I Already Know What I'm Dressing Up As for Halloween

Just last week, the trailer for the new comedy Let's Be Cops was released revealing what looks to be one of the comedies of the summer.

The film tackles the lives of two pals (Damon Wayans Jr. and Jake Johnson) who seem to be going through an apparent mid-life crisis. But they're only 30.

Just when they're about to hit rock bottom, the two decide to go out for a little party. Jake Johnson (New Girl) mistakes a masquerade party for a costume party resulting in the two going as cops. But this little mistake turns out better than they expected. Every single person they run into thinks that the duo are cops.

The two take advantage of this and take it to a whole new level. They crash parties, do a fair share of drugs, and even get a cop car off the internet.

Let's just say that they realize they might have taken it a little too far. Only, they're too deep to pull out. Who knows? They might even do some police work themselves.

Being that this is a Damon Wayans Jr. movie, it could go both ways. His previous films contained humorless and cheesy lines that just ruined each movie as a whole. However, with a star-packed film such as Let's Be Cops, it might be enough to put Wayans's name back out there. Personally, I believe the trailer does a really good job of executing hilarious scenes with great timing.  It captured not only my attention, but the attention of all the people I showed it to. I will definitely be purchasing a ticket for this comedy.

Check out the red band trailer below!

Yay for Democracy!

I am normally not the type of guy that spends most of his time watching documentaries. So when my history teacher informed us that we were going to watch a documentary on the Arab Spring, I was not excited. At all.

Little did I know, two minutes in and I would already be hooked. A Whisper to a Roar starts out with an animated segment that symbolizes the fight for democracy and how it isn't the job of one person to stand up for others, but job of a nation united. The film documents the series of events that have taken place in the countries of Malaysia, Egypt, Ukraine, and Zimbabwe that have led to the fight for freedom from an authoritarian government.

From a Facebook page in Egypt, to a student-led protest in Venezuela, A Whisper to a Roar demonstrates  just how powerful the people of a country can be. It's a story of citizens discovering the true power they hold and how much influence they have in the shaping of their country. And honestly, it's pretty awesome.

This movie is a great example of how much a government is afraid of their people. They do all they can to stop the opposition forces. Time after time the government oppresses their people through murders, "non-functional" polling stations, and even chemical warfare. But no matter how hard they try, the people fight back and keep defending the human rights they deserve.

Overall, A Whisper to a Roar is an excellent documentary that will inform you of the struggles going on in the world. I did not know that Malaysia was going through such great change; nor did I know Zimbabwe had such a malevolent President. Frankly, I didn't know any of these things were going on! But I'm glad I watched it. The only thing that denotes this film is the way it ends.

Most of these uprisings are current events (especially Ukraine). But that doesn't mean the film has to end as a cliff hanger. The overall goal of executing an overall sum to the documentary was done poorly. I sat there saying to myself, "That's it?"

I highly recommend you see A Whisper to a Roar. It may not be at the top of your list, but it should definitely be on the list of films to watch. If it weren't for that crappy ending, I'd give it a higher score; but for now, it's a 7.8/10.

Worth. Every. Minute.

You have no idea how long I have heard the phrase, "Run, Forrest, run!" Frankly, I didn't know why people said it. I knew it was from Forrest Gump, but I didn't know what all the hype was about. Well, last night, I finally got around to watching what was probably one of the most captivating movies of all time; Forrest Gump.

It all started with a man named Forrest (Tom Hanks). Born with an IQ of 75, Forrest isn't necessarily the smartest guy on earth; but he sure is the most talented one. The film is told from the perspective of Gump while sitting at a bus stop. From becoming a nationally recognized football player, to receiving the Medal of Honor after fighting in Vietnam, Forrest Gump sure has had one hell of a life.

Yet, even though his life is pretty amazing, his heart cannot be completed without the love of his life, Jenny Curan (Robin Wright). Throughout the whole movie, Forrest refers back to Jenny multiple times. But Jenny doesn't necessarily feel the same way about him. Time after time, Jenny breaks poor Forrest's heart; and time after time, Forrest continues to love the girl that made him feel special.

This is one of those romantic comedies that will have you glued to the TV until the very end. Tom Hanks's performance is captivating and emotionally moving throughout the whole film. He delivers his role with such innocence that it makes the movie seem even more realistic. You get attached to his character and even feel every bit of emotion Forrest Gump goes through: the heartbreaks, the sorrow, the warm love.

But one of the things that frustrated me the most as a viewer was how poorly Jenny Curan treated him. I mean yeah the guy isn't the most intelligent, but that doesn't mean you ditch him whenever you feel like it. I later realized that's all part of the big picture. The movie is filled with symbolism.

I happened to watch the AMC run of the film which showed story notes throughout the film. Otherwise I never would've known that the change in hairstyles represents the emotional growth of certain characters. It's actually pretty interesting. Take a look here.

I definitely recommend Forrest Gump to all of you. It won't disappoint. It's a great mixture of comedy, tragedy, a bit of action, and romance. It'll make you think twice when complaining about your life. This movie gets a highly deserved 9/10.

A Hangover With No Alcohol?

Finally, the trilogy has come to an end. The crazy adventure of four guys is now done forever.

In this finale to the classic movies, Phil, Doug, Stu, and the rest of Alan's family decide Alan should get treated for his mental problems. On their way to Arizona, the wolfpack is kidnapped and taken to a gangster named Marshall (John Goodman). Marshall is looking for the one and only Mr. Chow (Ken Jeong). As collateral, Marshall takes Doug until Phil, Stu, and Alan find the escaped convict that is Chow. Oh, and did I mention Chow stole $21 million in gold?

The Hangover Part III  was a disappointment in all aspects. I expected a hilarious film with great actors. All I got was dry-humorless comedy. I have to give credit to the writers though. The plot overall was clever. Having it all tie back to the first first movie was a smart move. However, even though the story line proved swift, it didn't incorporate certain traits of humor that the previous movies contained. I mean, why call it a 'hangover' if they don't even get drunk?

The producers should have known from previous experience how much they needed to improve. The Hangover Part II barely delivered with critics and that was because it resembled the first movie. I can understand why the writers created a whole different story instead of the traditional "three guys get drunk and one disappears" plot. But for Pete's sake at least make it a bit funny!

Zach Galifianakis's role of Alan was just lame. In fact, Alan seemed "a few screws short" throughout the movie. Nothing like his performance in the previous films. There were some hilarious scenes such as the clip where Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms), and Alan go to a "Gold for Pawn" shop in Vegas where Alan meets the love of his life, Cassie (Melissa McCarthy). Let's just say is an awkward-gross kind of chemistry going on.

I expected a lot more from the end to such an epic trilogy but they left me hanging. I laughed maybe four times throughout the whole movie. But, if you are a strong Hangover fan, I suggest you watch it because you might get a laugh out of it. I know I couldn't. The Hangover Part III gets a 5/10.

''Cowboys & Aliens.'" "What?" "Exactly."

What do you get when you throw aliens into the old west? Boredom. You get nothing but boredom.

In 2011, the sci-fi thriller-attempted action film hit theaters starring some of Hollywood's biggest stars such as Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, and Olivia Wilde. The result, a poorly developed plot with emotionless protagonists.

The film opens up with a beat up cowboy who just woke up in the middle of the desert with no recognition of who he is. Strangely, he has a metal bracelet on his wrist that turns into a gigantic gun. He stumbles upon the town of Absolution, Arizona where people aren't too friendly. As always, there is the gunslinger in the western story, and in Cowboys & Aliens, it happens to be Woodrow Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford).

When Dolarhyde gallops into town to get his son out of jail, he meets the lone cowboy with a weird shackle on his wrist (Daniel Craig). As they are about to get into a heated gunfight, out of nowhere, alien spaceships swoop down and completely destroy the town. They don't leave empty handed though, they take hostages. One of those hostages happens to be Dolarhyde's son. Woodrow teams up with Jake Lonergan (Daniel Craig), and Ella Swenson (Olivia Wilde) to stand up for the small town of Absolution. Little do they know, it could mean the end of the world.

Cowboys & Aliens is one of those movies that doesn't make sense. The two concepts just don't connect. The plot doesn't make it any better. This movie had a lot of potential to do well. But nope. All that was flushed down the drain leaving a dry-dumbed-down story line. It started out with some great classic action sequences; but once those aliens dropped by, it went downhill.

Daniel Craig also didn't express enough emotion. He seemed "too cool" for the role. Olivia Wilde seemed to weave in and out of scenes, and the alien invasion made no sense.

The few battle scenes kept me going. But to be honest, I fell asleep before I got to the ending. I really had high hopes for this movie. Sadly, it was a disappointment. Cowboys & Aliens gets a 5.5/10.

A Trip Back to the 80's.

As I was digging through my dad's box of old VHS cassettes, I stumbled upon Beverly Hills Cop. I had never heard of this movie but being an Eddie Murphy fan, I decided to sit down and watch it. Truth is, I really enjoyed it.

Beverly Hills Cop is the story of Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy), a Detroit police officer who gets into a lot of trouble when solving cases. But when his old friend comes to visit him and gets murdered, Foley embarks on an investigation to find the stone-hearted man that killed his best friend.

Axel Foley travels to Beverly hills and teams up with his high school friend Jenny Summers (Lisa Eilbacher) to hunt down the murderer. Along the way, he gets into some trouble and has to deal with two detectives following him around (Judge Reinhold and John Ashton). Let's just say Eddie Murphy gets more than he bargained for when he learns that there's more to the whole story.

Beverly Hills Cop is a great action comedy with Eddie Murphy's foul-mouth making it even better. The whole plot and action sequences make this '84 film stand out. Axel Foley is a hilarious character that cracks jokes almost every scene making me almost choke on my popcorn because I was laughing so hard. Sure the film is a bit centered on Eddie Murphy, but that saves the movie from being boring. The film wouldn't be as great if it were not for his persona. Other famous film critics weren't too fond of the film. But I leave it up to you. I'm positive you'll get a kick out of it. I give it an 8/10.

For a different perspective on the movie, take a look at Roger Ebert's view on the movie.

"Remember, Remember, the Fifth of November."

"People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people."

Every time I attempt to watch V for Vendetta I happen to leave and never finish the movie. Well now, I can happily say, I have watched all 130 minutes of it. And man was it a great film!

The first time around I didn't understand what exactly was going on. But now that I sat through it, it all makes sense.

The movie takes place in an alternate future where England is one of the supreme powers of the world governed by a totalitarian government that has created a "perfect" society. Here's the catch. In this alternate future, Germany won WWII and America is basically going through hell. England has gained power and seized all riots in its country to create "peace."

V for Vendetta has two general plots; one encompasses the other. The first plot addresses "V." V is a victim of a secret experiment done by the government of England only to go wrong. Everyone basically dies in a crazy fire. V then seeks revenge against those who put him through all that suffering. Since V was in the fire, his entire body was burnt. Which is why he wears a Guy Fawkes mask and a body suit.

The second encompassing plot concerns the revolution of the people of England led by none other than V himself. In this version of England, everything is religious based. No homosexuality, no sins, etc.. V then meets Evey. Together they lead the revolution in what is one of the most thrilling movies made.

I absolutely enjoyed V for Vendetta. It contains some of the most symbolic quotes and ideas that gives the film its own impact. The story line is great, Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving do an amazing job with their roles, and the effect of the film is powerful. I highly recommend this movie to all of you. Sure there are some scenes that are slow, and you never find out the identity of V, but that's the idea.

"Beneath this mask there is more than flesh. Beneath this mask there is an idea, Mr. Creedy, and ideas are bulletproof."

V for Vendetta receives an 8.9/10.