The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (Luftslottet Som Sprängdes) (2009)

A worthy conclusion to the trilogy. Not nearly as engaging as the first two, but a solid effort. I'm really looking forward to the remakes and seeing how they compare to the Swedish versions.

Rating: B

Homegrown (1998)

A more serious action/drama oriented pot movie, as opposed to the usual comedic fare that we usually get. (Cheech and Chong, Half Baked, etc). Billy Bob Thornton and Hank Azaria were both fun to watch. Entertaining movie.

Rating: C

Elite Squad (Tropa de Elite) (2007)

I heard Elite Squad 2 was doing well at Sundance, so I thought I’d check out the first one. It's a gritty, violent drama about the gang ruled favelas, corrupt cops, and an elite squad of vigilante cops. Quite topical considering the recent attempts being made to clean up the favelas prior to the summer Olympics in Rio. Nothing will ever compare to the best film of the last decade, City of God, but it's worth renting.

Rating: C+

Red (2010)

Funny, but I would have preferred the humor even darker. The action was surprisingly amped up for a PG-13 movie. I appreciated that. Not sure I bought into the romance between Willis and Parker. Still, a very entertaining film with a cheeseball ending.

Rating: C+

Suicide Kings (1997)

Christopher Walken does a really good job in this movie--and the amazing thing is, he spent most of the time sitting on his ass. This one is worth renting.

Rating: C+

Easy A (2010)

Cute at times. I especially liked her parents. I think I have a secret man-crush on Stanley Tucci. I had a hard time getting past the preposterous plot though. It was as far fetched as the high school she went to. Can't they at least try to make it remotely close to what high school is really like? This was borderline sci-fi.

Rating: D+

The American (2010)

The thinking man's thriller, if that man is going 15 mph in the carpool lane. Slow, but beautiful. It's a well crafted trip to nowhere. Yeah, I get the redemption angle. That doesn't make the film any more exciting or enjoyable.

Rating: C-

The Wings of the Dove (1997)

The cinematography was great and I enjoyed the simple story, but I'll never warm up to the idea of a love story ending in tragedy, as this one did. I want to feel good at the end, not depressed.

Rating: C-

Takers (2010)

For a heist flick with mostly B actors, this was surprisingly good. Lots of action, including a fantastic foot chase scene. Plot held together ok. Acting was decent. It’s the low brow version of The Town. 

Rating: C+

Buried (2010)

Why was I expecting a happy ending? I spent the movie feeling uncomfortable, sleepy, and wishing he would just run out of oxygen so I could watch something else. On the plus side, it made me recall fond memories of the Kill Bill coffin scene. Now that's how it's done.

Rating: D

The House of Yes (1997)

What an odd movie. The story involves incest, murder, JFK, a psychotic family, and even Tori Spelling. (She actually pulled off a decent performance)

Rating: C

The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010)

I went in with extremely low expectations and had them met. I imagine this is what watching Ghost Rider must feel like. I hope I never prove myself right.

Rating: D-

Micmacs (Micmacs à Tire-Larigot) (2009)

I'm having a hard time coming up with descriptive words. Quirky? Ramshackle? Strange? There's a story in there, but it's buried beneath a lot of unique styling. The camerawork is fantastic. Very creative. The sets too. Room for improvement with the editing. The film needed to be tighter. Still, I was intrigued and entertained throughout.

Rating: C+

Citizen Ruth (1996)

Shows the quirky sides of both the pro and anti abortion movements. Pretty good movie but left me wondering what would happen to her at the end. Felt unsatisfied after watching it.

Rating: C

Dinner For Schmucks (2010)

Another one of those movies that seems funnier during production than it is on the screen. Sure, there are a few chuckles sprinkled throughout. I also thought the mice art was pretty cool. But as a comedy, this movie fell flat.

Rating: D

Primary Colors (1998)

Like watching a documentary on the Clinton campaign, only Bill banged a lot more chicks. Billy Bob Thornton was great...so was John Travolta.

Rating: C+

The Town (2010)

It's a dramatic heist film with above average acting. I'm surprised this is being considered for awards.

Rating: C+

True Grit (2010)

Chalk this one up as a win for the Coen Brothers. A classic western tale retold through a dark, funny, gritty lens. The acting is brilliant across the board. Terrific job casting. I loved the quick witted dialogue of the young heroine. Bridges is a wonder to behold. Equal to, if not better than his washed up country singer role last Oscar season. I wasn't overwhelmed by the slow ending, but everything leading up to that was excellent.

Rating: B+

Welcome to Movie Worship

This will serve as an organized place to store my movie reviews and share them with friends. I will be adding new reviews and importing old ones from my old movie group. (They'll likely be new to you though)

Please feel free to agree or disagree in the comments section. I use a straight letter grading system.

A = Amazing
B = Great
C = Good/Average
D = Poor
F = Terrible

Most films I see are average. You'll see a lot of C's given out. Anything in the A or B range is a must see. C+'s are worth renting.

I hope you enjoy the site.