My energy level has taken a dive here in the third trimester, and so I find that curling up in front of a movie with my husband has been especially enjoyable lately. We keep meaning to get out and explore the nearby Grover Cleveland Forest, but I’m lucky if I walk around the lake a few times a week and fit in one or two sessions of Bikram pregnancy yoga. The problem with a long hike is that is seriously interferes with my naptime!
Here are some of the movies I’ve seen in the theater recently:
The Bank Job (IMDb 7.8/10.0) - I give this movie a solid B+. It was much better than I expected with a somewhat complex plot and good pacing. Jason Statham, a British version of Bruce Willis, plays his role just right, and of course, I love that he chooses his wife over the flashy model-type of his past. It’s the story of pretty huge bank robbery pulled off by amateurs in London some thirty years ago – based on a true story!
Semi-Pro (IMDb 6.1/10.0) – Big groan. Seldom do I groan when we go out to the movies; we see so many movies at home through Netflix that when we actually pay to go to the theater we usually see ones worth the $20-$30 for two tickets. And yes, I do like Will Farrell. I thought Talledega Nights was hilarious, but give Semi-Pro a pass, unless you want to watch Farrell be a big baby and repeatedly pretend to puke. Woody Harrelson’s few scenes were the only moments I could bear. This movie gets a C-.
and at home:
The Island (IMDb 6.9/10.0) -Â Bella’s been studying genetics in her biology class and wanted to watch this one with us. (She thought it was great, even though she says she hates sci-fi. It’s kinda like how she says she loves road trips, but didn’t count the drive up to san fran as a road trip…) The Island is in the same vein as, but not as good as Gattica, Twelve Monkeys, or The Minority Report, but being that it was directed by Michael Bay, there were some fantastic visuals. Also, the car chase sequence is top-notch. Ever want to see an armored truck do multiple flips? You can here. The memorable visuals and Ewan McGregor’s acting boosts this movie to a solid B.
Terminator I (IMDb 8.0/10.0) and Terminator II (IMDb 8.4/10.0) – Holy cow, I had no idea that these two were directed by James Cameron of Titanic fame. Or that T2 won four academy awards. Or that both of these are in IMBd’s Top 250 Movies of All Time list. I missed these both when they came out because either I was too snotty to watch something called “Terminator” or out of the country, where I was also too snotty to watch something called “Terminator.” I got sucked into watching these because of an excellent series on TV right now (the season just ended) called “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.” And no wonder the series is so well done, Cameron is writing the episodes. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for Cameron though; is five marriages a worthwhile price for a successful career as a director/writer?