The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Nicolas Cage as Balthazar Blake
Jay Braruchel as Dave
Alfred Molina as Maxim Horvath
Theresa Palmer as Becky Barnes



Nicolas Cage plays Balthazar Blake,a sorcerer that has been looking for Dave,who becomes his apprentice, for hundreds of years.  The two must stop Maxim Horvath,an evil sorcerer who wants to take over and wreck all havock.


This was a very fun and entertaining film with alot of laughs.  The special-effects were also very well done.
The actors did a great job,as far as their emotion they put into the characters,as well as the humor they put into them,especially Dave's character.  Knowing nothing about being a sorcerer,going through training for him was hillarious.

The magic done in this film was alot of fun,it was a tad bit diferent then Harry Potter magic,but was still fun.  Another great thing about The Sorcerer's Apprentice is that it is a movie that kid's and adult's can both enjoy. 

Nicolas Cage has played many roles,and he has done great in all of them,including this role.  Jay Braruchel is more of a comedy actor and is hillarious no matter who he plays;in this film,he was again,hillarious.

Entertaining action,fun magic,romance,and very funny moments make The Sorcerer's Apprentice very entertaining.

Eclipse

Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen
Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan
Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black



Eclipse is the third installment of the Twilight Vampire Series. 
As Bella Swan is being chased down by a clan of evil vampires,she must be protected.  She is having more problems as well,deciding between Edward,her star-crossed lover,and Jacob,her child-hood friend.  Bella knows though,that whichever decision she makes,it's going to hurt someone,and she must decide who is more important.

The Twilight saga has become extremely popular over the last few years.  Some may say that it is a little bit too popular.  All-in-all though,they are very entertaining films.

This is the most controversial twlight film so far,by which Bella must chose over Edward and Jacob.  As the tension grows,it makes it even more intense.  It is also has the most action,which makes it even more exciting. 

Eclipse is the best so far out of the Twilight movies,the most exciting,and the most entertaining.

Some personal preferences that were not great about the film is the teenage drama between Bella,Edward,and Jacob.  On the other hand though,that is how the books go,and if the films strayed any more from the books then they already do,the Twilight fans would be very disappointed. 

Over-all though,this is a very entertaining film that does not have have many,if any,dull moments.  The action,the romance,and the suspense make Eclipse worth the watch.

The Basketball Diaries

Leonardo Dicaprio as Jim Carroll

Mark Whalberg as Mickey

James Medio as Pedro

Bruno Kirby as Swifty

The Basketball Diaries is based on the true story of Jim Carroll.  A normal teenager who get's caught up in drugs and ruins everything it has going for him.  He get's kicked off the basketball team,and gets suspended from school,not to mention getting kicked out of his house.  This interesting,rough story takes us through that time in his life,and shows us how he redeems it.

You really have to feel for Dicaprio's character in this film.  When he is forced to lay off of the drugs he goes through an incredible withdrawal,and man does he put emotion into it.  Whalberg's character never grows up,he is a huge hard ass and doesn't like to take anything from anybody;especially from their friend Pedro.

There are so many people now-a-days that are extreme drug addicts,and this film really put it in perspective of what happens when they do get addicted,which was great.  Leoanardo Dicaprio plays an academy award worthy performance. 

Life in the city is rough,and what a great job in showing a struggling teenage life in it.  The temtations such as prostitution,and drugs were very vividly shown here.

All-in all,a great true story with great performances make The Basketball Diaries earn a medal.

 



The Aviator

Leonardo Dicaprio as Howard Hughes
Cate Blanchett as Catherine Hepburn
Kate Beckinsale as Ava Gardner
John C. Reilly as Noah Dietrich
Alec Baldwin as Juan Trippe
Ian Holm as Professor Fitz
Jude Law as Errol Flynn


  What can be said about Howard Hughes.........Aviator?  Airplane designer? Emotionally distraught?  Physcologically unstable?  Mathematician?  Director?  Genius?  How about all of the above!

  Leonardo Dicaprio plays Howard Hughes a very succesfull film director and a brilliant airplane designer/aviator.  Hughes decided to make an airplane called,"The Hercules";the biggest plane in the world at the time,that takes off on water. 
  When Hughes becomes physcologically unstable he starts to lose him fame,but,when he finally gains control,he is able to pull himself back out of the water.

  What an intruiging film!  This is a film that cannot possibly be put down.  The work that each character puts into their roles is fantastic.  What emotion and phenomianl portrayals of each character.  Director Martin Scorsese has done so many masterpieces, and this film just adds another one on.  What about Martin Scorsese and Leonardo Dicaprio working together that makes them so great is a mystery,but every film that they have done together has been sensational.

  Howard Hughes is not someone that was ever taught about in the schools that I attended,and that is an absoelute shame.  Hughes did so much for the aviation buiness which is a huge role in todays society that he would be a great person to study about in schools.  This film shows us what he accomplished and the heartache and the success that he saw.  Which was very fascinating.

  The soundtrack in this film was great as well.  All of the music that was played was music of the era that the film takes place in, which is the 1920's to the 1940's.  Which made it even more so realistic.  Fabulous performances,intense and intruiging storyline,great cinemotography and wonderful direction make The Aviator achieve such great entertainment.

   
 

Whats Eating Gilbert Grape

Johnny Depp as Gilbert Grape
Leonardo Dicaprio as Arnie Grape
Mary Steenburgen as Betty Carver
John C. Reilly as Tucker Van Dyke
Crispin Glover as Bobby McBurney


Gilbert Grape has alot on his hands.  Working,providing for his family,and taking care of his mentally challenged brother,Arnie, and his obese mother.  Arnie is a lovable,sympathetic character who always means well,but is sometimes not seen that way.  When Gilbert meets a woman and falls in love,Gilbert must balance between his family and the woman he cares about,which for him,is not very easy.

This film is an emotional journey through the lives of a very dysfunctional family.  There are parts that will make you teary-eyed;such as when Gilbert get's very frusterated with Arnie and hits him,there are also parts that will make you smile and laugh,becuase Arnie is such a lovable character.

Dicaprio's portryal of Arnie Grape was phenominal.  He did a wonderful job showing the emotion and the playfulness of Arnie.  Depp did a great job in showing the stress and the fun of taking care of a mentally challenged sibling,and the care that needs to go into that.  They could not have picked better actors to play each of those characters.

This very enjoyable film was definetly worthy of an academy award in every way shape and form.  While it had excellent acting,a great storyline,and very lovable character.

The Usual Suspects

Stephen Baldwin as Mihcael McManus
Gabriel Byrne as Dean Keaton
Benicio Del Toro as Fred Fenster
Kevin Pollak as Todd Hockney
Kevin Spacy as Roger Kint (Nicknamed Verbal)


When 5 random men are arrested and questioned and sent to prison for a crime that none of them committed,it gets them a little frazzled.  When they are realeased,they decide to get back at the cops and uncover the cops taxi-driving drug deals.  When word get's out about what they have done,they are asked to do another job,and end up making the perfect team.

The five main criminals each did a wonderful job.  Each of them had their different personalities,and were all intelectual,especially Kevin Spacey's character.  His character,Verbal,was nicknamed by his teammates "The man with the plan",as he was the one who organized the plan of uncovering the cops taxi-service drug deals.

The intensity and the twists and turns of this film are a couple of reasons of what made this film so enjoyable.  When they did their first job,they said no violence,and there was none.  On their second job three people were killed,which was unexpected because of how they did their first job.  Many things are also found out about of Dean Keaton,which adds to the twists and turns.  The action itself was also intense,along with each job that they did.

The Usual Suspects over-all chills,thrills,and grabs you unexpectedly.  The intense action,the laughable quotes,and the memorable characters make the film enjoyable.