"She's the Man"

Amanda Bynes
Channing Tatum
Laura Ramsey
Vinnie Jones
Robert Hoffman
Alex Breckinridge
Julie Hagerty
David Cross




PG13           105min           2006


Amanda Bynes proves that girls can do anything guys can do in “She's the Man”. The laughs are non-stop when Viola (Bynes) disguised as her twin brother Sebastian (James Kirk) joins the high school boys’ soccer team and helps win the big game while unexpectedly falling for Duke (Channing Tatum), the star forward. Viola discovers that dealing with high school politics and twisted love triangles is a major challenge when you’re a guy who’s really a girl. – from the back cover

Inspired by “Twelfth Night” by William Shakespeare but more of a re-imagine of “Just One of the Boys”, a title to a movie that I had to research as I saw this movie when I younger. Amanda Bynes leads a cast of beautiful people trying to seem like their lives are normal. It’s a movie that does what it set out to do is be funny.

“She's the Man” takes a lot of the names and places from the Shakespeare play and relies heavily on its plot. But as I was watching it I kept be reminded of this film that I saw when I was a kid and I just couldn’t remember the name. They play very similar to each other by following the same shtick or they are just following the line that William Shakespeare laid.

This is a cast of beautiful people in a beautiful world doing things that until recently people who have never done. Maybe Shakespeare wasn’t just a writer but a foreseer to and instead of making prophecies he wrote them into plays. There’s one moment when she steps out of the car that you believe she could be a boy. The rest of the time her voice betrays her, it sounds like a castrated six year old, which is fine for a girl. The old change in her voice is when she’s coaching Duke in one scene. Even though she’s not convincing to him as a boy she is a talented comedic actress.

“She's the Man” does what it set out to do…be funny. It set its characters in situations that were bound to be funny. Amanda Bynes carries the majority of the load but she also surrounded by some talented comics too. David Cross and Julie Hagerty make you laugh the minute they hit the screen. It’s a teen comedy classic depending on your taste.

This DVD is full of features. It has a director and cast commentary and a pop-up trivia track. It contains several deleted scenes and a gag reel. There is a boiler plate behind the scene make of featurette and a music video by Dave Lichens called “Let Go”, pay close attention to extras in the video many of them are former child stars of the 90’s. There are movie previews for “Over the Hedge”, “Failure to Launch”, Laguna Beach, Season 2”, and “All You’ve Got”.

I give it 2/5 Gs.

"My Super Ex-Girlfriend"

Uma Thurman
Luke Wilson
Anna Faris
Eddie Izzard
Rainn Wilson
Wanda Sykes
Mark Conseulos


PG13           96min           2006


Matt Saunders (Wilson) thinks he has found the perfect girlfriend in Jenny Johnson (Thurman), who just happens to be smart, sexy … and a superhero. But when Jenny turns out to be a needy, neurotic mess, Matt wants to call it quits. Jenny is crushed by the news and will stop at nothing to exact sweet revenge. “My Super Ex-Girlfriend” is an outrageous super-comedy that proves breaking up can be hard to do – and downright dangerous! – from the back cover

It’s the break-up from hell. It’s a film that tries to blend between the romantic comedy and teen sex comedy for adults. What comes out is a film that you know has been done before, it’s easily digestible but in the end it nothing special but its effects.

“My Super Ex-Girlfriend” is plotable even before you sit down to watch it. You know boy gets the girl; the boy breaks up with girl; girl terrorizes boy; someone comes along to help boy face girl. They both find happiness and all is well. What makes this film work is the situations that arise from this formula. There are some truly hilarious moments in this film.

Uma Thurman tries her hand at a comedy and his surround by talented comic actors. At moments, her performance feels awkward and she didn’t trust the in what was happening around her. Luke Wilson turns in another great comedic performance and you feel the angst in his life produced by G-Girl. Rainn Wilson and Anna Faris brought humor to every aspect of their performances. They both have great comedic delivery.

There are some cool cameos by Mark Conseulos or Mr. Kelly Ripa, and Wanda Sykes who is severely under used in this film. I think “My Super Ex-Girlfriend” would have been funnier with more appearances in this film. If you don’t watch closing credit do watch this one, they sort of continue the story.

For a double-sided disc it truly bare of special features. It doesn’t have many deleted scenes. It does have an extended Shark sequence. It has a music video for “No Sleep 2 Nite” by Molly McQueen formerly of No Faders. It has a FOX promo for “The Sentinel”, “Thank For Smoking”, and “John Tucker Must Die”.

I give it 3/5 Gs.

"Mystic River"

Sean Penn
Tim Robbins
Kevin Bacon
Laurence Fishburne
Marcia Gay Harden
Laura Linney
Kevin Chapman
Thomas Guiry
Emmy Rossum
Spencer Treat Clark

R           137min           2003

During a summer in 1975, Dave Boyle and two friends, Jimmy and Sean, are playing on a sidewalk in Boston when Dave is abducted by two men and subjected to sexual abuse over a period of several days. Eventually escaping, but haunted into adulthood by his trauma, Dave becomes a primary suspect when Jimmy's daughter, Katie, is found murdered. Sean, assigned to investigate the crime, finds himself facing both demons from the past and demons in the present as the circumstances surrounding Katie's death are uncovered is the plot of “Mystic River”. Written by J. Lake

Directed by Clint Eastwood and winner of two Oscar awards I found Mystic River to be a striking film. I found that the characters were flawed and real. It was a story that could happen on any street, no just in the USA but anywhere. This film has an outstanding cast.

Although it set in Boston this film could be set anywhere. The way Clint Eastwood tells this story makes it so accessible. It could have been set in Africa, England, or France and you would still gotten the drama and flaws of this characters. It ground with reality and flawed characters. Every character in this film was flawed and it was these flaws that fleshed out the characters. It had the feel that it was the retelling of a murder case that you have all the inside information. It a movie that gives you clues to what has happen and what is happening. Mainly what is shown you is misdirection and when it is revealed the behavior makes sense.

The film is full of outstanding veteran Hollywood actors. Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Laura Linney and Marcia Gay Harden lead this riveting drama, but its Sean Penn, winner of the Oscar for Best Actor in a Drama, gave a performance that man me respect him more as an actor. I never really paid attention to him until seeing him in “I am Sam” that when I became a fan of his. His performance in “Mystic River” shows that Hollywood underrates him and he truly deserved his Oscar.

I give it 4/5 Gs

"Disturbia"

Shia LaBeouf
David Morse
Sarah Roemer
Viola Davis
Carrie-Anne Moss
Aaron Yoo
Jose Pablo Cantillo
Matt Craven
Amanda Walsh






PG13           104min           2007

“Disturbia” is about Kale Brecht (LaBeouf), living under three months’ house arrest, passes his days spying on the neighbors. It’s all fun and games until things take a horrifying turn for the worse. Kale is convinced his neighbor next door is a serial killer, (Morse), but he can’t prove anything, can’t convince anyone and can’t leave his house without triggering an alarm. Enlisting the help of his friends, Kale is determined to expose the truth but have they all taken on more than they bargained for with a cold-blooded murderer on the loose? – from the back cover

Inspired somewhat by Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rear Window” this film blends genres perfectly. The film is fast paced and exciting. Shia LaBeouf anchor is a good cast of Hollywood young talent, veteran actors, and recognizable character actors. If you are a film movie watcher then you will enjoy this film.

“Disturbia” is the perfect blend of many genres. It starts out as a drama, then turns into a romantic comedy, all the while being a thriller. The genres never overwhelm each other but complement each other moving from one to the other seamlessly.

The pace of the film gets progressive faster and you become engrossed in the film. By the time the ending comes 104 minutes have pass and you won’t know where the time went. Kale is an instantly likable character and because of that you’re instantly drawn into his life, for the most part you’re seeing the world through his eyes.

Shia LaBeouf, portrays Kale, a juvenile delinquent facing house arrest, with the range that is believable and intense, showing why he’s fast becoming a bankable Hollywood star. David Morse, a great veteran actor makes the antagonist, Robert Turner, menacing yet charming. If you were to see him on the street you would never expect him to be a serial killer.

Sarah Roemer last seen in “The Grudge 2”, play his love interest, the girl next door that excites Kale’s voyeur fantasy. Aaron Yoo plays the best friend with the wicked sense of humor. Carrie-Anne Moss is Kale’s mother trying to figure out a way to reconnect with her son and yet give him the space to grieve after the lost of husband and father. Jose Pablo Cantillo is a police officer and cousin of Kale’s Spanish teacher. Viola Davis (‘Traveller’) is the detective assigned to Kale’s house arrest case.

“Disturbia” has an average amount of bonus features. There is an auto commentary with director DJ Caruso, and actors Shia LaBeouf and Sarah Roemer. A few deleted scenes, outtakes, a photo gallery and a make of featurette. It has a “Serial Pursuit Trivia Pop-Up/Quiz” track and a music video of “Don’t Make Me Wait” by The World Fair. It contains movie previews for “Stardust”, “Blades of Glory”, “Next”, “Beneath”, “Super Sweet 16” and “She’s the Man”.

I give it 5/5 Gs.

"Transformers (2007)"

Shia LaBeouf
Megan Fox
Josh Duhamel
Racheal Taylor
Tyrese Gibson
Jon Voight
Anthony Anderson
John Turturro
Peter Cullen
Hugo Weaving




PG13           143min           2007


"Transformers" based on the Hasbro Toy line and cartoon of the eighties, an Michael Bay update about technologically advanced alien robots that bring there war to earth fighting over the powerful Allspark, the source of all Transformers power.

Everyone that doubted Michael Bay’s skill can stop, Transformers is the best summer blockbuster of 2007. The special effects are tight and it has a plausible storyline that works. Anyone a fan of the cartoon will love this film. I wouldn’t be surprised if it breaks the Spider-Man records.

"Transformers" is a big loud summer movie that came to handle its business. The cars are awesome to look at and when they transform you feel the weight and the depth of their movements. The special effects are flawless. These are massive machines moving and they are a force to be reckoned with. The destruction that they inflict on the environments is massive just as these machines are and the civilians are running for cover as ants running from the destruction of the anthill.

The fans of the cartoon will love this film immensely. It has most of the characters you love but update and it works. The redesign of Optimus Prime works and makes him just as distinct as in the cartoon. The massively redesign Megatron works also, you know he’s alien, destructive, and here to destroy humanity. Michael Bay gave the characters distinct personalities and they work for each Transformer based on their function on the team.

"Transformers" has everything you’re looking for in a summer blockbuster. The story mainly flows from Sam Witwicky point of view but cut to the government every so often to update us on their progress to find and contain the source of attack on the base in Qatar. For the most part you never see the Decepticons. until last quarter of the film but once you do the come full force.

Once Sam purchases Bumblebee this movie kicks into second gear. When the Autobots come into the scene it kicks in too third gear at about the second quarter of this movie. By the time the Allspark is located this movie is running full throttle and doesn’t stop until the end. It has a complete and satisfying story, with an ending that is plausible and leaves the door open for the inevitable sequel.

Just as Spider-Man redefined the comic books in Hollywood, "Transformers" will redefined the 80s cartoons for Hollywood. This left me full with excitement and I’m already anticipating the upcoming sequel. This is a film that you will have a hard time to have fault with.

I give it 5/5 Gs.