Rental Movie Guide

Most people did not like this movie.  I heard conflicting reviews from this film.  mountainx.com Ken Hanke said "Four Christmases, a film so monstrously awful that it will probably make a fortune, spawn sequels and cause a mania for gags involving projectile-vomiting babies.", which by the way I thought was a very funny part.  And npr.org Bob Mondello said "Gordon's stars are charmless, his script cheerless, and his sterling supporting cast can't seem to figure out what they've been brought on board to do....", ouch...  Critics just did not like this movie...

I would have to disagree with all of them.  Maybe because I am a little scrooge myself.  But I really got into the concept of tow unmarried people that have terrible dysfunctional families that they rather not visit on Christmas.  Here is the backdrop.  Brad (Vince Vaughn) and Kate (Reese Witherspoon) every Christmas ditch going to see their divorced parents.  Instead they make up stories about saving children in third world countries to go on their real vacations to places like Fuji.  The problem is that this year as they try to get their boarding passes at the airport they find out that their plane has been canceled due to bad weather.  Enragged Brad starts to argue with the ticket counter representative which draws the attention of the news carriers who are covering the story of passengers not able to leave the area before Christmas.  LIVE on TV Brad and Kate are asked where they were going for Christmas and are forced to speak of their plans for traveling to Fuji.  The story is seen live by both of their families and immediately their phone start ringing for them to come visit family for the vacation.  Thus, Brad and Kate are forced to visit Four families, the mothers and fathers of each for Christmas.  The twist is that neither have ever introduced each other to their families, nor have they explained how dysfunctional everyone was.  Come to find out neither Kate or Brad really knew each other after all.

I thought that this film was very funny.  But I have a sick since of humor.  So, I really enjoy movies like this.  This movie is not meant to be serious.  It does start to get a little serious towards the end but the transition has a normal flow.  I recommend that people judge for themselves.  If your a serious person you probably would not like this movie.  But, if not go see this one.  You should get a good laugh.

Popularity: 4% [?]

What can I say about this one.  One thing that I can say is that Disney definitely thinks outside of the box.  To take a long lasting love story, re-invent it and drop it right smack in the middle of New York.  But not only that; instead of keeping with the same old musical format were everyone is nice and willing to give everything in the drop of a moment, they change that.  Some people are actually mean.  Not just the evil step mother and her infatuated counterpart, but the extras, the fillers.

When I look at movies and review them I try to look at the movie and it entertainment value.  Does this movie keep my attention?  Does it make me laugh?  Do I get deep feeling of love or hate during the movie.  Well, I have to say that I got every emotion that I previously described out of this movie.  I got hate when Nathaniel, the evil princes’ minion, kept trying to dispose of Giselle, the prince true love.  I felt happiness when the prince came to rescue Giselle.  I felt nervousness when I thought the prince would never find Giselle.  But the strongest feeling of all came when Queen Narissa was introduced as the evil step mother who did not want to give up her throne.Enchanted had a lot of ups and downs.  But the movie kept on movie me along.  I did not find any parts that I just lost interest in.  This is also a movie that the whole family will enjoy.  Not just the children but all the adults should enjoy this one.  This is definitely a rent or buy.  For me I chose to buy it, especially since it is a Disney movie.  They tend to pull these off the rack after a while and I did not want to miss having this one in my collection.

Leprechauns (Hallmark Entertainment Books) (Paperback) newly tagged "enchanted"

 

Private Gardens of Georgia (Hardcover) newly tagged "enchanted"

 

Tales of the Whosawhachits (Enter the Fifth Realm BOOK 2) (Kindle Edition) newly tagged "enchanted"

 

Popularity: 7% [?]

Movie Mama Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Starring: Christina Ricci, Reese Witherspoon, James McAvoy, Catherine O'Hara, Peter Dinklage
Directed By: Mark Palansky
Running Time: 1 hr. 30 min.
MPAA Rating: PG for thematic elements, some innuendo and language.

Because of the Wilhern family's history of unabashed vanity, a curse befalls the family and poor Penelope Wilhern is born with the face of a pig. The only way the curse can be broken is if she finds true love despite her odd features. But Penelope's mother has kept her locked away from the outside world for the past 25 years. The only people allowed to see Penelope are a series of eligible, rich suitors who are interested in the enormous dowry they would receive if they consented to marry her. But after seven years of scaring every suitor away, Penelope decides to give up the search for love and tries to love herself just the way she is.

Penelope is a refreshing, modern fairy tale about growing up and learning to love yourself despite what others may think. It moves rather fast, but the pace is akin to reading a storybook aloud to your child. There is a delightful, surprising twist, plenty of moments to make you laugh, and even a few that might bring a tear to your eye. The acting from James McAvoy, Catherine O'Hara, Peter Dinklage, Simon Woods, and Reese Witherspoon is superb. I even loved Christina Ricci with a pig snout--it's very becoming on her! So if you have a middle school to high school age daughter, or a friend who is a young girl at heart, take her out to see this film. You won't be disappointed.

PROS
Once on her own, Penelope finds friends that stand by her side despite her abnormalities. Although the story line is similar to most fairy tales--a heroine seeking a husband to break a curse--in the end, it is not romantic love that Penelope needs most.

The themes in Penelope will no doubt ring true for every woman in one form or another. We have all been ridiculed, teased, and harassed, and we have all felt inferior for simply being different. Penelope's constant strength and perseverance is refreshing and inspirational. At the end of the film, we find that the moral of the story is not that "it's always the mother's fault," or "rich people stink," but rather "it's not the power of the curse, it's the power you give the curse."

CONS
There is one very brief scary image that gave most of the audience a jump. Most scenes include smoking and drinking and Penelope gets tipsy at one point. Max (James McAvoy) has a gambling problem and we see him gambling on quite a few occasions, but gambling is never glorified in the film and Max gives it up in the end. There are two fleeting sexual innuendoes which will most likely fly over your child's head--one of them flew over mine. At one point, Catherine O'Hara shows quite a bit of cleavage.

OVERALL
I thought Penelope was a delightful change of pace from the usual rubbish that comes out of Hollywood. Cleverly written, directed, and acted, the film is quirky and fun and will appeal to the young girl in all of us.

Megan is the staff family movie reviewer for pluggedinparents.com. For more parenting articles on health and safety, nutrition, baby, money and tech, family life, pets, and movie reviews, visit pluggedinparents.com today!

Popularity: 4% [?]

I want to first start off by saying that this film is not for children.  They should not be any where around when this movie is playing.  It is for mature adults.  Now that is out of the way, here we go.

I want to start off by saying that this movie is very funny and has crude humor.  I have a little of a sick sense of humor so, take it as you may.  I have not laughed so hard in a while. 

Hats off to Steve Carell who plays a 40 year old virgin who just gave up on have relations with the opposite sex.  These stem from the terrible encounters that he had while in high school and college.  Steve hooks up with a bunch of guys from work and ends up playing cards with them.  Near the end of the card game the guys start talking about there sexual encounter.  What they liked and what they disliked.  Steve joins in by downing and talking about some the guys until the spotlight is put on him.  He tries to fake the funk but is caught out there and found out.  It is from this point the guys make it there mission to get Steve laid.

This movie is definitly a strong rent for friday night.  I don't know if your girl friend would appreciate.  I think any man would appreciate this movie.  Definitly rent this, you will enjoy it.

Also see: Online Rental Movie Choices

Popularity: 4% [?]

A real legend is...well, the stuff of legends. But much harder to reproduce on film, because of the depths of human expression that tend to get lost in the business of making it on time, on budget, and on a subject the public will "buy". Which means 2005's "Walk The Line" is that rarest of movies, one that dug deep into the story, put it up as it really unfolded, and managed to bag actors that could carry it off.

"Walk The Line" is the hard fighting/drinking/loving story of country icon, Johnny Cash and his love affair with wife June Carter. It lays the foundation for the movie's focus, and Cash's real life, by detailing his boyhood in Arkansas, the early death of a brother, and impulsive first marriage that ended in disaster. All of that contributes to the way Cash's life was already drifting when he sang for Sam Phillips of Sun Records, where he brushed shoulders with another newcomer, Elvis Presley. Chastised for offering a hymn, Joaquin Phoenix rips off a version of Folsom Prison Blues that snags him the prized contract, and sets his foot on a path that will lead him to depths he never dreamed of, and the woman who would pull him out of then, June Carter.

Both Phoenix, and Reese Witherspoon who plays June Carter, did their own vocals, which added immeasurably to the reality of their performances. Witherspoon at times was perhaps a tad too ebullient, but also managed to reach inside herself to pull out both the feminine side of Carter, and her fury at Cash's moral and physical deterioration as their relationship progressed from an initial backstage meeting to the final, enduring chapter written at the Folsom Prison concert.

Not strictly a love story, "Walk the Line" is nonetheless a sometimes moving, infuriating, and emotionally charged tale of two people both struggling towards the same goal- to be with each other.

Director: James Mangold
Producers: Alan C. Blomquist, James Keach, Cathy Konrad
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Ginnifer Goodwin, Robert Patrick, Ginnifer Goodwina

Also See:  Rental Movie

About the Author:

Alice Flegel is a self-confessed movie fanatic that reveals exactly which movies are living up to they hype and which are better left for the DVD. Check out her movie and DVD reviews at http://www.MoviesByAlice.com before you lay down cold-hard cash at the movie theatre or video store.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Speed co-stars Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves re-team for romance in director Alegandro Agrestias remake of the Korean film Siworae, exploring a mysterious mailbox that somehow bridges time. After moving away from her peaceful lakeside home, a lonely physician (Bullock) begins writing letters to the frustrated architect (Reeves) who now occupies the building, only to discover that they are lining two years apart.

Just to start out, I don't really pay a lot of attention to romance movies. I am not a romance buff. But I really enjoyed this movie. It was a surprise hit in my book. Not only because of my feeling towards romance movies but because of how consistent was the story line. From beginning to end I was embraced with the interaction between Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves. The story line had me thinking the whole time, how could I have them to meet. How could Keanu convince his present day love that she has already fallen in Love with him in the future? But that would not be. There would be no way Keanu could convince Sandra of his love. Keanu’s present day Sandra would probably think that he was insane or was a crazy stalker.

I don't want to give too much away but this movie is definitely a movie to see. It is even a movie that children could see, although they may not be able to grasp a future and past love concept. One thing for sure, this movie does not have any risky scenes with skimpy cloths or the infamous nudity scenes that tend to pop up in a majority of movies today. Go out and rent this movie today. You will be pleasantly pleased.

Also See: Online Movie Rental

Rated: PG

Playing Time: 98 Minutes

2006

Popularity: 5% [?]