Guest blogger: Victor 2

In the movie walle the main character walle who is played by Ben Burtt. The film is set in 2805 when large company Buy n Large or BnL cover the planent in trash. So the earths population was evacuated in a large ship in to space. They tried to fix the problem buy leaving robots called WALL-E to clean the planet. Within five years it was to toxic for the planet to sustain life. This left the humans to remain in space. Then one day walle discovers a seeding plant growing in a trash and brings it home. From there another robot sent buy the humans called EVE was to find the plant in earth. From there EVE and WALL-E meet. The family it’s a every good family film. The film tells us what could happen to earth if we don’t take good care of our plant. The best way is to recycle, instead of throwing everything in to the trash. Robert Ebert said “The movie has a wonderful look.” I very do agree with him the movie which is animated is probably the best animated film so far. I would say it is worth your money. If you want to have a good family movie night just check out WALL-E. You wont be disappointed about anything. There will be a lot of laughs and a little tear but you want to know what occurs in the film go get it.

Guest blogger: Marissa 3

Finding Nemo is one of my favorite Disney movies. I couldn’t agree more with Keera when she says; I think Finding Nemo is the best movie Disney and Pixar have ever made. Finding Nemo is about a small clown fish, Nemo, who is challenged by his friends to go out into the open ocean and touch the “butt”, also known as a boat. As Nemo is swimming in the open ocean he is captured by a scuba diver who takes Nemo to the dentist office tank. Nemo’s dad, Marlin, is very upset he lost his son. Marlin begins to follow the boat that took Nemo, but couldn’t catch up. Marlin then becomes determined to find his son and begins to journey his way to locate Nemo. At the beginning of the journey Marlin meets a friend, Dory, who helps him along the way. Dory and Marlin encounter many things such as sharks, jellyfish, sea turtles, seagulls, and many more things that help them along the way. Like Keera said, each character plays a huge part in the movie and makes the movie so much more entertaining. One theme of this movie is to never give up no matter what you get faced with, just like Keera said. Another theme is even when life gets hard, keep pushing through. In this blog Keera explains how critics say Finding Nemo is for all ages and they mean it because my family and I all sit down to watch it, and enjoy it. I completely agree with Keera and the critics because I’ve actually sat down and watch Finding Nemo with my family and even grandparents. Overall, Finding Nemo is for people of all ages and is a movie I absolutely love. I also agree and think they should make a second Finding Nemo, because the first one was such a big hit!

Guest blogger: Abdiweli 2

Jim Ellis (Terence Howard) is a college educated African American that can’t find a job but he never lets anything get in his way. He is driven by his love for swimming, Jim runs into an abandoned recreational pool hall in Philadelphia slum with the help of his friend Elton, a local janitor. But when the Philadelphia Department of Recreation for Demolition, Jim fights back after he gets his way he starts the first African American swim team. He started it by recruiting troubled teens from the streets Jim struggles to transform them into capable swimmers all in time for the upcoming state championships. But as racism and violence come along the city official threaten to tear the team apart because it is a safety issue any of these kids could get hurt or they could hurt someone else. Jim must do everything he can to convince his swimmers that they can be successful both in and out the pool it’s all about as hard as they try. But in the head of that all the make it to state and they get disrespected and all but they keep their cool and just show it in the pool but racking up wins after win. They end up winning the whole thing but Jim Ellis tells them it not just about winning you should be proud of its about the fact you did it while the whole city was on your back and putting you down. Jim Ellis also lets them know how much they mean to him in the end he was kind hard and pushing them to do the right thing but in the end it sure all paid off. They go on to college and did good things with their lives, all thanks to coach Jim Ellis

Guest blogger: Abdiweli 1

Glory Road is based on a true story it’s about a college coach (Don Haskins) that goes out and looks all over the nation for the top basketball players. He travels as far Gary, Indiana and New York. He normal started out by starting tree black guys and two white guys as the season kept going they had some disagreements and there were some fights between the teammates and coach(Don Haskins) didn’t take side he treated them the same he told them if you start anything I won’t think twice about cutting you. But mainly the blacks went through most of the trouble as they couldn’t go into bars with their white teammates but the white guys were yelled at when they were seen out in public just because there on the same team as them. He brings them all together in Texas and he ends up starting all of them he was the first coach in history to start five black players. when asked about his decision on why he started five black players, Haskins downplayed the significance of this decision “I really didn’t think about starting five black guys. I just wanted to put my five best guys on the court. I just wanted to win the game.” Though credited with starting five black guys in college basketball in the south he wrote a book named “I certainly did not expect to be some racial pioneer or change the world.” After he did that that season dunking was banned in the NCAA from 1967 to 1976, not least due to the success of the Texas Western basketball team and an UCLA player named Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabber). There were 12 members on the basketball team and they won the NCAA Nation Championship that season. The team was made the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Guest blogger: AJ 2

One of my favorite Disney movies ever made would have to be Lilo and Stitch. It stars two character named Lilo and Stitch. Lilo is a human and Stitch is an alien. As these two meet, they become the best of friends in an unlikely way. Stitch is an escaped alien experiment while Lilo is a little girl that lives in Hawaii with her sister Nani. She believes he is a dog so she adopts him to take home. Stitch then goes under an extreme change from being a crazy building destroying, non-destructible alien. Lilo hopes that that with her training she can change Stitch into a calm nice dog blue dog.
Daveigh Case plays as Lilo, while Chris Sanders plays as Stitch. Daveigh has started acting when she was three and she has never stopped acting since. Chris Sanders first started in the movie business in 1984 and has never stopped since. They both have stared in many different movies. This one would have to be one of their first that they both stared in together and was family friendly and cartoonish. Many movie critics were amazed by the movie and their voice acting in the movie. One thing that amazes me is how Chris can talk like stitch throughout the movie. Most people that try talking like him end up having to try clearing their throat. Since it feels like there’s something inside their throat that won’t come out.
Lilo and Stitch is one of my favorite movies that Disney ever came out with. It contains a lot of things I really like. Aliens, action, humor, and a good story are just the few things that I like to seen in movies. Chris Sanders is definitely one of my favorite actors and directors. I love his voice acting and I also like his newest movie he helped make which is called How to Train Your Dragon.

Guest blogger: AJ 1

The movie Legend of the Guardians has to one of my all time favorite movies. It has a lot of things in it that I really enjoy to see, watch, and hear. The movie is based on a book series and I believe Zack Snyder (the movie developer 300) did an outstanding job with this movie. He definitely kept the movie kid friendly while still keeping the fight scenes interesting at the same time. The movie consists of a few well known actors from different movies. The main actors of the movie are: Jim Sturgess as Soren, David Wenham as Digger, Emily Barclay as Gylfie, and Anthony LaPaglia as Twilight. All four of these actors just make the movie great to watch.
The story is the classic good versus evil, but with an interesting twist. Legend of The guardians has absolutely no humans in it what so ever. The movie does have owls as the main species. They can speak, listen, read, and write; all of the basic traits of a human. So, it’s kind of in a way, you’re watching people just in animal form.
On release date the movie was seen by tons of people. The one was that express their personal opinion is the critics. Many gave this movie different rating. The critics rated it from a letter grade to a more standard star grade. I agree with some critics while at the same time I don’t agree. Some say it has stunning environments just like Avatar; while others have just a simple hard time trying to understand a fantasy movie from a real one. One person didn’t understand that an owl could be a blacksmith in it. I say they are wrong. If I wanted a fish make fire underwater with seaweed, I’ll make a fish do that in my story. The movie is all about having a imagination and not trying to make the movie actually real.
In the end, I personally just love this movie. It consists of many story elements that I love. It was even better when I went to see it in 3D which was just beyond belief. Personally, once I saw the flight moments and the animation in this movie. It will be hard to see the second one in 2D. So yes, this movie is worth watching and possibly buying.

Guest blogger: Dan 3

I agree with you how Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is a great example of a character driven movie. Your description and summary of the movie is very accurate, you mentioned pretty much ever thing he did on his day off. Your critique of the actors also was very good. I agree that Matthew Broderick plays Ferris very well, and I don’t see how anyone else could do it better either. I agree that Alan Ruck does a good job as Cameron too. You also had good trait examples for Cameron, like being a sad, kind of depressed guy. You did a good job describing Sloan too, in how she just kind of hangs around with Ferris. She doesn’t really care what he does; she will just go with it. It’s nice that you included that Ferris would look at the camera as if he was talking to the audience watching. Your theme “the pursuit of happiness” was a good choice to. Ferris just wants to have fun while he’s with his friends; he really doesn’t care about school because it doesn’t make him happy. Your right in how Ferris kind of takes the day off for Cameron, to cheer him up and make him do things he wouldn’t normally do. I also agree that it is worth the time and money to watch this movie, especially if you’re a high school kid.

Guest blogger: Megan 3

I also really enjoy the movie Ferris Beuller’s Day Off. This movie is extremely character driven, that is obvious just by reading the title. Whenever a movie has a character’s name in the title it is definitely character driven. Karyn did a great job of summarizing the movie without giving anything away. Cameron and Ferris have completely opposite personalities. Everything Ferris does could have a horrible outcome, but his luck and charm save him every time. Like Karyn said, Ferris doesn’t worry about what could happen; he just focuses on having the time of his life. Cameron on the other hand worries about everything. He thinks about what his actions will mean to his future and how it will affect other people. The old saying, opposites attract, is true in their friendship. Karyn’s hit the theme dead on. Each character brings a different theme to the table. Ferris’ sisters theme would be trying to rat people out will never accomplish anything. Every character makes this movie better, but Ferris makes the movie. He makes the best out of his “sick day”. Even though he almost gets caught several times he makes the best out of it. Almost everyone that I have seen this movie with has loved it. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is worth watching. Critic’s, Karyn, and I all agree so it must me good.

Guest blogger: Shermarke 1

I am a legend is one favorite Will Smith movies because he fits in perfectly with the character. The movie I am a Legend is based on a man named Dr. Robert Neville (Will smith) who is the only human survivor left in Manhattan, NY, due to a deadly virus spread. The story of this movie is adapted from previous sci-fi novel called The Last Man on Earth, and Omega Man. At the start of movie, it shows Dr. Neville and his wife and child being evacuated along with other people whom some are infected and some are not. Dr. Neville is a U.S army so his duty is to stay back and make sure everybody is being evacuated. But he also wants to stay because he doesnt want to leave that area, which he calls it ground-zero. The only thing that keeps Dr. Neville company is his dog Samantha. They are both alone but not exactly because at sunset, the infected people who turned into zombies come out to look for food. So the only thing that keeps them save is their house. The house is protected by heavy steel shutters. They only go out during day time when the sun is high, and they have to come back before sunsets, so the zombies dont track them down. But one day Dr. Neville runs into a trouble when he falls into a trap that the zombies made, which blacked him out for hours before he heard Sams barking and woke up. The only problem is that he is hanged upside down with a rope. Later he manages to free himself. Soon after that two infected dogs attacked because the sun was going down. Sam was bite by one of them. So I really thing that this is movie is a must see movie if you havent seen already. Will Smith is the perfect character to play this movie along with his dog Sam. There is humor in this movie and it is very tense.

Guest blogger: Bridget 3

The Hangover is also one of my favorite movies. This movie is full of humor and will put you in a good mood. I love comedies which is one of the reasons I enjoy this movie so much. At the beginning Stu is whipped to his wife and has to lie to her about going to Vegas. She rules his life and Stu is scared of her. As the movie progresses Stu realizes he really doesn't want to be dating a girl like that. He wants to be free and able to do what he wants just like his friends. It's a great story that shows how much fun you and your friends can have together, although you need to be very careful. This movie shows the effects of drinking and how it can affect you in a negative way. The movie has crude humor with drunk guys, but it shows you the negative effects about drinking and doesn't make it look safe. Doug, the groom, is lost due to their excessive drinking. Also, Stu got married to a stripper girl with a child. In the morning they wake up with the child in their room, a tiger in their bathroom, and a stolen cop car. The three guys think they can use the cop car to get around town faster and easier. That turned out to be the total opposite answer they were looking for after getting caught with the stolen cop car and sent to jail. They have to go about the town the next to find clues about what exactly happened the night before. It was important to find the clues to get them to what was most important; Doug. Doug is the groom that is supposed to be getting married the day he's lost. Overall, I think The Hangover is a hilarious movie that people should see at the appropriate age.

Guest blogger: Sharmarke 2

Usually I dont watch romantic movies, but one time I was flipping through the channel and I saw the character Patrick Dempsey. I dont know much about this Dempsey. The reason why I know his name is not because of Greys anatomy, but because USA soccer star Clint Dempsey. Any as I was flipping through my t.v I saw one of his movies. It was called Made of Honor. I really thought it was a great movie. The movie starts at college where tom (P. Dempsey) attends. He is wearing a mask of Bill Clinton yelling out Monica while drunk. He sees a girl sleeping on a couch, thinking it s Monica. So jumps on the couch with her. But it turns out that its another girl names Hannah. Hannah and Tom actually becomes best friend. After 10 years of doing everything together, Hannah falls for Tom. Unfortunately, Tom doest, or at least he thinks thats the case. Hannah tell Tom that she has to go to Scotland for 6 weeks. Tom soon releases that he actually loves Hannah and wants to see her again. So you really have to see this movie it is romantic and the story is wonderful. And it is very entertaining. Make sure you watch it if you havent already seen it.

Guest blogger: Damir 3

Even though I think that 13 going on 30 is like some people would say sort of a chick flick, I agree with Marissa that if you give this movie a chance you will start liking it, because it is so much like real life, it almost seems like it is based on a real teenage girls life besides the fact that she changes into a thirty year old overnight. It shows many moments that girls go through, an well most teenagers go through this movie explains all of the hard times in a teenagers life, such as drama and wanting to fit in. Jennifer Garner does a great job playing a role of a grown woman with a teenage girl trapped inside of her because like Marissa said Jennifer Garner is so bubbly and has a very fun personality that everyone loves she brings a lot to all of her movies she has such a great personality that it brightens up the movie and makes you feel happy if she’s happy and sad if she’s sad, Jennifer Garner is one of few actresses that makes me feel the way that they are feeling in the film, and I think that is a great character trait to have for a movie like this because this movie is explaining the life of a teenager and what they want, I don’t think any other actress could do such a great job playing this role. I agree with Marissa a hundred percent on the theme of the movie 13 going on 30, the theme is to not wish to be older, just be happy with what you have and cherish every last bit of your life as it is. Marissa said this is one of her favorite movies, I would not take it that far for my opinion, I don’t think it’s in the category of one of my favorite movies but it is for sure one of the best movies explaining teenage life and teenage feelings that I have ever seen, and if you have not seen this movie it is defiantly worth your money and it will not disappoint any age group watching it, just like most of Jennifer Garners movies.

Guest blogger: Abdul 1

In 1971, at the desegregated T. C. Williams High School, African American head coach Herman Boone (Denzel Washington) is hired to lead the school's football team. Coach Boone takes the coaching position from current head coach Bill Yoast (Will Patton), who has been nominated for the Virginia High School Hall of Fame, and who also later decides to move on to other coaching opportunities. In a show of respect,Remember the titans is a good movie, it has to do with segregation in the south between black and white people. They allow blacks and whites to be on the same team. Then coach boom takes them to camp where they train for awhile. They play many teams and havent lost one time so far. Before the last game, there captain “ Gary” gets injured in a car accident. Even thought they need him to win, they manged to stick together and win the championship.There are many crazy scenes that happen. Its mainly about blacks and whites gettting along. Team titans were a very powerful and loving team atleast most of them. Even though there town was still hating eachother, this team inspired a lot of people. I knew that there was a lot of problems with races in the 70’s but im glad that its ovr today.

Guest blogger: Keera 2

The movie Cinderella Story came out in the early 2000s. I can tell the movie forward and backward. The movie starts out with Sam and her dad and the very happy life they live. Then her dad thinks he needs a new wife and he marries a witchy lady. When the earthquake hits Sam’s dad leaves her and ends up dying. After that everything just falls apart in Sam’s life, her stepmom and stepsisters are always trying to mess with her. Fiona (Sam’s stepmom) always wants her to work and skip school, she doesn’t want her to go to the college she wants to. Brianna and Gabriella are Sam’s stepsisters and they think they are better than Sam but in reality they aren’t popular. Sam is loving, brave, somewhat forgiving, and very independent. Fiona is conceded, selfish, and high maintenance. Brianna and Gabriella have pretty much the same personalities. They are both high maintenance, they are mean and cruel, and they are like to get Sam in trouble. Sam’s motivation is Rhonda, who was Sam’s dads’ best friend. Rhonda is always trying to help Sam and make her feel like she is worth something in this world. Another major motivator in Sam’s life is the famous words of her dad, “Never let the fear of striking out, keep you from playing the game.” Austin Ames is the guy that Sam is secretly in love with and when she finally meets him they start talking. A major theme in this movie is that no one should take anything for granted. Another one is deal with what you got because you never know when it will go away. I agree with critics on the rating of Cinderella Story because it is a really great movie. My overall opinion of this movie would be that it is a great non-animated version of Cinderella. I love this movie and I also give props to all the actors and actresses in it.

Guest blogger: Guled 2

A very wise street smart drug Dealer Carlito ‘Charlie’ Brigante (Al Pacino) who got arrested and found guilty on drug charges served 5 years in prison. And during his five year jail sentence he vowed never to go back to that life, he wanted to make clean money. But when he gets out he find out that it’s not as easy as he thought it would be, with the help of his Best friend/Lawyer David Kleinfeld (Sean penn) gets him a job running a night club. Carlito takes on the job just to make enough money to get him and his love Gail (Penelope Ann Miller) out of New York City. Al Pacino who played Michael Corleone in the God Father, Tony Montana in Scarface was not new to playing a Tuff, witty, fearless role in a movie in the movie Carlito’s way Pacino played the role of Carlito Brigante perfect, he was on the top of his game coming off the hit Scarface not to many years prior to Carlito’s way. He was born to play the role of the Hispanic drug dealer trying to make it big. In the movie the main motivation for Carlito was to make money in an honest way and getting his love out of this lifestyle, basically Carlito is tired of the life he was living and wants a change. Many critics dubbed Carlito’s way another Gangster movie, some Critics even had the nerve to say it’s a washed up Scarface which is not true in anyway. Hal Hinson from the Washington post said “Carlito’s way is simply a big romantic gangster picture”, what I took from the movie is a king pin who had a run in with the law has a change of heart after a 5 year jail sentence. My overall opinion on the film is it’s a must see for any Al Pacino fan. It’s a movie about the Depth and struggles of the dark side of New York City I believe it is worth buying.

Guest blogger: Iman 2

Shottas is a movie about young Jamaican boys learning the hard life at a young age. In this movie there are two main characters Ky-mani Marley (Biggs) and Wayne (Spragga Benz). It starts out in Jamaica where these two boys are always together but they’re family is very poor. They want to find a way out of that life and they do one day when one of them comes up with a plan to rob a soda truck. They go through with their plan and get a lot of money. So they decide to buy visas to go to the United States so they can live a better life. They go to the United States and get deported back to Jamaica with empty pockets and broken dreams. They start making money in Jamaica and they blackmail one of the politicians to make them visas to go back to the United States. They go back and go back to selling drugs. They start making a lot of money and all of their rivals start trying to get rid of them. The thing that I took most from this movie was that you can come from a low place and make it to the top. But the way they made it to the top wasn’t the best way and you can see from the movie that they get into trouble with the law. In the movie Biggs motivation was to make money and live the dream he’s always wanted. He does make all the money he was hoping for but when you watch the movie you can see that it comes with a lot of problems and the more money he makes the more trouble he was having. Wayne had the same motivation has Biggs and in the movie his brother gets killed in Jamaica for doing the same thing he does, selling drugs. Some critics say that they had high expectations for this movie and that it wasn’t the way they thought it was going to be. But I think this was a really good movie and gives you a good look on the life these guys live. I would recommend you to watch this movie.

Guest blogger: Sanel 3

I agree with what she said(Keera) about Finding Nemo. Finding Nemo is a great movie for a family and is enjoyable for all ages. The characters she mentioned are exactly like that. Like she said, Nemo is daring because he thinks he can do anything because his got a “lucky fin.” Nemo is also daring because in this one scene, all the fish in the tank lose hope and Nemo goes in the tube and stops the motor all by himself. Nemo is also funny and very loving like Keera said. When Nemo is dropped in the fish tank, a Starfish called Nemo cute. Another reason why I agree this movie is great is because there are a lot of happy parts, a lot of sad parts and a lot of funny parts. Disney should continue and make a Finding Nemo 2. Sure it would mean Nemo’s dad having to find Nemo again. But still, I think Finding Nemo 2 would have been a great movie. The story line would be the same as the first one, (to find Nemo) and there would be more characters. Nemo could get captured by some bad sharks and it takes Nemo’s new friends and his dad to save him.

Guest blogger: Sara 2

The first Chronicles of Narnia is a character driven movie. It starts off by the children having to go to a strange house and live during the war. The children loved to explore in this gigantic new place, and one day they found a magical closet. This closet leads to a wonderful winter land with creatures of all sorts. As the movie goes on Edmund gets tricked and trapped into coming with the White Witch. She was very evil and tricked Edmund into helping her take over Narnia. When he stopped helping her she started to be vile to Edmund and so the race was on for the other children to find Edmund and rescue him. Will the white witch gain control of Narnia? Will Edmund ever be rescued? Georgie Henley played the character of Lucy. She was the youngest sibling. Her performance was very well done; she really let the feelings of the scene come out. William Moseley played the character of Peter. Peter was the oldest of the four children. Even though he played his role well, I always felt like he was lacking the intensity of the other characters. Although his strongest point in the movie was when he was declared King Peter because he acted it very well. One theme in this movie is Humankind Redemption. By this I mean this movie relates a lot to the story of Jesus. Aslan sacrifices his life to save Edmund. From his sacrifice, Edmund’s sin is forgiven. I agree with Lisa Schwarzbaum that this movie is unlike any other. When it first came out, people had not seen something like this. We both love that about it! We also both like the actual story, most movies now days just lack that “good story” behind all the acting but not this one! I think this movie would be worth your money one time. After that I would not recommend going and spending your money again because it does get to be a little long. Also there are some boring parts that the producers could have spiced up!

Guest blogger: Lacey 3

Knocked Up is probably one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen that actually has a more serious undertone, and it’s also a notable character driven movie. In this comedy, Seth Rogen plays stoner party-boy Ben Stone. Ben doesn’t really have much going for him until he meets Alison Scott (Katherine Heigl). Alison is a big-wig over at E! Television and when she gets promoted, she goes out to a club with her (married) sister to celebrate. Her sister eventually ends up leaving, but Alison stays and parties with Ben all night, completely wasted. One thing leads to another, and a few weeks later Alison finds out she’s pregnant. The two recklessly try to work things out, one disaster after another, and end up liking more about each other than they originally thought they would. Rogen’s modest performance as his regular self – a chubby funny guy – really comes into play in Knocked Up. He keeps things light, but he also shows a serious side of himself as well. Heigl’s portrayal of a high-end business lady is spot on; she looks the part and sells it just as well. Other notable performances are Leslie Mann as Debbie (Alison Scott’s sister) and Paul Rudd as Pete (Alison’s sister’s hubby). I haven’t really seen too many movies that Mann stars in, but I thought she did a pretty good job of being a high-strung wreck of a wife, and though I don’t much like Paul Rudd for the simple fact that I feel like his character is always the same, he did a good job as well. Overall I thoroughly enjoy this movie and would definitely recommend it.

Guest blogger: Lacey 2

Forrest Gump is a great character driven movie, and one of my favorites. In the movie, a simple southern boy named Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) learns all about love, friends, and the importance of life. Forrest loved Jenny Curran (Robin Wright) from the moment he saw her when they were just children; they spent every waking moment together, and when they grew up and grew apart, Forrest wasn’t going to accept that. One day he decided to “just run” all over the world. He becomes very famous internationally and learns there are some things that just are. Certainly Tom Hanks, Sally Field (Mrs. Gump), and Gary Sinise (Lt. Dan) are the more top-list actors in this film, and all 3 of them do an outstanding job portraying their distinct characters. Hanks plays a “special” southern man who just wants to love and be loved in return, Field plays Mrs. Gump, a stubborn mother just trying to get by and keep her son safe, and Sinise plays jerk-ish Lt. Dan Taylor, Forrest’s army lieutenant who we come to love by the end of the film. Each character is important in Forrest Gump in the way that they’re all so vastly different and play a major part in Forrest’s life; they each almost represent a different stage that he goes through. I think a major theme in this movie is to appreciate life how you have it – don’t take anything for granted, love everyone with everything you have and go out of your way to help others. I love this movie and I could literally watch it over and over again because of the awesome character portrayal, relatable situations, and inspiring life lessons.

Guest blogger: Alex 3

The Hangover is by far my favorite comedy movie of all time! When I saw that someone posted their blog about it, I figured I needed to reply to it. I agree with what you have to say about all the actors and how they portray each character. Zach Galifianakis definitely was the best choice for the character he has to play because he does the whole serious face deal when he’s saying moronic things. I’m sure the director of the movie had to do multiple takes on some of the scenes where hilarity is at its finest. I also agree with you in regards to what you said about the theme because in all essence “Be careful what you wish for” describes this entire movie after they raise their shots of Jager to a ‘Night they won’t forget’. I honestly don’t know anyone who doesn’t like this movie who has seen it. Due to its high amount of crude and profane images, I suppose The Hangover isn’t a movie for everyone who doesn’t have this kind of sense of humor. However for the large community who do, I agree with you that if they haven’t seen this movie, it’s definitely worth their time and money.

Guest blogger: Trisha 3

I strongly agree with Kristen’s thoughts about The Blind Side. This is one of my favorite movies because it deals with sports but another reason is because the theme of the movie is about how to care about others and not just yourself. I cannot stand people who are self-centered. I do also agree that this is one of the best performances Sandra Bullock has had in a while. She really knew how to help Michael out during the movie and she also made the best decision to adopt him. It’s great to know that there are people out there who have the ability to help others out when there in need of it. I really think it’s worth everyone’s time and money to go see this movie. It sets a great example for not just young or old people but everyone in the world. If people chose not to see this movie, it’s probably because they don’t like sports or there too self-centered to even decide to watch it. I don’t think this movie is a fairytale rather than a true story. They said that it’s based on a true story, so why would people even say that it’s a fairytale? Again, if you haven’t seen the movie I suggest you do.

Guest blogger: Melanie 2

The film My Sisters Keeper is a film about family and what a family goes through when one family member is sick with cancer. In the film the oldest daughter in the family gets leukemia when she is very young. The oldest daughter (Kate) needs a person who has the same exact matches as her for genetics and blood type to help her. The mother Sara, played by Cameron Diaz, and the father Brian, played by Jason Patric, decide to have another child, but instead of having her normal where they have the doctor genetically match the child to Kate artificially. By doing so they got Anna, played by Abigail Breslin. All her life Anna has things taken from her such as bone marrow and cells to give to Kate. The brother Jesse, played by Evan Ellingson, doesn’t show up much in the movie but when he does it is very brief. Since Kate got cancer when she was a toddler all of Sara and Brian’s attention has been all on her. Brian is kind of just ignored and not payed any attention to. He seems to get into trouble and do things that are not exactly right to get his parents attention. When it comes time for Kate to need a new kidney fast because hers are failing, Anna is the only match that is safe, but Anna doesn’t want to give away her kidney and she sues her parents for the right to her own body so she no longer has to have things taken from her. Abigail Breslin does an amazing job at portraying her character Anna. She really brings out the characteristics of the character for you to understand why she doesn’t want to have things taken from her body anymore. Cameron Diaz also does an amazing job at portraying her character. She shows how a mother loves her children and will do anything to keep them from danger and save their lives. The theme of this movie is that fight for as long as you can but at some point you have to give in to life and accept things the way they are. “My Sisters Keeper takes on a very tough subject and has, in Anna and Kate, to very tough characters played by strong actresses, but ultimately it is too soft, too easy, and it dissolves like a tear soaked tissue” (A. O. Scott). I agree with the critic’s opinion because the film takes on the subject on cancer, which in some peoples view, can be a difficult subject. There is so much to portray in a person’s life that has cancer. I also disagree with the critic when he said “but ultimately it is too soft, too easy, and it dissolves like a tear soaked tissue” because I believe that the film is not too soft on the subject that they portray everything good when it comes to the subject of cancer, and that the film is not too easy because it is never easy dealing with something so major that is threatening a person’s life. You will not be wasting your time or money on this film because it is a good story and it teaches you little life lessons.

Guest blogger: Kristen 3

I strongly agree with Trisha’s thoughts on the movie Marley and Me. The movie plot is just how she told it. Jenny and John had so much trouble raising Marley at first but while the movie goes on it gets better for them and they end up liking Marley so much! I think that Marley was a good add on to their family and helped them get through the tough times they had throughout their relationship in the movie. They couldn’t have made it without the yellow lab. I also agree with the critics this movie is very cute and also funny. The things that make the movie cute would have to be Marley of course, Jenny’s personality and ways, and John’s personality as well. The things that make the movie funny are when Marley decides to act up and make some trouble for the couple. I also think this movie is a family movie due to the fact that John and Jenny are trying to raise a family by first getting a dog before they consider having a kid. This is definitely one of those movies that you have to see! It is a sad movie overall but it teaches some life lesson throughout it too. One lesson is it doesn’t matter how bad or wrong something can go there still is a chance that it will end up being good in the end. Marley and Me could have not been written any better. I feel like there could be a sequel to the movie. The perfect sequel would be to have another dog just like Marley with the couple a little older and starting to get their full family together and organized. It is very well worth the money to see this movie, I agree!

Guest blogger: Ashley 3

The movie Finding Nemo is pretty fun to watch by all ages. I really like the theme of the movie. The movie teaches us a lesson of learning how to let go. I also think this is a good movie because it gives kids the parent view of some situations and why sometimes they are over-protective with us children. I really like all the obstacles that Marvin (Alexander Gould) goes through to save his son from the humans; pretty brave for being a little fish. I really enjoy the character named Dory (Ellen DeGeneres). I like this character because she does a really good interpretation of being bubbly all the time and always being positive about the problems that she and Marvin face. I also love how she is so loyal to Marvin and always so humorous. I really agree with Keera Krauss when she says that this movie is super fun and that she wouldn’t change anything about it. I wouldn’t change anything about this movie because there is always something going on. I also agree with the critics’ opinion towards the movie that Keera talks about in her blog. The critics say that this movie is viewable by anybody and everybody. I think this statement is true because it is humorous and everybody has a heart, or so I think. I also when agree with Keera when she says there should be a second movie, I would so watch it.

Guest blogger: Sam 1

The movie that has inspired me in many ways and really shows character driven is the movie The Bucket List. There are two main characters that explain the journey through their medical condition and the journeys they go through and express their love for life. The first character that you met is a corporate billionaire named Edward Cole who is played my Jack Nicholson. The second main Character is a Blue- collar mechanic named Carter Chambers played by Morgan Freemen. They have nothing is common other than their harsh medical condition. Edward Cole owns many hospitals and has many divorces in his life and also has a missing daughter. On the other hand Carter Chambers is great man with amazing knowledge of general culture; has been married for forty-five years with his beloved wife Virginia who is played by Beverly Todd. The reason why this movie is called The Bucket List is that Edward found a note that Carter writes everything that he would like to do before he dies. The reason why I picked this movie is because I think it will Inspired anyone. All these guys are trying to find is the joy in life, it will be hard, it will be a journey, but it will be worth it and change their life. Everyone has made mistakes in their life and now when they find out it could be taken away they want to do anything to change their life around. Curing isn’t always medicine it came from within your heart and the strength of love you have for the once around you and the way you have changed someone else life. I think this movie was a great choice that I picked of a character driven film because it’s about someone else life and the worst and best times.

Guest blogger: Darryn 1

Finding Nemo is about a dad named Marlin and a son named Nemo. Nemo lost his mother to another predator so it’s only the dad and son. Nemo’s father is constantly telling Nemo that the ocean is not a safe place and he should be careful but the way nemo is, is that he likes to test his dad and see what he can get away with and Nemo gets caught by people. When Nemo gets caught his dad tries to look for him and finds another fish named Dory that helps Marlin find his son.
The voice that plays Marlin is Albert Brooks. I think he does a great job playing that character. The way his voice sounds, sounds exactly like how a worried father would sound. Dorys character is played by Ellen DeGeneres and I think that she plays an amazing forgetful fish that doesn’t know many thinks. The voice of Nemo is played by Alexander Goul and I think he has one of the best voices for kid animation.
Marlins traits and motivation are that he is a very loving dad that worries about his son and when his son gets lost he will do anything to get him back. Dory’s traits and motivations are that she is a very helpful fish but doesn’t remember many things and does the best she can with helping. Nemo’s traits and motivation is that he wants to be adventurous and wants to live his life and he noticed there are some things that he should listen to his dad about so he won’t get hurt.
The theme in the movie is about a father and son relationship and how their relationship was a great relationship but there were some parts where it was rough just like a lot of father son relationships today.
I agree with what other people say about the movie. They say that it was an amazing movie and it’s a fun movie for kids to watch.
I think that Finding Nemo is definitely a movie that you should watch. I think that it’s worth your money because it’s one of the best kid’s movie out there and many other people think the same.

Guest blogger: Abdi 2

“Ohhh who lives in a pineapple under the sea, SpongeBob Square pants is a very famous line that mostly every child in the United States knows. SpongeBob Squarepants is a yellow sponge with square pants, literally. This yellowy sponge lives in a place called the Bikini Bottom. The Bikini Bottom is a city which is filled with fishes, squids, crabs, a sponge, and many aquatic animals. SpongeBob Square pants is a bubbly character who loves to annoy his neighbors and work at the KrustyKrab. After being a smash hit on TV SpongeBob decided to make it to the big screens by coming up with The SpongeBob Squarepants Movie. The movie starts off by SpongeBob being denied of the job of his dream, the manager of the Krusty Krab 2. He was denied of this position because he was just a kid, which led to him being very sad. In the mean while the evil Plankton had just launched his new operation, operation Z. Plankton had stolen a crown from King Neptune, and had framed it on Mr.Krabs. So SpongeBob and his best friend Patrick, the star fish, go out to Shell City to save Mr.Krabs. On the way there, SpongeBob and Patrick have to go through many obstacles in order to save Mr.Krabs from King Neptune. Knowing how annoying and troublesome SpongeBob and Patrick can be together, their heroic efforts become a little bit harder. But the harder it becomes for them, the funnier it is for the audience. According to critics The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie is a humorous and bubbly movie. “The SpongeBob SquarPants Movie” is not only meant for young kids, but also adults can watch it. I believe it’s worth buying this movie because sometimes we just need a little laugh in our day.

Guest blogger: Cole 2

Forrest Gump is a great movie. This classic movie is about Forrest Gump. It starts out with him sitting at a bus stop and starts to tell his life story, but the listeners keep changing, as do their emotional reactions to the story. It starts out with him being young in school where he meets this girl named jenny, which he falls for deeply. He has leg braces that are meant to straighten his spine. They show him running and these breaking off his legs. Forrest is a really fast runner, and this ability brings him to Alabama State where he plays football. After Forrest meets the president and graduates, he decides to enlist into the army. This is where Forrest meets his good friend Bubba. Forrest and Bubba are both sent over to the Vietnam War. Bubba convinces Forrest to enter a shrimping business with him after the Vietnam War is over. Forrest gets shot in the butt and is put in recovery. While he is in recovery Forrest finds out that he has an uncanny ability for the game ping pong. He slowly grows in popularity and eventually plays against the Chinese at an anti-war event. At this event he reunites with jenny and beats up her fiancé for slapping her. After Forrest leaves the military he receives a letter from jenny and decides to see her, where he receives some important news. Forrest Gump seems like a slower thinking male but he is really a kind and helpful guy that has an ability to run very fast. Forrest is continuously motivated by friend’s family, and jenny, the girl he loves to keep moving forward and live life to the fullest. Tom Hanks did a very good job of playing the huge role of Forrest, especially the part when he kept running and running. I also thought robin wright did a good job of playing a cute girl who is in love with an army guy that she always has feelings for, but can’t always have him in her life. I think I would have to agree with the critiques that it’s one of the best movies in cinema, and Tom Hanks is one of the only people that could successfully play the role of an “idiot”. I also agree that Tom Hanks helped make the film, being a big name actor. I think the main theme in this movie is not to give up on life, because he goes through lots of hard things and still keeps moving forward. I think that this movie is completely worth the viewer’s time to watch and pay for.

Guest blogger: Britney 3

I agree one hundred percent with Mike’s blog about Batman. Growing up I used to watch all of the Batman cartoons and movies, and by far The Dark Knight is the best of all the Batman films combined, new and old. I mean you can beat the classics, but The Dark Knight just doesn’t have any competition. The arrangement of actors and climatic scenes is amazing; all of the actors played their rolls perfectly and the fight and action scenes can’t be outdone. The best actor by far I believe has to be the joker played by Heath Ledger. Heath Ledger played the Joker so while you could get lost in his madness and believe that in real life he is also a crazed sociopath with a hang up on smiles. The critics on rogerebert.com describe him as Mephistopheles, a demon form German folk lore, I don’t know if I would go quite so far as describe him as a demon out to get peoples souls. Although the Joker is a dark soul himself, I don’t think he was out to get peoples souls. He was out to get people to understand how fragile life is and how we all have to make choices we don’t want to and in the end those choices will hurt people no matter what. You just have to pick the lesser of the two evils. I think that his lesson for the people of Gotham is life sucks then you die. The Joker is by far the best actor in the movie, his dark thoughts and crazed but thought out actions make him a character that will keep you guessing what’s next and why.

Guesg blogger: Cole 1

SPOILER ALERT: One character driven movie I enjoyed was Fight Club. It’s about an unnamed character that has a really stressful job and insomnia. The combination of the two causes him to seek therapy, where he is practically laughed at. He starts to attend different group meeting “to see what real suffering is like”. He finds out that listening to others and crying slowly cures his insomnia. This worked until Marla Singer started to attend the meetings. He realized she was a faker, causing him to stop crying, which in turn leads to his insomnia coming back. Later he meets a guy named Tyler Duragan, a soap salesman. He and Tyler start a fight club after Tyler says to hit him as hard as he can. The fight club starts to grow bigger and bigger, helping people get their anger out and helping them to not have so much stress in their lives. The club eventually gets too big, and the unnamed guy realizes that he is crazy and that Tyler is made up by him. Tyler Duragan is the guy that was made up in the unnamed guys mind, whose name coincidentally is Tyler Duragan. Brad Pitt played the made up Tyler Duragan, and I thought that he did a very good job of it. He portrayed who the real Tyler Duragan wanted to be. Edward Norton plays the real Tyler Duragan, who I also thought did a really good job of showing the viewer a schizophrenic guy whose thought almost get him into some deep trouble. The real Tyler was the quiet, cubical working, everyday guy, but he had insomnia that lead to schizophrenia, which causes him to make up the other lead character. The made up Tyler was a loud, tough, strong, women’s man, who got what he wanted and coasted through life easy. This is who the real Tyler wants to be, and the made up Tyler does everything that the real Tyler wants to do. I think that the theme is showing how most men want to have the movies sense of masculinity. I agree with most critics when they say it is a very different movie to watch and that it shows some harsh things throughout it, but I also agree with them when they say they liked it. I personally think it is a great movie, and that it is well worth your money if you can watch it a few times to truly understand it.

Guest blogger: Haris 1

Movie Blog #2
One of my all time favorite movies is I Am Legend mainly because the star of the film is Will Smith and he is one of my favorite actors, even though he is my favorite actor, the movie was still great. The movie starts out as everybody evacuating the city of Manhattan, and he is saying goodbye to his wife and son because he has to stay because he is a U.S. Army Officer and it is his duty. Then it moves on to show that he is the only one basically left in the city, he drives around does whatever he can or wants to do and he is always searching for someone. He eventually finds these monster-like things that he believes were once human and in many scenes you get to see him run from them. Every time it becomes dark these monsters attack and throughout the movie he tries to study them and figure out what happened to the world that exact day and why he is alone. The main character is Will Smith and overall I think he was the best person to play the role of being stranded alone in an empty world, and the only other character that’s in the movie a lot is his dog which is a great actor and he is always with him where ever he goes. During the movie you notice Will Smith has one trait that sticks out a lot and that’s that he is very brave in many scenes, one scene is when he has to let his wife and son go while he stays in a city that will soon be gone. I think one of the best themes for this movie would be sacrifice, in the ending scene Will Smith has to give up something to gain something else and in life you will have to do that a lot and this movie portrays it well. I agree with most of the critics they gave it a very good rating because the movie was made that it almost seemed real, but also agree with them when they say it was made a little unrealistic when the monster-like things came in play because it reminded them of a Sci-Fi movie. Overall this movie is definitely worth your time and money, it is a movie that will keep you interested and wondering all the way throughout.

Guest blogger: Faisal 2

One of the greatest coaches in history coached the 1966 Texas Western basketball team when race was a big issue in America. He was just a family man who just coached little girl’s basketball team. When he received a call from the head commissioners to do some coaching in the college level, he did. He wanted to make a difference and show what type of coach he was. Don Haskins went in the slums and the hoods of America and found five of the greatest basketball players in America at the time. Who later on were his starting five which caused a big controversial because of their race. This coach didn’t see white or black all he saw was the talent these men had. He made sure they focused on school and basketball. He took a lot of criticism for having African American players on his team but he didn’t pay attention to them. He showed that when he started the same five African American players. He encouraged these players to stay focused and not pay attention on what is going on around them. He disciplined them on and off the court. He showed that they had power on the court and they could make a change with basketball and having heart. He thought them pride and to be proud of themselves. He showed them that if they work together they can get through anything. He changed history when they beat the best NCAA’s team Kentucky in the championship game. Critics say the movie was an outstanding movie mostly because it was based on true story and how athletic the actors were on the game scenes. I recommend this movie because I belief that it has allot of history behind it and if you like basketball it has changed basketball.

Guest blogger: Habsa 2

Easy A is about a girl named Olive who tells a white lie and that white lie makes her high school a nightmare. She is laid back and very sarcastic. The movie is directed by Will Cluck and it is out loud funny. Emma stone plays as Olive and she does and outstanding performance. The movie starts out with Olive talking to her computer about and incident at school. This film takes us to her small town high school where the incident occurred. Olive tells her first white lie to her best friend Rhiannon who is played by Alyson Michalka. Because she didn’t want to go camping with Rhiannon and her hippie parents. A white lie turns into another white lie when Olive tells Rhiannon that she lost her virginity. Marianne a gospel loving wait-until-we-get- married virgin who is played by Amanda Bynes over hears. Marianne and her gospel group spread the rumor and like a virus everyone caught it. Olive starts to get in trouble and she is sent to the principle office. Mcdowell who plays as Olive’s principle delivers a great line where he states that being a successful principle involves keeping “the girls off the pole and the guys off the pipe.” Olive’s parents Tucci and Clarkson play non-judgmental parents who have a lot of trust in her. The relationship between Olive, her parents, and adopted African American brother is remarkable and sometimes hilarious. Olive never tries to take advantage of her parents trust. Olive’s relationship with Rhiannon starts to tumble. Olive decides to leave Rhiannon and instead she becomes friends with Brandon who has a hard time dealing with his sexuality. He is constantly bullied by other guys. Brandon asks Olive for help and she comes to his rescue. She pretends to do it with Brandon so people don’t think he’s gay. Olive’s lies took an unpleasant turn and it spread like a wild fire. Easy A is an easy watch. I agree with the critics. It is worth our time and money. I give this movie an A.

Guesg blogger: Aljosa 2

Blood diamond is a drama and action movie that came out in late 2006. The setting of the movie is during the Sierra Leone civil war in different parts of Africa. The film starts out as a man named Solomon getting captured by a bunch of African rebels while trying to help his family escape from the village they are in because they are getting attacked by the rebels. After his capture Solomon is made into a slave and has to dig and find diamonds for the rebel group called RUF. While working there he finds a very large pink diamond. He goes and buries it so no one can find it, shortly after his diamond field gets attacked and he is captured and sent to prison. In prison he meets DiCaprio’s character a white mercenary that trades weapons with RUF in exchange for the diamonds they get. He gets Solomon out of prison because he overheard about his knowledge of the pink diamond and they go set out on a quest to find it with obstacles in the way. Some notable actors in this film are Leonardo DiCaprio and Djimon Gaston Hounsou who has won two academy awards. The theme of the movie I think is fight for what you want, because both of those two characters go through some extraordinary things to get to the things they want. According to Phillip French from Observer he said that “The issues may be simply put, but the brilliant action sequences engage us viscerally.” I agree with this because they don’t go to into depth of the war that’s going on so that the average viewer can understand it and the action scenes that they have are really entertaining. Overall I like this movie and it shows you how the diamond business is in Africa and the problems around it and I would recommend this to anyone to go see or buy it.

Guest blogger: Aljosa 1

The movie lottery ticket is a comedy film that came out in early 2010 on DVD. It is about a character named Kevin and his two best friends Benny and Stacy and he is working at foot locker and living in the ghetto with his grandma. He is living the average life until he goes to the gas station and gets a lottery ticket. He tries to keep it a secret but his whole neighborhood figures out and is after his lottery ticket. The rest of the movie is about problems Kevin runs into concerning the lottery ticket. The notable actors in this film are Bow wow and ice cube. Many critics were pleased with bow wow’s performance and it came to them a surprise of how he acted in the movie most of them thought he wasn’t going to be as good as he turned out. The Theme of the movie I think is that it is better to remain silent sometimes because if he didn’t tell anyone no would have figured it out. According to Joe Lozito of Big picture Big sound he says that the lottery ticket is a “Sweet, and very noisy, ensemble comedy lives up to its premise when it sticks closely to its neighborhood and its characters” I agree with this critic because most of the setting in the movie takes place in his neighborhood and there are many different supporting characters that all have some sort of relationship to each other. Overall I would rate this movie a three and a half stars out of five. Because it isn’t one of my favorites but it is a movie that you can remember laughing at and keeping you in suspense of what is going to happen to Kevin and his lottery ticket.

Guest blogger: Iman 1

One of the arguably best gangster movies with Al Pacino Scarface. After years of diplomatic silence between the United States and Cuba Castro opens up the port between them. He lets the refugees immigrate to the United States and chase the American dream but at the same time he also opens up the over packed prisons and lots of prisoners in Cuba get into the United States. One of them was Tony Montana who makes it into Miami with his best friend Manny. They start working at some low paying job washing dishes but Tony has bigger dreams he wants money power and respect and he’s willing to do anything to get it. They meet gangster Frank Lopez and start doing work for him. Tony starts to quickly learn the game and is good at it. Soon he starts making his way up and Frank loves him because he is making more money for them. But that still wasn’t enough for Tony he wanted to make it to the top and be his own boss. He figures out that he can make more money on his own and that he was going to do his own thing. So he kills his boss and marries his mistress. He becomes a very wealthy man buying expensive cars and living in a mansion. His mom and sister also lived in Miami but his mom didn’t speak to Tony or didn’t even want to see him ever since he got locked up in Cuba. He goes to their house to visit his family and his mom doesn’t accept his money because she knew it wasn’t good money. This movie is a good movie and the actors did their part like they were supposed to. I would say this is the best movie that Al Pacino was in . His performance was at its best and he played the character Tony Montana like it was supposed to be played. His motivation in the movie was money and power. Tonys best friend in the movie Manny also played his part well. He wasn’t as crazy as Tony was but he went along with him. He fell in love with Tony’s sister and that causes some problems later in the movie. The main theme in the movie is just not to be too greedy and money can do some crazy things to people. Most people who watch this movie love it and watch it many times after that. This is the best gangster movie that I have seen and it is worth watching. If you watch it you probably will watch it many times after that.

Guest blogger: Victor 3

I do really believe that coach carter is a great movie. In Faisal’s review he covered what I would have said. This movie is great movie. It truly teaches us what some people are dealing with and what they truly need to do to succeed. I do think also that Samuel L. Jackson did bring the real coach carter to life. He did very well in his part to bring the film to life, so we could experience the drama. I think that this finally is all right but they should have extended the time of the basketball games longer and make it easier for the viewers to watch the game instead of too much movements.

Guest blogger: Lacey 1

I think the Saw movies are really good examples of character driven movies. The basic plot of these movies is that Jigsaw (John Cramer, played by Tobin Bell), a serial killer – although it’s argued whether or not he’s actually a killer, since he’s never murdered anyone in his life – kidnaps people and sets elaborate, deathly traps of which it is their goal to escape. The people he chooses go hand-in-hand with the traps he sets; he takes their way of life into perspective and puts them through a test AKA a “game”. Usually there is one main character being tested (or “playing the game”), and he/she must sacrifice or help other’s with their “game” as part of their own game. The director(s) of Saw tend to use low-profile actors and actresses that an audience probably have never seen or heard of, with the exception of Cary Elwes (Dr. Lawrence Gordon, Saw I), Danny Glover (Detective David Tapp, Saw I) , and possibly Donnie Wahlberg. (Detective Eric Matthews, Saw I – IV). One would think since the producers use such “nobodies” that the acting would be sub-par, but the majority of the actors/actresses get the point across well, considering a good amount of the movies are scenes set in dark, scary places – they work with what they’re given and they do it in a way where the audience is imagining themselves in the same situation. There are usually two types of characters in the Saw movies, and I would refer to them as the major game players and the minor game players. The major game players are the ones that the film is centered around; there are sometimes multiple major game players. The minor game players are the ones that are seen as “set up” for the major game players to help – or not – in order to finish their game. Since we are seeing the minor game players for a shorter period of time than we see the major game players, the actors/actresses really need to be on their A-game and portray their character virtually flawlessly – it has to be believable, almost REAL, or it just makes that scene boring to watch and it also becomes quite susceptible to heckling. A popular quote that John “Jigsaw” Cramer says in each movie is “Live or die, make your choice”, and I would say this ties to a common theme throughout all seven movies. Jigsaw puts these people through tests so that they can realize the wrong-doings they’ve done in life and to see if they want to change bad enough to overcome extreme obstacles. I personally love these movies even though they’re a little obscene and downright nasty. Critics like to say they’re just your average gore-fest hyped up with mediocre special effects but I think they’re pretty entertaining. Plus, beyond all the blood and guts, there’s a real lesson to be learned.

Guest blogger: Tiffany 2

How to Train Your Dragon is about Vikings who have to protect their village from the dragons. The main character is Hiccup and his dad is Stoick. Stoick is the leader of the village and the main dragon slayer. His son Hiccup is clumsy and hasn’t even killed a dragon yet. On the night of an attack he is told to stay in the house and not move. He thinks it is time to try his new invention, so he goes out on the cliff and sets his cannon for the almost invisible and very rare Night fury. He can see that he hits it and that it goes down but nobody believes him. He starts his dragon fighting lessons the next day and doesn’t do very well. He is upset that his father isn’t proud of him so he wanders into the forest and he then finds his Night furry. Things get better when he finds out he has caught a rare never seen dragon. The main character is Hiccup and his voice is by Jay Baruchel. He does a really good job being the voice of an awkward teenager. I think it helps that his cartoon character also looks like him. He has also been in The Sorcerer’s Apprentice as well as She’s Out of My League. He also plays somewhat of an awkward character in both of those movies. Hiccups friend in the movie is Astrid and her voice is by America Ferrera. She is a confident dragon warrior and at first she doesn’t like Hiccup because he doesn’t take dragon training seriously. America has also been in Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and in the TV show Ugly Betty. In Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants she also plays a confident kid who runs away from her dads’ house when she is unhappy. They both want to learn how to fight dragons so they will be able to protect their village when they need to. A theme in this movie is don’t under estimate people. Hiccup proves to his dad that he can fight dragons if he wants to. But Hiccup is a lover not a fighter and surprises everyone. Overall this is a really cute movie and it’s not just for kids!

Guest blogger: Mitch 2

This movie starts off with Franks new partner picking him up to go do a undercover job. They are gonna make a deal with a criminal. They find out his partner is secret service and they make frank kill him. The gun is empty though so it was just a test to see if he was not with his partner. Then he takes his gun and shoots the 3 guys and they leave. Frank used to be JFK’s favorite secret service officer. But after the assasination of JFK he was demoted to field agent and had been doing that ever since then. When all the sudden out of no where this guy calls him and tells him how he wants to kill the president and this makes Frank want to protect the president again. Frank has a freak out at a rally when the guy who called him on the phone who’s name is Mitch Leary pops a balloon and Frank thinks it’s a guy. So frank gets put back onto field work. This happens for a while till Mitch calls him again and they finally got a trace on him and they end up chasing Mitch across building tops and frank is hanging onto a building top and Mitch has him make a choice between shooting him or let Mitch save his life and Mitch is saying the whole time would you trade your life for the presidents? Mitch throws Frank onto a fire escape and gets into a gun fight with Franks partner and Franks partner gets shot and dies. The rest is for you too watch and find out
Clint Eastwood plays the role of Frank, he plays a very good role in the film which is understandable because he is Clint Eastwood. John Malkovich plays for Mitch Leary who plays a very pivatle role and plays it perfectly like he has done in other movies as the bad guy. Jim Curly plays the role of the president he doesn’t have many lines but he defiantly looks like a president.
Clint Eastwood played a very good role and he is inspired in the movie to redeem himself of the assassination. John Malkovich Plays an important bad guy role and is inspired in the movie by the government trying to kill him so he wants his revenge.
The audience should take a from this movie that people need second chances and that older people can still do amazing things.

Guest blogger: Mickey 2

In the movie Prom Night, Donnas’ senior prom is just around the corner and it’s going to be the best night of her life, one of magic, beauty, and love. Her life is torn apart when one of her high school teachers, Mr. Fenton, becomes so obsessed with her that he breaks into her house and kills her family and then when she stumbles into to yell at her brother for having the TV up to loud, she discovers him dead. Then she here’s a man’s voice but it wasn’t her dads, she immediately runs and hides under her parents bed and just before he killed her he said, “she belongs to me,” then Donna had to watch her mom get stabbed right in front of her eyes. Three years later, Donna is on anti-anxiety pills and suffering occasional nightmares but other than that she has finally moved on and is enjoying her last year of high school. Surrounded by her best friends and a wonderful boyfriend, she should be safe from the horrors of her past. Not knowing to her, Fenton breaks out of his asylum and finds his way back to Bridgeport. Clean-shaven and disguised (baseball cap pulled down over the eyes), he finds the hotel in which the prom is being held. Then when the night turns deadly, there is only one person who could be responsible, a man she thought was gone forever. This is definitely the night "to die for."
In the 'Prom Night' (2008) Movie Review Director, written by Mark h. Harris, “Nelson McCormick slaps on the kid gloves by not only toning down the gore but also by making sure the scares aren't too scary. Mission accomplished! There are a few potentially spooky moments in the film, but they're blunted by either revealing the killer too early or by presenting the "boo" moment in such an expected manner, it's rendered inert. McCormick actually pulls out the old "medicine cabinet mirror" scare not once, but twice. And the film does itself a disservice by making the killer as, if not more, visible than the victims. There's no air of mystery about a guy walking around in a tweed coat making polite conversation.” I agree part of this statement because I was a very jumpy person so I was a little scared when things just popped out and the killer randomly showed up or jumped out places. I did not like the ending though. I think the director could have done way better. But over all I did like this movie. I don’t think there was a specific theme but if someone is after you then have the common sense to move somewhere where he won’t find you. But after the trauma Donna went through, I can understand. This is a great film and very entertaining.

Guest blogger: Courtney 2

Milo Boyd gets a job as a bounty hunter, when he finds out that he has to track down his bail-jumping ex-wife, Nicole Hurly, he thinks that it will be an easy task to do. But then Nicole gives Milo a slip that she has to chase a lead on a murder case cover- up. Milo then realizes that nothing can go smooth with him and Nicole. The exes continually gain up on each other until they have to run for their life’s. They thought that their promise to love, obey, and honor was tough, but staying alive is going to be a whole lot worse.
The actors and actresses in the Bounty Hunter are; Jennifer Aniston, Gerard Butler, Jason Sudeiki, Cathy Moriarty, Jason Kolotourus, Dorian Missick. Jennifer Aniston plays Nicole Hurly she is a reporter that misses a court date and she has to figure out a story to write in her article. I think Jennifer Aniston is good for this part because she has the personality to be stubborn and also be energetic. Gerard Butler plays Milo Boyd he is a bounty hunter and has to bring is ex wife Nicole Hurly to jail. I think Gerard Butler is good for this part also because his acting skills are very funny and outgoing. Jason Sudeiki plays Stewart, Nicole’s coworker who is in love with her but she doesn’t have the same feelings for him. I think Jason Sudeiki is good for this part because his acting skills are very emotional and can be happy. Cathy Moriarty plays Irene, she is Milo’s boss and she wants her loans paid back by Milo. I think she is good for this part because she shows that she wants the money back really bad. Jason Kolotourus plays Gellman and he is out to get Nicole. I think Jason Kolotourus is good for this part because he has the skills to act like a bad guy. The last actor Dorian Missick plays Bobby and he is a friend to both Nicole and Milo. I think that he is good for this part because he is a very caring guy in this movie and he shows his performance as that very well. What the audience should take away from this is that you should have a plan if something goes wrong. Also the audience should learn from this is that you have to look at the good things in life. I agree with the other critics because they rate the movie really high and I also think it’s a good movie because of the action in it. Overall I think The Bounty Hunter is a good movie and is worth our time and money.

Guest blogger: Adam 2

The movie Notorious is a biography about a rapper Notorious BIG. The movie starts out in his childhood in Brooklyn New York. His mom was very protective of him and sent him to a catholic school and never let him play in the streets. When he was around the age of twelve he stopped listening to his mom and went out with one of his friends. This is when he made his first drug deal and got addicted to money. Throughout the rest of his childhood he embraced the streets and started dealing a lot of drugs. He made a lot of money but he moved to fast a slipped up and got caught by the authorities. He went to jail and it was here were he started rhyming to pass the time. He got very good at it and when he got out his friends started recognizing his talent. The rest of the movie is about his rise of fame with his rapping skills. Jamal Woolard plays notorious big, the main character. The main character in this film was gangster and his main motive was money. The theme of this movie is to follow your dreams and to stay out of trouble. Notorious BIG followed his dreams by giving up selling drugs and followed his dream of rapping. The critics didn’t give it the movie the best rating. I don’t agree with the rating, it is one of my favorite movies off all time. If you like hip hop or documentaries I defiantly suggest to check out this interesting movie about one of the greatest rappers ever to live.

Guest blogger; Melanie 1

The Blind Side stars Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw. The movie is about a family who lives in Memphis Tennessee. Leigh Anne Tuohy, played by Sandra Bullock, is the mother of the family and one night she sees this boy walking in the cold with no jacket all by himself. She takes the boy, named Michael Oher played by Quinton Aaron, in her home and takes care of him. Michael stays with the family for a long time and eventually becomes part of the family. Leigh Anne and her husband help him get his license and his teachers help him in school with his grades. Michael also plays football which is a big part in the movie for where he decides to go to college and how he gets there. Michael went from being homeless with no clothing or supplies in a bad neighborhood to living in a home with a Christian family that cares a lot about him. Sandra Bullock throws the audience over edge in this movie making it worthwhile to watch. She keeps it interesting with her great acting skills and her skills to make you feel like you are there and get the feelings that the family and Michael are having. In the film The Blind Side Leigh Anne is a very caring Christian women and she is daring and willing to help and give people a chance that need them. She shows that not all wealthy people are stuck up and don’t care about anyone besides themselves and that some people are very willing to help people out who need it. Another character in the film that shows outstanding character traits is Michael Oher. He is very determined to learn new things. He goes off his instinct on protecting his family and the people around him. He knows when to trust people and when not to trust people. He doesn’t take anything for granted. The theme of this film is that there are people out there that care even if you don’t know them. Helping people out that need is just a little thing you can do to help them. Something simple as buying food or clothing or providing them shelter is enough to help. The audience is meant to respond with choking up or chuckling with warm laughter and feeling sorry for this poor young man and so gratified that he found someone to care for him (A. O. Scott). While watching this movie I got the same feelings like laughing at S.J. when he would say things that are funny, like when he and Michael sing in the movie. I also felt sorry for Michael when you saw him all alone in the cold with all he owned in a plastic bag. I believe that this film is defiantly worth your time and money because this movie is about helping people that need it the most and not just thinking about yourself and taking action. You will not be disappointed.

Guest blogger: Austen 2

Felon is about a man by the name of Wade Porter (Stephen Droff) living his life successfully until one day when a robber breaks into his house. He chases the man out of the house with a bat in an act of self defense but after he chases the man out of his house he continues to chase him and hits him in the head with a bat which ends up killing the robber. The cops later arrive and he is arrested for murder because he left his house so it wasn’t considered self defense. He gets 5 years for involuntary manslaughter and is sent to state prison. He must learn real quick where he stands with his moral being in prison he will be tested by other inmate and he is right away getting into a fight for just looking at a man. After arriving at the jail he soon finds out that the jail is corrupted by a prison guard who allows the inmates to fight in the yard and he puts money on it. The white Aryans to the Southside Mexican he must stick loyal to his race and fight anyone who tries him. The character of Wade Porter is a strong man who fights his way through jail to get back to his two little daughters and his wife. He begins a weak little man, to being this beast boxer that will fight anyone because he isn’t scared anymore. Another character is Vincent Miller (Michael Porter) he is in prison for life. He keeps getting in trouble in prison so he can get the death penalty. He helps the main character Wade out by teaching him the ropes of the prison life. I believe the theme of this movie is that life is not fair but good always come over evil in the end. He is wrongfully put in jail, he fights all those evils for years and in the end he prevails. The movie Felon got a 5/5 stars on Netflix (That’s where I found it) which is really good. My overall opinion is that this movie is good for anyone who likes good fighting movies with a deep plot. There are a lot of twists in this movie with a suspenseful ending.

Guest blogger: Denis 2

I’ll show you a movie you cannot refuse. The Godfather is one of the best movies and books ever written in the world to me. The story is really of Michael Corleone and The Corleone family. The story is of the mafia, It starts off with Amerigo Bonsara, he is in the courtroom, for trial for 2 young men who beat his daughter and he knows only one man can help him, because the boys are not guilty. He goes to the Don. Don Corleone, if he were real would be one of the wisest and nice people you would ever meet. His story of the American dream. It is Connie’s wedding day, his daughter wedding and he cannot refuse a favor from anyone today, Amerigo Bonsara ask if he can get the 2 young men get whacked, and the Don gets it done. Throughout the movie the always refer to the Don as a man of respect, and that is what he is, but when the Don refuse and offer buy a man named Sollozo, he gets shot at and the Corleone family need to think fast, He got shot because he didn’t want to get in the drug business and the Turk (Sollozo) wanted the Don dead so the Turk and Sonny Corleone could do business. Sonny, the Don’s oldest and hotheaded, wants an all out war with the Turk, but luckily for him they have Tom Hagen, the Don’s adopted son and the Conseilgere, the Counselor, for the Family. The plan for Sonny is to take out the Turk and his partners, but Tom informs Sonny that if he does that there will be an all out war with the other 5 Families and that they might lose. The other thing is that Sollozo is untouchable, because his bodyguard is the police captain Mcclusky. The Turk just wants to do business, Sonny wants blood. Then Sonny gets a phone call from the Turk that they want a meeting with Michael and only him. The funny thing is that Michael didn’t want anything to do with the Family business, he hated it, he went off to join the Marines and fought in WW2, The Don hated it. So, while they are discussing ideas,
Michael says that why doesn’t he take out the Turk and Mcclusky, they are all laughing at the idea but Michael was serious, and Sonny saw it in his eyes. Al Pacino plays Michael and does a very good job at it too. So they train Michael to shot the gun well and to tell him what to do, that there is a car waiting for him and to drop the gun. So the meeting is on and to find out what happens, you are going to have to watch the movie.

Guest blogger: Adam 1

The movie Scarface is about a cuban refugee named Tony Montana. He comes to America with nothing. For three months he lived in a refugee camp untill one day there was a riot and he escaped. With a crappy job as a cook, Tony was down to do anything to make a lot of money and live the american dream. One day his friend and him got a opportunity to make some good money by handling a cocaine deal for somone. Something went wrong in the deal and tony ended up killing everyone and got the money and the coke back. In the eyes of the people he was working for this was very good and they were very proud of them. Tony started working his way up in the drug dealing world. I wont spoil the ending for you but he ends up becoming the top guy. Tony Montana, the main character, was played by Al Pacino. Al Pacino did a very good job potraying the cuban drug dealing ganster. In the movie the character Tony Montana is a very determined guy that wants to get a lot of money and be on top. He is also very bi-polor when is comes to his family. The theme in this movie is that there is more to life then just money and power. If that’s all you think about you are going to lose track of what is really important in life. I agree with all the credits that this movie is one of the greatest gangster movies out there. This movie is deffentlly worth your time and money if you are ok with watching a little violence.

Guest blogger: Amal 2

Life Is Not a Fairy Tale is an autobiography of Fantasia Barrino. This movie captured Fantasia’s struggle, as a woman who had a rough past. It’s mainly about a high school drop-out who had no money, no education and with no good future ahead. At age sixteen Fantasia was caught up in an abusive relationship that left her pregnant and hopeless. After going through all of that, Fantasia still didn’t give up on her dreams. She used her soulful voice to make it as an American Idol contestant. This film was directed by Debbie Allen, who did an outstanding job creating all the tension and sadness. This movie starred Fantasia Barrino who played herself. With Fantasia not being a real actor it was quite interesting how she brought her character to life because it made everything self explanatory. Viola Davis played as Fantasia's mother. She provided all the support and motivation for Fantasia. Loretta Devine also did a good job in her role as Fantasia's Grandmother. Fantasia had been raised by strong women of faith. Fantasia's family was very talented, both her mother and grandmother could sing. Life Is Not a Fairy Tale explores many inspirational themes like; never give up on your dreams and recognize your gift. Critics have made pretty good indictment and I agree with them. Critics have also said this movie is inspirational to young women who don’t have it easy in life. My overall opinion on this movie is that everyone should watch it. This film will move you in ways you never thought it were possible. It made me think about how your talents and abilities can take you far in life. It also encouraged me to never give up on my dreams no matter the obstacles that come my way. I do believe it’s worth our time and money. If you’re planning to watch this movie make sure you have a box of tissues ready, it’s a real tear dropper.

Guest blogger: Damir 2

Ferris Bueller’s day off is a movie about a high school senior named Ferris Bueller, which is played by (Matthew Broderick), that calls himself sick into school, and convinces his best friend Cameron who is played by (Alan Ruck), that is not having the best of the present school year, because he is depressed about how his dad does not show any love towards him because he just works and takes care of his nice restored Ferrari, Ferris also called in sick for his beautiful girlfriend Sloan Peterson played by (Mia Sara) pretending to be here father so she could also come along with him while he tries to turn Cameron’s smile upside down. Ferris has a whole day planned our for himself, Cameron, and Sloan they would take Cameron’s dads car go to the city of Chicago and spend the whole day there, site seeing, looking at museums, eating at a expensive upper class restaurant, going to a parade and also watching a game at Wrigley field. I think Matthew Broderick does a perfect job playing Ferris and I could not see anyone else doing a better job than him, also Alan Ruck did a good job playing Cameron and performing the traits of a sad not loved teenager, and last but not least Mia Sara did an awesome job playing Sloan Peterson she made her seem like a great girlfriend, beautiful and fun to be with. I love how Ferris is so motivated by Cameron’s mood that he wants to help his friend out a lot, obviously Cameron wants to get back at his dad so allows Ferris to talk him into taking his car, and it shows how Sloan is just a laid back girl that goes with the flow. Every now and then Matthew Broderick would look at the camera and explain to the audience his characters techniques and thoughts, the theme of this particularly movie would be the pursuit of happiness Ferris is pursuing happiness for his friend Cameron by doing a lot of things with him to brighten his day up and make him forget about his problems. As stated by Roger Ebert in a movie review he said “this movie is one of the most innocent movies in a while” and “it is a warm hearted comedy.” I definitely agree with Roger Ebert this movie did make me laugh a lot but also made me think about the things I would do for my friends on one of their bad days. This movie is definitely worth everyone’s money this is a must see flick.

Guest blogger: Dan 2

The movie Forrest Gump is about the life of a guy named Forrest Gump, that’s the best way to explain it. It starts off with Forrest as a young boy from Alabama in the early 1950’s. He has one friend and her name is Jenny who he met on the bus on the first day of school. After his braces break off after being chased by kids on bikes we notice that Forrest is really fast. Football coaches saw this speed too and he ended up getting a scholarship to the University of Alabama. After he graduates he enlists in the army and he goes to Vietnam. In Vietnam he meets Bubba, who gets him agree to get into the shrimp business with him after the war (Bubba dies in Vietnam). He also meets Lt. Dan, who Forrest saves at the end of the Vietnam scene. After Vietnam Forrest represents the USA in ping-pong and gets multiple endorsements and sponsors because of his skill. With money he gets from these endorsements he buys a shrimping boat and gets Lt. Dan to be his first mate. After a hurricane, Forrest’s boat is the only one left and he has a huge season. He starts Bubba-Gump Shrimp a million dollar company and buys a whole fleet of boats. At the end of the movie, Forrest finds Jenny and that’s as far as I want to go. Tom Hanks played Forrest Gump and he was amazing, probably the best acting I’ve seen in a movie ever. I don’t know how he could talk in the voice he had to use the whole movie. His character Forrest is not very smart, but he cares a lot about other people. Examples of him caring about others are he goes back into the jungle in Vietnam to save Lt. Dan before the airstrike, and he beats up guys that treat Jenny wrong. Robin Wright played Jenny and also did a very good job in the movie. Jenny is a nice girl who loses her drive for a while and stars using drugs and gets a virus. But at the end Forrest marries Jenny and she gets back to her normal self. Gary Sinise was Lt. Dan and he was brilliant as he was Forrest’s grouchy commanding officer, who only really cared about himself. Lt. Dan really didn’t appreciate his life with two legs missing, until Forrest came and met him in New York after the war to make him his first mate. Themes of Forrest Gump are, “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get”, and never give up on life no matter how big the obstacles. I agree with critic Roger Ebert on this movie. He said, “The performance is a breathtaking balancing act between comedy and sadness, in a story rich in big laughs and quiet truths”. That quote captured the movie brilliantly right there. Overall Forrest Gump is definitely worth the time to watch and the money to buy it. It could be one of the best character driven movies ever made.

Guest blogger: Britney 2

Everyone knows that sequels are never as good as the first movie; New Moon is a bad example of this. The first and the second movie both sucked, no pun intended. The main reason Twilight did so well wasn’t because it was an amazing movie, but because of the book it was made after. The Twilight series is a wonderful series, full of wonder and adventure as well as hopelessness and sadness. Over all the books are an enjoyable series. The movies don’t do them justice what-so-ever. The books are New York Times best sellers and the movies frankly belong in the five dollar bend at Wal-Mart. New Moon sets off where Twilight left off. The happy ever after that once again gets interrupted. But this time instead of a blood crazy sociopath James going after her, it’s her one true love Edward who destroys their happy ever after. He leaves her, and for the dumbest reason! He wants to protect her. Instead of protecting her he breaks down her fragile mental walls and she goes into a deep depression. Honestly Edward did more harm than good. Months after Edward leaves Bella starts to movie on when she meets Jacob, who she’s met before but hasn’t ever really gotten to know. Bella starts to develop a relationship with him, when things once again go wrong with her life. The best actor by far in the movie I believe is Jacob. The Twilight movies being his actual first real movie I think he is doing well. He even buffed up to fit his part. He is a truly committed actor who deserves more recognition for his part in the movie; because bluntly I don’t believe that the movie would have been as good without him. He picked up the slack of both the Robert Pattinson and Kristine Steward. Most critic’s fellow in the same thinking I am. The movies suck and need a lot of work, maybe even new actors hint hint Kristine Steward. The only reason I went to the movies is because I read the books so I am committed to them in a way. If you have read the books I think you should see the movies so that you can compare them to the books. However if you haven’t read the books don’t see the movies, it’s a waste of money and time.

Guest blogger: Keera 1

Finding Nemo is about a fish named Nemo who tests his dad (Marlin) with his “lucky” fin. After Coral (Nemo’s mom) and all the other little fish get eaten by a big fish, Nemo is the only one left. Marlin does anything and everything to find his only son Nemo. Some of the risks he takes are putting up with Dory (a fish with short term memory loss), fighting off three hungry sharks, talking to a group of fish that makes fun of him, swimming through millions of jellyfish, riding the EAC (Easy Australian Current) with a bunch of sea turtles, and surviving a lot of racing seagulls. Once he knows where Nemo went he is determined to find him no matter what he’s faced with. Albert Brooks is the voice of Marlin, Ellen DeGeneres is the voice of Dory, and Alexander Gould is the voice of Nemo. Nemo is one of the main characters and he is daring, nervous, shy, determined, funny, and also very loving. Marlin is another one of the main characters and he has many traits. A few of them are that he is very determined, over-protective, short-tempered, tries to have a sense of humor for a clownfish but it doesn’t happen, and forgiving. Dory is a fish that you just have to love no matter what she says or does. Some of her character traits are that she has short-term memory loss, she can be very annoying, optimistic, caring, sociable, and very loyal. Marlin and Dory are being motivated by all the sea creatures they encounter to help them find Nemo. All the fish in the tank at the dentist’s office are helping to motivate Nemo to get them all to escape back to the Big Blue. One of the major themes of the movie is that you should never give up no matter what you get faced with. When critics say that Finding Nemo is for all ages they mean it because my family and I all sit down to watch it we can all enjoy it. I think Finding Nemo is one of the best movies that Disney and Pixar ever made. Overall I love it and I wouldn’t do anything to change it. But maybe they could come out with a second movie so viewers can keep enjoying it.

Guest blogger: Mike 1

If I was a millionaire who could do anything I would travel the world and experience everything I could in life. Bruce Wayne on the other hand uses his money for more useful resources such as a sweet car, a giant hidden cave and a really cool bat-shaped boomerang. Though he does have some really cool accessories I don’t think I could ever do what he does and save the world every day. In the newest Batman movie, Batman: The Dark Knight, Bruce Wayne has to save everyone from the Joker who is played brilliantly by the late Heath Ledger who performance stunned ever single fan of the comic and people who were just finding out about the Batman universe. In the movie The Joker has come to the city of Gotham and has offered to get rid of “The Bat” for all the mobsters and villains who are hiding underground in fear that if they make the slightest move that Batman will find them and lock them up. He attempts to do so by setting up amazingly dramatic and emotional predicament for Wayne and making him find a way to stop him or something from killing either just one person or millions. In this movie Batman has tons to deal with between stopping the Joker, making spilt second decision to save people and watching out for another super villain made in the process of everything going on in the city of Gotham. This movie has tons of climatic scenes and twist that will have you saying “Oh my god what will he do” and “No way that just happen” more than once. Christian Bale is throws on the Bat Suit, with a couple new enhancements, for the second time and he seems to be a little more comfortable in it the second time around. He has amazing performances throughout the movie and really gets in to the role. Also I believe he does a good job of kind of playing two parts; on the one hand he is a highly respected billionaire and owner of Wayne enterprise, but then he is also the dark mysterious figure in the night that some fear and many use to praises until the city turns on him and accuses him of murder and he becomes a vigilante. Bale does a perfect job of playing both parts in this movie and he gives Batman that dark, mean side of Batman that audiences haven’t seen from this hero in a long time. Rodger and Ebert, two widely known movie critics, have only good things to say about the Dark Knight movie with comments like “This film, and to a lesser degree ‘Iron Man,’ redefine the possibilities of the ‘comic-book movie.’” I completely agree with them. I believe this movie made it possible for the comic book movie genre was changed after this movie because hero movies are not just for diehard fans anymore. It’s open for any kind of movie watchers and I hope all directors should take notes while watching this movie. I believe everyone should at least rent this movie if not buy it and while watching it realize that no matter what people say about you, if you know you’re doing the right thing then don’t change for anyone along with multiple other themes.

Guest blogger: Taylor 2

The plot of the movie Pursuit of Happiness is that Will Smith which plays the dad in the movie has invested all of his money into this medical scanning machine and unfortunately he has not been able to sell any of his products in the beginning of the movie. During his travel of unemployment his is faced with the troubles of not shelter and barely any food throughout the whole movie. Also his son in the movie was left with him because the mother did not want to take care of him. So Will Smith (the father) is always in the need of providing for both him and his son. The main actor and actresses are in the movie Pursuit of Happiness are Chris Gardner played by Will Smith, Christopher as Jaden Smith as the son, and Thandie Newton which is the mother in the movie. All of these character listed are basically the main characters that show the most in the movie. Their performances in the movie are outstanding! They create a realistic creation of this true life story of a struggle. Chris Gardner shows to be a very persistent father and believing in his values in what he wants in life. He strives to protect and to provide for him and his son and does so in a very touching way. He shows that no matter what the situation is in life you can always make the best of it. Christopher which is a character that is sad and confused within the movie, but also shows to have a good sense of humor and imagination. The theme is making the best out of life no matter how hard it seems to be at the moment. If you are always pessimistic about the things that bring you down you will never be able to strive in life, that’s why you make the best of it and things will work out. Critics say that the movie shows a lot of emotions and uses that to capture the attention of the watcher. I think that having a little bit of emotion in a movie is good, because it give you a different perspective on how the movie can be perceived and it being the watcher in a sense of familiarity. So I do agree with the critic. My overall opinion for this movie is that it is very worth the money to watch if you want to understand a good life lesson on survival.

Guest blogger: Megan 2

The movie I chose to analyze is Dirty Dancing. This movie has many characters but it focuses on two major ones. The main characters, Johnny and Baby, meet at a fancy country club resort. Johnny is a dance instructor at the resort and Baby is staying with her rich parents at the same resort. Baby steps in and learns how to dance with Johnny because his partner is very sick. Johnny teaches Baby how to dance and come out of her shell. They slowly start to fall for each other, but run into many obstacles along the way. Johnny, played by Patrick Swayze, did an amazing job. He steps into the bad boy role with edge and great dancing. Jennifer Grey, who played the role of Baby, portrayed her character with grace and innocence. Both actors did a wonderful job. In the film Jennifer Grey’s character baby is innocent and can do no wrong. By the end of the movie she does things that people don’t expect of her. Her motivation in the movie is to become the person she has always wanted to be. Johnny is a character who is rough around the edges with a bad boy attitude. However, something in Baby makes him more sensitive. His motivation by the end of the movie is to impress Baby’s dad. The theme of the movie is breaking the mold of what people expect from you. Acting how you want and not caring about what people think. I disagree with what critics think about Dirty Dancing. The critics say that the plot is boring and tired. Although the movie is somewhat predictable, the plot and dancing are very interesting. The critic says the movie isn’t really about anything. But it is about love, courage, and acceptance. This movie is worth the time and money. It will keep you interested and entertained.