Catch and Release

Catch and Release (2006)
Starring: Jennifer Garner, Timothy Olyphant, and Kevin Smith
Written and Directed by: Susannah Grant
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Grade: A++

This movie is amazing. I know, it has Timothy Olyphant (I've seen almost all of his movies!!!) and most of his movies are amazing, but still. This one has Jennifer Garner, another one of my favorites (Alias anyone??). Gray (Garner), after the death of her fiance, has to move in with his old roommates, because she can no longer afford the house she and her fiance were going to stay in. These roommates are Dennis and Sam (Smith), but the house has also expanded to fit Fritz (Olyphant), who is the fiance's best friend who has come for his funeral, but also decides to stay and help Gray. They don't get along at all. Their relationship gets even worse after Gray finds out about Maureen (Juliette Lewis), who her fiance had been having an affair with for many years...it even turns out that he had a child with this woman. When the woman turns up at the house, can Gray find it in her heart to forgive her for what she did? Or will things get even uglier than they were before?

Movie Review: Hoot

Hoot (2006)
Starring: Logan Lerman and Brie Larson
Characters: Roy Eberhardt and Beatrice the Bear
Directed by: Wil Shriner
Tagline: It's time to stand up for the little guys.
Grade: A+

I LOVE this movie. It was one of my very, very favorite books. And it has Logan Lerman in it which is an epic win. (This was his pre-Percy Jackson days...AKA pre-cool days.) Roy has just moved to a new town (in Florida). While there, he meets new friends, Beatrice and her step-brother, Mullet Fingers and also, the bully. Mullet Fingers tells Roy about this pancake house that was going to build their building on top of owl's nests. And they decide to fight against it. Add in music from Jimmy Buffet (who plays a teacher, too) and...Logan Lerman, this movie is awesome. Watch it...now.

Just finished: Footloose
Watching now: Sixteen Candles
Excited to see: Letters to Juliet

Movie Review: Operation: Stormbreaker

Operation: Stormbreaker (2006)
Starring: Alex Pettyfer and Alicia Silverstone
Characters: Alex Rider and Jack Starbright
Directed by: Geoffrey Sax
Tagline: You're never too young to die
Grade: A

This movie is awesome. I've loved the books for a long, long time. (And yes, the books are better than the movie...but what books aren't?) Alex Pettyfer is just about the perfect Alex and Alicia Silverstone is a great Jack Starbright. And, the movie has Damien Lewis in it...with a Russian accent?!?!?! Epic win! So, the movie is about Alex Rider. After his uncle (who he thought was a banker, but is really a spy for MI6) dies, MI6 contacts Alex and threatens to have Jack's visa revoked. He goes on a mission to Cornwall to investigate an odd deal made by Darrius Sayle, a computer tycoon who has given a free Stormbreaker computer to every school in England. The Stormbreaker is an amazing new computer. But what the entire country doesn't know is that Sayle is actually trying to take revenge against his high school enemy, the Prime Minister, by releasing a form of the smallpox vaccine from the computers. Alex rushes out of the plant in Cornwall, with the help of some trusty gadgets, and saves the day...and gets the girl, speaking of which, Sabina doesn't come into the books until the third book...I wish they wouldn't have changed that, cause they changed her entire character. If they were to make another movie, I would be very surprised if they do, they'd have to completely change Sabina's character so everything makes sense...I guess I just don't understand why they have to change the books so much.
-MOT

Just finished: A Far Off Place
Watching now: Ferris Buller's Day Off
Excited to see: Eclipse :)

Movie Review: Unaccompanied Minors

Unaccompanied Minors (2006)
Starring: Dyllan Christopher and Gia Mantegna
Characters: Spencer Davenport and Grace Conrad
Directed by: Paul Feig
Tagline: Silent night...yeah, right.
Grade: A-

I like family movies...that should be fairly obvious by now. And this one is no different. While some of the lines are a little bad and some of the acting is sorry, it's overall a pretty good movie. It's about a group of kids traveling on planes without their parents (or unaccompanied minors) that get stuck at Hoover International Airport. The group, which consists of Spencer, Grace, Charlie Goldfinch, Beef Wellington, and Donna Malone, is chased by the airport's passenger relations officer, Oliver Porter. After they escape from the UM room, they are caught by Zach Van Bourke, Porter, and the guards. While the rest of the kids get to spend a relaxing night in the lodge, they have to stay in the abandoned room. They escape from the room, and continue to elude Porter...having a chase through the luggage sorting room is one of my favorite scenes. So, overall a good, heartwarming family movie. I would probably reccomend it to other people, esp as a family Christmas movie.
-MOT

Just finished: Operation: Stormbreaker
Watching now: A Far Off Place
Excited to see: Letters to Juliet