The Next Three Days (2010)

A model family has their fairytale life turned upside down when wife and mother is convicted of murder. This is about as entertaining as a movie is likely to get that will appeal equally to him and her. There is romance, tension, drama, loyalty, action... a very smartly done piece of cinema. It never gets too heavy or too jovial, maintains a good pace with enough peppery intrigue to keep your attention on the screen without laying it on so thick you are worn out at the end. I have one small bitch about a scene towards the end that actually causes me to yell at the character, but I drink a lot of coffee and I no longer smoke. A very well done beating the odds style movie. Recommended.

Flashbacks of a Fool (2008)

A fading star looks back over his life remembering the moment he chose one path over the other. While I imagine most women and some of the men will go see this for Daniel Craig nudity, there really is a serious story involved. I guess how hard a gut check this is will depend where you find yourself in the spectrum of regret with the choices you have made. Definitely aimed at the mature audience, the tale is told from the primary player's point of view with some third person thrown in to fill the gaps. The long road to closure I guess. Maybe a little nostalgia. Best served up as a solo event for a quiet thoughtful evening. For the women who will be wondering, no boys didn't make a habit of hiding in fun houses and masturbating with our friends.. but guilty as charged for most of the rest... O.o

Star Trek (2009)

This is an origins/reboot of the upstart James Tiberius Kirk and friends in an alternative timeline. Clear? lol. The movie starts with the temporal shift and the birth of Kirk. It bounces back and forth between Kirk and Spock with the other characters being introduced as the story moves forward. I enjoyed this movie. All the new players are great in their roles, especially Spock and Scotty. Zachary Quinto really nails the Spock character and improves on it. The one downside unfortunately is the inclusion of Leonard Nimoy as Spock Prime. But its not so bad that it destroys more than a couple scenes. This is a movie that could have benefited from another 30 to 40 minutes as some of it was a bit rushed. You don't have to be a Trek fan to enjoy this, but hardcore trekkers may take issue. I'm kind of excited and look forward to a second movie from this bunch. Recommended.

Mr. Nobody (2009)

The worlds last mortal shares his 9 lives. WOW! Movies like this only come along every now and again. Funny that the entire story is conjured in seconds around a single premise.. brilliant! (yeah I know you are scratching your head). This is one that defies words.. its got romance and mystery and sci-fi and weird stuff and humor and science and its all coming at you from Mars. Go find your brain and give it a good cleaning, you should have it with you for this one. Quality story telling with a moral. Highly Recommended.

The Mechanic (2011)

Jason Statham is Arthur Bishop in this remake of Charles Bronson's classic The Mechanic (1972). For those unfamiliar, Mechanic in this case means assassin. Growing up the Bronson version was one of my favorites and I used to terrorize my family with the 'lickin' chicken' line whenever I could. I'm going to state my bias right up front, nothing will replace the original for me. That said what we do have is an entertaining film with Stratham doing what Statham does best.. kick ass. Interestingly enough however, the big fight scene features Bishop's half pint apprentice in a rock-em sock-em slug fest of death with a mountainous homosexual hit man. Lots to like for Stratham fans, adrenaline junkies, and people who like the screen bristling with flashes and noise. There are some clever subtleties, like the first hit, that deserve praise as well as some story tweaking that removes any hint of the humor of the first. They do keep half the memorable ending however which came as a great relief. A bucket of Chicken Lickin'. Recommended.

Takers (2010)

A group of skilled and successful thieves find themselves in a world of hurt when their world comes crashing in and a pit bull cop catches their scent. This is a well written, well played, well presented high energy film with lots of style and flair. Plot devices are clever, easy to believe and follow the flow very well. This is good stuff. Well polished. Although there is a significant amount of gun play and violence, blood and gore is minimal. I really enjoyed this one.. easy and fun.. Steak and a cold beer. Highly Recommended