Tangled: Appropriately charming

Sometimes, you just need watch something that makes you feel all warm on the inside. This film didn't exactly hit the spot, but it was close. It was a cute fairy tale that wasn't overly sappy or juvenile... it was very fitting. While the plot is really predictable (as it should be), the way it's told is refreshed and entertaining. This is a win on a lazy Sunday afternoon with a small child to entrance, but it's not too shabby without one either.
Verdict: Worth $5 (See for a discount)

True Grit: Slow winner

Westerns aren’t my strong suite, basically because I find them anti-climactic after a drawn out showdown of some sorts; the outcomes are fairly straight-forward (someone gets shot—get on with it!)  While this story also follows a similar pattern and could have been 20 minutes shorter, the story is good and amplified with snappy banter and terrific acting. It was surprisingly funny, less violent than a typical Cohen film, and cohesively entertaining. I often miss the point on most Cohen films (Fargo, No Country for Old Men—not favorites of mine), but this one was right on target.
Verdict: Pay the full price (Worthy investment)

The Tourist: Unexpectedly off-putting

An innocent man gets tangled up by a beautiful woman and all hell breaks loose. This is the classic tale of mistaken identity and unnaturally fast lovers… almost. At this point in time, I expect every new movie to follow some type of formula (I’ve seen enough where I can guess nearly every storyline). However, this one does have a new and unforeseen twist of events that is just odd, leaving the audience perplexed and, at least with my experience, slightly angry.
Verdict: Wait for Netflix (Rent)

Tron: Legacy: Well done

As expected: the visuals were amazing. What was not expected: it also had a decent and cohesive storyline. I think that this was one of the few releases of 2010 that actually used the 3-D effect appropriately. Similar to how the Wizard of Oz used color, Tron uses the effect to create an alternate reality that looks super dope in faded neon. Not to mention the bad-ass soundtrack! If only the younger CG Jeff Bridges could mimic facial expressions better, then I would have no complaints. But he does well enough to get by.
Verdict: See in 3-D (Buzzworthy)

Black Swan: Trippy good

As you could have probably gathered from the trailers… there’s a bit of hysteria happening in this film. What makes it so great is that I’m not sure if it’s the characters… or me? The whimsical nature of ballerinas plays well into this environment of fantasy and delirium, where you just have to sit in awe and wonder of what is happening on the screen. Whether it’s because you enjoy the graceful ballet scenes or Natalie Portman’s fall through the rabbit hole… I’m not sure you will be able to tell. Just sit, stare, and enjoy.
Verdict: Pay the full price (Worthy investment)

Love and Other Drugs: Randomly disconnected

It was not exactly what I expected. Yes it’s a love story… but the title gave away more than I thought it did. There is a large dose of prescription drugs in this movie-- more so then I would have expected—that both Jake and Anne’s characters are dependent on… too bad I didn’t have some to numb me out through this movie. I do hate when trailers set you up to expect one thing and it turns out to be quite another. In this case, what masquerades as a light-hearted romantic story (doesn’t even guarantee comedy, which I respect) turns out to be more of a heavy and depressing story with romantic bookends.
Verdict: Just wait to see that much of Jake Gyllenhaal (Rent)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Necessary means…

To what better be the most awesome ending on screen ever! The first installment of the seventh movie is exactly what most first installments are: set-up. The set-up for what’s to come. The necessary evil. It’s just unfortunate that it had to come right before the anticipated, and action-packed conclusion of the Harry Potter Saga. So, if you’re into the HP series, this is an unavoidable waste of two hours (a lot of aimless wandering—but there is about 45 min of intermittent action). But I guess it’s better than reading the couple hundred pages it covers.
Verdict: Don’t see it in IMAX (see for a discount)

Morning Glory: Predictably decent

It is rather hard to reinvent the triumph of a woman. Start: a determined, but faulted, woman. Give her the opportunity to prove something. Enter male love interest. Struggle, struggle, struggle. Exit male love interest. Triumph! Male love interest returns. End. While the movie didn’t veer from the formula, it did put it in a new setting: a TV studio. And add socially awkward as the fault, rather than an underutilized brain (Elle Woods?) I don’t fault the unoriginality; if it ain’t broke…
Verdict: Only when you’re in the mood (Rent)

127 Hours: Exhaustingly amazing

The gravity of the situation, coupled with the intensity of its solution, are the bookmarks to the movie. The hundred and ten hours covered in the middle make up the majority of the film. The fact is that there is really nothing you can do to pass time but reflect on the choices you’ve made and the people you love. And then when that depresses you enough, focus on the things left in your control for as long as you can muster the energy. I definitely left the theater tense yet relieved, as if I had just experienced everything on the screen.
Verdict: Must see (Worthy investment)

Hereafter: uhhh… yeah…

I’m not going to skirt around it; I didn’t get it. Whether it’s because I don’t believe enough in its supernatural circumstances or because I can’t piece together the story, this three-piece disaster went over my head. The movie follows three characters attempting to deal with death and losses, while mismanaging their actual lives. As everything continues to unravel around them (their social lives wrecked by their obsessions), the film just kind of slaps a band-aid on the situation, and calls it a day. So, because of its abrupt conclusion, that left me as confused as when I started, I did not appreciate this particular work.
Verdict: Don’t bother (only if it’s free)

Unstoppable: Unexpectedly fun

Trains have never been more exciting. The film uses the train as the antagonist, pushing our two unwilling heroes close in an effort to save some piece of PA I’ve never heard of. There is a slow build from everyday life at the depot to the extraordinary feat of chasing down an out-of-control train. You think it would be fairly straight forward, but there are a few times were the crazy locomotive outwits the people. Though some stuff does blow up in the pursuit, the thrill of the chase is what keeps the viewer interested throughout the movie.
Verdict: Catch the matinee (see for a discount)

Notes on the Process

The Reviews are meant to be easily digestible tidbits on the film that help to either motivate or discourage the movie choice. Each film will have the following format: a two-word evaluation, a summary of why, and a verdict on whether or not you should see it. While I will try my best not to include spoilers, I make no guarantees. And because I see no value in unconstructive criticism, for the movies I do put on blast, I will do my best to add helpful edits that would have made the film that must better.

Please feel free to comment/make suggestions. Enjoy!