Fright Night

Fright Night (2011)
Starring: Anton Yelchin, Colin Ferrell, and David Tennant
Directed by: Craig Gillespie
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Grade: A+

This is a remake of a movie of the same name from 1985. Although it was called a remake, it is really more of a sequel, with some of the same characters from the original movie. Teenager Charley Brewster (Yelchin) thinks that his new neighbor (Ferrell) is a vampire that is responsible for a number of recent deaths. When not even his girlfriend Amy (Imogen Poots) and his mother (Toni Colette) believe him, he insists the help of Peter Vincent (Tennant), a self-proclaimed vampire killer and Las Vegas magician, to help him take down Jerry before Jerry attacks him. I loved this movie! I haven't seen the 1985 version, so I wouldn't have anything to compare it to. However, I found this an exciting and even humorous movie. Anton Yelchin (probably known to most people as the teenage Kyle Reese in Terminator Salvation) is a very likable hero and Colin Ferrell is a very scary vampire. Overall, very enjoyable movie.

The Lorax

The Lorax (2012)
Starring: Zac Efron, Taylor Swift, and Danny DeVito
Directed by: Chris Renaud and Kyle Balda
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Grade: B

The film follows the basic plot of the book, but understandably adds much to the basic structure. Ted (Efron) is a 12-year-old boy living in Thneedville, a city where everything, including the plant life, is commercialized and plastic. Wanting to impress Audrey (Swift), he seeks out the Once-ler (Ed Helms), who he hopes can tell him where to find a real tree. The Once-ler tells him a story of his past, about how he made the first Thneed and the Lorax (DeVito) who warned him of the destruction it would bring. While the movie itself is enjoyable, the characters are one dimensional, the story seems a little rushed, and the message of saving the environment is not as subtle as in other movies, such as Wall-E. While it Wall-E, you barely noticed it, in this movie, it smacks you over the head with a brick. The movie itself is gorgeous and the characters are adorable, just a little lacking in the story department.