Star Rating: 2 stars
(for Star Rating key: https://madtimemama.wordpress.com/mama-and-papa-movie-reviews/)
I’ve been working on this review since we watched it last night. I couldn’t come up with the words of what I truly think of this movie. We were walking through our local Wal Mart this morning and saw this… I think it sums up my feelings perfectly.
Good move, buddy.
Star Rating: 4 stars
(for Star Rating key: https://madtimemama.wordpress.com/mama-and-papa-movie-reviews/)
Ok ya’ll. I saw it. That’s right. The Twilight Saga is complete. Dunzo. If you are a Twilight fan, most likely you are going to leave the movie completely satisfied — yes, even with the TWIST ending (which for the sake of anyone who has not seen it, I WILL NOT be discussing specifically what happens in the TWIST ending… only because I know some of my closest pals have not seen it and I personally would have HATED if someone told me before I saw it the first time).
Here are a few short points of what I liked and didn’t like:
Obviously if you don’t like the Twilight books/movies, you aren’t going to like this movie. However, I truly feel if you enjoyed the books, you will be completely and utterly satisfied with the movie version.
Quote from Papa: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH there ain’t NO WAY Papa would willingly watch this movie. Ever.
EVER.
Quote from Mama: “It could have been the pregnancy hormones talking, but I totally got choked up in parts of this movie. True story.”
Star Rating: 2 stars
(for Star Rating key: https://madtimemama.wordpress.com/mama-and-papa-movie-reviews/)
Eesh. Ok. So, I for one, LOVE scary movies. Yes, I have a hard time watching scary parts and I close my eyes in some spots. However, I just love the thrill of a good scary movie whether it be zombies, ghosts, psychopaths, exorcisms or in this case radiation mutated human beings. This movie however was BORING. COMPLETELY BORING. There were parts that had good ideas and even made me cringe. However, nothing to really push it over the threshold into actually being a good scary movie. It centers around a group of college age peeps who go to explore the remains of the Chernobyl disaster. Without even seeing the movie, we can gather from past experiences with these types of movies that:
1) Of course, not everything is going to go as planned.
2) People will go missing, and they will perish in a horrible, gooey sort of way.
3) Anything having to do with radiation immediately makes you think of slimy mutated HUGE fore-headed alien-like gap-toothed creatures. **
4) There can be only one survivor. Which lucky soul will it be?
Now, from the get-go, this movie was BORING. BORING. BORING. Here’s why:
1) Takes too long for ANYHING to even remotely happen to get the story going.
2) Why do people make obvious bad choices in horror movies? Seriously, it’s like they base the characters on the dumbest people on the planet. God bless ‘em. Alas, that’s why they make good stories (sometimes). It would require more effort to write the plot points if the characters made SMART choices, I guess.
3) The dialogue was AWFUL.
4) The “secret” was way predictable. ** see #3 above.
5) Though they hinted at the “secret” all during the movie, and showed shadowy figures lurking in the darkness, they never ever really showed what was there. Just swift movement and small shots of the actual creatures. I love the element of the “unknown.” However, I also like to see the creatures once the secret has been explained. It’s like they weren’t very interested in it either. Meh.
I have been craving a good scary movie for quite some time. After Paranormal Activty 3’s disappointing show, I needed this for the Halloween season. Unfortunately, it did nothing for me. Have the days of the Horror genre gone the way of the Dodo? I guess I should just stick to the classics around Halloween time.
A quote from my husband: “In Russia, even the bears look Russian.”
A quote from me: “Jesse McCartney is one of the actors in this flick. That should have tipped me off before I even watched it. You remember him right? He’s the Justin Bieber prior to the Justin Bieber craze. And he sucks. Big time. Also, blonde hair is much better for your skin tone, Jesse.”
FINALLY! My favorite time of year! The Fall season .. the smell of pumpkin spice, the changing of leaves and the return and beginning of some AWESOME SHOWS!!!! I am so excited for this new season of shows!!!! YAY!! If you have not already set your DVRS, here’s a list of some of the shows I’ll be recording and keeping up with! I’m so so excited!
On ABC
2. Revenge
3. Nashville
6. Last Resort
8. Castle
9. Scandal
On NBC
2. Grimm
5. Revolution
6. Up All Night
On CBS
1. Elementary
. NCIS
On FX
On FOX
1. Touch
Star Rating: 3 stars
(for Star Rating key: https://madtimemama.wordpress.com/mama-and-papa-movie-reviews/)
So, I have sat and thought about this movie some before writing this review. I have to say, I REALLY liked it. I’m a big pushover for any kind of “period” piece even if it is in a fairytale world. This satisfied my craving for a period piece AND fairytale in one full swoop.
If you read our Prometheus review, you will notice that we were supremely disappointed in Charlize Theron’s performance in that movie. THIS movie COMPLETELY makes up for her shoddy and worthless performance in one of our favorite collection of sci-fi stories. She really is a great actress. Not because she has an Oscar on her mantle (that really means jack-crap), but because she can actually put herself in a situation and can be that character and make it believable.
Ms. Theron was evil. Pure and raw EVIL. Like the de-VIL. Her version of the evil queen was perfectly poised with beauty, and oddly enough, grace. Every action was deliberate, every word was meaningful and the tone of her voice saturated the screen as if she was one of the “mean girls” from my high school days. Seriously, and I have to admit this. Her character reminds me of one girl in particular who was one of the prettiest girls in my class, but yet she was one of the most evil people I had ever come in contact with. It’s like Charlize shadowed my classmate’s 17 year old self and created the evil queen solely based on **her.
(**disclaimer* I have no idea if this gal is still as evil and ugly on the inside as she was in high school. I’m certainly not the same person I was 15 years ago, and I would expect after having kids and realizing there is more to life than just popularity she would be a different person. I hope she is. It would be a shame to waste such a pretty face with an ugly demeanor. I hear she is different now. It seems that she is. Hooray! Cuz, she was one of the worst bullies EVER. Ever. Ever.)
Chris Hemsworth …. SUPER yummy. He really didn’t have to do anything except be on the screen and say “if I refuse” in his sexy Australian accent. Seriously, such a delicious specimen. My husband says, “he’s tough.” I agree. He was also not perfect. He was human and had problems. He wasn’t the “Prince Charming” like they would typically display in these types of movies.
We liked the dwarves. ESPECIALLY Ian McShane. HE IS awesome. If you have ever seen the series Deadwood, then you KNOW his brilliance in the acting medium. He’s so awesome. I could watch him any day of the week.
The one HUGE flaw in this movie was Kristen Stewart. I think anyone who knows who she is would agree. Now, I don’t think she RUINED the movie. I just think she doesn’t have the depth or range to play alongside Charlize and Chris. It was like putting a 1st grader in Metropolitan Opera performance to sing alongside Kathleen Battle. Although, I’m pretty convinced a 1st grader would do a better job than K-Stew in this movie.
Quote from my husband: “This movie puts regular dwarves out of business.”
Quote from me: “You know, the director of this film is the one that K-Stew had an affair with. I heard a rumor that his wife told the director he is NOT allowed to have K-Stew back as Snow White in the upcoming sequel. HALLELUJAH. Lets hope that’s true!”
Star Rating: 4 stars
(for Star Rating key: https://madtimemama.wordpress.com/mama-and-papa-movie-reviews/)
Oh, Prometheus. Prometheus. You gave us fire once and great hope. How’s the liver? Where to begin? I had high hopes for this movie. I must admit, my husband and I were giddy to watch this movie after we found out about its production. We were “giddy as school girls,” to paraphrase Allison Doody. Doody, hehe. It was that kind of excitement. (We share the same enthusiasm about The Avengers . . . but that’s a whole other post for another day). We are avid Alien franchise fans as well as being in the Ridley Scott fan club. He’s a master at his craft.
We have so many questions, but first let us talk about what we did like. It wasn’t an epic fail, but it wasn’t a home run either.
Things we liked:
1) We like the universe of the Alien movies — even number 3. We like that there are things going on out there that aren’t necessarily included in the storytelling. They’re just there. And the characters and plots are related to these unknown tangents. We like that. We do. Really.
2) 
We loved Idris Elba and Michael Fassbender in this movie. In fact, we like these guys in any of their movies. They’re good. 
3) Special effects were on par with our expectations. And despite the fact that my husband says “Expectation is a prison,” good job. Awesome, even, in places.
4) 
Noomi was pretty good in the C-section scene. (But who couldn’t be good acting like they are cutting in to their own reproductive system?) On an aside, being presently pregnant and having had a C-section before and another scheduled C-section to come … I have to admit it was hard to watch. I might have even closed my eyes–but just for a second. It was good though. Noomi FINALLY showed some “chops” in that scene. Chops, hehe. She at least acted like she gave a crap. (Sherlock Holmes 2, anyone?) Unfortunately, it was too far into the movie to really varnish my opinion of her acting skills. Alas, it was a good scene nevertheless and regardless, I’m gonna have a C-section anyway! Hooray!
Things we didn’t like and questions we have:
1) 
Charlize didn’t do anything. Seriously. She didn’t do ANYTHING. Anybody could have played her part. She was only in this movie to try to sell tickets and to put that “Academy Award Winner Charlize Theron” on the poster. Don’t let her participation fool you.
2) 
Noomi is one dimensional (Don’t get us wrong– we love our Swede actors/actresses. They produced the Skarsgaard men and the Dragon Tattoo trilogy — which is where we started our love affair with Noomi) HOWEVER, after seeing her in other roles our opinion is now firmly set. ONE DIMENSIONAL and lacking any emotion. She is like an attractive or at least interesting looking block of wood. You pick it up and think, “Huh. That’s neat.” Then you toss it back down and forget it. Sorry girl.
3) 
We liked the white giants BUT are they just more monsters? What drives them? Why did it try to kill them all???? The beginning was confusing and it carried throughout the rest of the movie. SO frustrating.
4) David and Shaw leave on another alien spaceship at the end of the movie. What happened to the white giants we assume would be sleeping on THAT ship? What about the other ships? Doesn’t make much sense.
5) It was hard to care about any character in the film. Was this on purpose because of their ultimate demise? Or was it poor writing? You be the judge. Ultimately, my husband and I agree that Idris’s character was the only one that we remotely cared about. We would have liked to see more of him and have him survive to fight on.
6) Four years and a trillion dollars into this project, we would have screened our staff for this mission a lot better. For example:
— no psychologically unstable people
— biologists/scientists who know how to follow simple quarantine procedures and who know how to act when encountering new species on an alien world
— religious fanatics . . . no place for ‘em on my ship
…. ya’ll get the idea. But it’s those impurities that add the spice of life to a movie . . . right? Or the kiss of death….
7) 
Guy Pearce…. really? Why put Guy in ANY movie only to have 8 pounds of make up on him and make him unrecognizable. He’s Guy Pearce. In this movie, we don’t need you — sad, but true. Feeling guilty about saying that, we must recommend the movie “Lockdown.” He’s in that and it’s GREAT for a sci-fi action flick. Now, we say all of this . . . but PERHAPS . . . JUST PERHAPS the next movie will explain it all and Guy Pearce will reprise his role as a younger man, clone, robot, etc. and bring forth some MUCH needed explanations.
8) 
We needed the movie to be about an hour longer for fuller explanations, better understanding of the “weapons,” the face hugger snake, the black oily stuff, why the white giants act the way they do, the holograms, the squid, etc. As it is, we suspect there may not be a Grand Unifying Theory For It All. But we hope, we sincerely hope, there is.
Quote from my husband: “Big things have small beginnings.”
Quote from me: “Really, Charlize did NOTHING.”
**DISCLAIMER** This review was based off of a movie that was watched with a baby in the hotel room, and a noise maker going full blast. It’s possible we might have missed something and that’s the basis of our whole confusion. But we have a real cute stinkin’ baby . . . see?
Star Rating: 2 stars
(for Star Rating key: https://madtimemama.wordpress.com/mama-and-papa-movie-reviews/)
Amanda Seyfried. I like her. She has that “Like-ability” factor about her. Kind of the same way I like Kristen Bell. I think she and Kristen have the potential to do something great.
This movie ain’t it. I’ll admit I was intrigued by the story preview. A girl (Amanda Seyfried =Mandy) gets kidnapped. She’s trapped in a hole dug deep into the ground. She escapes but no one believes her that she was abducted. So much so they admit her to a mental facility. Well, skip forward to present day, Mandy’s sister is all of a sudden gone when Mandy gets home from work. She is SURE it’s the dude who kidnapped her. The whole movie is about fighting/running with/from the police regarding the truth of the matter—which no one believes her in the first place.
I think the movie could have been good. But honestly, it was lacking in a lot of departments. The mystery of the dude? He’s just some random dude? Really? Not a lot into the back story which if had been told correctly could have been effective for the rest of the movie. The escape from the police scenes were sometimes too much and unbelievable. Then the cop that actually “believes” her and helps a little bit just fades away. I was kinda hoping he was involved in someway with her capture… but he was another side character that just faded away. Side characters are important movie makers!! They can make or break a movie!!!
Also, this is on a side note. Have you ever seen this chick? Here name is Katherine Moennig.
She’s in this flick and it annoys me to NO end.
1) She has NO range. She plays the SAME character in every movie (kinda like Angie Jolie—except for in the Changeling and A Mighty Heart, both of which I liked– although those two characters were similar..hmmmm)
2) She likes to play androgynous characters. Ok. We get it. Woopty Doo.
3) I keep waiting for this chick to actually do something good, but she disappoints me EVERY time. Sure, I see potential. Do something with it! Being Gwynnie’s cousin won’t automatically get you that Oscar!
4) Please, please can we see a different haircut? For once? I want to buy you a hairband. (I say this with love because I, too, am in SERIOUS need of a haircut and a fresh look. How about we go together?)
This movie is forgettable, thankfully. Don’t watch it.
Quote from me: “Which movie was this again?”
Star Rating: 3 stars
(for Star Rating key: https://madtimemama.wordpress.com/mama-and-papa-movie-reviews/)
Hooray! Nothing made me more happy than to know that The Woman in Black had come out on On Demand! My husband and I are HUGE Daniel Radcliffe fans and we were just WAITING to see how he would do with his first movie since the Harry Potter franchise. Danny does not disappoint but he doesn’t talk a whole lot. A lot of the story the acting is relied upon is his reactions rather than discussions. The pace of the movie and story could’ve had a little more shaping up but over all it was a good movie.
The movie revolves around a lawyer fella whose wife died during childbirth. He misses her deeply and is left raising his four year-old son alone. With the help of a nanny, he leaves his home to tend to some old lady’s estate who recently died. It’s a house just past a spooky marsh and basically on an island after the tide comes in. There are strange disturbances in this house and it is well known around the community as being haunted. Children in this community had been dying mysteriously for years. The community blames the Woman in Black.
This movie has all the classic horror/thriller antics. Mysterious happenings are all over the place. Shadowy figures show up in small corners of the screen. Faces pop up behind different pieces of furniture. There is a A LOT of the mystery of “what’s not there.. but it’s there” concept. I dig movies like that.
Now, the ending is a bit predictable but in some ways it’s not. I was satisfied with it, but I almost wanted something more. Again, if you are into thrillers, I think you’ll be safe with this one. It’s not the best, but it certainly holds its own.
Danny, good job!
Quote from me: “Shhh! I kind of kept waiting for Danny to pull out his wand!”
Star Rating: 3 stars
(for Star Rating key: https://madtimemama.wordpress.com/mama-and-papa-movie-reviews/)
Has the shine of the “unknown” in the Paranormal Activity (P.A.) world finally diminished? After watching the latest in the franchise, I believe so. Look, I totally believe in spirits, I totally believe in paranormal activity.. I even believe in aliens! We are not alone fo’ sho’! Naturally, I gravitate towards these kinds of movies. I ESPECIALLY love exorcism movies but I love a good ghost/horror/thriller flick.
This movie is the third movie in this franchise and it takes you back to the beginning where the sisters first experience the paranormal activity. They live with their mother and stepfather. Right from the start, Katie is seen talking to an invisible friend, Toby. (presumably a demon entity attached to the kiddos) Toby is at first playful and friendly with the girls and then turns aggressive and harasses the girls. The ending was weird and confusing to say the least. I won’t give it away—make your own opinions when you see it.
This movie was slow from the get go. It took FOREVER to get to the good parts. I will say this, about the last 30 minutes was pretty cool and thrilling. The white sheet part was f’n CREEEEEEEPY!!!! I’ll hand it to the P.A. peeps, they really know how to draw out the suspense. However, with all “found footage” movies, it’s hard to keep the interest because everything is SOOOO drawn out if it doesn’t move quick enough. I won’t lie though, it’s creepy, and it’s way better than Haywire, or Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol! If you like this kind of movie, it’s worth renting — you might get a tingle out of it.
I hear they are making a Paranormal Activity 4. I’m not sure how much further they can go with this story. Hopefully, they can bring the shine back with much more creepy instances sooner in the movie to hold the attention of the viewers. One can hope!
Quote from me: “Eh, it’s good flick. Not the best, but certainly not the worst.”
Anyone who knows me knows I LOVE my emotional moments in TVs and Movies. My husband and I were talking about it and he gave me the idea to do my top 5 in both tv episodes/tv movies and movies. We’ll start with TV.
#5 episode– Medium: Final episode (last 5 minutes of the episode)
At the beginning of the episode, Allison Dubois (the Medium), receives a phone call from her husband as his plane crashes. It turns out that he does not survive the crash. When he comes to Allison as a ghost the night he dies, he explains to her that he will not stay around (where she can see him), he will in fact, move on. As we come to the end of the episode, we see an aged Allison has lived her life watching her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren grow up. While listening to a voicemail from her great-granddaughter, she suddenly slumps and passes away. The camera turns and you see a young Allison looking at her dead body then she hears “Hi.” She looks and sees her loving husband and she says “You waited.” Bahh! Makes me cry every time! Love me some Patricia Arquette .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0AR58nXb1o&feature=related
#4 episode—Alias: Final episode (scene where Sydney leaves a dying Jack)
If you want an awesome TV series to watch from start to finish, I highly recommend the Alias. It centers on the life of a spy, Sydney Bristow (played by Jennifer Garner) and her father Jack Bristow (played by Victor Garber). With all the lies of the spy business and through 5 seasons of figuring out what the end game is, Sydney and Jack have a, let’s say, a complicated relationship. Did I mention that Sydney’s mom is a bad spy? What a crazy family dynamic! Through it all, you come to find out that Jack has only done everything in his power to protect Sydney. It’s a powerful moment when she finally says goodbye to her father before facing off in the final battle with her mother. Thinking back on all the episodes, I don’t think she has ever said the words “I love you” to her father. When Jack is shot and she must leave him to save the world, she finally says the words. It’s a powerful moment and after being entangled in this series (which is STILL my favorite TV show of all time…) I cry EVERY time. I want to be Jennifer Garner’s best friend. I get her.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1bdyC9CC8c
#3 episode—NCIS: Episode Heartland (Gibbs meets Shannon)
Ah, the complicated, delicious character: Leeroy Jethro Gibbs. My husband is a former grunt (Infantry Marine). I can tell you that there is NOTHING like a man in uniform. Gibbs is no different. He is a former sniper Marine who was deployed, and lost his wife and daughter to drug cartel killers, gunning for him. He lives by a set of rules which he passes down to his team: DiNozzo, Ziva, and McGee. In every episode, we hear about these rules. For example: Rule No.1 = Always have a knife. The team every once in a while discuss possibilities as to where these rules come from—up until this episode, the viewer (me and you!) didn’t know. The rules are an important part of the show and are quoted all the time. In this episode, Gibbs has a case that takes him back to his hometown of Stillwater, PA. At the end of the episode, Gibbs is reflecting on some memories. You see a young girl sitting on a bench waiting for the bus. A uniformed young Gibbs sits down opposite of her. They began to talk, and through the course of the conversation, she reveals she has a list that she lives by. At this time, she introduces herself as Shannon (Gibbs’ first wife whom he lost along with his daughter). So many times we have seen Gibbs suffer in silence missing his wife and daughter. The moment where he meets his wife and we discover the beginning of “The List” is so profound! It tells us that she impacted him deeply as a man and as a professional, and he uses what she taught him for the rest of his life. Brings tears to my eyes. I am completely invested in NCIS—the characters are everything… did anyone see the season finale this season!?!? OMG!!! DUCKY!!!! Talk about tears of fear!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4Mm4URZ1kE
#2 episode – Star Trek: The Next Generation Episode “Inner Light”
I can hear all the haters moaning and groaning now. Get over it people. If you think Star Trek is just about a great big boat wandering around in space, you don’t get it and never will. My husband and I LOVE all things Star Trek. Specifically, we have a fondness for the Original Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation. One of the most emotional and beautiful episodes ever was “Inner Light.” In this episode, Captain Picard (who has chosen a life without family due to his sense of duty) is propelled by a beam of light from a probe into a different world. Here he has in fact a wife, a son, a daughter, a community, and a best friend. We see him go through an entire lifetime with all of these people who become his own. At the end of this lifetime, when he is very old, he actually has come to believe that all his “Picard” memories were an illusion or a dream. That they never happened. During the episode, he teaches his son how to play the flute. At the end of the episode we learn that the probe was meant to find someone (Picard) and share a story about an extinct race on a dead planet. They hoped this person would let their stories live on in him. After Picard comes to, he is taken back to his quarters where Commander Riker informs him the probe has shut down and the only thing found on the probe was a box. Riker leaves and Picard opens the box. It’s a stunning moment when he reaches in and pulls out the flute which he used to teach his son. It is the very one. He clutches the flute, hugging it to his chest and remembering the only family he’s ever had and the only one he knows he ever will have. Ya’ll can’t tell me it doesn’t make you tear up. Man, Patrick Stewart is incredible. Such an amazing actor. Take a look!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ia1CISaKnzo
#1 episode – Lonesome Dove – Scene where Gus dies
There is a reason why this is #1. Lonesome Dove is bar none THE BEST story of all time. Lonesome Dove is a made for TV movie (from one of the best novels E-VAH!) with some of the greatest actors of all time: Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones, Anjelica Huston, Diane Lane, and Chris Cooper. There are many more who are in this movie that bring this story together, but those are my favorite out of the bunch. This story is primarily about a cattle drive from Lonesome Dove, TX to new territory in Montana after the Civil War. It focuses on the friendship between Captain Augustus McCrae and Captain Woodrow F. Call, two of the saltiest ol’ veteran Texas Rangers you ever did see. The saddest scene in the whole movie (and of all time) is when Gus is lying on his deathbed with his best friend by his side, after many a journey made and many a battle won (as my husband says). When Call leans down and tenderly puts his hand on Gus’s chest and whispers “Auguuuustuuuus,” it brings the waterworks. From there, Gus says one of the most popular quotes ever, “My God Woodrow, it’s been quite a party, ain’t it?” Then, Gus passes away peacefully while snow falls outside his window. BAHHHHHHHH!!!! Best. Scene. Ever. With. The. Best. Actors. Ever. Period.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deV68rbsNyQ
Another great scene is the ending.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLFDZxdvRSY&feature=related
Have I mentioned this is also my favorite musical score? Basil Poledouris composed the music and he is by far my FAVORITE film composer. It’s really a shame he passed away at the young age of 60. Imagine all of the other beautiful music he could have created!
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Well folks, that’s it. If you need a good cry, just read this post and watch the videos. Works for me every time! What’s your top five?
Mad Time Mama! 