The Time Traveler's Wife

Eh.
My Rating: C

How to Train Your Dragon

How to Train Your Dragon
(That’s what she said!)
Remember those old fairy tales you used to watch as a kid that made you want to go outside and play? To pretend to be a part of them? To make you feel alive? Its amazing how every so often a movie comes along that can make you feel like that even as an adult. How to Train Your Dragon is exactly that kind of feel good movie that lifts you out of your seat into the unexpected; of course, the flying helps with that, too.
Hiccup is your village runt with something to prove. As the son of lead Viking, Stoick, he dreams of being the hero, getting the girl and of course being the first to kill a Knight Fury. Thankfully, he is also a super brianiac with an amazing heart which leads to the ultimate journey of attempting to unite the Vikings with the oh so misunderstand fire breathers.
After building an unyielding bond over a couple of raw fish heads with the cuddlesome Toothless, Hiccup defies his father and the rest of the town in order to save his friend from certain death. A stereotypical plot with a surprisingly unpredictable finale, Dragons will leave you guessing what will happen next. Plus the flying was really cool. Did I mention the flying yet? One thing about this one if for sure: dragons + Vikings + unlikely heroes = total awesomeness!
My Rating: A+

Top Ten of 2009

With Oscar buzz around the corner, and many prizes already awarded out, it just makes one realize how many bad movies there really are out there. However, that list is for another time. Now, it’s time for Robin’s top ten films of the year. From dramadies to romance, this list should have something for everyone.

10. The Young Victoria

Okay, I know what you’re thinking: Chick Flick, right? Well, that absolutely true. Emily Blunt eloquently personifies the young and naïve Queen Victoria in the earliest years of her reign, as she battles her controlling mother, sometimes ill-advised Lord Melbourne, and her own passionate feelings for Prince Albert. And even though this sounds like absolute torture compared to the freight fest you may have gotten out of a movie like Paranormal Activity, at least it will give a heads up on some English History while you cuddle up to the one you love. We’ve all got to take that hit sometimes.

9. I Love You, Man

And now a reward for male readers after enduring the first review. We all need a little comedy in our lives, just like we need good friends to enjoy it with. Paul Rudd and Jason Segel’s perfect chemistry make I Love You, Man, a bromance to remember. I had Rush stuck in my head for weeks as I, too, began to take some time away from the boyfriend and realize that I was missing out on some much needed girl time.

8. Monsters vs. Aliens

San Francisco may have been the dream for Susan, but the reality was for her to become Ginormica! Reese Witherspoon blows up into a true role model for young girls. Instead of sitting around waiting for a man to do all the work, she takes action and proves that even a simple girl can take on a whole space ship full of aliens. But having a few other monsters around helps, too.

7. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

I absolutely cannot watch this movie without a cheeseburger. But it’s not just the food that will tantalize your attention. It also has a taste for the unusual. The last thirty minutes alone make for one of the strangest films I have ever seen. That, along with a great story and a love for my inner nerd, allowed Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs make this list. Now I’m off to get my burger.

6. Adam

While not in wide release, this independent film managed to show how complex human emotions can be, even when they are not expressed. Hugh Dancy shines in his performance as Adam, a young man who suffers from Asperger Syndrome. Rose Byrne plays the unsuspecting female who happens to fall for him when she moves next door. Not just another chick flick, Adam is about how we choose the right partner to spend our lives with, and whether we are capable of making sacrifices to keep it.

5. Star Trek

Once again, my nerd is showing. However, I am redeemed in saying that I have never seen another film or episode by this franchise. My ability to enjoy it without feeling left out was just an example of the well crafted reboot J.J. Abrams succeeded in achieving. Not to mention, the hot cast. Still, the story behind these much loved and iconic characters not only kept them alive, but acted as a rebirth.

4. An Education

Who doesn’t love a smart-talking, fast-witted kid get knocked flat on her face? Well, that isn’t really what happens in An Education. In fact, Carey Mulligan is perhaps one of the most likable elements about this film, with her ability to keep on truckin no matter what the obstacle. One thing was clearly evident: lesson learned.

3. Up!

Why so many animated feature on the list? Because they are just that good. On top of being the most original films that come out each year, movies like Up! bring the kid right back out of us even though where watching an elderly man have the adventure of a lifetime. This heartfelt family film took us to heights we never thought possible with just a couple of tanks full of helium and a few talking dogs.

2. Avatar

Who wouldn’t love a whole planet full of naked blue people who look like professional basketball players? Aside from that, James Cameron managed to create an entire world with such fascinating creatures and people. Even the plant-life kept me on the edge of my chair.

1. And the Winner is…

Up in the Air

The sky is the limit for Jason Reitman, for this well adapted screenplay, which gives us a look at the life of the man struggling with the thought of commitment. A struggle that has such a tight hold on him, that he ends work relationships with people for a living. If there were a leading lady strong enough to bust open that baggage and stowaway, Vera Farmiga is the one to do it. Her brutal but honest character adds extra flavor to that already quite tasteful performance by George Clooney, that will certainly leave him changed in some way. How? Well, as of right now, that’s all up in the air.