Bonus Review: Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

Genre: Action

Main Players: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Paula Patton, Michael Nyqvist

General Gist: Another addition to the Mission Impossible movies. Ethan Hunt's (Tom Cruise) team is shut down and goes rogue to finish their mission.

Tiff's Take:
Another Mission Impossible. How many has there even been? I feel like a ton but I think this is the fourth. Don't quote me on that though. I don't usually get too excited when I see a preview for a new Mission Impossible. Action movies don't get me all hot and bothered. Usually I can miss one and it doesn't hurt my feelings one bit. My husband on the other hand loves a good action movie. Especially one that involves cars and cool gadgets. Needless to say, he wanted to go with me to this one. And I was more than happy to oblige. I love it when he gets excited about a movie. Just like he loves it when I get excited about buying a new car. Oh wait...that never happens. Anyway, off to the movie we went. (And with good friends mind you.) Week 1 in 2012 and I have already gotten to see two movies. Life is good.

So, as impartial as I was about going to this movie I have to say that I really enjoyed it. That's usually how it works though. Don't care if I go to an action movie but usually end up liking it anyway. No exception here. This one has some really good action, good tricks and good humor. What more could you ask for? I was a little worried that Tom Cruise just wouldn't work anymore in this role. He just seems so out there lately and I don't even remember the last movie I saw him in. Well, I guess there's a reason why he does what he does. No matter what you think about him personally he's still got it in movies. I loved all the other actors as well. Especially the token funny guy played by Simon Pegg. If any of you guys out there care about car chase scenes, apparently this one involved an electric car. Russ wasn't completely sold but said it did the job.

I would definitely recommend this one. Especially to please the man in your life. Hopefully Deb will be able to see this with her hubby.

Deb's Take:
Well, my husband and I got to go out for an afternoon date, (thanks Tiff for keeping the kids entertained!) and we went to Mission Impossible. (It came highly recommended from a good source.)

I totally agree with Tiff. This movie was actually quite rockin! I will admit, I am not a great big Tom Cruise fan...I know, I should be based on my age, and yes in Top Gun he was a hottie for me, but as I have wisely aged I have come to the realization that I am not really impressed with him all that much. I feel like he always has the same sort of characters and uses his movies as an adrenalin rush most of the time. I think I was most impressed with Jeremy Renner. I really liked him in this movie. I don't remember any of the other films he has played in, I even looked them up and nothing really sprang out at me, but he did an exceptional job!

Some of the tricks action scenes in this movie were awesome. I also enjoyed all the scenery of the different cities in the world. By far the coolest scene though was the parking garage scene. It's amazing what is out there in the world!

I would say...go see it! Best movie of the year for me so far...okay so there has only been 2 official and then this bonus, but still, I am just saying....

2012: Week 1: Joyful Noise

We decided to try formatting our reviews a little differently this year. It seemed like we were writing a lot of the same things as far as actors, plot, etc. So we're trying out only one post per movie. Let us know what you think!

Joyful Noise

Genre: Musical, Comedy

Main Players: Queen Latifah, Dolly Parton, Keke Palmer, Jeremy Jordan

General Gist: A church choir's road to a national competition with love, drama and music along the way.


Tiff's Take:
Our first movie of the year and it was a freebie. Gotta love that. I'll be honest. If it wasn't a freebie I may not have chosen this one. It looked okay but just not my cup of tea. Musicals are generally not my thing. (Except Chicago. Love it!) But I actually didn't realize this was going to be so much of a musical. You know, with multiple, full length songs. I thought it would just have a little music here and there inbetween the story. I was wrong. Long songs, more than one and in the gospel variety. Unfortunately a recipe for boredom for this sister. Don't get me wrong, it had a good message but it was just a little too much for me. The relationships didn't seem real thought out either. Or maybe just a little shallow and thrown together. The acting was okay and the singing was definitely good but it was a snorefest for me. You win some you lose some.

Deb's Take:
Yep, gotta love that we started with the Freebie. Also, we were happy to have two friends, Chris and Troy, join us for this one. Thanks for coming! You should do it more often!! Well, I LOVE musicals. Although, technically I don't know if this could be considered a true musical. The songs were part of the movie, but never used as people "talking" or singing to eachother, rather just performances that fit into the story line. While I did enjoy the singing quite a bit, I have to agree with Tiff that the relationships were weak. I also felt the movie kind of kept hitting the same points over and over again. Nothing like beating a dead horse. I was not bored, but have to say that the singing is actually what made the movie tolerable for me as the rest was a little slow. I think maybe I spent more time analyzing where Dolly Parton's plastic surgery took a turn for the worse than how the movie was going to end. If you like to hear singing, go and have fun, if gospel isn't your thing you may want to reconsider.

The Best (and Worst) of 2011-Deb's

Well, it's been an amazing movie year. A "New Year's Resolution" turned into one great adventure for my sister and I. I think it was a wonderful idea. Our husbands were so very supportive, willing to give up a night a week staying at home with the fam so Tiff and I could enjoy our new hobby. Granted, some of our movies were seen with others, even our hubbies and kids got in on the action. I have to say, it was one of the most fun things I have decided to do. Getting a little sentimental on you all, I have to say what I really enjoyed the most was spending time with Tiffany. You see, Tiffany is my "little" sister. She is 8 years younger than me and we spent most of our childhood at home with me being the grouchy, overbearing, controlling, older sister who never wanted her little sister to bother her. Tiff was the younger sister who followed me and my friends around begging us to let her stay, and promising she wouldn't talk or breathe, if I wouldn't send her away. By the time Tiff had grown up and I grew out of my--leave the little sister behind- mode I was gone away to college. We lived apart until she graduated from college and I had already had 2 kids. By some unforeseen, yet perfect freak of nature, we both ended up in Blue Springs MO. We have enjoyed each other like two sisters really should, sharing our family, our joys and everything in between. So you see, this adventure may seem to be all about the movies, (which it is) but more importantly it is about sharing a passion with someone I truly love and care about.

Now, on to my picks. I must say, these are MY favorites, the ones I enjoyed the most, maybe not what a critic would look for, but what I like in a movie!

THE BEST OF 2011
. The Way - Inspirational, motivational,
. Warrior - I stand by my review, "Rocky on Steroids"
. The King's Speech - Superior Acting, intriguing story
. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo- Perfect pick of actors, action packed, on the edge of my seat sort of movie
. Red Riding Hood - Suspense, Love Triangles, and all the stuff a good movie is made of.
. Crazy Stupid Love - Romantic, Love, Life and Marriage
. The Debt - Great acting and storyline

THE WORST OF 2011
. Your Highness -Natalie Portman this wasn't your brighter days
. The Hangover Part II -You should have stopped at 1.
. The Three Musketeers - Really? How could they be that bad?
. Bad Teacher - The Title should have warned us
. Jack and Jill - yep, they fell
. Midnight in Paris - Just not my thing, sorry, don't like Woody Allen
. 30 Minutes or Less - I wish it would have been

HONORABLE MENTIONS
. The Help- Great job, the book was just a little better
. Justin Bieber:Never say Never- Pretty amazing story of stardom-plus I loved watching my 8 year old at this one!
. African Cats- Great photography, Loved the nature
. J. Edgar- Kind of bizarre, but good in a weird sort of way
. Contagion - pretty interesting

So..There you have it! Would love to hear your thoughts

The Best (and Worst) of 2011

Man, we saw a lot of movies in 2011.  I mean a lot.  What does that say about someone who goes to movies that much and doesn't get paid for it?  I'm not sure I want to know but I'll tell you one thing...I've enjoyed it tremendously!  I mean, who wouldn't?  And because our husbands have so graciously agreed to support our movie habit we are continuing on in 2012.  But before we get into the new year we wanted to give a little recap of the movies that really stood out to us.  Both the good and bad.  So here's my list (with links back to my original reviews).  And remember that these were all the movies we saw in 2011 and not ones that necessarily came out in 2011.

The Best of 2011 

• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - such a great ending to the year
• Black Swan - loved the darkness in this one
• The King's Speech - I had goosebumps multiple times while watching this
• The Way - a refreshing, thought provoking movie
• Crazy, Stupid, Love - one of the best romantic comedies I've seen in a long time
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2 - what a way to end the saga!
• Warrior - a surprising hit

The Worst of 2011

• The Three Musketeers - I can't believe Orlando Bloom agreed to be in this
• 30 Minutes or Less - not sure I would even rent this one 
• Bad Teacher - Cameron Diaz was so annoying in this movie
• Your Highness - Ugh, this was just awful
• Beastly - bad modern day remake
• Just Go With It - a romantic comedy gone bad
• Something Borrowed - the storyline just didn't do it for me

Honorable Mentions

• The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part I - still doesn't compare to the book but the movies are definitely getting better with each one
• The Help - loved the book, loved the movie
• Bridesmaids - this was a really great comedy
• Justin Bieber: Never Say Never - I know this wasn't the greatest movie but the experience was just plain fun
• 50/50 - touching and genuine 

What do you think of my lists?  Do you agree, totally disagree??  Inquiring minds want to know.

Movies of 2011

Ok, so we are wanting to give you our top picks of 2011. I think first, I will go ahead and list all the movies we say in 2011 to give you a quick view of what we actually saw. Here they are in order of viewing.

Black Swan
Country Strong
The King's Speech
No Strings Attached
True Grit
The Company Men
Justin Bieber:Never Say Never
Just Go With It
Unknown
I Am Number 4
Beastly
Red Riding Hood
The Lincoln Lawyer
Limitless
Source Code
Hanna
African Cats
Water for Elephants
Something Borrowed
Bridesmaids
Pirates of the Caribbean 4
The Hangover Part II
Kung Fu Panda 2
Thor
X-men:First Class
Bad Teacher
Midnight in Paris
Monte Carlo
Super 8
Captain America
Crazy Stupid Love
The Change up
The Help
30 minutes or less
One Day
Warrior
The Debt
I Don't Know How She Does It
Moneyball
50/50
Footloose
The Ides of March
The Three Musketeers
The Way
Tower Heist
J. Edgar
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part I
My Week with Marilyn
The Descendants
New Years Eve
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
We bought a Zoo
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Bonus Movies:
Your Highness
Jack and Jill
Cars 2
Horrible Bosses
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Dolphin Tales
Contagion
Happy Feet 2

Week 53: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Everytime I see or say "Dragon" I think of my nephew and his little giggle. Tiff and I are from Montana, we say "dragon" incorrectly..it sounds like dregon, vs dragon..anyway, I know I say the title of this movie wrong for all my fellow friends of the world, but those from Montana probably would hear it the "right" way!

So, I didn't read the book. Usually I do, but this time the movie came out before I could get to the book, and I decided to be surprised. I was very pleasantly surprised! I loved this movie, and felt we couldn't have ended on much better of a note!

I don't think I will go into the details too much, except to say, it's a suspense mystery type of movie with a great story line and good development of characters. Daniel Craig was perfect for the role. I couldn't help but kind of feel like I was watching a James Bond movie, and actually it kind of sort a was. Rooney Mara did an amazing job. I was really intrigued with her, and think I may actually pick up the second and third book because I really want to know where her character goes from here.

The Chemistry of Daniel and Rooney was really quite cool. I did have a little bit of a cringe because she seemed so much younger than him, but all it all it wasn't too weird.

All I really have to say is...go see it! It's a great man or woman movie! (Not so much a kid movie though, lots of sex and violence.)

The year is done! Can we really stop seeing movies? I doubt it. We will be posting our 2011 favorites, and then figuring out what 2012 brings. Love to hear your comments on our movie filled year! Thanks for the adventure, and guess what! I accomplished my New Years Resolution!! YEA!!!

Week 53: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Ahh, the elusive week 53.  Yes, it does exist in our minds here on Two Sisters.  Read my week 52 review if you're interested in my long, drawn out explanation of why there is a week 53 in 2011.  Or don't that's fine too. 

For our last week of movies this year we went to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  In my opinion it was a great movie to end the year.  I thought I would like it but I'm actually surprised by how much I liked it.  I can't stop thinking about it if that tells you anything.

So, of course this was a book made into a movie.  I just finished the book a week or so ago so I was super excited to see this one.  And I might add that it's a remake of a movie released in Denmark in 2009.  I was hoping to see the original version before I saw this one but I didn't get around to it.  If you can believe it it's a lot harder for me to watch a rental then to go to a movie. 

As I'm sure you know by now, I love seeing a book come to life.  I might be going on a limb here by saying that this was probably one of the best ones I've seen.  Meaning that the movie followed the book so well.  Of course there were slight differences but overall it did an excellent job of capturing the essence of the book.  Excellent. 

I might be slightly bias with the characters because I saw who was playing the characters before I actually started the book.  So I had those people in mind while I was reading.  But let me tell you they were perfect.  I'll start out with saying I love Daniel Craig.  When I saw him in the his first James Bond I was sold.  He's perfect in my mind.  (Did I say that out loud?  Sorry)  Since he's not American he was able to pull of a European character very nicely.  Very nicely.  And don't get me started with Rooney Mara.  She couldn't have been better at playing Lisbeth Salander, the girl with the dragon tattoo.  I really can't imagine a better Lisbeth. 

Since I read the book I was prepared for the more disturbing and sexual scenes.  But if you haven't read the book you might want to keep in mind that this is definitely not a feel good movie.  Also, take note of who you are going to the movie with.  This probably isn't one you want to go with your grandma.  It would be a good one to go with the man in your life.  It's a very male movie.  Lots of action, suspense and sex. 

I'm so happy this was the last movie of 2011.  I thought for a while there that 2011 would fizzle out in the end.  But it didn't.  And I'm glad. 

To Sum it up:  Wonderful casting, lots of crazy, sexual suspense all with European flare.

Stay tuned for our Top 5 favorite movies in 2011!