Manuel on Movies #21

Getting close to finishing up these reviews...

Sunshine - This is a sci-fi movie where an expedition is sent from the Earth to try and reignite the sun as its power has gone out (or maybe is about to go out? I forget).  The acting was pretty good, led by Cilian Murphy and Chris Evans.  The ship and the way it was filmed really gave me a vibe similar to the first Alien movie even though it has nothing to do with aliens at all.  Of course, if they just flew to the sun and got the job done, it wouldn't be that interesting so the movie centers around some of the dangers and obstacles they face in their task.  The ending is slightly odd and takes a little away from the movie as a whole, but it isn't a BAD ending, just odd.  Overall, it was pretty enjoyable with some good acting and some great special effects.  7.5 out of 10

Sorority Row - A sorority prank goes wrong, killing one of the sorority sisters and then a few months later, someone starts killing off the sorority sisters.  Yup, that is all you need to know other than a Carrie Fisher is in it which is always kind of cool.  The deaths were kind of cool and the head sorority sister, who is made to be the head bitch, is actually kind of amusing in her put down of other people and her one-liners.  6.5 out of 10

Kick Ass - Awesome, awesome, awesome.  Kick Ass is based on the comic of the same name, something that both Jess and I read.  The movie centers around a nerdy high school kid who decides that he wants to be a super hero even though he lives in a world where people don't have powers.  He becomes an internet sensation and catches the eye of another hero pair, a father and daughter team called Big Daddy and Hit Girl.  Hit Girl, just like in the comics, steals the show.  They fight crime, but I can't give out too much of the plot without ruining key aspects.  Just know, this movie rocks (I could have said the movie kicked ass, but that seemed below me)!  It looks like a movie for all ages, but it is a hard R for sure.  It is super violent and the language is pretty crude.  But it is an awesome movie that really reinvents the super hero genre.  So fun!  9 out of 10

Iron Man 2 - I LOVED Iron Man 1, but tried to go into Iron Man 2 with slightly lower expectations so as to not be disappointed.  I didn't want this to be another Transformers 2.  And I wasn't disappointed.  Now, there is a fairly large contingent that did not like Iron Man 2 as much and I can clearly understand why.  Iron Man was just a fun movie for all ages.  It was non stop fun.  The second goes into his story a little more so it slows down the pace a little.  But personally, I thought the whole story aspect was great and it also helps pave the way for the upcoming Avengers movie, but I understand why some people might not have liked it as much.  Of course, I also think it had to do with people's short attention span, but that is just my opinion.  Was it just as good as the first one?  Maybe not RIGHT there with the first, but only because the novelty of just how good Downey was in the role of Stark wasn't as much as a novelty as it was in the first.  We knew what to expect going in.  But it was damn close.  9 out of 10

Twilight: New Moon - I read the Twilight series to see what the fuss was a while back and I actually enjoyed them for the most part, well, at least the first three.  The first movie, however, was a travesty in film making.  Out of curiosity, and because I could just borrow it from someone, we decided to see the second one.  Well, it wasn't much better.  I mean, it was slighty better.......like, how getting a pinkie cut off is probably better than getting a thumb cut off.  But it was still just a bad film.  And it isn't all the fault of the actors or the directing.  You can only do so much with the material you are given.  Despite liking the books, they are full of cheese and it just didn't translate well on the screen.  5.5 out of 10.