Three Summer Movies in One Blog

Hollywood knows that summer is the hottest time to release movies, especially before a holiday like Memorial Day or Independence Day. And this summer has been no different than years past. I spent the last two weeks watching three summer box-office hits and thought I would blog about it, and give you my own two cents.

The Karate Kid (2010)
Prior to the release of the movie, I thought this was going to be another remake of a classic film butchered by today's lack of creativity. Jackie Chan's recent string of bad movies did little to justify the movie's hype as a "good" movie. Opening weekend is the litmus test for doubters, but critics and fans came out of the movie with positive reviews, and I would like to say I was one of them.

"The Karate Kid" is a must-watch family movie that teaches children about respect, discipline, and perseverance. It was a fun-filled movie with good fight scenes viewable for all ages. The movie pulled on my emotions at every moment from scenes of pure joy to utter heartbreak.


Jayden Smith, the son of famous actor Will Smith, stars as the lead role and does a very good job for a boy his age. He and his mother move to China after his mother is transferred jobs. He starts off learning to adapt the cultures and ways of China and the neighbourhood bullies. I don't want to ruin the movie, but it ends up with a final show down in a kung-fu tournament.

I really liked this movie and think it is appropriate for all ages. I give "The Karate Kid" a 4.5/5.

Toy Story 3
If you haven't already heard, this movie rocks. Personally, I thought this movie was better than the first and the second combined, but I didn't enjoy the second one all that much. The characters from the Roundup Gang are back along with the memorable Slinky Dog, Rex (T-Rex), Hamm (the pig), and Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head.

My friends and I all left the movie with feelings of happiness and even tears at the end. Yes, men are allowed to cry at the movies now. The movie touches on the idea of sentimental value, fear of the unknown, and trying to re-live the past. I do not know how anybody could give this movie a bad review, but there are people out there who did.


Another fun movie for the entire family, but a little pricey because it is in 3D. If your city offers it and you are on a budget, consider watching it in regular 2D. The movie offers very little to support the 3D technology, like many other movies.

I also enjoyed the animated cartoon that typically comes along with Pixar movies and was very creative. I'm calling it now, but this movie is the best movie of 2010. I give "Toy Story 3" a 5/5!

Grown Ups
The final movie, which I just saw Sunday evening, was "Grown Ups." For a man in his mid-20's, the cast instantly appealed to me. Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, David Spade, and Kevin James are hysterical in anything they do. Many people noted that this movie was like a giant SNL re-union with many former SNL cast members making cameos, including Colin Quinn, Maya Rudolph, Tim Meadows, and even Norm MacDonald.


If you have taken the time to read the reviews, you will see a mixed audience. About half loved it and the other half hated it. I will tell you now that this movie is not a critic's movie. It contains a plot that is easy to follow but lacks depth. It is full of humour that may be labelled as crude. Personally, I thought this movie was hilarious. I went with three friends who were aware of the mixed reviews and all three of us came out very happy.

Our enjoyment of the movie might have to do with the fact that we were all males in our 20's and we weren't expecting to have to think a lot. After watching "Grown Ups," I must confess I now want to take a vacation to the lake in the mountains. I've never actually done something like that in my life, and I would love to do it before "I regret it" (inside joke if you see this movie).

As a movie, this is probably not for the whole family, since many parents are sensitive to jokes about sex, racial profiling, and obesity, but the lady beside me who was with her husband and 8-year old daughter was laughing her head off, especially at the old-time references.

I'm not sure who gave this movie bad reviews and there reasons, but for an Adam Sandler movie, I liked it. I think "Grown Ups" deserves more than this, but I give it a 3.5/5.

If you have any additional comments to add or opinions, do not hesitate to make a post. I read and reply to all comments below.

Movie Review: Robin Hood (2010)

The legend of Robin Hood and his Merry Men has been told and told again for centuries now, so it's fair to say that you will enter this movie with some prejudice and basic understanding, but within the first ten minutes, you soon realize this is not the usual paradigm of Robin Hood.

The opening narrative says "the outlaw takes his place in history." It instills the idea that Robin Hood is an outlaw, but he does not become the outlaw until the end of the movie. The movie also lacks introductory names. These two things can cause a little confusion to start, but once you can sort it all out, this movie becomes a great surprise.

I had been told not to expect much from this movie, but those critics were wrong. It contained humour and action that was well placed. The story line is very strong and easy to follow after the first few opening scenes. it plot starts off a little scattered, but everything combines together fantastically.

As the movie progresses, Robin Hood becomes exposed to his past. He learns about his father and home town through revelations of fate and good luck. The story is built between this recurring theme of fate, as well as the main plot of a war between England and France.

The length of the movie is about 140 minutes, but is justified. In fact, I was hoping for it to be a little longer, as the climax was a little short for me, but overall, this is a movie worth watching. I give this movie 4 out of 5.

Movie Review: Kick-Ass

Last night, I went to watch the movie "Kick-Ass" with my friends. The movie is based on a comic series from Marvel Comics of the same name. The original comic series was written by Mark Millar, who is well-known for "Wanted" and "Marvel Knights Spider Man" just to name a few. It published it's first comic book in February 2008 and has ceased publication of its first volume since February 2010. A sequel is set to be released in the upcoming days.

Prior to entering the movie, I had heard positive reviews from friends and colleagues, and shall I say, I was not disappointed.

The movie is not for the squeamish. It contains many fight scenes filled with blood and chopping of limbs. Although I myself am not a fan of extreme violence in movies, many of the fight scenes were entertaining because of their original style flips, fights, and angles.

The main characters are easily relatable: Three high school chums who are bullied for lunch money and invisible to all girls, but are great friends because of it. They connect through comic books and meet up at a regular place to enjoy time together. The main character, Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) also has his "Lois Lane," Katie Deauxma (Lyndsy Fonseca) and like every super hero, he strives to do anything for her. [On a side note, Katie is really, really, pretty... I think I have a new girl to replace Penny from Big Bang.]

Aside from the action, there are many lines of humour as well. For those that are comic nerds, you may find it a little more humourous because of their discussions about Spiderman or you may recognize some of the costumes in the movie.

There was also a subtle theme towards bystanders not acting against wrongful acts. Many times in the movie, there are moments where you get to think about the world for what it is, how heroes can emerge from anywhere, and why risk must be calculated.

Although this movie went overboard on the violence for my taste, I thought this was a great movie. If you like action, humour, and strong plot, you will enjoy this movie. I give this movie 4 out of 5.

This movie is not available in 3-D and ID will be required when entering the theatre, due to its 18+ rating (in Canada).