Album Review: Aborted-Global Flatline

Belgian death bringers Aborted return with their first full-length in four years and not much has changed. Aborted still has the chops to make quality death metal and Global Flatline drives that point home even further.

Global Flatine is familiar territory for Aborted and it still suites them pretty well. This is gore-soaked brutal death metal with grindcore undertones and full of eerie spoken world samples from unknown sources (It still mystifies me where they are able to find all these weird, creepy sound clips. Is there some kind of underground directory or something?). It rarely reaches greatness, but when it does it rivals Goremageddon in terms of quality. "Of Scabs and Boils", "Grime", and especially "The Kallinger Theory" stood out to me. These tracks are when Aborted's twisted, chaotic, sinister nature reaches full on bat-shit crazy status. If the whole album was like these 3 songs, it would have been completely awesome and rivaled Goremageddon as their best record. Besides that we are left with 10 other solid, but not spectacular songs. On the plus side, Sven De Calume can still growl with the best of them and there are some pretty cool solos and progressive breaks in the action that make the whole record worth listening to, but doesn't quite match the greatness of those three aforementioned tracks.

Global Flatline is vintage Aborted. They haven't lost a step in their four-year absence. They still know how to crush skulls and make brutal death metal that takes no prisoners and goes straight for the jugular. Though it rarely reaches the heights that some of their previous material did, it remains pretty damn good throughout. Global Flatline is a nice return to the scene for Aborted and hopefully it won't take them another four years to release another record.

3.5/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.The Kallinger Theory
2.Of Scabs and Boils
3.Grime

Concert Review: Lamb of God, Boston, MA, January 25th, 2012

Wow, last night was just incredible. It was a special experience getting to see a band of Lamb of God's caliber in such an intimate setting.

The evening started off on kind of the wrong foot with Maine's Too Late The Hero. Their brand of emo-laced post-hardcore made them terribly out of place on this bill (though they did get a somewhat favorable reception overall). I do respect their enthusiasm and decent stage presence, but their music missed the mark with me.

The Acacia Strain followed. As always, they put on a really good show. The only downside of their performance was I spent most of it crushed up against a pole (the only thing I didn't like about the Paradise was the vast amount of poles that obstruct your view, it gets kind of annoying after a while). They too did not fit in really well with Lamb of God, but it doesn't really matter too much because they are always enjoyable no matter who they are playing with. Frontman Vincent Bennett was truly honored to be there and seemed genuinely surprised at the reception they got (not sure why though, they are from Massachusetts). Probably the best performance I've seen from The Acacia Strain and I look forward to seeing them again sometime in the near future.

It was finally time for Lamb of God and as expected, they were spectacular. They came out and just crushed skulls for an hour and a half. I honestly forgot how good Lamb of God was live, but after last night, I will never forget again. The new stuff kicks ass live (especially "Ghost Walking") and the old stuff hit just as hard as ever. The energy in the room was just awesome. The crowd was feeding off of the band's energy so well and everyone was going 110% the whole time. The only thing that sucked about that was that I lost an earplug early on in the set (I just bought them so suffice to say, I was kind of bummed). Beside that small problem, the whole set was perfect. They absolutely killed it and I hope they roll through Massachusetts again later this year.

Scores
Too Late The Hero 3/10
The Acacia Strain 8.5/10
Lamb of God 10/10

Setlists:
The Acacia Strain:
Beast
The Hills Have Eyes
Burnface
Whoa! Shut It Down
Bay of Pigs
Dr.Doom
JFC

Lamb of God:
Desolation
Ghost Walking
Walk With Me in Hell
Set to Fail
Now You've Got Something to Die For
Ruin
Hourglass
The Undertow
Descending
Contractor
The Number Six
Laid To Rest
Encore:
In Your Words
Redneck
Black Label

Mayhem Fest 2012 Lineup

After months of wild speculation (most of which wasn't even close to true), the lineup for this years Mayhem Fest has been revealed:
Main Stage:
Slipknot
Slayer
Special Guests TBA March 5

Rotating Main Stage Opener/ Side Stage Bands
As I Lay Dying
The Devil Wears Prada
Asking Alexandria (FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK I will probably just heckle them relentlessly)

Jager Stage:
Anthrax(headlines all dates)
Whitechapel
High On Fire
Jager Band

Overall, I am pretty happy with the lineup. I like almost all of the bands to varying extents (Slipknot, Slayer, Anthrax, As I Lay Dying, and High On Fire being my favorites on the lineup). Asking Alexandria is the only band I dislike on the bill, but they more than make up for the rest of the lineup being solid. Besides Asking Alexandria, I really don't have any complaints and it should be another great Mayhem Fest.

Movie Review: The Ides of March (Film Number 46 In My Goal For 2011 Films)

Just in time for the Republican primaries, we have the release of The Ides of March on DVD. The timing couldn't possibly more fitting considering the shit show that is going on with all the Republican candidates right now. The Ides of March which is centered around corruption and greed during a Presidential campaign doesn't really offer up any up shocking truths or revelations, but the content is effective in driving it's message home. These kinds of things happen in politics all the time and the public is none the wiser. That alone makes this an important film to watch, but the real strength of The Ides of March is the acting. Ryan Gosling is enough to drive the film by himself in the lead role, but the supporting players (George Clooney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Evan Rachel Wood, Paul Giamatti) are also excellent. Great acting can be enough to make a film and The Ides of March has a plethora of wonderful performances. The actors carry this movie on their back and it's a pleasure to watch these spectacular actors work their magic throughout.

3.5/5 Stars

NFL Conference Championship Picks

It all comes down to this weekend. A trip to the Super Bowl is at stake and we have four great teams that are very evenly matched set to duke it out in the AFC and NFC championship games. I wouldn't be surprised if any of these teams won their respective games, but here are my picks for the conference title games this weekend

Last Weekend's Record: 2-2 (2-0 for the AFC and 0-2 for the NFC ironically)
Overall Playoff Record: 3-5

New England Patriots over Baltimore Ravens: There is a lot on the line in this one. The Patriots want to show that they can recover from the beatdown the Ravens gave them in the playoffs a couple of years ago. The Ravens want to show that Joe Flacco can step up in the playoffs and that they can take out the greatest team of the past 10 years out in front of their hometown fans. While this should be a very entertaining and close game, I see the Patriots taking it. Tom Brady has a chip on his shoulder and that is never a good thing for opposing defenses. It also helps he has the near unstoppable tight end duo of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. The Patriots defense is terrible, but Baltimore's offense is too inconsistent and the Patriots offense is too good for that to be a deciding factor in the game.

New York Giants over San Fransisco 49ers: This has the potential to be as good as the Saints/49ers game last weekend (which might have the best football game I've ever seen). This game is going to be a defensive struggle. These two defenses are arguably the two best in the league and are going to bring tremendous pressure on each other's offenses. At the end of the day, it's going to come down to a couple of big plays and that's where the Giants have the edge. They live for the big plays (which has been proven in their two playoff games so far). Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz are extremely explosive wideouts and I think one of them will end up scoring the game winning touchdown. Expect a tight one, but the Giants should be able to pull it out.

Album Review: Lacuna Coil-Dark Adrenaline

Lacuna Coil is a strange band. Not because of the style of music they play, but because of how their albums have gotten progressively worse over time without much of a change in sound. Maybe the lack of change in sound is the problem, I don't really know. What I do know is that Dark Adrenaline while still decent, is their weakest record to date.

Dark Adrenaline starts off with some promise. The first half of the record is actually pretty damn good. There are some good hooks, the songs are catchy, there is a couple of good solos, and Cristina Scabbia does a great job on vocals. Album standouts "Kill the Light", "Against You" and "Give Me Something More" are better than anything on their previous record Shallow Life. I was starting to think this record was going to be a step-up from Shallow Life and be a pleasant surprise, then the second half of the album happened. The second half ranges from middling to just plain awful (with the exception of "Fire" which is the only good songs on the second half of the record.) They just completely run out of ideas and the album becomes pretty boring. "I Don't Believe In Tomorrow" is a dull ballad that fails to recreate the magic of some of their earlier slow songs like "Within Me" or "Not Enough". "My Spirit" is almost six minutes long and does absolutely nothing interesting during that time and closes the album with a whimper. But the real lowlight of the album is the painfully bad cover of R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion". I am not a fan of R.E.M.'s music, but I was hoping throughout the song that Michael Stipp would come in and cut them off to put me out of my misery.

Dark Adrenaline is really two different records. The first half is pretty good and worth listening to. The second half is dull as hell and seems thrown together. Even though at times it's a frustrating record, The first half does overpower the second half which leads to a mild recommendation from me. This isn't going to really win over any new fans, but if you like Lacuna Coil, you should enjoy this record.
3/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.Kill the Light
2.Against You
3.Give Me Something More

Album Review: Lamb Of God-Resolution

To say Lamb of God is an impressive band would be an understatement. They have been at the forefront of the metal scene for over a decade and have continued to make quality records as their popularity has increased. After a quiet last couple of years from them, Lamb of God has come back with a vengeance on their new record Resolution.

Resolution achieved what I didn't even think was possible for Lamb of God: they topped their landmark masterpiece Ashes of the Wake. When I first heard Resolution, I was in utter disbelief at how good it was. Weeks later, I still have the same feeling. Lamb Of God has turned it up to 11 and just gave all they got for this record. They waste no time showing everyone they mean business with the full throttle, crushing, opening track  "Straight for the Sun". The track showcases some Crowbar-esque sludge riffing and it hits harder than a freight train. The fury of "Straight for the Sun" carries right over to the next track "Desolation". "Desolation" is a contender for my favorite Lamb of God song ever. It's heavy as all hell, the riff is perfect, the energy is relentless, and Randy Blythe has never sounded better vocally. The pure and furious energy and incredible riffs and solos throughout are only part of the reason Resolution is so special. Resolution is also the most varied Lamb of God record to date. The best example of this is the epic closer "King Me". There is prominent violin and piano use, which is something I would never come to expect from Lamb of God. It's an immense piece of music that is the perfect closer to this monumental album.

Lamb of God has truly outdone themselves on Resolution. It's one of those rare album where I was rendered speechless after listening. I could not fathom the insanely high quality of the material on this record. Every song on this album is perfect. The musicanship is off the charts. Everyone stepped their game up big time. Mark Morton and Willie Adler have never played better solos, Chris Adler has never had more intricate and complex drumming, and Randy Blythe has never sounded more fierce or written better lyrics. Resolution is fucking flawless and is an early contender (and more than likely frontrunner) for album of the year.

5/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.Desolation
2.King Me
3.Invictus

Movie Review: Water for Elephants (Film Number 45 In My Goal For 2011 Films)

Have you ever had the feeling when watching a movie that the movie you are watching isn't bad, it's just that you don't enjoy it? It's a rare occurrence, but when it happens it just feels odd. That's exactly how I felt while watching Water for Elephants. It's a pretty well-made film, it's just not my cup of tea at all. I guess I shouldn't be surprised (considering my taste in movies), that I didn't like a drama/romance film about the circus. This is the type of film that is a crowd-pleaser and will be enjoyed by many people, it just didn't really interest me. I will say that it does do some things right. Mainly the direction and cinematography. Francis Lawrence brings his experience directing large-scale action films to capturing the frenzied uproar of the circus with ease. This is also one of the most beautifully shot films of the year. It's breathtaking to look at and Rodrigo Preito deserves a lot of credit for his work behind the camera. I also have to give Christoph Waltz a lot of praise. He is excellent as always and his performance alone almost made me enjoy this movie. Surprisingly, even Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon weren't bad. I am sure this review will cause confusion and for that I am sorry. This is a film that I can respect and understand that it's not a bad movie, i just didn't enjoy it.

2/5 Stars  

Movie Review: Contraband

After a few years doing more serious dramatic and comedic fare, Mark Wahlberg goes back to his roots doing a gritty action film. Wahlberg's last action flick, Max Payne, was pretty awful. So in a way Contraband serves as kind of a redemption film for Wahlberg (when it comes to the action movies he's been in, I was a huge fan of The Fighter and The Other Guys). Contraband returns Wahlberg to the early days of his acting career gracefully and gets rid of the bad taste that Max Payne left.

Contraband is a sly little action caper that is a lot stronger than most of the material released in early January. The story is basic, but effective. It moves along briskly and remains compelling throughout with no downtime. You can not wait to see what happens next. There is also quite a bit of suspense in this film. As the story unfolds, There was many times where I was on the edge-of-my seat. It reminded me a lot of a heist film in that regard. You are trying to figure out how the heroes will accomplish this near-impossible feat and when they do at the climax of the film, it's pretty damn satisfying. In addition to the exciting story and abundance of thrills, Contraband benefits from having a very strong cast. Mark Wahlberg delivers a solid performance in the lead. Giovanni Ribsi makes a pretty good bad guy. What he lacks in stature, he makes up for in pure menacing presence. Ben Foster is also great (but underutilized) as always.

Contrband is a very good action thriller. It's an exciting, suspense-filled, pretty well-acted, and entertaining caper flick. The only thing preventing this from an absolutely excellent film is a few plot holes in the middle and a very obvious (and unnecessary) plot twist. Contraband delivers the goods for a January film and provides a nice start for 2012 films.

4/5 Stars

   

Movie Review: Killer Elite

Killer Elite may be just another Jason Statham vehicle, but that really isn't a problem at all if it's still good. Killer Elite is Statham's best film (with him in the leading role) since Death Race. What pleasantly surprised me about Killer Elite was good the story was. It weaves a pretty complex tale of espionage, assassins, and government cover-ups, which is uncharted territory for a Jason Statham film. It's always nice to have a good story in an action film, I was not really expecting that at all. Of course, it wouldn't be a Jason Statham film without great action. The action scenes are more elaborate, intense, and realistic then they have been in his past few films, which give them a unique edge opposed to the over-the-top approach we are used to seeing from Statham. Statham is charismatic as always, but he is surrounded by a top-notch supporting cast. Dominic Purcell shines for the first time since Prison Break got off the air, Clive Owen is a pretty fucking good villain, and Robert De Niro is visibly having a lot of fun when he is on screen. Killer Elite is another great action flick from Jason Statham and is well worth a watch for Staham fans and non-Statham fans alike.

4/5 Stars

Movie Review: The Tree Of Life (Film Number 44 In My Goal For 2011 Films)

Where to begin with The Tree Of Life? It took me two days to even think about writing a review for it. Not because I enjoyed it, because I was too pissed at this film to even state my opinion on it. I figured I wouldn't like The Tree Of Life, but I figured since I'm pretty open-minded and with the heaps of praise it had been given, I would give a shot. I instantly regretted that decision. It was 1000x worse than I expected it to be. I can't even remember the last time a movie made me this angry. For months, I've heard about how "challenging" and "thought-provoking" this film was. The only thing "challenging" about The Tree Of Life was staying awake through the whole thing. There is absolutely no coherence to it. It's just a 2-hour string of Terrence Malick using nature shots (some times with voiceovers!), quick-cut editing, random examples of Brad Pitt's character being an asshole to his kids, and whispering dialogue that tries to convey "the true importance of life". If this is Malick's vision of the true meaning/importance of life, I don't know what fucking planet he lives on. He needs to maybe stop putting LSD in his breakfast and try to write a movie that makes sense and not just a series of shots that will please only the snobbiest arthouse crowd and no one else. Saying this film is pretentious would be understatement, this is full-on douche porn. It's so self-absorbed and beats you over the head with it's message, then pretends it's being subtle with it's blatantly obvious symbolism. The only thing missing were captions on the screen saying when you should be moved or be thinking "deeply" about the importance of life on earth . I know I am in the minority on this film, but I just loathed every minute of it. The acclaim on this is absolutely baffling to me. It almost seems like people are enjoying it just because they were told to. I know this is being dubbed as an experimental film. Well Terrence Malick, your experiment failed miserably. The Tree Of Life is a completely pointless, tedious, and sickeningly pretentious exercise that is amongst the worst films I've ever seen.

0/5 Stars

Movie Review: Hanna (Film Number 43 In My Goal For 2011 Films)

Hanna is a completely polarizing film. It's odd how a film can be so ambitious, yet have absolutely nothing to it. On the plus side, it's a unique action film. It maintains an indie vibe, but it's still a relatively commercial action movie. The short bursts of action are pretty fucking good. Joe Wright uses a refreshing approach in capturing the action. He leaves you in the middle of it the whole without any quick cuts or anything of that nature. The film also features a strong performance in the title role from Sairosee Ronan. This is the first film I have seen her in and I can now say she deserves all the praise that she gets.  Even though it has does somethings right, the film has it's fair share of problems as well. The biggest of which is the pacing. It starts off  very fast paced then slows down for about an hour (which would be fine if the story wasn't bland as all hell) and then picks up again with about 20 minutes left. The middle section was in dire need of some action. The story wasn't nearly strong enough to go such a long time with zero action sequences. Another major problem is Cate Blanchett. Her character and performance is laughable. She's such a lifeless and dumb villain that could have easily been replaced with a cardboard cutout. It also doesn't help that the plot twist completely sucks and the ending is beyond lame. Hanna isn't the worst thing ever, but it could have been much better with better pacing, plot, and a solid antagonist.

2.5/5 Stars

Movie Review: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

For a couple years now, I've heard a lot of talk about The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. The novel and Swedish version of the film have garnered a lot of buzz and acclaim. When the remake was announced, it stirred up a strong reaction to say the least. Some people were very pleased they were making a remake, others were skeptical and mad that they were making an English language-remake so soon after the Swedish one was released. I never read the book or saw the Swedish film, so I was going in completely blind to the American version of the film. I am glad that I went in blind, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo was one of the best damn movies from 2011.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is an enthralling mystery thriller. It's a slow-burn type of movie. It takes some time to get going, but once it does, it's just incredible. Every detail is essential and it just gets you more engrossed into the story by the minute. The tension just keeps building and building and when it gets to the payoff at the end, it's incredibly rewarding. I haven't been this satisfied with how a mystery film ends in a long time. What drives the film though, besides it's excellent script and pacing, is the acting. Rooney Mara's performance as Lisbeth Salander is the best I've seen all year by anyone. She should win Best Actress without a doubt. Her performance is so tortured, smart, and deep and she gets to the root and complexity of her character with ease. Every minute she is on screen is just electrifying. Daniel Craig should also gain some Oscar buzz for his performance. His character is looking for redemption after a scandal and Craig brings his desperation and will to save his image and solve this case to the screen effortlessly. Easily his best performance since Layer Cake, if not ever. Of course, I can't go my entire review without mentioning David Fincher. He deserves every ounce of praise that he gets. The guy just has a gift for directing films (especially films with dark tones). He had his taste of lighter fare with The Social Network, but he is at his best when directing bleak and dark films. (Fight Club is one of my favorite films ever and his direction is a big part of why I love that film so much.) He was the perfect choice for this film and I hope he comes back for the sequels, he is too special of a director to let go with this franchise moving forward.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is a brilliant movie. The acting, directing, and writing are all top-notch (it also has the most impressive opening title sequence I have ever seen. I have never had an opening title sequence blow my mind before this). This is one of those special films that you enjoy more and more the more you think about it. The execution is just damn near flawless and it will stay with you for days after you watch it. If this doesn't get Oscar nominations, it would be a travesty. It's too damn good to go unnoticed. It's not for everyone, but if you don't mind a very dark and sometimes disturbing film, I can't recommend The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo enough.

4.5/5 Stars

2011 In Film: A Year In Review

2011 brought a lot of interesting film experiences. I set a goal at the beginning of the year to see as many films as possible, regardless if I wanted to see the film or not. It has been a fascinating and eye-opening experience so far to say the least. Half the films I saw this year I either didn't want to see or was indifferent on seeing.  Some of them have been surprisingly good, some have them have been god awful, and others have been in between. Overall 2011 has been a good year for film. Not the greatest ever, but it could have been a lot worse. I still have plenty of films left to see (most of which I don't want to see), but here is my wrap-up of the year in film.

(* is a film that I did not want to see initially)
86.Beastly*(0/5)
85.The Roommate*(1/5)
84.Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son*(1/5)
83.Madea's Big Happy Family*(1/5)
82.Apollo 18*(1/5)
81.Red Riding Hood*(1/5)
80.Bellflower(1/5)
79.Shark Night 3D*(1.5/5)
78.Spy Kids: All the Time In the World*(1.5/5)
77.Season of the Witch*(1.5/5)
76.Gnomeo and Juliet*(1.5/5)
75.Sanctum*(1.5/5)
74.Zookeeper*(1.5/5)
73.The Rite*(1.5/5)
72.Priest*(2/5)
71.The Dilemma*(2/5)
70.I Am Number Four*(2/5)
69.Cars 2*(2/5)
68.The Eagle*(2.5/5)
67.Larry Crowne*(2.5/5)
66.Green Lantern*(2.5/5)
65.Colombiana*(2.5/5)
64.Hanna*(2.5/5)
63.Rango*(2.5/5)
62.Tucker and Dale Vs Evil(2.5/5)
61.Take Me Home Tonight*(2.5/5)
60.Red State(2.5/5)
59.Rio*(3/5)
58.Mr. Popper's Penguins*(3/5)
57.Battle: Los Angeles(3/5)
56.Everything Must Go(3/5)
55.Captain America: The First Avenger*(3/5)
54.Your Highness(3/5)
53.Fright Night*(3/5)
52.Real Steel*(3/5)
51.Arthur*(3.5/5)
50.No Strings Attached*(3.5/5)
49.The Greatest Movie Ever Sold(3.5/5)
48.Kung Fu Panda 2(3.5/5)
47.Friends With Benefits*(3.5/5)
46.Hesher(3.5/5)
45.The Change-Up(3.5/5)
44.Conan the Barbarian*(3.5/5)
43.Limitless*(3.5/5)
42.The Adjustment Bureau*(3.5/5)
41.The Mechanic(3.5/5)
40.Just Go With It*(3.5/5)
39.Our Idiot Brother*(3.5/5)
38.Bad Teacher*(3.5/5)
37.Immortals(3.5/5)
36.Scream 4*(3.5/5)
35.Win Win(3.5/5)
34.Drive Angry(3.5/5)
33.Hall Pass(3.5/5)
32.Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides(4/5)
31.Cowboys and Aliens(4/5)
30.Kill the Irishman(4/5)
29.Crazy, Stupid, Love*(4/5)
28.The Green Hornet(4/5)
27.Transformers: Dark of the Moon(4/5)
26.Beats, Rhymes, and Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest(4/5)
25.Cedar Rapids(4/5)
24.Conan O'Brien Can't Stop(4/5)
23.Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol(4/5)
22.Super(4/5)
21.Bridesmaids*(4/5)
20.Rise of the Planet of the Apes*(4/5)
19.Paul(4/5)
18.Unknown(4/5)
17.Thor(4/5)
16.The Hangover Part II(4/5)
15.13 Assassins(4/5)
14.30 Minutes or Less(4/5)
13.The Lincoln Lawyer(4/5)
12.Sucker Punch(4.5/5)
11.Hobo With a Shotgun(4.5/5)
10.X-Men: First Class(4.5/5)
9.Horrible Bosses(4.5/5)
8.Moneyball(4.5/5)
7.Attack the Block(4.5/5)
6.Source Code(4.5/5)
5.Warrior*(4.5/5)
4.Super 8(4.5/5)
3.Fast Five(4.5/5)
2.The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (4.5/5)
1.50/50(4.5/5)
 
2011 Films I haven't seen yet (That I actually want to see):
Drive
Killer Elite
The Rum Diary
A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas
Tower Heist
J.Edgar
The Sitter
Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows
Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy

Movie Review: Shark Night 3D (Film Number 42 In My Goal For 2011 Films)

Here we go again... The "stay out of the water" horror genre as I like to call to it, got a bit of a revival last year with Piranha 3D (which is still the only film I've ever seen that I can't form a solid opinion on). Shark Night 3D is the latest attempt to keep the genre going and let's just say it's not particularly successful in it's goal. Shark Night is basically Piranha's tamer, lamer PG-13 cousin. There are spurts of dumb fun to be had here, but it's mostly just bad. If the movie had fully embraced it's B-movie status and amped up the gore and had a more comic tone, it could been a lot of fun. Instead we are left with a half-baked and relatively bloodless movie were a bunch of college kids on a lake are taken out by sharks that were released into the water by a couple of revenge-seeking rednecks. That's really about all there is to Shark Night and then it just ends abruptly. I will say there is a couple of hilarious death scenes (one in particular involving a jet ski had me laughing my ass off for a solid 2-3 minutes), so it wasn't a complete waste of time. Shark Night is a dull and safe take on the B-movie and it could have been a lot of fun if it wasn't restrained by it's PG-13 rating.

1.5/5 Stars   

Movie Review: Kung Fu Panda 2

A couple of years ago I was very pleasantly surprised when I saw Kung Fu Panda during a free preview weekend of HBO. I couldn't believe that a non-Pixar animated film was that funny and clever. Fast forward to last week when I watched Kung Fu Panda 2 and was again surprised that the sequel was almost on par with the original. The sequel is able to recapture most of the magic of the original by following a similar formula without feeling rehashed or stale. The great ensemble voice cast (including Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, Dustin Hoffman and of course, Jack Black in the title role) returns and is just as good as the original. Jack Black again makes Po one of the most likable animated heroes in recent memory. His goofy charm comes through even when it's just his voice on screen. Kung Fu Panda 2 is a fun time and is without a doubt the best family film of 2011. It doesn't quite live up to the original, but it's still a sucessful film.

3.5/5 Stars

NFL Wild Card Picks

It's been a long time since I've written about sports. With the start of the NFL playoffs this weekend, I felt like I should offer my thoughts/picks on this weekend's slate of games.

My picks:
Cincinnati Bengals Over Houston Texans: If this game had been played in October, I would have went with Houston all the way. But with the slew of injuries the Texans have suffered, I really can't see them winning.  Rookie T.J Yates (who was the third string quarterback at the beginning of the season) is getting the start, despite his shoulder injury suffered last week against the Titans. Yates is going against the great defense of the Bengals, whose pass rush has been extremely effective all season long. The Bengals also have the advantage of being healthy and the leadership of Andy Dalton (who is without a doubt the best rookie quarterback in the league in my mind, sorry Cam Newton). It should be a good game, but I foresee Houston's fairy tale season coming to an end tomorrow night.

New Orleans Saints Over Detroit Lions: The Lions have been the surprise team of the year. I called before the season that they would be much improved, but even I didn't expect them to make the playoffs. Unfortunately, they have the daunting task of playing the Saints in their first playoff game. The Saints are one of the hottest teams in the league right now. They have been decimating their opponents in the last few games. Drew Brees has been playing like a man possessed and has showed just how elite of a quarterback he is. Their playoff experience and the chip on their shoulder from their shocking early playoff exit last season gives them an extra advantage.

Atlanta Falcons Over New York Giants: This is my upset pick of the weekend. The Giants have been way too inconsistent to advance in playoffs. If they bring their A-game, it's very possible they could win this game, but I wouldn't be willing to gamble on them. On the other hand, Atlanta has been looking very strong recently. Matt Ryan has stepped up big time in the second half of the season after a sluggish start. He looks to be very determined to lead this team on a run in the playoffs. The Falcons have a lot of weapons (not to say the Giants don't) that should overwhelm the Giants defense (especially in the passing game). It's going come down to a couple of big plays to decide the outcome and I think the Falcons will take it because of that.

Pittsburgh Steelers Over Denver Broncos: Even with a banged up Ben Roethlisberger and Rashard Mendenhall going down for the year, I don't see the Steelers losing this game. Their defense is too good and they don't really need to score too many points to beat Denver. The Broncos also limped into the playoffs. They played absolutely awful in their last three games (especially the last two). Their one-dimensional offense will get eaten alive by Pittsburgh's defense. The only advantage the Broncos have is that this game is in Denver. Denver is the hardest place to play in the NFL, but I don't see it being too much of a problem for Pittsburgh. Unless Tebow Time strikes again, I don't see Denver having a chance in this one.

Movie Review: Mr.Popper's Penguins (Film Number 41 In My Goal For 2011 Films)

I am probably in the minority of people in my age group that didn't read Mr.Popper's Penguins as a kid. With having never read the book, that didn't give me any form of nostalgia factor when watching this film. To my surprise, I actually end up enjoying Mr.Popper's Penguins a decent amount (even without any fond childhood memories of the book). Every once in a while, you see a film that's flawed, but you can forgive those flaws because it's entertaining. Mr. Popper's Penguins is a prime example of this type of film. It has it's downsides, but it's harmless, light, and is good for some laughs so you can forgive it's flaws. Jim Carrey has a good time with the role. He gets to use his impecable gift of physical comedy for a new generation. This is an old-school Carrey role and he really is this heart and soul of this film. Mr. Popper's Penguins is not a great film, but that doesn't mean it's not worth watching. It's an innocent, simple film that has just enough laughs and charms to work.

3/5 Stars

Movie Review: Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

The Mission Impossible franchise took a pretty long break after the third installment. The third one had a mixed reception overall and I was surprised when I heard they were making a fourth one. I am so glad they decided to make a fourth one because Ghost Protocol is  the best Mission Impossible film to date.

What really drives Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is the quality of the action. This is the type of old-school, smart,  non-stop entertaining action film that isn't made nearly as much now-a-days. Every sequence is done on such a grand scale that it captivates the audience and takes their breath away. The much-talked about scene in which Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) jumps out of a 100-story plus building completely lives up to the hype. It's one of the most exhilarating scenes not only in a 2011 film, but any action film ever. Though the action is the main attraction, Ghost Protocol is also a very-well made film. Brad Bird shines in his live-action directing debut. He has a great sense for directing, he manages all the gigantic action scenes with ease. I hope he continues to direct live-action films. He brings the same brilliance that be brings to animation to live-action. The new cast additions around Cruise are also solid. Jeremy Renner's character make for a good number 2 and Paula Patton is a believable female action star. That being said, Simon Pegg gives the standout performance in the film. He is hilarious as always and seeing him getting a much bigger role than in the third film was awesome. The only thing preventing Ghost Protocol from being completely amazing is the lack of a strong villain. All of the villains are paper-thin and really don't do anything at all. It was kind of a buzzkill when everything else about this film is so strong.

Ghost Protocol is a thrilling blockbuster. This will sure to please. The action scenes are big, loud, and exciting. Ghost Protocol is a full-fledged revival of the franchise. It's my favorite installment of the series so far and I hope they make another one after the success of Ghost Protocol. Ghost Protocol is a very entertaining spectacle of a film that is perfect for the holiday blockbuster season.

4/5 Stars

January In Film

Happy New Year everyone! January marks the start of the new year and I am very intrigued to see what 2012 can bring. The film slate for 2012 has some potential, but you don't really know until the end of the year what the overall quality will be. Anyways, here is my take on the first crop of films of the new year with my thoughts on all of January's films.

Films I Want To See
3.Man On A Ledge (1/27)-It's not the most original concept ever, but the trailer looks pretty good. The solid cast adds to the my excitement level.

2.Underworld: Awakening(1/20)- Having Kate Beckinsale back is a huge boost. I'm also glad they are going back to the roots of the franchise and not continuing on with the prequel series. I only hope this is in the same ballpark in terms of quality as the original.

1.Contraband(1/13)-This might be the best looking film for the first few months of 2012. Mark Wahlberg is back to his gritty-film past, Ben Foster should make a good villain, and the plot is very intriguing. The second week of January the past few years has produced some great films and I hope Contraband will join that list.

Films I'm Not Sure About
Red Tails (1/20)-This could end up being great (George Lucas is producing it), but I feel like I don't know enough about the film right now to make a decision about weather or not I want to see it.

Haywire(1/20)-I am not a huge fan of Steven Soderbergh's work, but the trailer for this isn't bad. I will probably give it a shot.

The Grey (1/27)-I just saw the full-length trailer a few days ago and I am more interested in seeing it now than I was after I saw the teaser. I still feel like this could end being kind of dull (depending on the length), but it has some potential.

Films I Have Zero Interest In
The Devil Inside (1/6)-Yet another exorcism movie. This one looks particularly bad. I actually can't think of the last time an exorcism movie looked this bad (and there has been a LOT of bad ones in the past 5-10 years.) I will be avoiding this one like the plague.

Joyful Noise (1/13)-I really can't stand musicals and this isn't going to change it. It is really funny to me that Dolly Parton is in this though.