Cuteness + Science Fiction = Great Movie

The Last Mimzy Rating 8.0

Far into the future a scientist has made several attempts to save the world. This is his last try.

He sends Mimzy into the past to a couple of young 'uns, because only the innocence of children can save us. When a brother and sister find a strange paper weight type thingie on the beach, they break it open to find several objects, one of which is a stuffed rabbit named Mimzy.

The rabbit can speak only to the girl through beeps and chirps. SHe is able to understand Mimzy, and realizes why Mimzy is here. Mimzy is able to communicate to her and her brother, and soon they are freaking out their parents with the special abilities with which they have been endowed.

Rainn Wilson from the Office plays a science teacher at the boy's elementary school who is drawn into their world with his hippy wife. Soon the FBI catch on the Mimzy, and steal the rabbit to figure out exactly what makes it tick.

The movie is very entertaining. Children younger than 8, however, will most likely be bored. The story is somewhat complicated. But, this is a great movie for parents and their older pre-teen, and even teen children to watch together. The story is engrossing, and the rabbit is so very very CUTE!

Science fiction and mathematics buffs will also appreciate this movie greatly. The movie is based on a children's novel, and parrallels Alice in Wonderland somewhat.

The movie reminded me a lot of ET, because of it's cuteness factor, and because the boy looks freakishly simlar to Elliott from the popular 1981 movie.

If You Drink This Much, You Will Die

Beerfest

Rating: 5.5

"If you drink this much, you will die." This is actually a disclaimer that appears at the opening of the movie. Now, is that a sign that this movie is not for younger audiences, or what?

Beerfest is the story of two brothers who decide to train to win the annual Beerfest in their dead grandfather's name. Beerfest is sort of a secret "fight club" competition that the brothers stumble across when they travel to Oktoberfest. Dear old grandpapa loved his beer, and took the recipe of some master brew to his grave. The boys discover the recipe, and use it to create their family's favorite beer in order to help them train. Training consists of, you guessed it, drinking. A lot. Very quickly. Which leads to all sorts of escapades.

The movie great for learning new drinking games, and for watching whilst drinking with your fraternity brothers. It isn't good for much else.

Babel

Babel

Rating 9.0

This is an important movie that should be seen. Four stories from different cultures with common elements interweave throughout the film.

The first story revolves around two Moroccan boys who wind up shooting a wealthy American tourist while trying out his new rifle. The tourist is played by Cate Blanchett. Her husband is Brad Pitt. They are on a tour bus in the middle of nowhere when it happens. Blanchett is taken to the nearest village where she suffers while Pitt tries to get the US Embassy to help them out. The shooting is believed to be a terrorist attack, and the boys are hunted down.

Meanwhile, Pitt calls their Mexican immigrant housekeeper, who is watching their children at home. He informs her that she must stay with the children and miss her nephew's wedding. Torn, she agrees, and winds up shuttling the children across the Mexican border with disastrous consequences.

The rifle that was used to shoot Blanchett is connected to a Japanese businessman. His daughter Chieko is the subject of his story. She is deaf mute, and unable to voice the intense pain she suffers from her mother's death. Rinko Kikuchi plays Chieko. She does an amazing job, and it is obvious to see why she was nominated for an Academy Award. Her story is so moving, it is almost painful to watch.

Babel reminded me of Crash in the way it compared struggles across cultures and backgrounds. All of the characters are similar in their pain and misunderstanding of each other. For some it results in pain and anguish. For others, there is resolution and understanding.

I loved this film because of how well it portrayed the emotions of the characters. There is intense tragedy in each of their lives, and it is that element that connects them. There is no understanding that unites them. They do not even meet. But to the audience, it is as if they do.

It is a complex movie, but I found myself glued to the screen until the end. I highly recommend it.

The Blonde Ditzo and the Cute Funny Guy

Employee of the Month
Rating: 4.5

All I have to say about this movie is...Jessica Simpson.

Do you think she's pretty and talented? Then you'll most likely find this movie mildy entertaining. Those of us who are like me, and are revolted about the amazing popularity she receives just for being blonde, pretty, and having big boobs, will find this movie incredibly annoying.

Andy Dick and Dane Cook are mildly funny. Personally, I think Andy Dick's potential is wasted on this film, but that's just me.

Basically, Dane Cook works at a Wal Mart sort of place. His job is unloading and loading merchandise. Dax Shepard is the cashier who wins employee of the month all the time, and acts like a jerk with everyone. Jessica Simpson is the new cashier who has a history of "getting with" the employee of the month. So, Dane Cook decides to do his darndest to win that honor, even if it means taking his job seriously.

That's it. Guess how it ends.

Beyond the Quik Stop...

Clerks II
Rating: 6.0

In case you wondered what happened to the slackers in the first Clerks, wonder no more. In Clerks II the Quick Stop burns down, leaving Dante and Randall looking for employment. They wind up at Mooby's which is kind of like McDonalds, only with every detail turned into a joke. The door "moos" when opened. Dante is about to get married, if you can imagine that. Ironically, his fiance is Kevin Smith's wife in real life. It's hard to imagine her with either of them. She's tall, blonde, bitchy-looking, and anorexically skinny.

She would have been better suited playing the role of Dante's boss, and the manager of Mooby's, which is played by Rosario Dawson. Of course, Dante has a "thing" for his boss and vice versa. She has the same raunchy sense of humor and no nonsense way of behaving, so it's obvious they are meant to be together. But, she doesn't want to get married. Why Dante does is a mystery.

When Randall and friends decide to throw Dante a bachlor party to end all bachelor parties, everything you could possibly imagine happens, and, well, you can probably guess the ending.

The plot is formulaic. The jokes are the same. So, if you like that stuff, you won't be disappointed.

A Movie for the Cubicley Caged

Office Space....Rating 8.0

If you like comedies and find the world of work sometimes sorta funny, then this is one for you.

Office Space is Mike Judge's sardonic view of those corporations where getting the right cover sheet for your TPS report is everything. It's a lot like the comic strip Dilbert, only in a movie. If you like that sort of thing, then this is the movie for you.

Peter Gibbons is an office worker who basically sleepwalks through life. He decides to go to a hypnotist to talk about his problems. When the hypnotist keels over from a heart attack before he can snap him out of his hypnosis, Peter is left in a perpetual state of not caring about work.

When he finally does show up at work a few days later, the place is in the midst of a huge downsizing. "The Bob's" are interviewing everyone and deciding on their fate. Peter comes in and the when asked what he does, he simply tells it like it is. He finds himself promoted and his snarky boss, hilariously played by Gary Cole is demoted.

The best performance is by Stephen Root who plays nerdy passive Milton who keeps finding himself getting stepped on and overlooked to the point where he just stops getting paid, but still shows up to work every day.

Anyone who does anything for a paycheck will appreciate this movie. The point of the whole thing is how the amazingly absurd the world of work can be, where an entire day can be spent on routines.


Jennifer Aniston plays Peter's girlfriend who he meets =when she is his server at Friday's like restaurant. The thing they have in common is she hates her job too, and winds up walking out when she is criticized for not wearing enough "flair".

Hisssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

Snakes on a Plane

Rating: 5.0

Ohhhhhhhh yeah.... hike up the cheese factor, it time for Snakes on a Plane. Apparently Samuel Jackson asked to be in this movie when he saw the title. When they were going to change it to something a little less obvious, he told the producers he would only do the movie if they kept the original title.

Did you guess the story? I bet you did. There are a bunch of poisonous snakes on a big 747 threatening to kill all the passengers and bring the plane down. They were put there by a very bad man who went to all that trouble to kill one little witness.

The movie is filled with CGI snakes hissing and biting. There's lots of action, some swearing, and some nudity, so don't let the kiddies watch this one.

The scenes that bothered me the most, however, were the scenes where the snakes basically devour a poor little innocent cat in the cargo area and a passenger's little dog. I mean, as if air travel isn't stressful enough for pets without having to worry about huge snakes. This movie, to say the least, is not animal friendly, so if you are an animal lover like me, you may want to pass on this one solely for that reason.

However, if you love action movies, hate snakes, and are looking for some mindless Saturday night entertainment, then go ahead and indulge.

All Jacked Up on Mountain Dew!

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

Rating: 8.3

I found this movie to be pretty darn funny. I am not a fan a "redneck humor", like Larry the Cable Guy and Jeff Foxworthy. However, the combination of characters in this film and the wonderful script just make this one a must-see. Ricky Bobby (Will Ferrell) grew up as the only son of a single Mom and a deadbeat father who believes "If you aren't first, you're last!" His only desire in life is to go fast, and he gets that opportunity becoming an award winning NASCAR driver. When a French Formula One driver (wonderfully played by Sascha Baron Cohen, otherwise known as Borat) starts becoming the new winner, Bobby's confidence is shaken and he soon finds himself fighting for the title of top driver.

There are a slew of humorous quotes from this movie that will just have you on the floor laughing. Here are some of the best, as taken from the Internet Movie Database. I am smiling just typing this.

Jean Girard: Hakuna Matata, bitches!

Susan: Ricky Bobby is not a thinker! Ricky Bobby is a driver!

Ricky Bobby: Dear Lord baby Jesus, we thank you so much for this bountiful harvest of Dominos, KFC, and the always delicious Taco Bell. I just want to take time to say thank you for my family. My two sons, Walker, and Texas Ranger, or TR as we call him. And of course my red hot smokin' wife Carley, who is a stone cold fox.

Cal Naughton, Jr.: mmm-mmm...

Ricky Bobby: Dear tiny infant Jesus...

Carley Bobby: Hey, um... you know sweetie, Jesus did grow up. You don't always have to call him baby. It's a bit odd and off puttin' to pray to a baby.

Ricky Bobby: Well look, I like the Christmas Jesus best, and I'm sayin grace. When you say grace, you can say it to grown up Jesus, or teenage Jesus, or bearded Jesus, or whatever you want.

Drunks

Factotum

Rating: 6.8

Fans of poet and novelist Charles Bukowski might enjoy this one. This film version of Bukowski's short novel centers around his alter ago, Henry Chinaski. Chinaski (Matt Dillon) is an alcoholic drifter who floats from job to job, and bar to bar occasionally hooking up with women, and chronicling it all in his writing. Marisa Tomei plays one of these women, a hooker leaching off of her sugar daddy. Lily Taylor plays Jane, the woman who stays with Chinaski the longest. Taylor does an amazing job portraying Jane. She bares all in this role, and Jane comes off as somewhat comical in her pathetic devotion to Chinaski. Alcohol plays the strongest part in this tale. All of the characters are basically severe alcoholics. Bukowski set his novel during WWII, but the movie is set in present day. It's a story of disallusionment, numbness, apathy, a life wasted by alcohol. You may ask yourself "why would I want to watch such a depressing tale?" Well, some people might like that stuff.