More Movie Review by Malori

TAKEN

This movie totally freaked me out!! I mean, it is just scary because it is "real life".  Awful things that that really do happen all the time and that is really scary!

That having been said, there were things I liked and things I didn't like. Now, I'm not one for violence, but I liked that Liam Neeson was really hard core, and he didn't care who he had to shoot up to get to his daughter. Sure, we all like a good guy who doesn't really kill people (Batman, Superman) but you can't tell me that if your daughter were taken by people doing those awful things, you wouldn't be willing to kill anyone in your path to save her....yup, it's not something you want to think about, but it's true!!

The thing that bothered me was that this movie had an opportunity to be great - if it had been 1/2 hour to an hour longer. Everything felt so rushed - especially the end.

(Spoiler Alert!!!)

And, if you were a young, cute girl who had just been drugged and sold for sex - would you wear  little tank top and be all smily and giddy right when you got home? No, there would be some serious issues going on in your head, and you would need therapy. That girl is just way too happy and "normal" right when she gets home......that ruined the realism for me!

But, worth watching - and watch a happy movie after so you can sleep.

TWILIGHT

Yes, I finally saw Twilght, and I have to admit, I was a little disappointed. Ok, lets talk about the positives first - it stuck with the book pretty well....and.....well, that is really my only positive.

I loved the book and I was super excited for the movie - and I was let down! Kristin Stewart (Bella) was awful! She couldn't close her mouth the whole time and she was depressing every second!! As I recall, she was in love and they had happy times, not everything was so awful! Edward wasn't charming or interesting, he was just weird. Their undying love for each other was made to feel like a high school crush!

And, my biggest problem with the movie was the severe lack of Alice! Alice is everybody's favorite character! Who in their right mind doesn't love her? But this movie barely gives her any lines at all! 

All in all, I was dreadfully disappointed.

Will I see the next one - of course I will........I just love those gol-darn books!

RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN

I never saw the original "Escape to Witch Mountain" so I didn't really have any expectations of this movie, and I was pleasantly surprised. Now, The Rock - Dwayne Johnson - is not a great actor, and this movie will not win him an Academy Award. It also had some cheesy special effects. In spite of this, it was a pretty good time. The two kids are pretty good and there are some really funny parts! I think it would be a great movie for kids - just a good family night flick.

Worth watching with your kiddos!

HELLBOY II

I have never seen all of the first Hellboy, but it is not a requirement to watch the second one. So here is what I think they were trying to do with this movie - fit an many weird monsters as possible and still have a working plot. There were a million climaxes - you kept thinking the movie was almost over...and then it would just keep going.....

I didn't feel like this movie was very smooth - it jumped from one big random fight thing to another, and I didn't really identify with the characters that much. In fact, I was basically bored while watching it.

Ok, I giggled a few times, but that is not to say that it was funny. You know when you are watching something that is so not funny that when you hear something kind of funny it is suddenly way funnier........that's what it was like.

The make-up was pretty impressive, but other than that, this movie was a total flop.

21

I had wanted to see this movie since the first time I saw the trailer. I liked the main guy (Jim Sturgess) in "Across the Universe" and so seeing him in another movie was very exciting! Plus, I like movies about smart people and their quirks, and I like movies about crime, especially set in Vegas (yup, I was a fan of the "Oceans" movies) so this was the movie for me.

Take a nerd from MIT who wants nothing more to go to Harvard Med. Add a desperate need for money to make his dream come true, and a hot girl to help persuade him. Mingle in some exciting card playing, some sweet little best friends, a harsh life lesson, and a happy ending - and you have a great movie!

I wasn't bored at all! Everyone did a fantastic job! I never even knew that "card counting" existed, and I am simply not smart enough to ever pretend to do it, but this movie makes you feel like you totally know how and you are right there in the action!

I give this movie two thumbs up!

CORALINE

Last, but not least, Coraline. The story of an unhappy little girl who finds a magical world where everything is perfect....or is it?

This movie was fantastic! Artistic and creative and the story was insanely brilliant! The characters really draw you in and you end up loving their quirkiness. I loved it.

Now, that having said that, I do not suggest that you take your kids to see this movie! It was, simply put, scary!! If I were a small child - or even a middle sized child - I would have nightmares for sure!! The movie is dark and a little morbid and totally creepy - but worth watching!

That completes Malori's Movie Reviews - Take it, or leave it!!