2012: Week 41: Looper

Looper

Genre: Action, Sci-Fi 

Main Players: Bruce Willis, Joseph Gorden-Levitt, Emily Blunt, Pierce Gagnon

General Gist: Futuristic movie about a hired assassin from the 2040's (called a Looper) who kills for the mob from the 2070's via time travel.  Things get complicated after he finds out he needs to kill his future self who doesn't want to be killed.  Confused yet??

Deb's Take: 

What an intriguing concept for a movie.  ( I am sure it’s been done before, and there is probably a book out there with this story too, but was new to me.) I am reading an awesome book series right now, “The Outlander” series by Diana Gabeldon.  The book is about time traveling (and a lot more!) and I am always fascinated with the concept.  Due to that fact, I was excited to see how they played out this movie with time travel.   Sometimes in movies time traveling gets too confusing certain scenes are “wrong” in that some little aspect is missed, making the time travel too questionable.  This movie seemed to avoid those two problems, generally speaking.  I enjoyed the way the plot played out.  I liked the chemistry of the characters, Bruce Willis and Joseph Gorden-Levitt seemed to have worked hard to become the same person, and Emily Blunt was likable and convincing.  I think I was most impressed with the son in this movie, played by Pierce Gagnon.  I tried to find his real age but only came up with 5-8.  He seemed on the younger side, yet I am always amazed at the talent of some children.  He also plays/played in a T.V. show and has been in a couple other movies, he was pretty darn good!  All in all the movie had good action, and the story line carried a cool “supernatural” air.   

We got to enjoy company again this week with my husband and my sister-in-law.  Movies just draw a family together!

Deb's Rate: Friday Night

Tiff's Take:    
So, trying to describe this movie does make it sound really confusing.  It really wasn't though.  There weren't a lot of hangups on the whole time travel concept.  It all made sense and seemed like it could really happen.  (But in only 60 years from now??  I'm not sure about that.)

Like Deb said, very interesting concept if not a little unnerving.  Why is it that movies (or books for that matter) portray the future as being so bleak?  Are we really that bad of a species?  I've been reading Lois Lowry's The Giver books so I have bleak future on my mind.

This really was a great sci-fi thriller if you're into that kind of thing.  It was a great concept, sort of intense and great acting by all.  Joseph Gorden-Levitt was fantastic and only annoyed me slightly by his Bruce Willis facial expressions.  One thing to keep in mind though was that it had a lot of blood and guts.  Be prepared and for the love of God don't take your kids to it.  (A facebook friend said they saw kids in the theater when they went.  Seriously people.) 

One thing I really liked about this movie was the unpredictability of it.  I wasn't sure how things were going to get resolved.  The storyline didn't fit this nice little mold.  I liked it.

Tiff's Rate: Friday Night 

Preview: We were thinking about seeing Argo but just got prescreening tickets for Cloud Atlas.  So I guess the free movie wins!

2012: Bonus Review: Week 28.5: The Dark Knight Rises/Giveaway!

The Dark Knight Rises

Genre: Action, Adventure

Main Players: Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Joseph Gordn-Levitt, Michael Caine

General Gist: The last of a trilogy...Batman...need I say more?

Deb's Take:  So….My sweet dear sister was able to get free screening passes to this movie, playing on the IMAX,  and so graciously gave them to me and my husband to use since our kids were out of town and she knew my husband was sort of stoked to see the movie.  I thanked her so profusely as I knew it would be a fun date.  Plus, I think deep down neither of us (my sister and I) were really too excited about seeing this movie and so we didn’t feel like we would be missing out if we didn’t go as our weekly movie..Let me tell you….We were sooooo wrong.

As you know, I am not real gung ho about super hero movies.  I usually leave those to my son and husband.  I have gone to more in the last year than ever in my life though, and I think I am getting a better taste for what is good and what isn’t.  This one totally rocked the house.  It probably helped that it was in the IMAX theatre, but all around it just was super  cool.  I have to say, I was tired when we left to go to this movie, some small little part of my brain was secretly hoping that the screening line would be too long and we wouldn’t get in so I could go back home and call it a night.  Well, the line was super short…the theatre was almost empty actually..and I am so glad we went.

Every actor in this movie was perfect for their part.  Both my husband and I agreed we were a little concerned that Anne Hathaway wasn’t going to be able to pull off “Catwoman”  well, she did, and I no longer see her as the “Princess Diaries actress”.  This could be a really long post if I stated all the good in this movie, action, cool cars, good adventure, action, action, action….but I won’t.  The only downfall…Tom Hardy’s character, “Bane”, was hard to understand sometimes.  I chalked it up as my poor hearing, but my husband said the same thing, and I heard some 20 somethings say they couldn’t understand him either, (he did have a weird mask on mind you).

I think you should go if you like adventure, and if you like Batman especially.  I liked it so much I am willing to give someone two passes to go see it!  I want to share!  So, tomorrow, Friday, I will pick a winner but you must post either here or on our Two Sisters  facebook  page the answer to this following question…I will pick a winner randomly from all who post…Who are three actors who have played “Batman” in the past?

Deb's Rate: Opening Day


Preview: We're thinking a popcorn giveaway.

Week 40: 50/50

For week 40 we saw 50/50.  It was about a guy in his 20's who finds out he has cancer and how it affects his relationships in his life.  The guy, Adam, was played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt.  You know, the kid from 3rd Rock from the Sun.  His best friend is played by Seth Rogan and his girlfriend Bryce Howard Dallas.  His therapist is Anna Kendrick and mother Anjelica Huston. 

Obviously this had a pretty sad undertone.  But it also had some funny moments thanks to Seth Rogan and some surprisingly funny moments with Anna Kendrick.  I'm always surprised by how much I like Anna Kendrick.  My first impression of her is the annoying high schooler from Twilight.  But then I saw her in Up in the Air with George Clooney and I was super impressed.  Anyway, I felt the same way about her in this one too.  The jury's still out on Bryce Howard Dallas.  And Seth Rogan's crude sense of humor actually fit well.

I thought this movie gave a real genuine take on what it might actual be like to find out you had cancer.  The drama that you might find in some movies really wasn't there.  It was almost anticlimactic but still told a touching story.  It was a really down to earth and a humorous take on a serious situation.

To Sum it up:  Sad, funny and touching.

Week 40: 50/50

Wow...if we are on week 40 that means we only have 12 more weeks/movies this year. I am so suprised how fast it went, and I can't believe we have seen so many movies!! What great fun we are having!!

So, I am a little slow posting as this was really last weeks movie, and we have already gone to this week's movie, so lets see if we can get caught up.

So we went and saw 50/50. Looked like a different kind of movie. Cancer with humor is what it was played up to be. Probably because Seth Rogan starred in it and he tends to always go the comedy route. Also, Joseph Gordon-Levitt played the main character, and I think he tends to do comedy as well. Anna Kendrick played the main female character.

So, with that cast I wasn't sure what to expect. Well...it was different. There was funniness, romance, seriousness, and all in all a real life feel. The story follows a guy who finds out he has cancer, and basically goes through his story. How he deals with it, how is friends deal with it, and how is family deals with it. Like I said, it just had a real life sort of feel to it. I felt like I was really just watching a guy with cancer, and getting a look into his everyday life.

I have to say I was most impressed with Anna Kendrick. She has played in "Twilight", "Up in the Air", and now this. (She has done lots of Broadway shows too!) She has a certain character type, and I don't know that she could change that too much, but it fit in this movie.

Basically, it was a movie about a real life crisis and they played it that way. I can't say it was the greatest movie in the world, but it wasn't bad. Maybe more of a renter....Coming up next "Footloose"