Man on a Ledge (2012)

As a police psychologist works to talk down an ex-con who is threatening to jump from a Manhattan hotel rooftop, the biggest diamond heist ever committed is in motion. 

   A typical heist movie, but heist movies tend to be more interesting than the average action movie, so brownie points for that. Most of the heist activities are deliciously unrealistic and there are several "Oh, he would be dead" moments, but these movies demand the audience suspends their disbelief. The plot unfolds very nicely - if you didn't want the trailer or, like I, kept getting the movie confused with Liv Tyler's "The Ledge", it's all pretty surprising and suspenseful. The casting choices seemed a bit odd at first; I hadn't seen Elizabeth Banks in a lead role in a long time and then mostly it was comedies, but she was pretty good. Sam Worthington was playing himself, he's pretty stoic, but he has an earnest, strong face. You root for him. Jamie Bell and his female co-star were strange. I had trouble believing Bell and the young woman playing his girlfriend was a pretty offensive (or at least ridiculous) stereotype. She was basically there to flash some boob and some butt. I know people who love heist movies. If you're one of them, you'll like this flick.

Winnie the Pooh (2011)

Eyeore has lost his tail, and Winnie the Pooh and his friends hold a contest to get him a new one. 

    This was an adorable movie. I grew up with Pooh and seeing in this theaters surrounded by little kids made me proud to be part of something that binds the young at heart forever. It was very old-school Disney, with the beautiful animation and narrator work, but at the same time it had a snappier sense of humor which updated the film. All of my favorite characters were present in their finest form and I fell in love with them all over again. The pure innocence of this animation is lost in so many other movies for children. Winnie the Pooh is timeless. He doesn't need to change to appeal to a new generation.

Super 8 (2011)

After witnessing a mysterious train crash, a group of friends in the summer of 1979 begin noticing strange happenings going around in their small town, and begin to investigate into the creepy phenomenon. 

     This movie was undeniably Spielberg-influenced. The kids riding on the bikes was so E.T., even the young actor playing the lead reminded me of Elliot. That gave the film this beautiful retro feel, and the setting of the late '70's didn't hurt either. 

     The linear detective work of the kids in trying to figure out what is going on kept the plot under control, but the climax of the film was a little too Close Encounters in its hugeness, though there was some excellent symbolism. 

   The major strength of the film is that it uses the epic alien storyline to relate simple lessons on growing up, grief and family. It isn't about the special effects or gore, its heart is relationships and humanness. This fact makes the movie stand out in the pack of science fiction.

Bridesmaids (2011)

Picked as her best friend's maid of honor, lovelorn and broke Annie looks to bluff her way through the expensive and bizarre rituals with an oddball group of bridesmaids. 

 

   And so my beloved Kristen Wiig has her own movie. And what a movie. It has been described as "The Hangover" for girls and I totally believe it. It's crass and quirky and painful and random. Kristen plays up the personality she's known for, hapless, insecure, anxiety-ridden, and makes the audience want so badly for things to go well for her, because we see a bit of ourselves in her. I was so glad to see Maya Rudolph again, I've missed her since she left SNL and she did not disappoint either. The rest of the cast of women is equally brilliant as they work to steal scene after scene from each other. This is a really fun movie, but not for the faint of heart. 

The Tree of Life (2011)

The story centers around a family with three boys in the 1950s. The eldest son witnesses the loss of innocence. 

   I...don't even know where to begin with this movie. It has some big names in it. Promising other leads. Excellent child actors. An interesting story premise of family and gender dynamics, grief, and innocence. For me, it was bizarre. 

   Things seemed normal enough until the film stepped back from the family dealing with the loss of a 19-year old son to what appeared to be the creation of the cosmos. It was beautiful, sure, with huge nebula clouds billowing to the sound of an opera chorus and we sat in awe for a few moments. Time passed. We were still staring at nebula. More time passed. The earth was formed. We got twitchy. The ocean teemed with tiny plant life. Then the dinosaurs came. I looked at the person sitting next to me and he said, almost desperately, "What the hell?" 

   That was the phrase in my mind for most of the movie. There were brilliant scenes centered around the main story with fights in the family from the 1950's as the boys grew older, Brad Pitt did an excellent job, but then there would be breaking from the story and creepy whispering like, "Father. Mother. You wrestle inside me." 

   It was so long. The ending dragged on and on. Bizarre symbols like a beach populated by strangers with candles while Sean Penn and his younger counterpart walked with their parents. A door to nowhere. It was like Malick had so many ideas and instead of writing down ideas for a bunch of movies, he decided to shove it all into one. And apparently one of those movies was the history of the world.

Cars (2006)

A hot-shot race-car named Lightning McQueen gets waylaid in Radiator Springs, where he finds the true meaning of friendship and family. 

    Yes, it did take me about four years to see this movie, completing the list of then-released Pixar movies I had seen. I really had no interest in this movie. It was about cars. Cars are not interesting. And I don't like Owen Wilson.

   That being said, I saw it because a friend had it and insisted I see it. Trusting him as a fellow Pixar devotee, I watched it on my computer during the school year. I was pleasantly surprised. The story was not super insane or anything, it did what Pixar does best: simple, well-done storytelling. And yes, the car puns did abound, but the themes and emotions behind the cars were strong enough to withstand the gloss of somewhat childish humor. 

   This is not my favorite Pixar movie, but it was sweet and sincere.

Megamind (2010)

After super-villain Megamind (Ferrell) kills his good-guy nemesis, Metro Man (Pitt), he becomes bored since there is no one left to fight. He creates a new foe, Titan (Hill), who, instead of using his powers for good, sets out to destroy the world, positioning Megamind to save the day for the first time in his life.

   So I have seen this movie several times now and quote random excerpts from it to anyone who will understand me, and not always then. For a non-Pixar animation movie, this is a home run. Much of it is due to a very funny script and excellent deliveries by Ferrell and Fey, who have both worked on Saturday Night Live. Their sense of timing sets them apart from a lot of comedians and makes the characters sparkle with personality. 

     The story begins as a classic bad vs. good, but twists it around when it focuses on the villain. This automatically makes the movie interesting. Initially I thought the premise too similar to Despicable Me which came out around the same time, but they are very different and I personally found Megamind to be a fuller, better executed film. If given the choice, go for Megamind instead.