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SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS
If you liked the first one then most likely you'll also like this one. It has the same visual flair and the chemistry between the leads is still excellent. I thought the ridiculous disguises that Holmes used wore out their welcome rather quickly but I really liked the final duel between Holmes and Professor Moriarty. B


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DETECTIVE DEE AND THE MYSTERY OF THE PHANTOM FLAME
Beautiful and packed with over the top action - think Sherlock Holmes meets House of Flying Daggers. I really liked it. B


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RED RIDING HOOD
Pretty, but boring. Skip it. C-


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HUGO
I haven't been a big fan of Martin Scorsese's work. I've recognized the skill and artistry of his work and could see why he is so acclaimed, but his films just never spoke to me. Until now, that is. Hugo is brilliant in every way. It's a gorgeous looking movie and the 3D worked amazingly well. The performances were all endearing and the story is a classic. It's my favorite movie of the year. A+


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MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - GHOST PROTOCOL
The Mission: Impossible series is an oddity in that every installment is better than its predecessor. There's not much story here in this new outing, but the derring-do on display is absolutely top-notch. Brad Bird has proven himself to be one of the best action directors in Hollywood whether it's in animation or live-action. A


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TUCKER & DALE VS. EVIL
While listening to the Doug Loves Movies podcast I heard Leonard Maltin talk about how much he enjoyed this movie and my interest was definitely piqued. The movie starts out as a typical Hills Have Eyes/Deliverance clone, but then it shows us the story from the point of view of the hillbillies, Tucker and Dale, who are actually two really nice guys trying to have a little vacation out in the woods. The movie is extremely well-done and very funny. Recommended. B+


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THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN: THE SECRET OF THE UNICORN
This film marks Spielberg's return to the pulpy cliffhanger inspired action that we all loved so much in Raiders of the Lost Ark, only animated this time around. I've never read or seen Tintin prior to this, though I was aware of the character, but I loved this movie. The highest compliment I can pay to it is that it left me wanting more, and that I'm very definitely looking forward to reading Herge's original stories. A


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TRICK 'R TREAT
Excellent little Halloween-themed horror film. It's the spiritual successor to Creepshow and Tales From The Crypt as it follows four separate but still connected storylines. Fun stuff; would've been perfect viewing on Halloween itself. B


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THE ROOM
Much has been made of this movie being the new Plan 9 From Outer Space, in that it's so bad that it's good. I could not help but think that that the writer/director/star of the film is actually from Bizarro World. Not only does he actually look and behave like a Bizarro but every single filmmaking decision made in the production of this movie was absolutely and totally wrong. Worth checking out if you get a chance; it's fun in a mind-boggling what-the-eff sort of way.
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THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO
Practically identical to the Swedish film, but more slickly directed by David Fincher, and I think that this version has a much better cast overall, though Noomi Rapace is still much more memorable as Lisbeth Salander than Rooney Mara. B+



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RED TAILS
Not entirely successful throwback to war films of the '40s, '50s, and '60s. The aerial combat is rousing, but everything on the ground is too leaden and full of corn. C



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HAYWIRE
Steven Soderbergh attempts to make a star out of real-life MMA fighter Gina Carano with mixed results. The fight sequences are well-staged and shot and Carano truly shines in them, but she stumbles in many other quieter scenes and I think the blame actually lies with Soderbergh and the style he decided to use with this movie. Carano does have a certain presence to her that I think could work very well in a film with a different tone (for some reason I kept thinking that she would make a phenomenal Bond villain). The movie is very entertaining overall and definitely worth checking out, but it's not one of Soderbergh's stronger films. B-



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UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING
The Underworld series takes a lot of drubbing from critics and fanboys alike, but I must say I really get a kick out of these movies. They're always chock full of well executed and truly cinematic moments of supernatural badassery. B+
 
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CHRONICLE
My new favorite "found footage" film. It tells its story in stylish and inventive ways as it follows three high schoolers that gain telekinetic powers. 20th Century Fox has already signed the director Josh Trank to helm their upcoming Fantastic Four reboot, and I'm quite excited about that decision now. Chronicle is deceptive; it starts with these teenagers experimenting with levitating baseballs and playing simple telekinetic pranks while filming themselves with a single handheld camera and culminates with a thrilling super brawl in the middle of Seattle that's on about the same scale as Superman's battle with the Kryptonian baddies in Superman II. It's impressive. I can't wait to see what Trank does next. A
 
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GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE
Disappointing. I loved the two Crank films for their verve and audacity, and you'd think that teaming up Neveldine & Taylor with Nicholas Cage would be a recipe for crazy fun, but alas, it was not to be. While Cage certainly does his nutty best, it appears that the directors were definitely hampered by the PG-13 rating. The movie does have its moments, but unfortunately you have to wait a good while for them to come along. C-


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JOHN CARTER
I had long thought the John Carter of Mars stories to be unfilmable simply due to the large budget it would've required, but director Andrew Stanton has definitely proved me wrong. He really brought Barsoom to life. I loved this movie - loved the casting, loved the action and the creature effects. It really makes me want to play Dark Sun. I plan to see it again in the theaters and will definitely be adding it to my home collection. A
 
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I'm currently hooked on watching B-movies right now.

DEVILFISH (1984) was not bad, but really funny with the Mystery Science Theater 3000 crew commenting throughout the film.
 
I saw the 1984 version of 1984 the other day for the first time. Some really good elements in that movie, but it's one of those cases where it doesn't quite do the book justice.

I want to see John Carter while it's still in theaters. I was at Mars Con in Bloomington, MN recently and I met one of the guys from The Mars Society. He pointed out all the places on a map in Utah where they shot.
 
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21 JUMP STREET
Very funny cop-buddy comedy with a killer callback to the original TV series.
B+




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WRATH OF THE TITANS
Could have been a lot of fun if the director wasn't so damned shaky-cam happy. It looks like the special effects might have been cool but we'll never know because the jittery camera never lets you focus on any of them.
D




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THE CABIN IN THE WOODS
No spoilers here. Highly recommended.
A+



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RARE EXPORTS
Quirky and fun Finnish film about the true Santa Claus. B



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THE RAID
Intense and raw Indonesian action picture that makes heavy use of the shaky-cam technique except during its outstandingly choreographed martial arts sequences. B
 
Watched Last House on the Left last night on rented dvd. It was not great. Had a couple of good suspenseful moments during the villains' stay in the guest house, other than that it didn't do much for me. I would give Last House a grade of D. Today, my wife treated me to a theater viewing of The Avengers. The Avengers was fantastic! I agree, it deserves an A+. It had great action, good comic relief and a tight story.
 
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