Knight and Day

Knight and Day delivers in the same way that, Iron Man and Star Trek, did last summer. It's an obvious popcorn flick/summer blockbuster, but it isn't filled with cliche one-liners and sub-par acting. The two movies that I mentioned before were relative surprises and went on to enormous success. That's what I see with, Knight and Day, a movie that at first glance might be seen as another mediocre Tom Cruise film, but in actuality is a entertaining thrill ride that just might go down as the sleeper blockbuster of the summer.

There isn't too much for me to say about the specifics of the film other than that Cruise and Diaz are an exquisite pair on-screen. Cruise really does have some of his best stuff since, Jerry Maguire, and Diaz is damn near a perfect pick to play the second lead. The on screen chemistry essentially makes the movie, but the action/stunts and the gorgeous sets come in a close second (Didn't hurt that alot of the car chase scenes were shot in Boston).

I'm not going to anoint this as my favorite movie of the summer, not even my fav. Cruise film ever, just saying that with competition like Shrek Forever After, The A Team, and Grown Ups, you should definitely go see this movie before you see those.

The Ghost Writer

What can I say really? I get this sometimes overwhelmed feeling when I see a film with the caliber of greatness that, The Ghost Writer, so convincingly displayed. I want to do the film complete and utter justice in my assessment of it, so that i can truly convey to whoever is out there reading this that it's worthy of watching. Film reviews can be an overwhelming thing, when it comes down to deciding on seeing a movie, but I don't want my thoughts on this film to be like that in any way.

So, I'll keep it very simple (Too simple, in all honesty) this film is what movies should be like, superb acting, telling sets, a thought-provoking storyline, adept camera work, a decent ending, but most importantly the lasting effect that keeps you thinking after the credits roll. The Ghost Writer, has all these things plus more and accomplishes that last part.

The Killers

Katherine Heigl and director Robert Luketic reunite in the supposed romantic, dramatic comedy/moonlighting action thriller, aptly titled, Killers. If that description is any indication of how muddled the identity of this movie is, it's not a coincidence. The pairing of these two stars would suggest that the producers of the film were going for a Rom-Com, but the trailers give a different impression (The one trailer with shirtless Ashton Kutcher, is probably one of the top marketing tools that they devised to lure in their intended demographic).

A lot of negative things have been said about the chemistry between Heigl and Kutcher in the movie, but something about it to me seemed right in the early scenes of the movie shot in Nice, France. Heigl's character, Jen Kornfeldt's, awkwardness combined with her stunning beauty and the charm of Kutcher's character, Spencer Aimes, was a welcome enough beginning to the film for this guy. But, very unrealistically three years have passed and Jen and Spencer are very happily married and set up in the suburbs with a gorgeous home and fantastic jobs. Sooner than later though the bubble of bliss surrounding the newlywed couple starts to burst, in the form of Rob Riggle (Who many saw as Officer Franklin, in the Hangover, from last summer) whose character a co-worker of Spencer going rogue and suddenly attempting to murder him to attain the $10 million bounty on his head. A not too thrilling car chase scene follows this development and I, like most, started to lose a good amount of interest. There really are too many far-fetched twists and turns and implausible happenings that have this movie on a fast track to becoming forgotten as quickly as Amanda Bynes' announcement to retire (But if you've seen some of the pics she's posted on Twitter, I'm likely to be mistaken).

I didn't have the opportunity yet to see, The Ugly Truth, but the box office success of that film is most obviously the reason that director and star were paired together again for another release this summer. Unfortunately, this product isn't going to reach the numbers that were set by Luketic's 2009 film, and even sadder still the opinion of this one will most likely be less favorable then it's predecessor.

Prince of Persia: Sands of Time

The biggest complaint I encountered when reading a few reviews about Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, was that it lacked any substance below the surface. I can certainly echo these feelings because they're spot on. I thought Bruckheimer and Co. did a superb job of creating a video game adapted movie that could appeal to not only the gamers who played it, but to those who were just familiar with the game. Trailers boasting a buffed up Jake Gyllenhall throwing himself from building to building all while wielding an array of different knives and swords, was an especially coy marketing device to lure in the 17-25 year old female demographic, who most likely had never even played a Sony PlayStation before. Throw in stunningly beautiful British actress Gemma Arterton, fresh off a successful, Clash of the Titans, release and you have what looks like on paper a pretty tasty recipe for a summer blockbuster.

But the masses are pretty spot on with their assessment of this movie it just scrapes the surface. Basically across the board, whether it's the acting by the two stars or what they're saying, there was just a lot of unrealized potential tied into this movie.

Ben Kingsley is a very solid addition to the cast, bringing top notch acting while playing the role of pivotal character, Nizam. Alfred Molina, adds some very needed comic relief as, Sheik Amar.

All in all, Prince of Persia lacks that certain "it" factor that made recent summer blockbuster's like Iron Man, Iron Man 2, and Star Trek successful, but it's definitely not as awful as G.I Joe: Rise of the Cobra. Don't rush to the theaters to see it, but down the road when it's available on demand or on Netflix maybe check it, just maybe though.

The Runaways

The Runaways is a visually well done, thought provoking biopic starring Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart. The movie evoked feelings of, Almost Famous, for me mostly because of it being a bio-pic pertaining to music culture. But, unfortunately Almost Famous, was much better than the latter. Not to say that, The Runaway's, wasn't entertaining or a cinematic accomplishment, but it just lacked numerous elements that made, Almost Famous, an Academy Award winner.

It was actually really entertaining to see Stewart in a different role than her Twilight character. In this movie she plays Joan Jett, a girl kissing, cocaine snorting, oversexed teenager who very convincingly leads the all girl band, The Runaway's. Stewart receives a lot of negative attention due to her Twilight connection, but I'm sure her detractors are watering at the mouths with her hairstyle and general wardrobe throughout the film. I had no problem with how she looked in the movie and would go as far as to say that the look suited her quite well. All those ancillary effects aside, Stewart really brings it acting-wise in this film. It's a risky choice considering the movie is essentially sandwiched between two "Twilight release summer's", and she isn't playing her traditional damsel in distress doe-eyed vampire lover archetype, but Stewart really goes all in with this effort. Her performance is without a doubt one of the most important things to take from this movie.

Floria Sigismondi, the film's director, does a very solid job with a predictable rock movie. She shoots a lot of scenes with dark lighting to add to the effect of some of the darker scenes and create an environment where the viewer can become immersed in, which I really liked. But, borrowing a line from Karina Longworth, of the Village Voice, "The movie is at its best when working through the contradictions of teen sex-for-sale, when it's both turn-on and creep-out", I felt she did the best at capturing this idea, whether it was the way she shot the photo-op with Dakota Fanning's character or the lesbian kiss scene.

Get Him to the Greek

Get Him to The Greek, in my opinon solidifies Jonah Hill's entrance into the A-list of male comedic actors. His performance as, Aaron Green, was ridiculously funny and certainly memorable. I found myself laughing loud enough at his antics in the movie to draw some attention from a few rows in front of me.

Except for a spoof music video that some moviegoers might take offense to, the first twenty minutes of the movie are a great build up and re-introduce the audience with the multi-faceted, fillandering character that is, Aldous Snow, played by Russell Brand. Brand's arrogant, degenerate character is so compelling that you almost believe he exists outside of the movie. Combine this charcter with, Jonah Hill's, a surprisingly outstanding performance from Diddy, and a wildly entertaining plot that tears across London, NYC, Las Vegas, and LA and you've got what I believe is the funniest comedy of the summer so far (Although the trailer for the Other Guys makes me think that'll wind up taking the cake).

Although some of the more memorable lines of the movie are revealed during the trailers, there are still several gems that should crack up any audience. The writers deserve a lot of credit for how funny this film was, creative contemporary pop culture humor is what Hill thrives at. The scene at the Today Show was without a doubt one of the funniest, planned out scenes in the film.

Supporting performances from Elisabeth Moss, Rose Byrne, and Aziz Ansiri also add some top notch humor to an already well stocked laugher movie.