Prison Break - Season Two (2006-2007)

Prison Break (2005-2009)

Created by: Paul Scheuring

Season: Two (2006-2007)
Genre: Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller
Number of Episodes: 22
Episode Running Time: 60 Minutes
Viewed: Owned DVD

Breaking out was easy, getting away will be hard.

[IMDb]

Comments: It took me about a month to get through the second season of Prison Break. That's not to say it's bad, but along with being busy as hell, the season was never that involving where I needed to watch the next episode. There was entirely too much manufactured drama, and the plot of the season was really drug out, and certainly could have been shortened by a few episodes. Those were also problems with the first season as well, but it's a lot more apparent with its successor. But I still enjoyed the show despite all of this, and it was entertaining, if completely ridiculous. I may hold off on Seasons Three and Four for awhile, as there's a lot of other stuff I want to watch, but I will finish the show out soon enough.

True Grit (2010)

True Grit (2010)

Directed by: Ethan Coen and Joel Coen
Screenplay by: Ethan Coen and Joel Coen

Genre: Adventure | Drama | Western
Running Time: 110 Minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Viewed: Theater

Punishment comes one way or another.

[IMDb]

Comments: I'm feeling pretty lazy, so this won't be long. True Grit was much more darkly comedic than I expected, especially with how serious the trailers looked (I guess you could say it's very Coen-esque). But it worked, and it's certainly one of the better films of 2010. I was really impressed with Hailee Steinfeld, who was amazing and completely owned whenever she was onscreen despite being only 14 (at least that's how old she is in the film; I'm unaware of her actual age). True Grit is a great film, and is certainly deserving of the praise it's received so far.

Black Swan (2010)

Black Swan (2010)

Directed by: Darren Aronofsky
Screenplay by: Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz, and John J. McLaughlin

Genre: Drama | Thriller
Running Time: 108 Minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Viewed: Theater

[IMDb]

Comments: As a film fan, especially one that hasn't been able to watch many since moving/starting a new job, there's not much more of a Christmas present that one could ask for than a new Darren Aronofsky film. I've been a big fan of the man, giving five star reviews to his last three films (one of my all-time favorites, Requiem for a Dream, the criminally underrated The Fountain, and my favorite film of 2008, The Wrestler). I didn't find Black Swan to be as quite as good as those three, but goddamn this was a great film. Natalie Portman has to be the leading candidate for Best Actress at the Oscar's; simply put, she was phenomenal. Aronofsky's direction was stellar, and the story was one great mind fuck. So yeah, Black Swan was a great Christmas present. And it's about to get better, because True Grit will be mine Christmas night.

The Town (2010)

The Town (2010)

Directed by: Ben Affleck
Screenplay by: Peter Craig, Ben Affleck, and Aaron Stockard

Genre: Crime | Drama | Thriller
Running Time: 125 Minutes (Theatrical Cut)
MPAA Rating: R
Viewed: Owned Blu-ray

Welcome to the bank robbery capital of America.

[IMDb]

Comments: Original review: Ben Affleck has been the butt of many jokes over the years, mainly due to the fact that he has made some poor career choices (and that Matt Damon was the actual talented one of the two). I've never had a problem with the guy, mostly because I enjoyed him in the several Kevin Smith films he did. But Affleck set out to change the public perception a few years ago when he directed the excellent Gone Baby Gone, a film I really enjoyed. The Town is his second directorial effort, and as soon as I saw the trailer for The Town, I knew I'd be seeing it in theaters (Warner obviously didn't trust Affleck's reputation either, as they failed to mention his name when stating the film was "from the director of Gone Baby Gone"). The Town certainly didn't disappoint. While the film isn't perfect (the very end of the film is certainly clichéd), it is right up my alley in terms of the plot and entertainment value, hence the five-star rating. I was hooked for the entire two hours, as was the rest of the packed house (during a moment of silence toward the end of the film you could've heard a pin drop in the theater). At times, I was reminded of Michael Mann's crime classic Heat (which isn't a bad thing), and I would favorably compare the two. The Town is everything I want when I go to the theater, and I really couldn't have asked for more. Kudos, Ben.

Centurion (2010)

Centurion (2010)

Directed by: Neil Marshall
Screenplay by: Neil Marshall

Genre: Action | Adventure | Drama | History | Thriller | War
Running Time: 97 Minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Viewed: Owned Blu-ray

Fight or die.

[IMDb]

Comments: Centurion is a pretty decent movie; it's beautifully shot (thanks to director Neil Marshall of The Descent fame), it's reasonably well acted, and there's some great violent battle scenes. But the story's a bit uneven, and I found it incredibly hard to really root for anyone. Both sides (the Romans and the Picts) can both be assholes and sympathetic, so beyond Michael Fassbender there's really not a clear likeable person or group. But I did enjoy Centurion and it's certainly worth a watch if you're into this type of film. Just not the $20 I spent on it.

Monsters (2010)

Monsters (2010)

Directed by: Gareth Edwards
Screenplay by: Gareth Edwards

Genre: Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller
Running Time: 94 Minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Viewed: Online

Now, it's our turn to adapt.

[IMDb]

Comments: I had heard a bit about Monsters here and there, so I jumped at the chance to watch it tonight. The aliens are really the backdrop of the film, as it's much more of a drama with romantic undertones. It's amazing how good the film looked considering it was made for around $15,000. Gareth Edwards' directing is great, and the cinematography is wonderful and often breathtaking. There were a few moments where I was expecting more action or something more intense to occur, but I guess the budget handcuffed Edwards a bit. Still, Monsters is a solid film that I'll definitely look to pick up in February when it comes out on DVD.

Unstoppable (2010)

Unstoppable (2010)

Directed by: Tony Scott
Screenplay by: Mark Bomback

Genre: Action | Drama | Thriller
Running Time: 98 Minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Viewed: Theater

1 million tons of steel. 100,000 lives at stake. 100 minutes to impact.

[IMDb]

Comments: Take a look at that poster. How terrible is that? Chris Pine looks animated. Anyway, Unstoppable continues Tony Scott and Denzel Washington's descent toward mediocrity. I'm not saying that Unstoppable is bad; it's certainly an entertaining film. But of their four collaborations in the last decade, I'd rank Unstoppable right along with 2009's The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 in the mediocre category (I found 2006's Déjà Vu to be pretty good, and I think 2004's Man on Fire is awesome). I'd call Unstoppable a solid rental for a Friday night, but not much more.

Grown Ups (2010)

Grown Ups (2010)

Directed by: Dennis Dugan
Screenplay by: Adam Sandler and Fred Wolf

Genre: Comedy
Running Time: 102 Minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Viewed: On Demand

Boys will be boys... some longer than others.

[IMDb]

Comments: There's really not much to say here. I ended up watching the film with some family yesterday, and it's very... bland. Sure, there's some funny scenes, but there's a number of obviously improvised parts that felt like outtakes much more than usable dialogue. Also, it seemed extremely evident to me that Kevin James' part was written for Chris Farley, even though he's been dead for well over a decade. I could just see him in that character, and even though he was never a great actor, he did well with the physical comedy. And Rob Schneider is awful. That is all.