The Butler

This fictionalized account of a Southern black man who worked as a White House butler under seven presidents from Eisenhower to Reagan is a very middle-of-the-road movie politically and aesthetically with myriad issues to carp about. But the long arc of this man's story, which begins in a Georgia cotton field and ends with an invitation back to his longtime work place to meet the first black president of the United States, describes a personal, racial and national journey in a way that is quite moving and will have a powerful effect on all manner of audiences, with the presumed exception of highbrows and real leftists.

I’m really late getting this review out and it’s entirely my fault and should have been a priority because this is an amazing film.   The cast is nothing short of a who’s who of acting and the story is simply perfect with a great journey that really makes you think.  It’s been awhile since we have seen Oprah on the big screen, 1998 to be exact and, it seems that while she wasn’t on the TV with her show giving away homes to everyone she was keeping her acting skills tuned.  If you don’t know all of the cast members in this movie keep it that way and don’t investigate to see who plays what parts, it will be a great surprise for you while watching the movie and make it that much more enjoyable.  

Enjoy the show.  5 out of 5 tie clips.

Jobs

The story of Steve Jobs' ascension from college dropout into one of the most revered creative entrepreneurs of the 20th century.

 Not much to tell about this show since we all know the story from start to finish.  But for me I’ve always admired Steve Jobs, what he created and his unique vision of the world.  There are so many of us that think outside the box and aren’t afraid to try something new, it’s just too bad Steve wasn’t involved in the entertainment business, we could have amazing original stories instead of going back to the well and recycling old ones.  Ashton Kutcher impresses in this movie and for what they created on a 9 million dollar budget is absolutely amazing.  You can tell that Ashton respected Steve as he put in a lot of time studying him and it came through perfectly on the screen.  In my opinion this is the best work that Ashton has turned out so far in his career.  They put together a very impressive cast on this budget and they all knocked it out of the park.  People are already talking about how it’s an okay movie.  That in my opinion is absolute stupidity, especially when we all know the story, what the hell do you want people, some robots and huge explosions?  Like I always say.  If you can do it better, then get off of your ass and do it instead of criticizing.  They could have added another hour onto this story because there is so much to tell and so much they didn’t tell, but when you watch it all play out the perfect artistic ending came through.  To all of you who have ever had a great idea or was always just a little different and is the square peg in a round hole, this movie is for you.  When the movie is over and everyone breaks out their smart phones just remember, he inspired that.  Amazing. 

Enjoy the show.  4 out of 5 Macintosh.

Kick-Ass 2

After Kick-Ass' insane bravery inspires a new wave of self-made masked crusaders, led by the badass Colonel Stars and Stripes, our hero joins them on patrol. When these amateur superheroes are hunted down by Red Mist -- reborn as The Mother Fucker -- only the blade-wielding Hit Girl can prevent their annihilation. When we last saw junior assassin Hit Girl and young vigilante Kick-Ass, they were trying to live as normal teenagers Mindy and Dave. With graduation looming and uncertain what to do, Dave decides to start the world's first superhero team with Mindy. Unfortunately, when Mindy is busted for sneaking out as Hit Girl, she's forced to retire leaving her to navigate the terrifying world of high school mean girls on her own. With no one left to turn to, Dave joins forces with Justice Forever, run by a born again ex-mobster named Colonel Stars and Stripes. Just as they start to make a real difference on the streets, the world's first super villain, The Mother Fucker, assembles his own evil league and puts a plan in motion to make Kick-Ass and Hit Girl pay for what they did to his dad. But there's only one problem with his scheme: If you mess with one member of Justice Forever, you mess with them all.

Let’s just get right to it, this movie is not as fast paced as the first one but it’s still a lot of fun.  Hit Girl, as she did in the first movie steals this movie too with her foul language, badass action scenes, and fantastic revenge tactics.  Jim Carrey was fun to watch play in his role as well as Donald Faison who I was really wishing had a bigger part, he plays Dr. Gravity and he was great.  Christopher Mintz-Plasse is as good as he was in the first one, maybe better, The Motherfucker is a fantastic character, and not just because of the name.  The movie takes its time building to the finale but the trip is worth the ride.  It’s a nice roller coaster with ups and downs and some serious ass kicking along the way, which we learned for the original.  Give this movie the time it deserves and you will enjoy the outcome.  Be sure to stay for the button after the credits.

Enjoy the show.  4 out of 5 Mother Fuckers.

Pawn Shop Chronicles

Pawn Shop Chronicles features three different stories involving revenge, kidnapping, meth labs and murder. Each revolves around an object bought and sold at a local pawnshop. With a trio of racists, an Elvis impersonator and a man searching for his missing wife, there is a ton of un-PC fun to be had.

This is a wild and crazy fucking ride with a lot of laughter and a few holy shit that’s got to hurt moments.  There are a lot of big named actors in this and it’s just too bad some of them didn’t have larger roles, like Thomas Jane, and Norman Reedus for example.  Low budget but well done is how this movie was prepared and they did one hell of a job.  Paul Walker plays a fantastic whacked out tweaker and Elijah Wood along with Matt Dillon have the most intense scene in the movie that made me a little squeamish.  Check out this movie, the way the stories are intertwined are fantastic and it’s packed with a lot of unbelievable scenes. 

Enjoy the show.  4 out of 5 naked zombie women.

Elysium

In the year 2154 two classes of people exist: the very wealthy who live on a pristine man-made space station called Elysium, and the rest, who live on an overpopulated, ruined Earth. Secretary Rhodes (Jodie Foster), a government official, will stop at nothing to enforce anti-immigration laws and preserve the luxurious lifestyle of the citizens of Elysium. That doesn't stop the people of Earth from trying to get in, by any means they can. When unlucky Max (Matt Damon) is backed into a corner, he agrees to take on a daunting mission that if successful will not only save his life, but could bring equality to these polarized worlds.

Should you see this movie? Yes. Yes, you should.  Everyone is on this kick about it not being as good as District 9.  This is one of the things I hate about people knocking movies.  This isn’t District 9!! Last time I checked it was called Elysium and yes Neil Blomkamp the director of District 9 directed this as well and it also includes another D9 alum with Sharlto Copley, but it’s not District 9.  It has a feel of D9 like it should because of the director but it’s a new story.  Honestly this movie was as much fun to me as Pacific Rim was, another movie that I enjoyed more than everyone else.  My problem with people saying this or that movie had holes is such bullshit!! There is no such thing as a perfect movie, they all have holes and the reason we go to see them is for entertainment and an escape from reality.  To all the people who want to see an average ordinary everyday movie, go to your local Starbucks and people watch.  For those who want to have fun and go on a journey for 2 hours, see this movie.  Matt Damon rocks it in this movie and Sharlto Copley is a fantastic bad ass.  This is the story that all the pretentious people would love to have come to life, a separate society for them and to leave all “others” here on the destroyed planet to fend for ourselves.  Jodie Foster as usual kicks ass and without giving anything away, let’s just say she can be a real bitch.  This movie was a blast and I’m sure I’ll be seeing it again.  The story is great, the actors fantastic, the visual effects rock, and the action is perfect.  One last thing I have to mention.  If this movie doesn’t make 60 million or more this weekend everyone is going to call it a flop and it’s anything but a flop.  See this movie and judge for yourself, I guarantee you won’t be disappointed, a great action movie to help us close out summer.

Enjoy the show.  5 out of 5 badass Matt Damon’s.

Planes

Dusty is a crop dusting plane who dreams of competing in a famous aerial race. The problem? He is hopelessly afraid of heights. With the support of his mentor Skipper and a host of new friends, Dusty sets off to make his dreams come true.

Animated movies are a blast and I’m usually first in line to see them, but there is no need to rush out and see this one.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s good movie but if you are expecting something along the lines of Cars, you will be a little upset.  The story is similar to Cars but it’s not able to keep the same pace.  Let’s start from the beginning, with what is a slow start and some jokes that fall short.  Luckily, as the story progresses the pace picks up along with the jokes and becomes a not so bad movie.  With that said I’m speaking from an adult point of view, as I let my inner child come out I had a fun time with all the action and adventure.  From the reactions of the kids around me in the theater it seems that Planes is going to be a success, not as successful as Cars but it’s the lure of Cars that will draw all the kids to this one. 

Enjoy the show.  3 out of 5 crop dusters.