TROPIC THUNDER

A group of highly-paid actors are making a war movie based in Vietnam honoring a veteran's written tale. After millions of dollars wasted on explosions not even filmed and actors not being able to complete scenes, the director agrees to secretly bring the actors to the real tropics of Vietnam in hopes of getting them to really play their roles. Miscommunication leads them to a real battle zone controlled by drug lords, yet they continue "acting" clueless to the dangers that lie ahead and around them. When star Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller) is captured by drug lords, can his co-stars and agent save him from a life of slave-acting?
STARRING: Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr. , Jack Black, Brandon T. Jackson, Matthew McConaughey, Tom Cruise

Lindsay Says:
There were some really funny parts in this movie,and definitely look out for Tom Cruise's surprising character. Overall, it was just okay. Not the best comedy I've seen Ben Stiller in and the rating was lowered when I realized that besides Cruise's amazing ghetto-fabulous dancing and my own appreciation for Matthew McConaughey, the spoof trailers at the beginning amused me more than the movie itself did.

Tracy says:
It's a Ben Stiller movie for sure, but not one of his best. The supporting roles were wasted - 'black' Robert Downey Jr. aside, they just weren't funny. Jack Black was a drug addict...I don't even know how the others were trying to be funny. Tom Cruise was amazing in his unrecognizablity, and his dance scene was probably the best moment in the film. That he's in the movie at all is almost a plot point we shouldn't have given away; now that you know it might not be worth going to the theater at all. Rent it!

Overall Rating: ♫♫♫♫♫ (5 notes)

VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA

Two friends venture to Barcelona to find excitement from their regular lifestyles; Vicky heading to Barcelone to get her masters in Catalan Identity is also engaged to her "ideal" man and seems to be looking forward to the "ideal" marriage and life whereas Cristina is a free spirit trying to find a new start and a true meaning in life. They find their excitement quickly meeting a mysterious artist and their adventure begins as the three travel to Oviedo for a weekend get-away. Sight-seeing, romance and plenty of wine prove to be a perfect combination for deception, pleasure and love. The three are faced with several obstacles and conflicts throughout the next few weeks with ex-spouses, fiances, new love, and longing for sincere happiness. Sadly, through all of the experiences the two friends find in Barcelona, they end up leaving the city and returning home to the US in the same positions they had arrived.

Starring: Rebecca Hall, Scarlett Johansson, Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz

Tracy says:
I have a feeling these actors were told not to act; I sure wasn't impressed by these performances but it didn't come off as incompetence so much as quirky direction. I haven't seen much of Woody Allen so perhaps this is usual for him. The storytelling feel of the narration added an overall sense of fantasy to what already sounded like every young person's fantasy - two best friends traveling to lush, exotic Barcelona, having a whirlwind romance with Javier Bardem of all people, and of course the specter of a Scarlett Johannson-Penelope Cruz kiss. It's funny, it's beautiful, and it makes you want to go to Barcelona. The ending of the movie seemed rather rushed since one gun shot made the ultimate decision for the friends to return home, yet I guess for this movie it worked. I think I would've rated it higher had the ending been a little more concrete. It wasn't quite as sexy as it could have been, but it was pretty sexy and overall I had a great time. Not life-changing or deep, but worth watching again for the sheer pleasure of it.

Lindsay says:
The movie was comedic in the way it had a voice over narrator providing quite obvious facts and observations. Both Vicky and Cristina are characters that are easy to relate to in that they are both lost and are simply trying to find what they truly want out of life (as many of us newly college graduates face). The choice of setting the movie in Spain was a good one since it's close enough to be accessible in the minds of many, yet still offers that romantic and mysterious atmosphere of being in a completely different country complete with a different culture. The ending of the movie seemed rather rushed since one gun shot made the ultimate decision for the friends to return home, yet I guess for this movie it worked. I think I would've rated it higher had the ending been a little more concrete. Overall not a deep movie, but good watch.


Overall Rating: ♫♫♫♫♫♫♪ (7.5 Notes)

A New Beginning...

It was the end of summer and like many recent college graduates, we found ourselves woefully unemployed. Hey, we thought, we're bored. Let's go see a movie at Marketfair. Venturing into a new world of constant movie-going, we found an even better deal than we had hoped for - the Regal Crown Club! This Club, anticipating shitty movie sales, enticed us with rewards points, $1 Candy Mondays, and Free Popcorn Tuesdays! We were hooked. We decided to create this movie blog to share our movie experiences with the world.