The Vow

PG-13
Starring: Channing Tatum, Rachel McAdams, Jessica Lange and Sam Neill
1 Hour and 44 Minutes

This is a movie inspired by the true story of Kim & Krickett Carpenter.
It is about a young married couple who were married in an impromptu wedding ceremony that they performed themselves with their close friends. They had both written their wedding vows on menus from their favorite restaurant. They got into a car accident on a cold snowy night in Chicago when they were hit by a snow-plow. Paige (Rachel McAdams) is thrown through the windshield after she removes her seat belt and suffers traumatic brain injury. After coming out of a coma, she has amnesia and has absolutely no memory of her life with Leo (Channing Tatum).
Her memory goes right back to her life prior to Leo.
She comes from a wealthy family and she had a fiance and was attending Law School. Her family shows up at the hospital and wants to take her back to live with them so they can help nurse her back to health. As time goes by they try to get her to leave Leo and resume her former life. She decides to take their advice and go back to law school.
Leo is fighting for every second he can find to help her to regain her memory and the life they shared together. He struggles to keep his work going and figure out what he can do to win her back.
While she was with Leo she was a sculptor and had been commissioned for work for some businesses in Chicago. She was much more of a free-spirit with Leo.
After finding out that her father had had an affair with a friend of hers, she confronts her mother to find out what had happened to cause the affair.

After struggling to put her past back together, she finally comes back to Leo at the end of the movie and it looks as though they are going to try and make a go of it.
This movie is rated PG-13 for some sexual references, infidelity and Channing Tatum appearing nude from the back-side for a bit.
I found this movie to be way too cheesy and predictable. It wasn't the story that I had hoped for.
I was disappointed and let down with the story. I would recommend this movie for youth 13 and older.
I am giving " The Vow" two bags of popcorn!

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Pg-13
Starring: Thomas Horn, Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock
2 Hours and 9 Minutes

This movie is loosely based on the 2005 novel of the same name by Johnathan Safran Foer.
I knew when I went to see this movie that it was going to be a tough movie to watch. The sensitivities to the 9-11 tragedy and the impact it has had on all of our lives, all of the changes that we have had to endure and just the heartache of it all.
This is the story of a young boy named Oskar (Thomas Horn) who has lost his loving father Thomas (Tom Hanks) whom he idolizes and he is extremely close to in one of The World Trade centers that was decimated on 9-11.
Oskar is haunted by several phone calls that his father leaves on the message machine reassuring his family that he will be okay. His father has always played a huge part in his life and has played with him and challenged him with puzzles and games to entertain him. He is an only child and after his fathers death he is left alone to live with his mother Linda (Sandra Bullock). His paternal grandmother lives in the building across the street from him and he is somewhat close to her as well. She has a man living with her who never speaks and keeps to himself. He later finds out that he is his grandfather with a sad history of his own.
Young Oskar is left heartbroken and devastated after losing his father! He is confused and lost at the prospect of never having his father in his life again. He has rage and anger and he is at a loss of being consoled by anyone because of his extreme heartache!
He has a cold and uncaring relationship with his sweet mother who is dealing with her own heartache.
A year after his death, Oskar finally goes into his fathers closet where everything is just the same as it was when he was still alive. He is hoping, searching for some kind of clue to help him solve the mystery of where his father is now. He reaches up on a high shelf and knocks down a blue vase that breaks, inside of the vase was a small envelope with a key and a paper with the name "Black" on it.
He maps out and devises a plan to go and search every household with the name "Black" in all of New York. He is trying desperately to find the lock that fits "the key" that was left in the envelope that he found.
He is absolutely obsessed with finding the right fit for the key! He takes a lot of risks and it proves to be somewhat scary. He befriends his grandfather who helps him until he can't take it anymore and leaves Oskar. He is saddened again at losing his grandfather but continues his search.
He finally contacts a woman whom he had previously visited and she helps him to find the man who has the lock for his key. He finally has found the acceptance and the peace that he needs to go on with the rest of his young life!
This was a riveting movie! It was especially close to my heart. I literally felt his heartache and his passion, his rage and his anger, I lost my own father when I was just twelve years old so I could totally relate to young Oskars deep pain! The sadness of this movie really is that there are so many young children who have been left fatherless and motherless by our 9-11 tragedy!!!
Parents be advised that it is very emotional and Oskar gets very angry, he yells and screams he also drops the F-bomb. Young Thomas Horn does and amazing job playing Oskar. This deals with real serious heartache so I would recommend this for youth 10 and older.
I am giving "Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close" three and a half bags of popcorn!

The Muppets

PG
Starring: Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper and The Muppets
2 Hours

It has been twelve years since there has been a "Muppets movie" made. Jason Segel, co-writer and co-executive producer is a die-hard Muppets fan and he stars in this new movie as well.
This movie takes place in Smalltown, USA. Gary (Jason Segel) a really sweet and innocent guy who grows up and his younger brother Walter (a muppet) stays the same and never changes. They are very close, the best of brothers and love each other dearly. They love the Muppet shows and watch the re-runs over and over.
Gary has a girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams) who is a very sweet and naive girl that has patiently been dating him for ten years.
They decide to go to Los Angeles with Walter and celebrate their ten year anniversary with a special dinner. They also take Walter to Hollywood to find the Muppet Theater in hopes of helping the Muppets to perform "just one" more time at the Muppets theater.
When they arrive there they are very disappointed to find it in shambles and a greedy mean man, Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) trying to buy it so he can drill underneath it for oil.
Gary and Walter are on a mission to save the theater and locate Kermit the Frog to help them. They want to save the theater and restore it to its former glory days. They have to raise ten million dollars to save the theater. They need to locate all of the former Muppets who have all moved on and are living their own individual lives. They travel all over with Kermit trying to convince the Muppets to join in with them. When Kermit gets back together with Miss Piggy, it was adorable! In order to raise the money they decide to host a fund-raiser at the theater. Tex Richman tries every way he can to undermine all of their efforts. It is successful and everyone is happy. Mary and Gary finally get to have their anniversary dinner and he proposes to her. There was a big song and dance scene at the end that was great!
They also have several cameo scenes from actors including Mickey Rooney, which was a lot of fun!
I absolutely loved this movie! I was so impressed that they stayed true to the original Muppets storyline. The songs were sentimental and very touching. It took me right back to the original TV series. I would recommend this movie for children of all ages. The parents will appreciate it and enjoy returning back to the Muppets they remember.
I am giving "The Muppets" four bags of popcorn!

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1

PG-13
Starring: Robert Pattinson,Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner
1 Hour and 48 Minutes

Ok-here we go again! The last movie Eclipse, left off where Edward (Robert Pattinson) and Bella (Kristin Stewart) have decided to get married. So, that is where Breaking Dawn begins. The wedding was absolutely beautiful and Bella looked as radiant and gorgeous as any bride could hope to look on her wedding day. Edward looked dashing and seemed to be happy and excited as well. Jacob (Taylor Lautner) showed up and Bella spent some private time with him thrilled that he would come and see her on her special day. It was absolutely picture perfect. Then they left for their honeymoon. Edward whisked her off on a private jet to Brazil where they honeymooned on the Cullen family's private island escape.
It was a spectacular, romantic setting and things were a little awkward for the new bride Bella.
They consummated their marriage and with Edwards vampire strength, he broke the headboard on the bed. She also had some bruises on her body as well.
She immediately became pregnant (which was not suppose to happen, Edward was not suppose to be able to father any children because he is a vampire).
When Jacob became aware of the pregnancy, he was furious and went to the Cullen home and confronted all of the Cullen's. Bella reassured him she wanted the baby and for everyone to please accept it.
The pregnancy was very fast and taking every ounce of nourishment from Bella. She was starving and they came to the conclusion that she needed to drink blood (and a lot of it) to stay alive and also keep the baby alive. Bella became stick thin and very sickly! The baby was breaking her ribs from the inside out and she was very weak.
When she went into labor Jacob was also there and he helped Edward to deliver the baby. They had to perform an emergency C-section on her. This was a really graphic scene that went on for a long time. There was a lot of blood and it was hard to watch. Edward kept shaking her trying to get her to wake up. They were able to save the baby. Jacob went and saw the baby and he imprinted on the baby! Bella went unconscious and basically died. The only way for her to stay alive was for Edward to bite her all over and transform her into a vampire. Jacob was devastated and the wolves (Jacobs brotherhood) came to get and kill the baby. They had a big confrontation with the Cullen's and finally honored Jacobs wishes to leave them in peace.
After a long time, Bella finally woke up looking beautiful and healthy and had the standard vampire eyes that the vampires are known for.
This movie was extremely intense! This is definitely adult material. I know that a lot of young girls will want to see this movie, but I advise parents strongly that it is very graphic and intimidating. It made me squeamish and feeling a little overwhelmed. There was a lot of sensuality, brief nudity and sex, violence and a graphic C-section scene.
It definitely deserves its PG-13 rating! I would recommend it for youth 13 and over.
I am giving " Breaking Dawn part 1" two and a half bags of popcorn!

Jack and Jill

PG
Starring: Adam Sandler, Katie Holmes and Al Pacino
Running Tine: 1Hour and 31 Minutes


This is a story of a boy named Jack and a girl named Jill who are identical twins. Adam Sandler plays both characters. They are born and raised in New York. They are both grown up and living separate lives now. Jack is married to the beautiful Katie Holmes, has two children, a great job, a beautiful home and lives in Los Angeles. Jill is still living in New York and is very lonely after the passing of her mother, she comes out to LA to stay with Jack and his family for Thanksgiving and ends up staying until New Years Eve. Jack is dreading every minute of it. He finds her to be overbearing and a big embarrassment to him!
The movie chronicles Jill interacting with his children and trying to find a guy to date through online dating services. She is really happy staying with him and his family and keeps wanting to extend her vacation. He is completely unbelievable as a woman and is really gross and disgusting. There is one scene where she has bathroom issues and it was over-the-top and really vulgar! Al Pacino had a strange role in the movie, not quite sure about his character either.
I was really hoping for a fun holiday movie with a good story but, this one just did not deliver. Be advised that there was a lot of silliness and some really bad bathroom humor, there were some laughs but, basically a really lame movie.
I am giving "Jack and Jill" one and a half bags of popcorn!

Footloose

PG-13
Starring: Kenny Wormald, Julianne Hough, Dennis Quaid, Andie Macdowell, Miles Teller and Ziah Colon
Running Time: 1 Hour and 53 Minutes

This movie is the remake of the 1984 version of "Footloose" starring Kevin Bacon. Craig Brewer directed this film and
I feel like he did a really good job and followed through with the original story very closely. I enjoyed this movie and I really wish they would have had even more dancing in it.
The story is set in a small country town Bomont, Georgia. The town was traumatized by a terrible car accident several years ago when five teenagers were driving home from a dance and they were all killed. The City Council decided in order to keep the youth safe that they had to outlaw dancing and the playing of loud music and it was to be strictly observed!
When the new kid Ren MacCormack (Kenny Wormald) moves in to town from Boston to live with his Aunt and Uncle after his mother had passed away, he finds the town rules outdated and antiquated. He struggles to find his fit in the community. He is introduced to Ariel Moore (Julianne Hough) and he is immediately attracted to her. Her father is the town's minister, Reverend Shaw Moore (Dennis Quaid) who just happens to be the father of the boy who was driving the car when the five teenagers were killed. Reverend Shaw feels strongly that if you don't let the kids play music or dance they will all be safe and no one will ever get hurt.
Ariel is a girl who tries to get away from the stress of her fathers rules, she has a difficult time trying to communicate with him and they don't see eye to eye. She also has a boyfriend who is selfish, he tries to take advantage of her and is physically abusive to her.
When Ren tries to get her attention she is aloof and she resists him. Finally, they start to like one another and the sparks fly. Her father does not want her to see Ren or have any relationship with him.
Ren gets tired of the city rules against music and dancing and decides to appeal it before the City Council. They try not to hear his case but he demands to be heard with the support of many of the local townspeople including Ariel and her mother (Andie Macdowell). Her father the Reverend Moore is totally opposed to overturning the rules. The Reverend has a change of heart and finally realizes he has been to strict with his daughter.
The kids get clearance to host a dance party across the county line with the help of some adults. They have a great time planning for the big event. Her father agrees and allows her to go to the dance with Ren. That was a really special scene. The dancing was really fun and well worth seeing.
I really enjoyed this movie and found it to be very entertaining. I enjoyed the supporting characters and found them to be a lot of fun as well.
Parents be advised this is definitely a PG-13 rating, with teenage rebellion, alcohol and drug use, domestic abuse, sexual references, profanity and fight scenes.
I am giving "Footloose" three and a half bags of popcorn!

Real Steel

PG-13
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Evangeline Lilly, and Dakota Goyo
Running Time: 2 Hours and 7 Minutes

This movie takes place somewhere in the future when human boxing has been eliminated and robot boxing is now the sport to watch. These robots box each other until the underdog is literally knocked-out! This is a total rock-em, sock-em robot movie.
Hugh Jackman plays Charlie a down and out former boxer who is really down on his luck when he bet more than he had.
His former girlfriend dies and leaves him with an eleven year old son (Max) whom he has never had a relationship with.
Max is adopted by his mother's wealthy aunt and she pays Charlie a large amount of money while she and her husband vacation for the summer. When he receives both the boy and the money, he buys another robot to box.
He and his son Max start to form a bond and become close with one another, Max insists upon going with him to the match. After his robot loses the match, they go to an old robot junkyard and after Max falls down a long, deep chute, he comes upon an old sparring robot. He and Charlie pull the robot up and take him to clean him up and get him ready to rumble. Charlie has his doubts and doesn't believe that this robot named Atom will amount to anything. But, this robot has a special gift, the ability to shadow, which enables him to follow the movements of humans. He shadows young Max and learns all of his moves. They enter him into some matches where he shadows Charlie with his own personal boxing experience.
When they dare to compete with the worlds greatest robot boxer, Zeus, the tension mounts and the action begins.
This movie has a lot of heart and soul. The relationship between Charlie, Max and Atom is sweet and tender. Parents be advised there is a lot of robot boxing violence and some human violence. There was quite a bit of profanity, even young Max had his share of profanity as well.
Overall, I enjoyed this movie, I thought the robots and the sounds they made were really fun. I would advise parents to follow the PG-13 rating guideline.