Buried

Buried (2010)
Starring: Ryan Reynolds
Directed by: Rodrigo Cortes
SC=3 V=7 C=9
Grade: B

This movie is a very difficult movie to watch. Very, very intense, which is odd because the entire movie takes place in a coffin. The ENTIRE movie takes place in a coffin. No glimpses of what people are doing outside...nothin. It's also depressing because, like I said, he's in a coffin. The only reason I graded the movie as high as I did is because Ryan Reynolds gives one of the best performances in any movie I've ever seen. He's truly incredible. He plays Paul Conroy, who is a US driver working in Iraq. After he is attacked by a group of Iraqis, he wakes up in a coffin, buried alive. With only a lighter and a cell phone, its a race against time to escape the claustrophobic deathtrap. The movie itself is claustrophobic. The person watching feels like they're trapped. Both director and the star made this a very intense, scary movie.

The Green Hornet

The Green Hornet (2011)
Starring: Seth Rogen, Jay Chou, and Cameron Diaz
Directed by: Michel Gondry
SC=4 V=6 C=5
Grade: A

Yet another superhero movie to come out this year (although this one did better than some). This is one of the few movies where I have actually liked Seth Rogen's character...that doesn't happen very much. Even cooler than Seth Rogen's character was that of his "sidekick" Jay Chou. Britt Reid (Rogen) becomes the editor of Los Angeles' "The Daily Sentinel" after his father dies. His partying ways stop, though, after he and his driver (who is also a kung fu expert) Kato (Chou) stop a robbery. Britt has a great idea that, instead of being the masked avenger, he and his sidekick Kato will pretend to be villains in order to catch the villains (trust me, it makes a lot more sense during the movie). So, as Britt (now being called The Green Hornet) and Kato set out on the biggest crime spree the city has seen, the city's other villains start to take notice. But, things don't work out exactly as the pair planned. Make sure to watch for a cameo from James Franco and a minor character played by Edward Furlong, the original John Connor from T2.

Flipped

Flipped (2010)
Starring: Callan McAuliffe, Madeline Carroll, and John Mahoney
Directed and Written by: Rob Reiner
SC=3 V=2 C=3
Grade: A+

This movie is ADORABLE! I love Rob Reiner's movies (Stand by Me is my favorite movie of all time) and this one is no exception. Juli Baker fell in love with Bryce Loski the moment they met, when they were little. And she is even more in love with him now. She's also convinced that he reciprocates these feelings. But, as you see Bryce's side of the story, you realize not only does he not feel the same way, he actually dislikes Juli Baker. He dislikes the way she follows him around all the time, the way she sticks up for a stupid tree, and the way she won't stop giving him eggs from her chickens. Then, in eighth grade, everything changes. All of a sudden, Bryce thinks her unusual interests are kind of cool. And Juli starts to think that maybe Bryce's gorgeous blue eyes are as empty as the rest of him. Just when Juli almost gives up on Bryce is when he realizes he doesn't want her to give up on him. Madeline Carroll is really good as Juli, but Callan McAuliffe (who was in I Am Number Four after this movie) really makes the movie with his adorable performance as Bryce. A great new Rob Reiner classic.

X-Men: First Class

X-Men: First Class (2011)
Starring: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Jennifer Lawrence
Directed by: Matthew Vaughn
SC=4 V=6 C=4
Grade: A++

I love all of the X-Men movies. It's one of my favorite trilogies of all time. This is the best one of all. Not only that, it's the best movie I've seen this year (tied with Battle: LA and Super 8). Charles Xavier (McAvoy), before he becomes Professor X, is a normal guy on the outside, but what no one sees is that he's a mutant. He can not only read other people's minds but can see what has happened to them. Raven (Lawrence), before she was Mystique, was Charles' childhood friend. They meet Erik Lehnsherr (Fassbender), before he becomes Magneto. A friendship begins to form between Charles and Erik as they search for other mutants using a device called Cerebro invented by Hank McCoy (played by Nicholas Hoult), who will later become Beast. They find Angel (played by Zoe Kravitz), Darwin (played by Edi Gathegi), Banshee (played by Caleb Jones), and, my favorite, Havok (played by Lucas Till). Together, they set out to stop Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon), who is trying to start WWIII. Kevin Bacon plays a good bad guy, as does January Jones (she's awesome.) Michael Fassbender is great. Jennifer Lawrence is wonderful, as usual. James McAvoy is the scene stealer in this movie, even outdoing Patrick Stuart.

Thor

Thor (2011)
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, and Anthony Hopkins
Director: Kenneth Branagh
SC=4 V=6 C=4
Grade: A

The only thing I knew about Thor before seeing this movie was that the little girl in Adventures in Babysitting was obsessed with him. Even though that is one of my favorite movies, it was not enough to make me excited about seeing this movie. However, I loved it. It's not my favorite superhero movie, but close (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and Iron Man are above it...I think the new Batman, The Avengers, and the new Spiderman should join these favorites pretty soon). In this movie, Thor (Hemsworth) is cast out of the realm of Asgard by his father (Hopkins) because he is very arrogant. He is sent to Earth, where he is found by a scientist named Jane Foster (Portman). As they try to figure out where he came from, a war is brewing in Asgard as a new villain bent on taking over the kingdom emerges. Thor must choose between saving his old world and staying in his new world with his new love. Overall, good acting. Natalie Portman is her usual awesome self and Chris Hemsworth surprises with more talent than his younger brother has showed so far.

Kung Fu Panda 2

Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)
Starring: Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, and Dustin Hoffman
Directed by: Jennifer Yuh
SC=2 V=3 C=1
Grade: A+

I liked the original Kung Fu Panda. And this one beat it hands down. I loved it (I might have been tired that day and thought everything was super funny...idk). It was hilarious. I love Jack Black, even when he isn't actually on the screen. In this movie, Po (Black) and the Furious Five (one of which is Jolie) are practicing their kung fu when they find out that a peacock who's parents used to rule China is wanting to get his kingdom back. He's also developed a weapon that will destroy kung fu. Very funny movie. Adorable characters, too.

How Do You Know

How Do You Know (2010)
Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, and Owen Wilson
Directed and Written by: James L. Brooks
SC=6 V=2 C=4
Grade: B+

I love Reese Witherspoon (as anyone who has read my info will know) and she was great in this movie. She is such a strong, confident woman and she is such a neat actresses to watch. Paul Rudd is equally enjoyable. Owen Wilson...eh, but hey, it's Owen Wilson. Lisa (Witherspoon) is a great softball player, but the coach decides she's too old. So he cuts her. She's kind of going out with a famous ball player named Matty (Wilson), who is stuck on himself and hardly ever listens to her. One day, a couple days after she meets Matty, she meets George (Rudd), who is a lawyer who has just been informed that he's being indicted. Lisa has more in common with George, so when she breaks up with Matty, she turns to him. It isn't long before Matty has talked her into coming back to him, but George thinks he might be in love with Lisa. But, of course, things get worse for George before the get better...much worse, in fact. Oh, and Jack Nicholson is Paul Rudd's dad. Just thought I'd mention...