I went to see Flags of Our Fathers at the Colorado Cinemas in Castle Rock, CO on yesterday to escape the big snow storm that hit our area.  Becky had to work, so I talked a couple buddies into playing hooky for the day and going to the movie. The Yahoo Movies website at Flags of Our Fathers describes the movie as follows:

“February 1945. Even as victory in Europe was finally within reach, the war in the Pacific raged on. One of the most crucial and bloodiest battles of the war was the struggle for the island of Iwo Jima, which culminated with what would become one of the most iconic images in history: five Marines and a Navy corpsman raising the American flag on Mount Suribachi. The inspiring photo capturing that moment…”

The Review
Flags of Our Fathers wasn’t at all what any of us expected.  It was a movie that really dealt with how America treated its heros after World War II and asked the question as to what constitutes a hero.

It was directed by Clint Eastwood, which means that it moves really slow.  I have this belief that Clint directs movies for old people, so that they can follow along, but if you’re a younger person a two-hour movie of his seems like a three-hour movie.  In spite of the fact that it’s a slow moving film, the content is very good.  The story takes you through the lives of three men who raised the flag on Iwo Jima and were hailed as celebrity heros when they came back to the U.S.

It’s a thought provoking war film because of the way these guys were exploited by politicians and their government after sacrificing so much for their country.  There was plenty of war action in this film, but it wasn’t like Saving Private Ryan since the entire movie doesn’t take place inside the battle of Iwo Jima.  Instead, the audience is taken to what was going on at home in the U.S. during the fighting, what was the experience of the men who were there on the island and what their thoughts were today about the war.

We all thought it was a very good movie that was well done and made you appreciate what men and women of a previous generation went through to win World War II.  It was definitely Worth The Trip, even if you’re not a fan of war movies.  Stan commented that it wasn’t as good as Band of Brothers, but that he really thought it was a good movie as well.  Our friend Chris liked it too and thought it was good in that it dealt with issues beyond just the war itself.

John – *** Worth The Trip
Stan – *** Worth The Trip
Chris – *** Worth The Trip

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Auto Broker – John Boyd “The Cool Car Guy”
John is an automotive consultant with JFR & Associates in Denver, Colorado. He can help you save time and money on any make or model, new or used, lease or purchase – nationwide! Call or email John about your next vehicle! jboyd@coolcarguy.com

Becky and I went to see The Prestige at the Colorado Cinemas in Castle Rock, CO on Friday night. The Fandango website at The Prestige describes the movie as follows:

“From the time that they first met as young magicians on the rise, Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) were competitors. However, their friendly competition evolves into a bitter rivalry making them fierce enemies-for-life and consequently jeopardizing the lives of everyone around them. Full of twists and turns, The Prestige is set against the backdrop of turn-of-the-century London. The cast includes two-time Oscar® winner Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson and David Bowie.”

The Review
The Prestige is a pretty dark film that grabbed our interest early on.  This movie has more twists than a New York pretzel.  It’s a movie about revenge and the lengths that two men will go to satisfy their hatred for each other, even if it destroys them.

The acting and directing was really good, but the movie is very long and we ended up cringing at some of the decisions these men made to make the lives of each other miserable. It’s a pretty clean film as far as the language.  There were a number of teenagers in the movie that were probably pretty bored.  It’s a very intellectual and psychological thriller that was easy to get lost in, if you didn’t pay attention.

I really liked the film and Becky didn’t like it at all.  We went with another couple and they had mixed feelings about it as well.  It was definitely worth the trip in my opinion and Becky thought it was a complete waste of time.

John – *** Worth The Trip
Becky – * Don’t Bother

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Auto Broker – John Boyd “The Cool Car Guy”
John is an automotive consultant with JFR & Associates in Denver, Colorado. He can help you save time and money on any make or model, new or used, lease or purchase – nationwide! Call or email John about your next vehicle! jboyd@coolcarguy.com

Becky and I went to see Man of the Year at the AMC theater in Highlands Ranch, CO on Friday night. The Yahoo website at Man of the Year describes the movie as follows:

“Acerbic performer Tom Dobbs has made his career out of skewering politicians and speaking the mind of the exasperated nation on his talk show. He cracked scathing jokes at a fractured system night after night–until he came up with a really funny idea: why not run for president himself? After a flip comment, Dobbs ignites a grassroots movement that puts him on the ballot. Hot on the campaign trail..”

The Review
Man of the Year looked like it was going to be a great flick from the Previews, but it didn’t deliver.  For a while it’s a comedy, which becomes a thriller (which made absolutely no sense) and then turns into a drama.  It’s just goofy and isn’t very funny.

Robin Williams was funnier in RV than in this movie.  There were a few good laughs, but Robin jumped from joke to joke like a court jester.  For a while we thought we were watching Robin’s character on Jay Leno or David Letterman as he tried to get as many “sound bite” jokes in as he could before the next guest.

You could tell that the audience was wanting to get more involved in the movie and was trying to laugh, but the movie just couldn’t keep everyone’s interest.  The bottom line is that Man of the Year will be hitting the rental rack soon, which is where you should wait to see it.

John – ** Rental
Becky – ** Rental

_________________________________________________________________________
Auto Broker – John Boyd “The Cool Car Guy”
John is an automotive consultant with JFR & Associates in Denver, Colorado. He can help you save time and money on any make or model, new or used, lease or purchase – nationwide! Call or email John about your next vehicle! jboyd@coolcarguy.com

I talked Becky into seeing Jet Li’s Fearless with me in Las Vegas a few weeks ago. The Yahoo website at Jet Li’s Fearless describes the movie as follows:

“ The son of a great fighter who did not wish for his child to follow in his footsteps, the bullied Huo Yuanjia resolves to teach himself how to fight–and win. Years of training enable him to ace match after match in his home region of Tianjin. But as his fame as a martial arts master grows, so does his pride. After an ill-advised fight leads to another master’s death, members of Huo’s family are slain…”

The Review
Jet Li’s Fearless is an epic adventure with martial arts superstar Jet Li. The movie is an hour and 45 minutes, but it seemed like it was 2.5 hours because of the sub-titles. Becky fell asleep and didn’t like the movie at all, but I thought it was pretty awesome.

If you like martial arts films than this is definitely a must see. The action is incredible in this movie with some unbelievable athletic feats. The story is amazing and based on a true story, but you will need to pay attention and get past the sub-titles.

I would suggest that you’re into martial arts movies, Jet Li’s Fearless is definitely a Don’t Miss It otherwise it’s probably a rental for most people.

John – **** Don’t Miss It
Becky – * Don’t Bother

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Auto Broker – John Boyd “The Cool Car Guy”
John is an automotive consultant with JFR & Associates in Denver, Colorado. He can help you save time and money on any make or model, new or used, lease or purchase – nationwide! Call or email John about your next vehicle! jboyd@coolcarguy.com

Becky and I went to see The Departed on opening night last week at the Colorado Cinemas movie theater in Castle Rock, Colorado. There was a huge turnout for this flick as people have been waiting to see Jack Nickolson in another blockbuster. The Fandango website at The Departed describes the movie as follows:

“South Boston cop Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) goes under cover to infiltrate the organization of gangland chief Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). As Billy gains the mobster’s trust, a career criminal named Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) infiltrates the police department and reports on its activities to his syndicate bosses. When both organizations learn they have a mole in their midst, Billy and Colin must figure out each other’s identities to save their own lives.”

The Review
The Departed is rightfully named for sure.  We thought we were watching Casino again with Nickolson and Damon, instead of Deniro and Peschi.  It’s an extremely violent film with plenty of non-stop harsh language and a movie filled with some extremely crazy people.  Jack Nicksolson’s character was pretty close to Al Pacino’s Scarface for being completely nuts and he pulls it off just as well as Pacino. I thought Scarface was far too graphic and The Departed doesn’t go as far as that film.

There is plenty of star power in this movie, including Matt Damon, Jack Nickolson, Mark Wahlberg and Leonardo DiCaprio, plus a few more.  The character’s are great in this movie and inspite of the continual violence and language the movie definitely accomplished its goal.  The story has so many twists and turns that it keeps you guessing and wondering who’s going to get “whacked” next.  There are some wild surprises in this film.

Although, it’s hard to recommend to people because of the harsh content and violence the movie is very well done.  It’s directed by Directed by Martin Scorsese and he does a great job of not leaving any loose ends untied.  Acting is great, Directing is great, story is wild, making for a movie that was worth the trip.

John – *** Worth The Trip
Becky – *** Worth The Trip

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Auto Broker – John Boyd “The Cool Car Guy”
John is an automotive consultant with JFR & Associates in Denver, Colorado. He can help you save time and money on any make or model, new or used, lease or purchase – nationwide! Call or email John about your next vehicle! jboyd@coolcarguy.com

Becky and I went to see The Guardian on opening night a couple of weeks ago at the Colorado Cinemas Movie theater in Castle Rock, Colorado. The theater was packed to see Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher in this new film about the Coast Guard. The Fandango website at The Guardian describes the movie as follows:

“After losing his crew in a fatal crash, legendary Rescue Swimmer Ben Randall is sent to teach at “A” School, an elite training program for Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers. Wrestling with the loss of his crew members, he throws himself into teaching. While there, he encounters a young, cocky swim champ, Jake Fischer, who is driven to be the best. During training, Randall helps mold Jake’s character, combining his raw talent with the heart and dedication required of a Rescue Swimmer. Upon graduation, Jake follows Randall to Alaska where they face the inherent dangers of the Bering Sea. In his initial solo rescue, Jake learns firsthand from Randall the true meaning of heroism and sacrifice.”

The Review
The Guardian is the first film that we’ve seen about the United States Coast Guard, which was pretty cool for a change. It reminded me of a remake of an Officer and a Gentlemen, only with a guy in the Coast Guard instead of the Navy and with Ashton Kutcher instead of a young Richard Gere. If you’ve seen that movie or Top Gun or even the movie GI Jane with Demi Moore than you’ve already seen
The Guardian.

There really isn’t anything new with The Guardian that hasn’t been done before, including a romance with a local girl who doesn’t want to get involved with a guy in basic training. However, it’s the Coast Guard and that’s new, plus the story is pretty exciting because of the dangerous situations that the characters find themselves in, which kept the attention of the audience.

I think it would have been better with Josh Hartnett as the lead
character instead of Ashton Kutcher. Ashton wasn’t very believable as a serious character in this movie for me, but Kevin Costner saved the day and made the movie worth the trip.

John – *** Worth The Trip
Becky – *** Worth The Trip

_________________________________________________________________________
Auto Broker – John Boyd “The Cool Car Guy”
John is an automotive consultant with JFR & Associates in Denver, Colorado. He can help you save time and money on any make or model, new or used, lease or purchase – nationwide! Call or email John about your next vehicle! jboyd@coolcarguy.com

Becky and I went to see Employee of the Month last week at the Colorado Cinemas movie theater in Castle Rock, Colorado. The Yahoo website at Employee of the Month describes the movie as follows:”

For customers of Super Club, the largest high-volume, bulk-discount retailer in the country, membership has its privileges. For workers at the cavernous store, the most coveted honor is the “Employee of the Month” award, and having one’s photo immortalized on the wall of fame in the staff lounge. Enter Zack Bradley and Vince Downey, two ultra competitive Super Club workers whose ten years of employment…”

The Review
Employee of the Month is supposed to be a funny movie, but it doesn’t deliver. Becky and I are the typical American family that spends too much money at Costco and Sam’s Club just by walking in the front door. Needless to say, we were looking forward to this movie and thought it would be pretty funny. The story is just too ridiculous to believe, although you can tell that they filmed this movie in a Costco.

Dane Cook is pretty funny as a loser stock clerk trying to get the girl of his dreams, Jessica Simpson, but overall the movie is pretty lame. I liked the quote from a New York Times movie reviewer, Jeanette Catsoulis, who said of this movie…

“it’s more tired than a Wal-Mart greeter at the end of a Saturday shift.”