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Disney Movie Review Movies

Movie Review: Toy Story 3


Toy Story 3 Poster
Toy Story 3 poster

Rated G for being appropriate for all ages, and a must-see for everyone.  Remember, a “G” rating or that the film is animated does not mean that the film is intended to be seen only by children.
Rating: A+

TOY STORY 3 is the latest film from Disney-Pixar, and completes the Toy Story trilogy that had releases in 1995 and 1999.  While the first two Toy Story films were made four years apart, Web Watch will estimate that only 2 years of movie-time passed for the characters in the film.  On the other hand, Toy Story 3 was released 11 years after Toy Story 2, and the filmmakers decided to run the movie clock those eleven years as well – which means that it’s time for the toy’s owner, Andy, to head off to college.

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Movie Review

Movie Review: Hot Tub Time Machine


Hot Tub Time Machine
Hot Tub Time Machine

Rated R for language, nudity, alcohol, and bad 80’s fashion.
Rating: C

Web Watch loved those classic 80’s raunchy comedies, such as HOT DOG… THE MOVIE, CLASS,  LOSING IT, or THE LAST AMERICAN VIRGIN.  HOT TUB TIME MACHINE harkens back to those simpler cinematic days, when all you needed for a comedy was a weak premise, some decent jokes, a killer soundtrack, and an excuse to show people naked.

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Movie Review Travel

Movie Review: UP IN THE AIR


Up In The Air

Rated R for brief nudity, language, and obscene product placement imagery
Rating: A-

UP IN THE AIR is one of those high-concept films that tend to leave some audience members baffled at whether what they saw was good or not, yet they still leave the theater satisfied that the answer is “yes”… even if they can’t exactly say why that is.

George Clooney is typecast as himself – a charming guy who lives for travel and wearing suits – who is playing a character whose job it is to fly around the country and fire people. 

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10 Things Movie Review Movies News

How many of the Top 10 Movie Flops of the past 10 years have YOU seen? (Our count: 5)

Pluto Nash What makes a movie a hit or a miss?

How do we know that a movie is destined to be considered a flop?  Is it a film that has absolutely the most horrible reviews ever?   Or is it based solely on box office success or failure?  What if it is horribly reviewed and bombs at the box office, but finds a new lease on life at midnight screenings or on DVD?

Yahoo News has released their list of the TOP TEN BIGGEST MOVIE FLOPS OF THE DECADE.  As they have so nicely pointed out in the article, all such lists are subjective at best.  That being said – here are the films that made Yahoo’s list of biggest losers:

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Movie Review

Movie Review: The Goods

Rated R for language, sexual commentary, brief nudity, and karaoke.

Rating: C

If there’s one thing that Judd Apatow and his crowd have proven, it’s that raunchy R-rated comedies do sell tickets. Based on that, THE GOODS should fall into the same category as THE HANGOVER did earlier this summer.

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food Movie Review

Movie Review: Julie & Julia

Rated PG-13 for some adult language and situations, and a graphic description of the best way to whip your cream.

Rating: B+

Julie & Julia is not a perfect movie, but if you are able to point out flaws in a Food Network recipe (like those seen in Zarela’s Creamy Rice Casserole or Chef Keith’s Jerk Chicken), then this film is perfect for you.  It knows its target audience — those who like chick flicks, as well as foodies of all kinds — and caters… no pun intended… directly to them.  It’s not a mistake that the filmmakers have promoted the film almost continually on the Food Network.

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Movie Review

Movie Review: Humpday

Rated R for adult language, frank sexual dialogue and situations, and some uncomfortable nudity

Rating: C+

Web Watch agrees about what others have pointed out, that Humpday is part of the “mumblecore” film genre that consists of groups of actors talking – mumbling, on occasion – in a quasi-improvised fashion on various topics while a handheld camera bobbles around to make the audience a little queasy.  Just like on HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, a mumblecore film has a general guideline of where the scene needs to go, but not necessarily a script leading the actors directly from point A to point B. In other words, turn the actors loose and let the cameras roll.

Humpday revolves around two buddies who haven’t seen each other in 10 years. As they are catching up on old times, they hear about Seattle’s infamous HumpFest, a film festival dedicated to showing amateur porn films.

Note: HumpFest takes place this year on October 9, so there is still plenty of time to get your 5 minute submissions in by the deadline. If you decide to participate, extra-credit goes for those films that incorporate any of the following props: a pink slip (layoff or undergarment), Mormon undergarments, motorcycle boots, e-stim unit, and Aplets & Cotlets.

So what should two buddies who haven’t seen each in 10 years, hopped up on some good pot and scotch, do?  They decide that the best way to win an amateur porn film contest is to make the one amateur porn film that nobody would expect anyone to make:  two straight guys doing it.

Yes, it appears that the film is a slightly skewed version of Kevin Smith’s Zack and Miri Make a Porno, but with dudes.  And quite a bit more dialogue-heavy.  Humpday is billed as a comedy, but there are only so many improved jokes that are going to really work well.  For Web Watch, many of the jokes seemed to fall flat.  But we give the filmmakers credit for trying.

In essence, Humpday is a film version of a common question Web Watch has heard in bars across the country:  “Would one dude kiss another dude for a million dollars?”  While in a bar the answer is usually, “for a million dollars? hell yeah…”, Humpday takes a more realistic approach when the best buddies have to get down to the performance part of the film.  It seems things get more complicated when it’s not just bar talk and a hypothetical million dollar paycheck.

Compared to the numerous favorable reviews Humpday has received since its Sundance debut, this may be a case where Web Watch is just not as much of a fan of this genre as others are. As with all movies, YMMV.

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Movie Review

Movie Review: The Ugly Truth

Rated R for adult situations, language, and plenty of graphic, dirty sex talk. 

Rating: B

THE UGLY TRUTH is yet another romantic comedy wrapped around the basic Cyrano de Bergerac plot. 

In this case, Katherine Heigl is the lovelorn shy character who just wants to meet the man of her dreams, but she can’t without the help of salty trash talker Gerard Butler whispering what to say and do into her ear.   But who does Heigl end up with: the hottie, the ugly, someone else, or nobody at all?  And that’s why you’ll sit through the end of the film to find out.