Movie Reviews By Movie Reviews Pro

Rating:

Movie: Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009)

Studio : 21 Laps Entertainment; 20th Century Fox

Info : Click Here

Runtime : 105min

Website : nightatthemuseummovie.com

Trailer :
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8626c

Review:

Battle of the Smithsonian is the sequel to the incredibly lucrative Night at the Museum, released in 2006. This movie picks up a few years after the first finished, and now Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) is the creator of his own infomercial inventions company, home to items such as a glow in the dark flashlight. After discovering that his old museum is being absorbed by the Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC, Larry abandons his hectic schedule to answer a distress call from Jedediah Smith (Owen Wilson), which is one of the exhibits that have come to life. Jed and his crew are in possession of the Tablet of Akmenrah, an artifact integral to Kah Mun Rah’s (Hank Azaria) evil plot to take over the world. This relic becomes the center of battle, as both sides attempt to secure it.

Ben Stiller’s satisfactory performance is greatly overshadowed by Hank Azaria’s adept portrayal of a flamboyant Egyptian monarch hell-bent on global dominance; Amy Adams’ role of the adventurous, precocious Amelia Earhart is also superb. Several other actors have noteworthy performances as well, including Owen Wilson, Bill Hader as General Custer, and Christopher Guest as Ivan the Terrible.

Despite its remarkable special effects, a predictable storyline and ordinary comedy amass to a movie that seems to please only children, not the entire family. But for its genre, Battle of the Smithsonian most certainly delivers with a pure PG rating and sparkling clean humor that is perfectly fit for younger audiences. These factors, plus the inherent celebration of museums and history, make for a movie that is certainly worthy of a parent’s approval.

Night at the Museum – Battle of the Smithsonian opened in theaters nationwide on May 22, grossing nearly $54 million on its first weekend. It is now playing in theaters across the country.

-Daniel S.

Comedy, Family, In Theaters Ben Stiller, Comedy, Family, Night at the Museum, Night at the Museum 2, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

Angels & Demons - Tom Hanks

Rating:

Movie: Angels & Demons (2009)

Studio : Imagine Entertainment; Columbia Pictures

Info : Click Here

Runtime : 138min

Website : angelsanddemons.com

Trailer :
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x799zs

Review:

The action starts in the Vatican after the sudden death of the Pope; simultaneously, the Hadron Collider in Switzerland successfully generates anti-matter. Shortly after this remarkable scientific achievement, one of the vials of antimatter is stolen by a mysterious stranger. After four Cardinals are kidnapped, a mysterious ransom video and note show up brandishing the word Illuminati, an ancient group infamous for opposing the Catholic Church in the 1600’s. Harvard symbologist professor Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) and his team of investigators urgently seek meaning behind the Illuminati’s cryptic clues, in order to save not only the lives of the kidnapped Cardinals, but everybody in Rome as well.

Bits of history are sporadically spoon-fed to the audience about the Church/Illuminati strife, as well as each party involved; this method allows for viewers who have not read the Dan Brown novels to closely follow along. The movie is quite suspenseful, as each discovery the team makes only leads to yet another shrouded clue in the web of Illuminati references. This, however, gets a bit tiresome as it serves for the basic architecture for the entire two hours: the result being a lot of talk and sparse action.

The recurring theme acts as a metaphor for hot-button topics of today, issues that mostly boil down to religious vs. scientific beliefs. Within the movie are characters of vacillating mentalities, such as staunch Catholic priests in addition to more progressive-minded ministers. These sorts of characters essentially bridge the gap between religion and science, in an attempt to prove how each side has its utility.

Even if you do not follow the series of novels religiously (pun intended), Angels & Demons is guaranteed to deliver as thorough entertainment with remarkable suspense. It opened worldwide on May 15 with $152 million in earnings, and is now playing in theaters.

-Daniel S.

Drama, In Theaters, Thriller Angels & Demons, Angels and Demons, Drama, Thriller, Tom Hanks

Star Trek - Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto

Rating:

Movie: Star Trek (2009)

Studio : Paramount Pictures

Info : Click Here

Runtime : 127min

Website : startrek.com

Trailer :
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7grwn

Review:

There is little to say about Star Trek. The movie in two words: Absolutely Amazing. The new Star Trek not only brings in great actors who played the parts perfectly but it was by far one of the best sequels of the film world to date. I personally have not seen any Star Trek movies or episodes in the past by any means. With that in mind; this movie really shocked me!

I cannot believe how intense a situation can get onboard a starship! Is captain Kirk really that much of a controlling character in the original series? Aside from that fact, I really liked the creative scenes that were put together involving both Kirk(Chris Spine) and Spock(Zachary Quinto)!

Throughout the beginning of the film they were fighting to be the man in control but they both accepted each other through their own way and are working together as possibly the best duo tandem this film industry has ever seen.

The new Star Trek promises glorious action, exacerbate drama, enormous laughter, and diabolical intelligence all wrapped into a two hour film. Star Trek is one of the best movies on the market right now so don’t miss your chance to see it!

Bookmark this on Delicious

-Trent M.

Action, Adventure, Drama, In Theaters, Sci-Fi Action, Adventure, chris pine, Drama, James T. Kirk, sci-fi, Spock, Star Trek, zachary quinto

State of Play - Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck

Rating:

Movie: State of Play (2009)

Studio : Universal Pictures

Info : Click Here

Runtime : 127min

Website : stateofplaymovie.net

Trailer :

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7tyba

Review:

Featuring a star-studded roster of critically acclaimed actors, State of Play is the film adaptation of a British 6-part mini-series of the same name. The story follows an investigative journalist named Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe) as he attempts to unearth the truth behind the mysterious death of Congressman Stephen Collins’ (Ben Affleck) mistress. Initially ruled as a suicide, Cal unexpectedly finds himself waist-deep in a quagmire of political and corporate conspiracy, a secretive web with potentially lethal repercussions for anybody that stumbles upon it. Faced with this discovery, Cal must choose between preserving his firmly-rooted friendship with Collins or risk everything to unveil one of the biggest scandals of the century.

Set in the nation’s capital, the complex yet sensible plot is particularly intriguing given that its embedded in current affairs; in this case, a lucrative military contractor is facing political opposition. However, the pace seems to drag a bit at times, as the finer details require more time to be fully ironed-out. But this isn’t an entirely bad situation, because these instances of plot development precipitate occasions of unnerving suspense.

Throughout the screening I found myself briefly wondering what sort of twist could come next, while simultaneously watching along in an unending stupor of fascination, the sort of infatuated yet vegetative mental state that only a thorough storyline could evoke.

Rarely does Hollywood produce such a tremendous work of film, where plot development, performance, and suspense are all top-notch. State of Play is more than just a political thriller, as it exposes the workings of the dying newspaper industry, their sporadic collusion with politicians, and their cooperation with law enforcement. It successfully delivers an elaborate while discernible storyline guaranteed to consume film fanatics and average movie-goers alike, thus it comes highly recommended.

– Daniel S. Edited by: Trent M.

Drama, In Theaters, Thriller crime, Drama, police, russell crowe, state of play, suspense, Thriller