He's Just Not That Into You

Hey, you...stop sitting by the phone waiting for him to call...get up and go watch this movie!

I have to admit, I'm not much of a rom-com watcher. Unlike others of its ilk, though, this flick wisely admits that relationships aren't all rainbows and butterflies, but that they are complicated, confusing, messes that aren't necessarily all sorted out by the time the credits roll.

The premise is simple enough the film claims:

"If a guy says he'll call and doesn't, he's not in the hospital with a broken number-dialing finger; he's just not that into you".

After a mediocre first date with pre-recession real estate agent Conor (Kevin Connolly), the film's main protagonist Gigi (Ginnifer Goodwin), over zealous for date success and naively optimistic as ever, is certain that she has found Mr. Right. But when he doesn't call, her friends (Jennifer Aniston as Beth and Jennifer Connelly as Janine) comfort her with assurances of his interest and case studies of how they knew someone who knew someone in the exact situation and it worked out for them, of course!

Not that Beth or Janine are living it up in the mansion of romantic bliss, mind you. Aniston's character has been living with Neil (Ben Affleck) for seven years, and for five of the seven, she's been dying to know why he won't pop the question. Wholly against the institution of marriage, though, Neil says that he's totally committed to her and he doesn't need a piece of paper to prove...yadda, yadda, yadda.

Connelly's character Janine on the other hand is married. Happily? Not so much. Ben's (Bradley Cooper) baby blues are soon tempted toward blonder waters when he meets Anna (Scarlet Johansson) at a convenience store one fine evening; how convenient. Too bad he's married, he reasons.

Drew Barrymore easily plays Mary, Anna's friend. Her role is pretty forgettable; but then she did spend most of her time producing the movie.

Justin Long plays Alex, the woman conquering bar owner who decides to school Gigi in the thinking of men, no feelings spared.

For the most part the story lines are tied together in believable ways and it's interesting to watch just how they're all connected kind of like 6 degrees of separation.

A tough pill to swallow:

Perhaps too realistic at times, "He's Just" exposes the well-intentioned way we women attempt to comfort our spurned friends not with assurances that despite her many attractive qualities, the guy just isn't interested for one reason or another. Instead, we assure our friends that there is no way he could be uninterested.

Really ladies, if you suspect that your friend is dating a guy who can't see her true worth, before you swell her head with an idealized, irresistible image of herself, please take her to see this movie, and let her do some soul searching. The film will do all the talking for you without patronization.

Be warned:

It's hardly a date movie (unless you want to end the date by breaking up when the scales have dropped from your eyes and you realize that you're more "into" the relationship than your significant other).

Best performances from: Jennifer Connelly as Janine who is more obsessed with the idea that her husband is smoking behind her back than that he is having an affair. Ginnifer Goodwin too has earned her keep. Her embarrassing attempts at securing "the one" are so realistic you will likely find yourself reddening at the all too familiar lengths to which she goes.

Best line from the movie: Listen out for the line the guy uses who ends up with Gigi (won't say who ;-)), it could be the "You complete me" of the 21st century!

Disclaimer:

This film may cause some discomfort. Side effects are generally mild and may include feelings of embarrassment over previous postdate obsession/stalking.

4.5 stars.

This has nothing to do with being a chick flick or not. It's a fantastic film filled with experiences that men and women go through in relationships. Great to watch if you're looking for an easy laugh. My wife and I saw it with some friends in the movies, and I must say that part of the fun was hearing the comments and laughs coming from the audience. So have your friends over, open a bottle of wine, and have an enjoyable light-hearted evening. It's worth it.

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Several reviewers have identified this film as being for the dating and coupling scene of youth. I disagree. We have many older folks out in the dating arena, these days, going through some of the same angst of the younger generations. Will they call? Do they care? Are they married and hiding it? And, for many older women who have become accomplished, they have to wonder; are they after me, or my hard-earned, success. So searching for Mr. Right, over the course of our lifespans, doesn't change that much; in fact, it can get more complicated. So, in essence, this movie can provide some thoughts to ponder across the age spectrum. A very good thing, since even seniors, can turn into gushy teens, again, when shot by Cupid's arrow.

(SPOILER) Some felt that the relationship between Ben Affleck and Jeniffer Aniston's characters was a tad unbelievable; that they would live together for 7 years without marriage and that ultimately Ben's character would cave. I disagree, again; their relationship rang the truest. They had a very loving, faithful relationship, that had endured time. When Aniston's character removed the obstacle of marriage, Ben's character no longer felt he was being forced into conformity. It was then HIS decision; one conceived in freedom-of-choice. This was textbook Psych 101, 'you can take the horse to water, but can't make him drink,' until he darn well pleases.

The idea of 'marriage' was the area I found unsettling, because how many of us ladies were the one to drop the, less than subliminal, idea of 'marriage' first? If so, it makes you wonder if your partner really wanted the same thing, or if they just 'settled.' This was very well, and sadly, depicted in the Connelly relationship. And, for many who did push the commitment proposal, first, I suspect it will have them staring into their partner's eyeballs with some jaded contempt, wondering why they didn't have the storybook proposal, while strongly empathizing with Connelly.

The cast was stellar, with a few reservations. Drew Barrymore's character was irresistibly charming, as always. Johannsen's husband-stealing seduction was very well played out, and, is guaranteed to make you bring out the cat-claws. You've seen the type too many times before, but then, she wasn't the problem, just a symptom of a much deeper one, which is generally the case. The character I found most annoying was J. Goodwin. Yeah, she was cute, but too ditsy and trying too darn hard to connect with Mr. Right. Her behaviors were the most immature of the bunch, but we've all known friends like her; ones that we are always telling 'you can't find anyone if you're trying too hard---it will happen when you least expect it.' This philosophy even rang true for her.

I thought this film could have been better developed, and the messages deepened. It had a 'flaky' factor I did not embrace. I'd rate it a B+ accomplishment. However, I will still recommend it to all my friends that remain on the prowl; even for those that believe they've found their soul-mate, because it reminds us that things aren't always as they appear; that denial can exist in what is believed to be the perfect union, leading to lost years and promises---and life is too darn short.

Have a girl's night, watch it, and cherry-pick the scenes of wisdom, and/or the behaviors that apply to you. I can almost guarantee that you'll find some.

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First I heard that so many great actors and actresses in this movie, I felt like whaoow.. it must have been a great script that all of them join the team to make this movie. But sometimes they're kinda tricky, many great actor and a good director but suddenly it's way overrated (which I don't understand how come they waste all that talents) but not in this one. People kinda harsh to this movie, I guess that they expect a simple feel good chick flick, or romantic comedy, as usual. This one is more of a serious romantic drama with a little bit humor like in real life, so I found it amazing. Real life opinion (not the ones they put on purpose between each written explanation, ex : "if he never calls you" then some guy or girl talks.. no .. not that one), the story itself is telling us about relationship, how to find and maintain one, in a great storytelling style, it's kinda slow at the beginning but it's all worthied to be watched and learned from. Some little real life comedy here and there, but overall it's a great drama about realtionships. All the actors, actresses and the director are doing a great job.

If you are trying to find or in a relationship, this movie is totally worthwatching. Trust me. If you are a chick flick regular, probably you won;t find this one as fun as other chick flick or romantic comedy (because this is more of a drama). I like it a lot. Thanks

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Obviously this movie has hit a nerve with a large volume people, and whether you hate or love it the Blu managed to make for a nice product.

The 129 minutes does seem long, but the variety of color tests and hidef clarity showcasing this awesome cast makes for a watchable Blu. The colors, depth and scenery variety make for an adequate representation, including the sailing, the dark indoors, room decors, and Scarlett. The sound is uneventful but you do have the choice between TrueHD or normal 5.1. And if even just to hear Kristofferson's voice say anything in TrueHD, albeit only two scenes.

The special features are definitely...unique. If you liked the premise of that invisible wall being removed during the film the "interviews" of the random people on the street then you you will dig the main feature here.

* A "newspaper" format of the six couples/storylines that when selected, allows you to delve deeper into the characters' lives. Actually, brief excerpts can be seen during the credit sequence. Each one totals three minutes and admittedly, it peaked every single customer's interest when they saw it, because it seems real. Several people thought they were watching Hollywood couples being interviewed about their relationships. Bradley Cooper's "interview" gathered the biggest crowd, but irritated most of the guys watching.

* If one ever has interest into how much a phone conversation scene in a movie can be micromanaged, look no further. This four minute feature has the director dissect in detail how they made one of the phone call scenes have relevance that even the trained eye might miss. If anything, several people now wanted to watch the film again to see what the heck he was talking about.

* The inspiration and history of the film are covered in an eleven minute documentary, catered to the die hard fans.

* The deleted scenes total 13:45 and would have been much better left in especially since we had already endured two+ hours of this. The commentary gives no credibility as to why Scarlet's actual singing was removed from the film. Coupled with Teresa Russel's entire role being cut, it just showcased the weakness in the writing people complain about in this film.

Big fans of the film will want this as a purchase, but since 90% of my Blu customers are guys, I foresee this as mostly a rental.

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God's Little Acre (1958)

Perhaps one seeing this film for the first time, in this day and age, will not realize just how racy this picture was when it was produced (in 1958). I watch it now, and I still can't believe that they "got away with it". The picture, a yarn concerning a Georgia hayseed family, took the "Ma And Pa Kettle" concept to new heights!

The gist of the story is that Ti-Ti, and his strapping sons, are digging for his pappy's gold, which, legend has it, is buried somewhere on their Georgia farm. They've been digging in the ground for fifteen years.....and haven't found anything yet. The characters seem, to me, to be the basis for the Clampetts on the Beverly Hillbillies........especially Darlin' Jill (who surely was the model for Ellie Mae).

The picture includes one of the hottest forbidden love scenes to ever be committed to celuloid (between Tina Louise and Aldo Ray). This was back in the days when things had to be creatively SUGGESTED (to avoid censorship). Things are different today, when anything goes and a "love scene" is thrown in for mere titillation, showing yet another improbable, sexual acrobatic endeavor between two participants. This scene between "Griselda" and "Will" has actual BEARING on this story. Those were the days.

It might seem quite campy (it is!). It certainly is hilarious, and even tragic at times. I recommend "GOD'S LITTLE ACRE" highly!

Released in 1958, Anthony Mann's God's Little Acre caused a scandal in theaters and was even banned in many places. Now 50 years later, the DVD format lets viewers see what they may have missed. In 1930s rural Georgia, Ty Ty Walden and his family live on a farm, barely scraping by. Ty Ty was told by his great grandfather there's gold buried on the farm, and he's convinced it's still there. Helped out by his sons, he's been digging for 15 years without luck. The gold story serves as a jumping off point for the rest of the story, the relationships and dynamics of Ty Ty's family. Directed by Anthony Mann, this is a beautifully shot movie, in more ways than one, as the story of the Walden family develops. The relationships are real, the love and hot believable as Ty Ty tries to find the gold while also continuing to be able to live. It's not a well-known movie, but it's an enjoyable movie, if for nothing else than to see what all the scandal was about. It seems tame compared to movies now, but you can see why it caused a stir.

In what's really an ensemble cast, Robert Ryan gives one of his best performances as Ty Ty Walden, the family patriarch trying to keep his family together, all the while searching for his great grandfather's gold. Ryan pulls off the dramatic and comedic scenes equally well throughout, especially the scenes with the cross on his farm's God's little acre. Aldo Ray plays Will Thompson, Ty's son-in-law who's been out of a job for six months since a mill closed. Will married Ty's daughter Rosamund (Helen Westcott) but really loves Griselda, married to Ty's son Buck. They have a history together, and it's their scenes together that caused a stir upon the movie's release. Tina Louise of Gilligan's Island fame shows off what a good actress she is in her first movie role as Griselda, the beautiful wife of Buck who still has feelings for Will. Mann puts Louise on display throughout, and she looks more beautiful here than any of her Ginger Grant days. Jack Lord and Vic Morrow are very good as Ty's sons, Buck, the jealous husband who worries his wife doesn't love him, and Shaw, the younger son still growing up. Buddy Hackett has a funny part as Pluto Swint, a local man running for sheriff who's fallen in love with Ty's youngest daughter, Darling Jill (Fay Spain). Also worth mentioning is Michael Landon as Dave Dawson, an albino who Ty is convinced will lead them to the gold.

The DVD doesn't have any special features, but the movie looks great in a widescreen presentation, Ernest Haller's cinematography never looked better. This isn't a great movie, but it's positives heavily outweight the negatives. So for a good story with great performances from Robert Ryan and Tina Louise, check out God's Little Acre!

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Review are you kidding, they just don't make movies like this anymore. Two plots going on at the same time the main being a treasure hunt which causes men to test what their true treasure is and the love story which for its time was almost scandelous. This is a good old fashhion movie. Did I say good. I mean great.

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Here's a movie that I'd not expected. Robert Ryan, Vic Morrow, Michael Landon, Jack Lord, Buddy Hackett, and Tina Louise really set the screen on fire. A good surprise for me.

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I'm not sure what the other reviewer got for his dollar but I have the dvd pictured & yes it is in a slim case but the picture looks fabulous. Maybe they were reviewing the case? If you liked Peyton Place or anything Tenesse Williams, you will like this one. And yes, Tina Louise is stunning in it but who knew Jack Lord was so damn hot back in the day? You won't recogize Michael Landon for a while (at least I didn't).It's a good story & well worth the I paid.

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Sherlock Holmes (2012)

After reading the reviews from some of the critics I was surprised by how many of them talked disdainfully about this movie as a divergence from the source material. I'm assuming many of them were relying on the old Basil Rathbone movies to color their interpretation of Holmes. They seem to overlook the fact that in the actual novels and stories penned by Doyle Holmes was an artistically tempermental, manic depressive, physically powerful individual who annoyed Watson by conducting experiments in their shared flat. He had been a prize fighter under another name, he was a cocaine addict and, according to "the Adventure of the Empty House" he was skilled in one of the earliest "mixed martial arts", Bartitsu (misspelled by Doyle as "Baritsu"). Watson was a formidable former Army doctor discharged due to complications from a shoulder injury sustained in heavy combat while serving in Afghanistan. In many ways their depiction in this movie is much closer to their depiction by Doyle than what we've seen in the past. I am especially gratified that they finally did away with the ludicrously out of place deerstalker cap that became a staple of the Holmes movies due to one of the original Padget illustrations and which made no sense for the character when he was in an urban setting.

From the opening when horses seem to be galloping from the back of the theater, through the gray skies and industrial grime of the exteriors and the dinginess of most of the interiors, relieved occasionally by gorgeous jewel toned luxury, this Sherlock Holmes is grittier and much more raw then its predecessors--a Holmes for the millenium.

Robert Downey's Holmes is a brilliant brat. He borrows Watson's clothes without permission, insults Watson's fiance at their first meeting, and drives Mrs. Hudson to her wits' ends, but he's also a guy who knows his way around a boxing ring and the one you want on your side when facing doom in the form of Lord Blackwood, an executed murderer who resurfaces at the head of a black magic cult bent on world domination.

Jude Law's Watson is an understated sidekick to the flamboyant Holmes, but their relationship is more of a partnership than in typical Holmes/Watson duos. It's fun to watch the verbal sparring and exasperation which underlying affection makes sparkling rather than mean. The supporting cast is excellent, as well. The movie plays fair with the viewer. When Holmes explains how the crimes were carried out, we realize we saw the same clues at the same time he did. No deus ex machina here--it's all elementary.

This Sherlock Holmes is neither Jeremy Brett nor Basil Rathbone. Viewers who expect to settle into a predictable detective yarn will be disappointed. This Holmes is edgy, action packed and slightly uncomfortable, but more believable because of it. It's smart and atmospheric, and well worth seeing.

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I've watched this version of Holmes a number of times now, and I must admit it surprises me in its subtlety and intelligence every time. As earlier reviews have noted, in the main this is actually a quite faithful representation of Holmes and Watson in light of the original stories (which I've read and, indeed, taught a number of times). At the same time, it's an excellent stylization of late Victorian England, and I think that's how it should be understood: at once a faithful interpretation that brings out all the pleasures of the original and a commentary on Victorian society as it transitioned into the twentieth century (which is, I'd hold, exactly what Doyle's stories were--a commentary on the modern). To quote from another well-known and frequently-adapted Victorian novel, it's "nineteenth century up-to-date with a vengeance."

The structure of the story itself could well be one of Doyle's original stories. It especially reminds me of "The Adventure of the Speckled Band," in which an apparently supernatural series of events turns out to have a logical explanation. This is what surprised me the most when I saw the movie for the first time: that it engaged Doyle's narrative strategies in film form. In fact, this engagement is incredibly detailed. For instance, the scenes early in the movie where Irene Adler visits Holmes at home exploit Doyle's typical doubleness: at first we get a strung-together series of events whose chain of cause and effect are unexplained. Then, later, we get a recap in which Holmes explains that chain in detail, supposedly to Watson but really to the viewing audience. This particular set of scenes is, I think, one of the most admirable in the movie. It works as an exploration of narrative (which was always Doyle's point anyway--see the numerous stories in which Holmes chides Watson for transcribing their "adventures" as, exactly, adventures, as opposed to scientific processes of reasoning), and it works so brilliantly because of the intelligence behind it. Even the soundtrack (by Hans Zimmer of Gladiator fame) underscores the narrative structure here: the first time the events are portrayed, they're given a particular musical theme, and when they're re-portrayed by Holmes they're given a theme that's the musical inverse of the original. It's an example of all the various elements of film-making coming together in a subtle and fascinating way to demonstrate a point.

This attention to detail, not to mention stylishness, is present in the entire movie. It has nary a narrative hole (with, I think, one slight exception, which I won't detail so as not to produce any plot spoilers) and its overall structure is admirable taut. In fact, the movie is littered with strikingly subtle details that remain unexplained (e.g. the recurrence of "V.R.", an abbreviation of "Victoria Regina," or "Queen Victoria") by Holmes's narrative explications--the sheer quantity of detail in the movie points to the fascination with, precisely, detail that fascinates Holmes. (To cite just one more example: when Watson hands a newspaper to Holmes early in the movie, it features an ad for "Fry's Chocolates," which was the family business that gave Roger Fry, one of the members of the Bloomsbury Group whose most famous member is Virgina Woolf, his fortune.)

The movie does take liberties with its source material, signally with the representation of Irene Adler. But it acknowledges that it's doing so in a number of clever, apparently offhand details. At one point, Watson notes that Adler has outsmarted Holmes "twice," which indicates that the movie is adding on to the canon of Holmes stories--in Doyle's corpus, Adler appears exactly once (in "A Scandal in Bohemia"), so Guy Ritchie openly acknowledges the extrapolations he's made in this movie. In short, the movie notes explicitly that it's an adaptation as part of its adaptation.

All of this works brilliantly because the actors are brilliant: Robert Downey Jr. displays his usual genius (shown in another recent action movie), Jude Law presents the kind of Watson that other adaptations have eschewed (an intelligent ladies' man quite in tune with Doyle's character), and Rachel McAdams represents Adler as a clever and daunting adversary, which is quite in keeping with Doyle's character. McAdams may be especially worth noting, as Adler is one of the most significant as well as mysterious characters in the Holmes universe--her character is probably the biggest departure from the original in the movie, and McAdams carries it well. The cinematography is stylish and the soundtrack is excellent and really catchy. There are a couple of faults--some obvious day-for-night shooting and some clear CG--but I'm willing to indulge these because of the movie's overall excellence.

Basically, this movie is exactly what Hollywood used to produce and what it wishes it could achieve now: an intelligent, entertaining, and subtle movie that invites some effort on the viewer's part but also entertains enormously.

I'm looking forward to the sequel!

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First of all, as of this writing, Amazon still states that this item is a three disc set, but this is not the case. The DVD and digital copy are included on the same disc, while a second disc contains the Blu-Ray version. This isn't an issue, of course, just a small clarification. Speaking of which, I've seen a significant number of complaints regarding the inclusion of the DVD/digital copy in the Blu-Ray version, with many complaining that they want neither and it's needlessly driving the cost up.

A simple comparison of this item against other Blu-Rays on Amazon proves this title costs no more than any other new release, and the DVD/digital copy is actually a very nice bonus for those who buy the film early. I, for instance, plan to loan out the DVD to friends who don't own Blu-Ray players. The digital copy is nice, I suppose, but I've never been bored enough to want to watch a film on my iPod or laptop. Besides which, like all digital copies, it expires a year from now. I'm actually glad it's included on the same disc as the DVD, because all other digital copies included on a separate disc I've ended up tossing out.

Upon loading the Blu-Ray into the player three trailers will run. This is, of course, typical practice. The irritating part is that the disc will not allow the user to access the menu from the trailers, and the user is forced to manually fast-forward through each trailer. A minor complaint, to be sure, but irritating nonetheless. The film runs 02:08:24 and the Blu-Ray includes ten bonus features (the DVD doesn't contain a single special feature). The included audio tracks and subtitles are in English, French, and Spanish. The first eight features are all collected in the "Focus Points" section and consist of eight 3-5 minute featurettes exploring a specific facet of the film (there is a "Play All" function included). Most of the titles are rather self-explanatory, but here's a complete rundown of the featurettes:

1) "Drawbridges & Doilies: Designing a Late Victorian London" (5:00) This feature highlights how the production designers suffused life into their vision of Victorian London with an acute attention to detail.

2) "Not a Deerstalker Cap in Sight" (4:15) This feature explains how the filmmakers decided to take the Holmes character back to his roots in the original Arthur Conan Doyle tales and compare the Downey interpretation against past cinematic versions of Holmes.

3) "Ba-ritsu: A Tutorial" (3:58) This feature explores how the filmmakers blended various real-life martial arts into the fictional version featured in the film, along with explaining how Holmes was a former fighter well-versed in martial arts in the original Doyle stories.

4) "Elementary English: Perfecting Sherlock's Accent" (4:04) This feature explores how American Downey refined his English accent for the film. Director Guy Ritchie observes that he preferred an American because it gives the Holmes character an "international" flavor.

5) "The One That Got Away" (3:44) This feature delves a bit into the psyche of Holmes, particularly his stance on love and his relationships with women.

6) "Powers of Observation & Deduction" (4:01) This features Lionel Wigram (writer & producer of "Sherlock Holmes") explaining why he was attracted to the project, along with what makes Holmes such an enduringly fascinating character.

7) "The Sherlockians" (3:03) The feature explores the diehard, borderline obsessive Holmes fans who organize annual meetings to discuss Doyle's life and works.

8) "Future Past" (3:08) This feature highlights how, with the aid of both sets and modern technology, the filmmakers were able to recreate the glory and grime of Victorian London.

The ninth feature is included in the "Behind the Movie" section and is called "Sherlock Holmes Reinvented" (14:06) This is a more involving feature which functions as an extension of the other featurettes. The filmmakers discuss why they felt attracted to the project and how they desired to stay true to the source material, as opposed to the cinematic versions of the past.

The most celebrated special feature here, prominently featured in the television ads, is the "Maximum Movie Mode". This is a sort of interactive film commentary with director Ritchie (running slightly longer than the film itself) that includes picture-in-picture still images, behind the scenes videos, cast and crew interviews, technical details of the film, and of course Ritchie's commentary. It's this sort of feature that truly makes a Blu-Ray special, aside from the enhanced high-definition image, of course. A typical film commentary simply has the director talking over the film, which can be informative but distracting. The "Maximum Movie Mode" is a much more entertaining commentary that even includes the option for user interactivity.

The content of the film itself is highly subjective, particularly with a character as famed and revered as Sherlock Holmes, and I don't feel particularly compelled to add my thoughts. As a Blu-Ray release, however, this title is every bit as impressive as it should be. I particularly appreciate how the special features didn't just shed light on the filmmaking process, but spent ample time discussing Doyle's stories, the various interpretations of the Holmes character, and the lasting legacy of it all. I'm proud to include this film in my collection. Five easy stars.

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Ok. For all those who are saying. "If you are looking for a faithful version, adaptation, etc look elsewhere..." I ask you: Have you actually read Sherlock Holmes or are you basing that statement on your image of Sherlock Holmes as has been portrayed in the past?

Where in all of the stories does it state that Holmes wears a deerstalker hat and walks around with a Calabash pipe? Sidney Paget, who illustrated the stories for The Strand magazine, interpreted the descriptions in the stories. That was his version of what Holmes might look like.

This new version is Guy Ritchie's interpretation and it is quite refreshing. In the stories, Holmes is a boxer, bare knuckle fighter, marksman, swordsman and an accomplished martial artist in addition to being brilliant at deduction and a master of disguise. There was only one woman whom Holmes was impressed by in his life -most of these qualities are portrayed in the new film so how is this "not faithful"? If anything, it is one of the most faithful movies to deal with Holmes that I have ever seen.

I will admit that for "classic" Holmes there is no better than Jeremy Brett in my humble opinion. His performance will never be matched. However, that is an entirely different interpretation of the character. I approached this new film with an open mind and was very pleasantly surprised.

Robert Downey Jr. is, in my opinion, a perfect fit for this role. His ability to reflect the intelligence, physical prowess and sardonic wit of Holmes was dead on. Jude law was exceptional as Dr. Watson. Not some bumbling, moronic sidekick of the past but a true companion possessing formidable skills of his own. Just as in the stories.

Downey and Law's performance was a pleasure to watch and they have great chemistry on screen. I was also very impressed by 19th century London. CGI has come a long way.

The main reason that I do not give this movie 5 stars is due to the plot itself which I will not go into here. (I don't like SPOILERS) I will just say that though we are most likely being set up for a sequel I felt the story could have had a little more meat on it's bones. Overall though, I thought it was extremely entertaining.

I still do not understand why there are so many saying that this new film is not faithful. Is it a word for word adaptation of the stories? No. The worst that could be said is that like Peter Jackson did with Lord of the Rings, Guy Ritchie has maintained the true "spirit" of the Holmes character -though I would say he has done much, much more.

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Vegas Vacation (2013)

Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo put together another hilarious Griswold family vacation. While Ellen (D'Angelo) is busy falling for Wayne Newton, Clark (Chase) continues to screw things up by gambling away all of their vacation money. Eddie (Randy Quaid) somehow manages to meet up with the Griswold's again, continuing to act like a neanderthal. Rusty becomes a high roller and Audrey gets a hangover.

If you liked the previous Vacation movies, I recommend Vegas Vacation. Even though it was not as good as Christmas Vacation, it is worth adding to your collection.

Usually when a movie series becomes a "franchise" (i.e. produces multiple sequels), it loses much of the momentum that launched the "franchise" to begin with. Such is not the case with "Vegas Vacation" the fourth installment of the "Vacation" franchise (the others being "Vacation", "European Vacation", and "Christmas Vacation"). 1997's "Vegas Vacation" was the first "Vacation" movie in 8 years (the previous one being 1989's "Christmas Vacation") and it makes it well worth the wait. The nice thing about this movie is that it basically continues a very successful formula that had been adopted for the previous three movies and makes it work well.

There is one big change for "Vegas Vacation" John Hughes is not back as the head writer. Hughes was the head writer for the previous three "Vacation" movies. Hughes was also one of the most successful writers and producers of the 1980s involved with such hits as "The Breakfast Club", "Pretty in Pink", "Ferris Beuller's Day Off", "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles", "Weird Science", and the "Home Alone" movies. I was skeptical at first a "Vacation" movie could work without Hughes. However, Elisa Bell and Bob Ducsay don't drop the ball at all. They are able to keep to the integrity of the "Vacation" franchise. They are able to do this by continuing to work with the nucleus of actors that made this movie what it is Chevy Chase (Clark Griswald), Beverly D'Angelo (Ellen Griswold), and Randy Quaid (Cousin Eddie). Despite using the fourth different set of actor/actresses to play the Griswold Children, nothing seems to miss a beat as we immediately come to accept Rusty and Audrey Griswold early in the movie.

The premise for the film is that Clark gets a big bonus and extra-time off from work for patent on a food preservative. As a result, he decides to once again embark on a family vacation this time to Las Vegas. Clark touts the marketing line that was very popular during the mid 1990s "Las Vegas as the Family Vacation Destination". After some initial resistance, the family agrees to go to Vegas with him. The trip to Vegas is the main plot, but four subplots evolve while the family is in Vegas. Each plot focuses on one of the four Griswolds. For Clark, he gets hooked on Gambling and will soon rapidly rack up a very amount of Gambling losses. For Ellen, she becomes the object of Wayne Newton's (played by himself) attention and affection. For Rusty, after he gets a fake id he goes on an incredibly lucky gambling streak and soon is hanging out with the high rollers. As for Audrey, she hooks up with Cousin Eddie's wild daughter Vickie, starts to take on some of Vegas' party life and soon ends up as a Club Dancer. Of the four subplots, the Audrey subplot is probably the weakest, but it is not all bad. On the flipside, perhaps the best plot is the one involving Rusty. Rusty's alter ego "Nick Pappagiorgio" the High Roller provides some of the best moments in the movie.

Cousins Eddie (Quaid) and Catherine (played by Miriam Flynn) are back as well. The writers find a very good way to weave them back into the story as this time Eddie, Catherine, and their large family are living outside Las Vegas in the middle of the desert. I like how the character of Cousin Eddie has evolved in the "Vacation" movies. In the first movie, Eddie had a harder edge. In "Christmas Vacation" (the producers made a foolish mistake of not finding a way to include Eddie and Catherine in "European Vacation"), the character of Eddie began to get more loveable. This trend continues in "Vegas Vacation". I do think that the character of Eddie comes full-circle in this movie. When Clark blows all of his money, it is Eddie that not only provides emotional support to Clark but even finds a way to help him out financially as well. This is a great turnaround because in the previous films, it was Clark that was usually helping Eddie out.

Another notable performance comes from a little known actor named Wallace Shawn. Wallace plays "Marty" who is a dealer in the Casino. Clark begins to engage in a war of wills with Marty throughout the movie and it's Marty who always seems to get the best of him. It is also worth noting that Christie Brinkley, who was in the original "Vacation" movie is back for a brief cameo reprising her role from the original movie.

For the most part, the movie was filmed within Las Vegas. The majority of the scenes take place in The Mirage Hotel (including a performance by Sigfried and Roy in which Clark manages to find his way into the act). There are some other scenes that take place at the MGM, Riviera, Golden Nugget, and O'Shea's Casino. There are plenty of scenes of the strip. One inaccuacy is when the Griswolds go to visit Eddie and Catherine's place just North of Las Vegas, they actually drive southbound on the strip just past the Luxor.

There are two drawbacks to the movie. I do think there is less physical comedy in this movie than in previous "Vacation" films particularly of Clark. Clark's best physical comedy scenes come before they leave for the Vegas trip. The other drawback is I do think the movie has a weak ending (despite a small appearance by Sid Caesar). In general while I have always enjoyed the "Vacation" movies, the endings have been disappointing in each of them.

There is some excellent music in this movie and it is used very well with the scenes including a combination of some contemporary tunes with some "Vegas" style tunes. Overall, this is still probably one of the better "Vacation" movies definitely one worth getting and watching over and over.

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It is the same story, the Griswolds are off to wreak havoc on another city. This time Clark decides to take the whole family to Las Vegas so he and Ellen can renew their wedding vows for their anniversary. They manage to leave their unique Griswold touch on most Vegas institutions, like a Seigfried and Roy show, a Wayne Newton show and the Hoover Dam. Most of the comedic highlights in this movie come either when the ultimate white-trash, cousin Eddie is onscreen or when Clark is at the blackjack table.



My favorite part of this movie is Ethan Embry as the most dimwitted Russ to date. He buys a fake ID, becomes a high roller and wins 4 cars gambling. I would recommend renting this movie, but not buying it, the 'bonus' features are light.

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While National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation remains the funniest of the entire series, Vegas Vacation has a lot of laughs that is sure to please its audiences. This time, Clark, Ellen, Rusty and Audrey are off to Las Vegas, where Clark plans on renewing his wedding vows to Ellen. However, the inevitable temptation to gamble becomes too much for Clark, and he begins to squander all of his money, delving into his savings. Meanwhile, his wife is being courted by Wayne Newton, his son is posing as a married man from Uma, and his daughter becomes a club dancer. And what would a vacation movie be without good ol' cousin Eddie, played by the hilarious Randy Quaid? This time, he's living in a mobile home on a former H-bomb test site, and he offers his help to Clark after he loses all of his money. While it is clear that some of the laughs are missed from th previous films, this one does not fail to please, giving more laughs than you would think and keeping the entertainment alive.

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We have all the Chevy Chase Vacation movies, they will always be a classic for our family. We take Christmas Vacation to our summer cabin and watch it whenever the grandchildren are there. We have now added this to our collection for the lake and I'm sure this will be a tradition also. Wish he'd make some more.

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Fun Size (UltraViolet Digital Copy) (2012)

I loved it, cute Movie I went to see it and there were many kids in the Audience, and they were a happy group, cute Movie

If u like the show victorious u will enjoy this its the same style teenage movie but with a more fun twist

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hot ladies and funny movie what more could I want. i bought this movie. i can watch it as much as i want.

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Very good movie for a fun watch. The cast is very good and the movie moves at a good pace.

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Going into this movie it's pretty clear the writers stole the scripts to Adventures In Babysitting and the second half of Role Models (maybe a few more) in hopes of coming up with just enough new, witty tidbits to freshen the smell. Surprisingly, the efforts didn't completely fail.

Wren (Victoria Justice) is a pretty, popular senior in High School, and she's about to attend the party of the year where the BMOC will profess his love to her through horrible, faux-sensitive Indy music. Her trampy mother Joy (Chelsea Handler casted perfectly), who has her own party to attend, screws everything up when she forgoes the responsibilities of adulthood and forces Wren to act as a mother-figure to her own chubby, trouble-making, potentially mute, probable future serial-killer brother, Albert. Stuck babysitting her brother, Wren loses track of the pint-sized criminal and then links up with her best friend, a guy playing the quintessential nerdy crush, and a fourth wheel to find the little hell-raiser. Somewhere in there is Johnny Knoxville as the bad guy, some fowl-automobile love, and the eventual end of script realizations.

Most of the contents are recycled and disposable, but it's still somewhat entertaining. It's far better than many other movies I've seen. The connection to Nickelodeon hurt, but it's far edgier crude jokes, current slang, pop culture references than expected. That unfortunate dichotomy is what ties this movie's hands. It doesn't placate either the young, impressionable minds or the old, perverted minds. It stays in a purgatory between Hannah Montana and Jonah Hill, and never really connects with either audience.

The feeling I get from this movie reminds me of trick-or-treating as a kid, going to a door, seeing someone graciously drop candy into my bag, and then realizing it's that nasty candy corn. It's nice to get candy, but I could live without it. As an easily distracted grown man with a juvenile sense of humor, I admit to being close to the target audience. And even I can't give this movie more than 3 stars.

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