District 9

District 9 is defiantly not a movie for everyone. If you are not a fan of Sci-Fi movies or are one who can't stomach typical Sci-Fi violence then you most likely will not enjoy this movie. But if you can get past those things you are in for a very original movie where the aliens are not necessarily the bad guys and the humans not the good guys.


The movie starts by setting up the plot in a documentary like way. We learn that the aliens arrived in South Africa twenty years ago when their ship just stopped working. For 3 months the ship just hovered over the skies of Johannesburg with no activity of any kind until the humans cut their way into the ship to find the aliens malnourished and in very poor health. That is when District 9 is set up as a home for the aliens that over the twenty years becomes a slum and the residents of Johannesburg have had enough. Enter MNU tasked with evicting the aliens and moving them to a new home far away from the humans.


It is at this point that the movie really starts to take shape. We learn that MNU is more interested in the aliens weapons then their well being. The problem is the weapons are bio-engineered only to work for the aliens. Enter Wikus (the perfect fall guy should things go wrong), the man MNU has tasked with evicting the aliens who are called prawns in a derogatory way. While evicting the aliens Wikus comes across one alien who has developed an item that can help him and the other aliens get out of District 9 and return to their home planet. For the sake of those of you who have yet to see the movie I will leave it at that. Lets just say that things do not go as planned for either side.


The reason this movie worked for me is because it touched on so many aspects of human life. I have a feeling that if aliens where to show up on Earth they would be treated very much like those in District 9. There have been many comparisons of this movie to the apartheid in South Africa and that can not be ignored because these aliens really are treated like second class citizens who have little worth. In the end though the movie shows us what can happen if we can look past others differences and work together. District 9 is rated R, mainly for language and gory violence.

Summer Movie Musts

Okay, it has been a while since I have posted on any movies and since summer has now official arrived (according to the calender anyway) I thought I would list the 3 movies you really need to see this summer on the big screen. Here they are in no particular order.

Star Trek: A reboot of a classic sci-fi series that I must say I never got into. That has all changed with the retelling of the crew of the USS Enterprise. We learn why and how the crew of the ship came to be there and what makes each of them tick. There are also lots of shout outs (I am told) to previous Star Trek shows for those who are not new to the series. A great summer popcorn movie that is really enjoyed best on the big screen.

The Hangover: One of the funniest movies I have seen in a long, long time. You should know going in that this movie earns its R rating mostly via language but there are other parts that are defiantly not for the under 17 crowd. But if you can get over the rating The Hangover pays off with big laughs, and a story that keeps you entertained for its entire running time. You are along for the ride with a group of friends as they try to find their missing friend and remember what happened to them in the process. After getting out of the movie you will be planning your next trip to Las Vegas!

Up: This may be the best movie of the year, it defiantly is so far. The story is king in Up and the animation is amazing. If you don't have a tear in your eyes during the first 10 minutes of the movie you may want to have your heart checked. And yes I know it is "just" a cartoon but really this movie has so much heart and developed characters that you really don't realize that it is a cartoon. Plus it is full of adventure, really it has something for everyone.

Star Trek

Like the movie poster, I am going to keep this review simple. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie! One of the best, if not best, movies of the year. I was never really into the Star Trek movies and I found it very easy to feel connected to this new "rebooted" version. Really a must see in theaters, I am already planning a return visit.

Random Reviews

Since it has been awhile since we have updated the site, I thought I would give a few quick reviews on some of the TV shows and movies I have seen lately.

• Castle-Mondays on ABC

Castle is your basic cop/forensic/investigative show. The twist here is that a popular crime novelist/single father is working with a female detective of the NYPD. The reason why, we are told in the first episode, is because the mayor is a big fan of Castle (the writer) and allows him to help on a case that resembles a scene from his book. After helping solve the case the experience allows Castle to break his writers block, thus leading him to a full time consultant role in the department. The show is somewhat predictable but there are enough differences from the other cop like shows to keep you interested. Overall not a bad show and the cast makes it a little bit better, especially the smaller characters.

• Better Off Ted-Wednesdays on ABC

This half hour comedy is pretty funny and anyone who has ever worked for a big, heartless corporation can relate. It follows the staff of a big multi-interested corporation and the people who work in its research and development group. There a plenty of laughs to be had and the show moves at a brisk pace and the characters are all likable enough, even the boss lady, who you love to hate but love at the same time. If you need a laugh to break up your week Better Off Ted isn't a bad choice.

• Rachael Getting Married-Now on DVD

I wanted to like this movie because I like Anne Hathaway and was interested to see her in a more grown up role. Sadly the movie takes itself way to seriously and it was just boring and dull. Sure Anne Hathaway does a good job and makes you believe that her character has issues, but in the end the movie takes too long to get its point across. Some of the scenes here just went on and on for what seemed like an eternity and it just felt weird and forced. I found myself checking how much time was left every 10 minutes, which felt more like 30 minutes.

• Twilight-Now on DVD

Okay I didn't watch this last one since it has been out on DVD, but have heard way too many times during the last week that it was now out on video and thought I would provide my opinion once again. Worst vampire movie ever!! Sparkly vampires are not scary nor something to be scarred of. I know that a lot of people enjoyed this movie but I just don't get it. Its not well made or well acted and doesn't have any redeeming quality that I can recall. To those of you who enjoyed the movie, good for you! Just don't ask me to sit through it again...ever!

Race to Witch Mountain

I have to confess that I was excited to see Race to Witch Mountain as I was a fan of the original movies, Escape to Witch Mountain and Return to Witch Mountain, from the late 70's and early 80's. What can I say I have a soft spot for those movies as I had watched them numerous times growing up, just don't ask me to explain them. I just remember that I liked them when I was little. Needless to say, I was excited when I heard they were doing a remake. It's the little things that bring me joy these days. Anyway on to the new movie...

...I have to say that I was not disappointed by Race to Witch Mountain. It was a fun family movie in the same vein has National Treasure, the first one not the second, that had something for everyone in the family. Action, Adventure, Mystery, Romance, Sci-Fi, you name it this movie has it. Did that make it feel like there was a lot going on at some points during the movie? Yes, but the overall plot moves along at a brisk pace and there is enough car chases and explosions to keep you from thinking about all the side stories to much. They are there for comic value and so on and do serve their roles well.

The cast here is led by Dwayne "No longer the Rock" Johnson, who seems to really be enjoying his time here. You really feel that he develops a connection to the two alien teens who hitch a ride in his cab at the start of the movie. This really is a movie for the whole family and there doesn't seem to be many of those out there these days that the whole family will actually all enjoy. It is rated PG and there are some frighting scenes that may scare the under 4 crowd, but come on it is a movie about aliens so I think you know what you are in for. It is no worse then E.T. so if they can handle that movie they should be okay here.

LOST

Lost is my favorite show! Season 5 starts on Jan. 21 and here is a little sneak peek to get you in the mood...

The Core

Okay, I have another confession; I love disaster movies! Armageddon, Deep Impact, Dante's Peak, Volcano, The Day After Tomorrow, well you get the point. So I am sure that it comes as no surprise that I saw The Core when it came out a few years back. It may surprise you that I didn't really like it then. Well a few nights ago it was on TV and since it is summer and my Tivo is oh so lonely I thought I would give The Core another shot.

Was it any better the second time around? Well no. But I did enjoy it much more this time. Why you may ask? Well the plot is just so crazy and cheesy that you can't help but laugh at what it is. I mean come on, the core of the planet is dying causing the electromagnetic field that surrounds the earth, and protects it from cosmic rays, to fail. This also leads to one of the funniest moments in the movie. Since the EM field has failed, birds internal navigation is all askew and this causes said birds to dive bomb people, buses, cars, buildings! Who knew that pigeons would be so destructive! Oh and don't forget the killer lightning, cosmic rays that can melt the Golden Gate bridge but not a Chevy and so on and so forth. Now this all happens relatively early in the movie. Yes it all happens very quickly, because we have to take our next journey into The Core.

The movie tries to make you believe that the technology exists that can allow a ship and its crew to travel safely to the center of the Earth. This is a little bit harder for me to believe then say blowing up an asteroid with a missile, that at least sounds plausible. But since this is a disaster movie, oh and is it a disaster, I will forgive the movie for its lapses here. So onto the center of the earth. Things happen along the way that delay our trusty crew (Hello giant crystal block thingy!) and of course the crew members have to turn on each other, then make up shortly before the bombs that they have placed in the core to restart it go off. We are then left with two crew members that have to out run the bomb blast, after converting the ship to run on thermal power, and make it back to the surface.

Will they make it? Will their story ever be told? Duh! Of course they do and of course it is. Should you watch said story? Only if you are bored or want to watch a really lame movie. Now to be fair if you go in knowing that is going to be bad it is much funnier then any disaster movie should be. Just don't tell the movie that you are laughing at it! Because those pigeons are still out there just waiting...

-Eric