Becky and I went to see Flyboys a couple weeks ago at the Galaxy Neonopolis 11 theaters in Las Vegas, Nevada with Becky’s Mom & Dad, Betty and David Smith.

This was a new movie and the movie was almost empty, but there was a crazy lady in the theater that kept talking to the screen. I thought she was pretty funny, but she drove Becky nuts, which made the situation even more funny. The Yahoo! website at Flyboys describes the movie as follows:

“ In 1914, “The Great War” –WWI–began in Europe. By 1917, the Allied powers of France, England, Italy and others were on the ropes against the German juggernaut. Some altruistic young Americans disagreed with the war. They volunteered to fight alongside their counterparts in France; some in the infantry, some in the Ambulance Corps. A handful of others had a different idea: they decided to learn how…”

The Review
Flyboys is a great flick!  The acting was great, the story was good and it really kept our interest.  The audience was small, making the viewing more like a private screening, with some real characters in the theater, that made it feel like we were watching it on a big screen tv.

The film will really make you appreciate the sacrifices that men and women made during World War I to defend freedom.  I think that we often forget how many people died during World War I and World War II, so that others could live.  One of the strongest statements in this film was that the average life expectancy for a new fighter pilot in the first World War was only 6 weeks.

This is one that you can definitely check out on the Big Screen and feel like you didn’t waste your money.

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 took the kids to see Facing The Giants yesterday at the AMC movie theaters in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. A friend of mine from JFR & Associates, Kenny Whatmore, and his family were there as well. Last week, a friend of ours who used to attend our church called me up and said that I had to take my family to see this movie, and that it was awesome, so we decided to go check it out.  The Fandango website at Facing The Giants describes the movie as follows:

“A Christian high school football coach uses his undying faith to battle the giants of fear and failure. After learning that he and his wife Brooke (Shannen Fields) face infertility, Grant Taylor, (Alex Kendrick) searches for hope and a stronger purpose for his football team. Filled with South Georgia football and clean humor, Facing the Giants is a family movie inspiring viewers to live with faith and love!”

The Review
Facing The Giants is a typical Christian film full of no name actors and a positive message directed toward Christians, but anyone who doesn’t attend a spirit filled church will probably get up and leave.  When we left my 6 year old Corban looked up at me with a smile and said, “We’ve been at church all day now Dad.”

If you’re a Christian, you will really like this movie, but be forewarned that it’s extremely low budget.  Once again, Christian movie directors have high hopes of getting Christian messages into the mainstream movie theaters.  Unfortunately, any movie goer who pays to see this film and is not a Christian will probably get up and leave and ask for their money back.  It’s definitely an inspiring movie that probably should have been sold to churches and youth groups rather than show up on the big screen.

As a Christian, I thought it was a great film with a good message about putting your faith in God regardless of the circumstances.  It’s a very touching movie at times and I know that Kenny and his family really liked it along with my other Christian friend who called me to go see it. As a person who attends a ton of movies and writes movie reviews, I would say that it’s a rental or a don’t bother if you’re not a Christian, and definitely worth seeing with your family if you are.

Bianca fell asleep, Corban thought he was at church again, Conroy really liked it and Becky did too.

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

The Kids Review
Corban – ** Rental
Bianca –  * Don’t Bother
Conroy – *** 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 Wicker Man on Tuesday at the Galaxy Neonopolis 11 theaters in Las Vegas, Nevada with Becky’s Mom. This movie has been out for a long time and we were surprised to see it was still showing, but we decided to check it out. The Fandango website at The Wicker Man describes the movie as follows:

“A sheriff (Nicolas Cage) investigates a young girl’s mysterious disappearance on a remote island off the coast of Maine. The community tells him the girl never existed. He continues his search, and is led into a web of deceit and pagan rituals.”

The Review
The Wicker Man is a very strange flick that takes you into a bizarre community that is out of touch with the modern world.  It story takes place on this private island where women rule and men follow their every direction, as they all worship and serve the nature goddess.

Yep, it’s pretty whacked!  However, it’s also interesting and surprising as the audience follows a former police officer, Nicholas Cage, on a wild journey to try to locate a young missing girl that he saw in a burning vehicle.

The Wicker Man is not a great movie by any stretch, but it kept our interest and made us wonder what was happening or going to happen.  It all leads to a very surprising, disturbing and shocking ending.

I don’t think any of us liked the movie enough to say that it was the price of admission, but it should make a pretty good rental.  It should be coming to the video store racks fairly soon, so be on the lookout.

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

Becky and I went to see The Illusionist on Friday night at the AMC Movie theater in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. This film has been out for a while and we were shocked to see that it was almost sold out with mainly an older crowd. The Fandango website at The Illusionist describes the movie as follows:

“A master magician named Eisenheim (Edward Norton) vies with Crown Prince Leopold of Vienna for the hand of Sophie (Jessica Biel), the woman he once loved. He brings his considerable powers to bear on the prince, as she is about to be named royal fiancee. However, a police inspector named Uhl (Paul Giamatti) tries to warn Eisenheim that he is playing a very dangerous game. Based on a story by Steven Millhauser.”

The Review
The Illusionist is an interesting love story that takes you through the strange life of a magician and the beautiful woman of his youth.  Ed Norton’s character is a brilliant man who cannot have the woman of his dreams because of position in society, so he sets out around the world to become a Master Magician. 

As fate would have it, he eventually comes back to Austria and discovers that his first love is about to be married to the crown prince who is a first class jerk.  All of this conflict and intrique makes for a very entertaining and fascinating movie.

The Illusionist was very well done with great acting and directing.  There were a few teenagers that left the movie, probably bored with the romance, but overall everyone really liked the movie.  There are several plot twists and surprises in the movie that made it a very fun film and we both thought that it was definitely 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 Gridiron Gang on Saturday Night at the AMC Movie theater in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. There was a good turn out for this film now that we’re in football season, so the studios timed the release of this film right. The Fandango website at Gridiron Gang describes the movie as follows:

“Columbia Pictures’ Gridiron Gang tells the gritty and powerfully emotional story of juvenile detention camp probation officer Sean Porter (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson), who, along with another officer, Malcolm Moore (Xzibit), turns a group of hard core teenage felons into a high school football team in four weeks. Confronted with gang rivalries and bitter hatred between his teammates, Porter teaches some hard lessons (and learns a few himself) as the kids gain a sense of self-respect and responsibility. In a world where 75% of these juvenile inmates return to prison or meet with violent ends on the streets, Porter and Moore face seemingly insurmountable barriers. No one wants to compete against convicted criminals, but through relentless pursuit and a jolt of inspiration, Porter and his team fight their way to redemption and a second chance.”

The Review
Gridiron Gang is a pretty intense film that makes you stop and think about how many young people in America are being lost to divorce, neglect, abuse and the appeal of joining a gang at the expense of their future.  It’s a story about a former football player who sees a revolving door for juvenile facilities, just like prison for the inmates, and wants to do something about the situation.  It takes the audience through the lives of the inmates, as well as the challenges of the people who want to make a difference and forces you to think and want to get involved.

Becky and I both enjoyed this movie and thought it was definitely worth the price of admission.  Be forwarned that the language is pretty rough and their are some situations that are disturbing, but it’s very real to life and is based on a true story.  Make sure you stay for just after the end of the flim to watch the credits and some of the original footage of the first “Gridiron Gang”.

Gridiron Gang stars the famous wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and I think this is the best movie he’s done so far.  The movie is very emotional and exciting as you get emotionally involved in the lives of the characters and the acting and directing was good.  I think it’s one of the better movies that we’ve seen this year and Becky thought it was worth the trip.

John – **** Don’t Miss It
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 Hollywoodland Thin Red Line, The movie download last night at the Colorado Cinemas Movie theater in Castle Rock, Colorado. There was a much older crowd for this movie, I don’t think we saw one teenager in the theater. The Fandango website at Hollywoodland describes the movie as follows:

“June 16, 1959. The glamour of Tinseltown permanently fades for actor George Reeves, the heroic Man of Steel on TV’s Adventures of Superman, as the actor dies in his Hollywood Hills home. Felled by a single gunshot wound, Reeves (Ben Affleck) leaves behind a fiancée – aspiring starlet Leonore Lemmon (Robin Tunney) – and millions of fans who are shocked by his death. But it is his grieving mother, Helen Bessolo (Lois Smith), who will not let the questionable circumstances surrounding his demise go unaddressed. The Los Angeles Police Department closes the case, but Helen hires – for $50 a day – private detective Louis Simo (Adrien Brody). Simo soon ascertains that the torrid affair Reeves had with Toni Mannix (Diane Lane), the wife of MGM studio executive Eddie Mannix (Bob Hoskins), might hold the key to the truth. But truth and justice are not so easily found in Hollywood.”

The Review
Hollywoodland is an interesting murder mystery that kept my interest throughout the film. The story follows the lead private investigator, Adrien Brody, as he tries to solve the death of his son’s television super-hero, Superman, played by Ben Affleck. The movie jumps from the life of the private investigator to the life of the dead actor and introduces a number of characters in both of their lives, along the way.

Becky thought that the movie moved to slow and she didn’t like the ending. I thought it was a pretty good movie that created a number of different scenarios for how a famous movie star of the day could have met his fate.  It used a unique way of creating possibilities that went beyond the “case closed”, death by suicide, police report of the Los Angeles Police Department. It also showed the struggles of the private investigator, which Becky didn’t really like, as he tried to solve the mystery while dealing with his own personal problems.

Hollywoodland wasn’t a great film, but it very good acting, including the part played by Diane Lane as George Reeve’s wealthy mistress and was directed well. Becky would recommend waiting for the rental and I thought it was a little better than that and would rate it as being worth the trip.

John – *** Worth The Trip
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.comdownload Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God

Becky and I went to see Crank last week at the AMC Movie theater in Littleton, Colorado with my brother Bob Boyd. There were quite a few people in the theater, which was surprising for a film like this. The Yahoo website at Crank describes the movie as follows:

“Chev Chelios is about to begin his morning with an unexpected wake-up call. Groggy, practically unable to move and with a heart that’s barely beating, he hears the voice of thug Ricky Verona, who reveals Chev has been poisoned in his sleep and only has an hour to live. As it turns out, Chev is a hit man who freelances for a major West Coast syndicate. A run of the mill job the night before instead…”

The Review
Crank started out nuts and continued being a film loaded with non-stop violence, drugs, sex and harsh language. It was complete nonsense and if it wasn’t so graphic and wicked it would have been comical. My brother commented to me that it reminded him of Pulp Fiction meets Scarface with some insane scenes that made you want to cringe.

Becky was smarter than my brother and I since she got up and left within 10 minutes of the start of the film. She went to another movie and was glad she did. I kept hoping that it would get better, but it just got worse! In the end, it was a complete waste of time.

This movie absolutely sucked and wouldn’t have been good at the dollar theater. I don’t even think it will make a good rental, but it seems to be doing well at the theaters. Our advice is to save your money and pick another movie.

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

_________________________________________________________________________
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 Accepted last week at the AMC Movie theater in Littleton, Colorado. The theater was packed with a bunch of teenagers and a bit rowdy with a typical PG-13 audience. The Fandango website at Accepted describes the movie as follows:

“After being turned down by a bunch of colleges, a high school senior and his pals decide to start their own university. The plan becomes complicated as more rejected students begin to enroll, a nearby school offers competition, and the freshman struggles to keep up the ruse for his parents and dream girl.”

The Review
Accepted was a very goofy movie that had a number of good laughs for such a ridiculous story. It’s a bit like Animal House meets Old School with a story that was complete nonsense, but funny nevertheless. The story is actually pretty funny and Justin Long, the guy on those Apple commercials, is good for this part and half-way believable that he could pull off his zany plan.

There are a bunch of silly characters in Accepted and you will need to get past the premise because it’s not at all realistic. If you can do that then you will have plenty of laughs in this film. The audience was cracking up in this movie and most people really enjoyed it.

In reality, it’s probably a movie to wait for the rental for, but we both thought it was enough fun to think that it was 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 Invincible tonight at the AMC Movie theater in Littleton, Colorado. The theater was pretty crowded with people of all ages ready to see this movie.  The Fandango website at Invincible describes the movie as follows:

“Lifelong football fan Vince Papale (Mark Wahlberg) sees his wildest dreams come true when he becomes a member of the Philadelphia Eagles. While working as a teacher at his high-school alma mater in Pennsylvania, the 30-year-old gets a chance to try out for his favorite team, and, except for kickers, becomes the oldest rookie in NFL history who never played football in college. Based on a true story.”

The Review
Invincible is a great flick that has been panned by a number of movie critics, including the key movie critic in the Denver Post who thought it was over-rated and unrealistic because of Papale’s record with the Eagles. Obviously, the guy is not a true sports fan and probably never threw a football as a kid. The fact is that this movie rocked!

It was a great film that had everyone in the theater cheering for the underdog. In fact, it was so inspirational that at the end of the movie the audience was clapping, which doesn’t happen too often in movies these days. If you’re tired of the bang, bang, ridiculous world of murder, mystery, horror garbage at the movies and ready to see something based on real-life, go and see this flick.
Mark Wahlberg, Greg Kinnear and Elizabeth Banks were all great in this movie and it was nice to see Disney putting out a film that mainstream America can enjoy. Although it’s rated PG and is being promoted as a family film based on a true story, little kids will be bored unless they are die hard football fans. It’s more of a clean teenager to adult film with a PG rating.
Becky and I both thought that the movie was definitely one you don’t want to miss at the box office. Especially, if you’re a sports fan, you won’t be sorry that you spent your money to see this movie and it’s worth seeing on the big screen rather than waiting for the rental.

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

_________________________________________________________________________
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 World Trade Center last week at the AMC Movie Theater in Littleton, Colorado.The movie theater had a pretty diverse crowd with a number of teenagers to elderly movie watchers.

The Fandango website at World Trade Center describes the movie as follows:

“Academy Award-winning director Oliver Stone tells the true story of the heroic survival and rescue of two Port Authority policemen – John McLoughlin and Will Jimeno – who were trapped in the rubble of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, after they went in to help people escape. The film also follows their families as they try to find out what happened to them, as well as the rescuers who found them in the debris field and pulled them out. Their story shows how the best in people rose above the tragic events of that day.”

The Review
World Trade Center is a very emotional film that brought the massive destructive events of September 11th, 2001 down to the individual level and made you realize how many lives were truly effected by the terrorist attack. The movie moves pretty slow and forces you to experience the agony of being trapped under the rubble of the Twin Towers as you wait for the lead characters to die or be rescued.

For this reason, most of the young people in the theater didn’t like the movie and some of them got up and left. For anyone who experienced that day, where most of the world was glued to their television sets, the movie will have a much stronger emotional impact.

Becky and I both thought that the movie was definitely Worth The Trip and agreed that the acting and directing of the film was great. What makes it really important is that it’s based on a true story and it’s clear that Oliver Stone went to great lengths, along with the cast and crew, to keep the story as accurate as possible.

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