious around him. Some of the characters just don't seem to have a connection with Tony that much anymore. But, then again, since he is dying and no one knows, he has been acting strange doing things he never does and they are probably just mad at him. I will leave it up to whoever sees it to decide for themselves. Although another thing is that sometimes they have a useless scene or line that just doesn't need to be there and it just stinks up the whole joint? Well, there are one or two scenes like that that are similar to some of the overkill that bogged down "Spider-man 3". Really, if it wasn't for these things, I would say 5/5 Stars. Another thing Mr. Favreau said was that he has come to trust the CGI more and now he said he wanted a little more action and that now he could "play" so to speak. The only problem with this is that sometimes they trust it a little too much and destroy the values that were upheld be the predecessor and replace it with colorful action. But, Jon Favreau fortunately was not really a victim for this movie. But play he did! The final battle to the film is so spectacular and cool that it gives a new definition of awesomeness and you could watch it multiple times. The acting is just as good as the first with yet again another great performance by Robert Downey Jr. Who is impressing me again and again. So overall, the film is great with great acting, action, and fan-pleasing moments. All geeks will be teased by objects shown in the film that hint at upcoming Marvel movies(which reminds me that you need to stay AFTER the credits for one of these moments.). I really enjoyed it and hopefully they can right these few wrongs in "Iron Man 3". But for now, let's enjoy this well-done kick-off to the summer movie season.

Starring: Robert Downey Jr. Director: Jon Favreau
Don Cheadle
Gwenyth Paltrow
Mickey Rourke
Sam Rockwell
Scarlett Johannson
Samuel L. Jackson

Alvin & the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel

UUUUHHHHHH, YEAH, STICK TO THE LITTLE ONES CHIPMUNKS. I THINK EVERYONE ELSE MIGHT THINK YOU ARE PESTS. My Rating: ** - Fair

"Alvin & the Chipmunks" (2007) was the first of the films and was good in some ways and not in some ways. "The Squeakquel" may not provide your ideal movie but shares a lot of the same qualities and weaknesses as the first movie. The plot picks up in the middle of the rock star lives of the iconic little singing chipmunks when their manager/dad Dave is hurt by one of Alvin's stunts and is hospitalized for a week and somehow the "munks" (haha, I made a funny! I'm actually surprised no one, not even the creators thought about that yet. I actually made that up on the fly while writing this review.) end up being watched by Dave's Aunt's nerdy, video game-addicted son, Tobey. The film does a good job of showing you his love for video games

as well as his somewhat responsible side as he takes care of them. To ease his pain, Dave signs up the fun-sized rock stars for High School. A creative plot twist but not quite enough to make a satisfying sequel. The chipmunks face everything that a new person at a high-school would. Everything from bullies, boring work, odd teachers, ect. The two things that aren't one of the normal things are 1., the principal being a fan of them and going so far as to have a tattoo of them on her arm that no one knows about(no wonder she always wears long sleeves) and 2., one of the most interesting new things brought to the plot is a group of three female chipmunks who end up meeting the old manager/villan from the first film, Ian, and adopt the name "The Chipettes". The "munks" and the "ettes" end up becoming 50% rivals and 50% in love. Now throughout this crazy plot there are a number a good things and bad things about the film. The plot, although creative and somewhat a good idea for a "squeakquel" , doesn't seems to have a point and there being no real threat on the lives of the chipmunks like in the first one. Maybe just too much of a kiddy movie attitude like one of those PBS T.V. shows and less of a squeakquel. The acting is not much of an issue with the spectacular voice talents for the chipmunks but the other acting is a little cheesy and not much else to expect for people who have seen the first one. You will get a laugh or two...or three out of this but you don't really feel INTO the film most of the time and there is really not much to walk away with at the end. It was overall a good try and you kinda get to appreciate the creative ideas but our furry friends don't really help give you a good movie experience.

Starring: Jason Lee Director: Betty Thomas

Matthew Gray Gubler

Jesse MCcartney

Anna Faris

Amy Poehler

Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince

RADCLIFFE IS BACK FOR THE SIXTH TIME.

My Rating: ** - Fair

Director David Yates has directed the last few "Harry Potter" films. And, he's done a decent job. But Has he continued his streak with the 6th installment? Not so much. Not all of the films were directed by him but here is my opinion on the series so far: I didn't really like the first three and then the 4th one was pretty good and the 5th one to me was the best and then this one fits somewhere in the middle. There is not much satisfaction I gathered while watching the film but fans won't be disappointed. There are a lot of things in the film that will be fan-pleasing. Whether it's colorful spells, ghetto/nerdy action that was introduced in "Order of the Phoenix", or more kisses for Harry, the fans will probably like it. But i wasn't too impressed. I think that the films are making SOME progress and as Harry & company matures through the story, so do the movies. And that makes it all the more realistic. But it wasn't as good as I expected. The plot is very tongue-twisting to explain but here it is: Voldemort is rising and one of the people at Hogwarts has been working with his death-eaters and Harry has been taking secret lessons from Dumbledoore that are vital if he is too save his own life from his mother's killer. They later find out that Voldemort somehow broke his soul into pieces and stored them inside objects called "Horcuxes" and that leaves them going along with a kind of "oh well that's just GREAT!" kind of attitude. Although throughout the film you can see somewhat of a conspiracy unravelling and many of the people at Hogwarts can't be trusted. This makes it epic and interesting but it sometimes seems more like a "CSI: Hogwarts" T.V. show rather than a movie about a teenage wizard fighting for his life. The film may seem boring at times and didn't leave me in particular satisfied. I did not feel very engaged sometimes and there was no sense of adrenaline or the feeling that something was coming that both excited and frightened you. That was what the 5th Harry Potter brought to the mix an i was hoping for that in this film. But there are some qualities that are required for a film like this but the way these films should be done in my opinion is to give MUCH more than the minimum. Whatever will make it better should be put into a film to make it great. I'm not talking money I'm talking something entertaining but with an important message in the midst of it all. It is those messages that are a vital thing that i look for in a film. Especially where characters make an extremely hard choice because of the sole purpose that they know it's the right thing. That is what made films like "The Dark Knight", "Spider-Man 2", "Spider-Man 3", "Iron Man", ect. so great. Things like that could have fit into a Harry Potter story very well and that's what i was hoping for. Although after seeing the films you can start to have these characters grow on you and you develop some kind of emotional connection with them. A lot of that comes from the great acting portrayed in almost all of the films and sometimes you forget it's only a movie. The film is not as satisfying as I would have liked but serves as a great advertisement for "Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows: Part One" which is scheduled for release on November 19, 2010. Overall, it doesn't really works it's magic like it should.

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe Director: David Yates
Rupert Grint
Emma Watson