An action/drama film about mixed martial arts starring Nick Nolte, Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton, Justin Berg, Jennifer Morrison and Pro Wrestler Kurt Angle.  This may be as good as fighter… We’ll have to wait and see in September.

Ben Stiller is hilarious..this looks good..can’t wait till November

I love Christmas movies! They remind me of my family, holidays, and my favorite season, winter! Arthur Christmas is an upcoming British/American animation starring James Andrew McAvoy (young Xavier ) as the voice of Arthur.  As Santa’s son, Arthur’s gotta mission to complete before Christmas. The film is scheduled to be released on November 23, 2011.

This looks like it might actually be a funny, family movie…And Al Pacino is a plus…

I know I’m way beyond late, but I was waiting for the hype to go down before I watched it…

I went in knowing that Megan Fox was replaced by a blonde chick and that the movie was 2.5 hours long… Ok, only minor cons  - so I thought,…

Unfortunately, these were not minor, more like slap-in-the-face-twice major…

So here’s my 2 cents about Transformers 3 – It sucked… First movie was funny and enjoyable. Second movie, I can barely remember it. Third movie, I’m trying to forget I ever watched it.

They tried to stuff the movie with so much crap that the result was just plain crap. And what’s up with the new girl! Michael Bay, are you serious? I couldn’t get past her over-sized lips, and I kept wondering how she was running around in heels !? And just when you thought Shia Labeouf’s character couldn’t get any lamer, it gets LAMER…

I’m just going to stop writing (or thinking) about this film, it gets my blood pressure up.

I’m so disappointed that I can even put a decent number out of 10 for this one.

Kristen Wiig stars as the maid of honor in the 2011 Bridesmaids (which she co-wrote). A train of events unravels when Annie (Kristen Wigg), who is jealous of the bride’s (Maya Rudolph) new friend Helen. This jealousy causes several catastrophic and hilarious mishaps during the pre-wedding events. The flamboyant and vibrant selection of bridesmaids (Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Wendi McLendon-Covey and Ellie Kemper) are an added touch to the pre-wedding mishaps.

This movie was hilarious. I had a couple of laugh-out-loud moments, which rarely happens. We get to see another side of what goes on in wedding preparations, the bridesmaids. Normally, wedding movies always focus on the bride & groom, this time we get to see the pressure that rides on the role of the maid of honor & the bridesmaids.

Along with the comedic factor, there is also the human/emotional touch in place. The movie focuses on the importance of friendship & female empowerment. I think we can all sympathize with the main character at some point – hitting rock bottom, jealousy, money tensions, fear of flying?

The female version of HangOver & the best chick-flick of the year = 8/10.

P.S. this movie is not limited to females only.

This movie has an all-star cast: Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Charlie Day, Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston, Jamie Foxx…

The plot is simple, 3 guys can no longer tolerate their bosses so they plan to ‘get rid of them’. Sopranos gone wrong?

It’s a mash up of Office Space and Hang Over (and a touch of It’s Always Sunny in Philly). I thought it was funny, maybe because I can also relate- my boss is horrible…>.< but I dont ever wish he were dead… but he needs to take a chill pill once in a while…

The chemistry between the actors flowed smoothly; it was raw and came across as natural.

There’s a lot of dark/dirty comedy and a lot of swearing…if you liked Hangover, then you would like this movie..it’s definitely better than Hangover 2, but that’s just my opinion…

And Jennifer Aniston looks great as a brunette, 7.5/10

When I first saw the trailer for this movie, I was really excited. However, it only played at the Magnolia for 2 weeks and by the time I could actually go watch it, it was already gone. Cut to Friday, when I see a tweet come through that the Texas Theater would be showing it that very night.

If you’re a fan of the “COCO” you will love “Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop“. It follows Conan on the comedy tour he embarked on after being kicked off leaving The Tonight Show and being banned from TV for a specific amount of time.

Yes, it’s hilarious as expected, but more so it gives you an honest, inside look into what Conan is like in reality, behind the scenes. That’s the part I really enjoyed. It didn’t feel like this decidedly contrived comedy, just a realistic flow of his personal brand of funny.

Which is just the kind of funny I like.

If you love Conan and you’re able to watch this in a theater, you really should.

]]> http://moovz.wordpress.com/2011/07/04/incendies-review/ Mon, 04 Jul 2011 10:08:27 +0000 moovz http://moovz.wordpress.com/2011/07/04/incendies-review/

“Incendies is a 2010 Quebec film written and directed by Denis Villeneuve. Adapted from Wajdi Mouawad’s play, Scorched, Incendies follows the journey of two siblings as they attempt to unravel the mystery of their mother’s life. The film premiered at the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals in September 2010 and was released in Quebec on 17 September 2010. In 2011, it was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.”

Following the death of their mother, Jeanne, one of the twins, goes in search of answers as per her mother’s instructions in her will. Her mother’s will revealed that their father is still alive and that they have a long-lost brother. As Simon, her twin brother, sees these last wishes as crazy, Jeanne, more reasoned, decides to go fulfill her mother’s wishes. Along the way, Jeanne discovers the truth behind her mother’s past and calls her brother to come. The pair go on a mission to search for their father and brother.

Jeanne’s journey lead her to initially discover what people thought of her family. Her mother, Nawal, was forced to leave her Muslim boyfriend, abandon her baby to an orphanage and leave the village she grew up in.  Staying with her uncle, Nawal abandoned her studies in search of her son, but the orphanage had perished in flames during the civil war. As a Christian, Nawal was effected by the ongoing massacres between the two sides, especially against the Muslims which she witnessed first hand. She showed stunning courage against the Christian militia and got herself hired by the opposition group to assassinate the Christian political leader. This murder earned her imprisonment, torture and rape for 15 years.

I tried to figure out which Middle Eastern country they were in but apparently the cities which they kept referring to were made-up cities by Wajdi. But, the general idea is that it’s in Lebanon, where the writer is born, although they never make that clear. The play-writer intended for the story to be politically biased. The film touches on politics but tries to remain apolitical. But, there are clear links to the Lebanon War and the clash between religions. I think by not defining the country, Wajdi was trying to apply the theme of war so that it can relate to any war-torn country.

It’s a heart-wrenching story of one woman’s strength and courage in overcoming the most difficult experiences in life. I thought this movie came together well with terrific, strong performances especially from Lubna Azabal, who plays Nawal Marwan (the mother). It may seem long and stretched but its very intense.  The conclusion of the movie was the most shocking part. The story’s progression goes from a believable tale, which possibly could have occurred, to a dramatic outcome that has been referenced to Greek mythology (Oedipus?).

Overall, the movie captures a powerful story – 9/10

.

Jumping the Broom is about two families from two different social classes who are getting together for a wedding. The title is derived from the tradition of ending a wedding ceremony by jumping over a broomstick, a African-American practice that dates back to at least the 19th century.

The movie stars Angela Bassett, Loretta Devine, Paula Patton and Laz Alonso. It’s a mix of drama & comedy. The two families clash and bring out an overall picture of the notion of the term “in-laws”. Whether you have in-laws or not, the general perception is a common one: in-laws never get along. Along with the in-laws tension, each family has their own drama to deal with.

I found this movie mildly funny, a little bit exaggerated, and a time killer. Paula Patton is beautiful, but her acting in the movie was a little much. Tasha Smith and Mike Epps made the movie for me… They were funny…but Romeo’s, who is all grown up now, attraction to Tasha’s character was a little over the top…come on seriously?

I rate this movie 5.5/10

The Perfect Host is a 2010 thriller starring David Hyde Pierce and Clayne Crawford.  Warwick Wilson, played by David Hyde Pierce, is the perfect host, who was preparing for a dinner party, when John Taylor (Clayne Crawford) suddenly shows up. He just robbed a bank and needs to get off the streets so he fakes a story when he shows up at Warwick’s door. Amazingly, Warwick is convinced enough to let him in.

This movie is psychological thriller and I think the trailer reveals too much of the story. It would have been better if I didn’t watch the trailer, that way the twists in the movie would have been a shocking surprise rather than something I expected. I think the ending was the best part because it was the only thing that came as unexpected.

Even though I already knew what to expect, there were still some twists which blew my mind. The acting was good but the story was a little dragged. The movie is about 90 minutes but not too much happens.

The movie touches on the modern theme of how people may differ as against their general identity. You just never know what to expect from people and just by appearance  only, is not enough to judge a person.

Overall, this movie was average and good for a mind game but I rate it 6.5/10.

Of course this movie came out a couple months back but it was still in my to-watch list so I had to watch it. Matthew McConaughey plays a criminal defense lawyer who gets a high-profile case. Ryan Phillippe plays Louis Roulet who is accused of brutally assaulting and raping a prostitute. The title of the movie is derived from the lawyers method of work, where he works out of a Lincoln Town Car driven by a former client working off his legal fees.

I won’t go into detail with spoilers but I enjoyed watching Matthew McConaughey. I always enjoy his movies whether they’re really great or not, he has a style of acting that is charming and draws the audience in.

This movie is based on the novel by Michael Connelly, which I haven’t read so I can’t make any comparisons. Overall the movie is pretty good, it’s nothing dramatic and a little bit predictable but any Matthew MacConaughey fan or mystery-thrillers would enjoy this film.

8/10

A 2010 documentary directed by Lucy Walker, Waste Land, documents Vic Muniz’s incredible gift of turning recyclable material into art. The Brazilian native incorporates everyday objects into his photographic process to create beautiful images.The New York-based artist makes pictures from unlikely materials including dirt, diamonds, sugar, wire, string..etc.

He wanted to change the lives of a group of people by using the materials that they work with by creating something beautiful. In this documentary, the contemporary modern artist goes to Rio De Janeiro for his next project.  He said in the documentary that “Art can change people” but he wanted to be certain if it really can be done and what would be the effect of this change.

The film portrays the lives of the garbage pickers, and focuses on some of the workers that Vic interacts with and who later become the focus of his art.  The workers pick out recyclable material from garbage and with Vik’s direction, they use the material to create large-scale portraits.

My first initial comment was I couldn’t imagine what it we be like to see such a large garbage landfill in person. As the film progressed I saw how important it was to remember that everyone plays a part in society and the so-called “lower class” like the people working in these conditions deserve appreciation. These people are from poor to lower middle class stature, but they were not ashamed of being poor. They recognize their situation and highlight that they might be poor but they’re dignified.

I loved seeing how literature effects people’s lives and plays a part. Tião Santos, one of the workers, showed great interest in literature. When he said that he found Machiavelli’s The Prince in the mix of garbage, I was shocked that people throw out such great influential novels. Tião and other pickers were able to quote Machiavelli, Marat and Nietzsche. The discarded books from the trash are collected by Tião and others, in the hopes of establishing free libraries in their poor neighborhoods.

I love watching documentaries because they tell stories of real life, real people, real situations. You see a different side of all kinds of people.  One of the workers highlighted that this project will raise awareness of the pickers, and it surely did. The landfill was closed a short while after the documentary; Vik raised over $300,000 from the project’s prints which was all given to the worker’s association.

I rate this uplifting documentary 9.5/10

This movie is based on Charlotte Bronte’s influential novel with the same name. She originally wrote it under the alias Currer Bell and is loosely based on events from her life.  With any influential book there is always substance to the novelist’s life that effects their writing. And this is quite evident in the works of not only Charlotte but her two sisters, Emily (Wuthering Heights) & Anne (Agnes Grey), as well.

You don’t have to read the novel, Jane Eyre, to understand the movie but like with many novel-based movies, there is alot left out of the movie. So don’t rely on the movie to do the book justice if your too lazy to read. The novel is a remarkable story in itself with themes that go beyond its time.

The movie stars Mia Wasikowska as Jane Eyre and Michael Fassbender as Edward Rochester, and they couldn’t have found better actors to play their respected roles. They did an amazing job. The movie doesn’t follow the timeline of the book but it covers the majority of the events. The movie is more of getting the idea of Jane Eyre across and you tend to feel it in the movie but I still feel that the book is more intense in capturing her character.

There are other adaptations of the novel out there but this movie goes far beyond the romanticism that other adaptations focus on. It’s more than a romantic story- it’s a captivating, heartfelt story of innocence highlighted with pain and suffering.

I definitely enjoyed watching this movie and I rate it 9.5/10.

I’d been wanting to watch Beginners for a while and I’m glad I finally did.

Well, in between walking in a little late and falling asleep for a few minutes (true story), what I did see, I loved!

What I truly enjoyed about this film was the lesson I walked away with…that you’re never too old, too scarred, too damaged to learn to truly accept love into your life and into your heart. I really connected with that sentiment that we all, no matter our circumstances, should know that we deserve love.

Christopher Plummer as the 70-something old father of Ewan McGregor’s character, who finally comes out of the closet once his wife dies, is the one that truly steals the show. Well his performance AND the performance of the Jack Russell Terrier.

Definitely worth the $10!

]]> http://moovz.wordpress.com/2011/06/25/super-8-review/ Sat, 25 Jun 2011 15:31:27 +0000 moovz http://moovz.wordpress.com/2011/06/25/super-8-review/

A 2011 American science fiction film written and directed by J. J. Abrams and produced by Steven Spielberg. The film, stars Joel Courtney, Elle Fanning, and Kyle Chandler. It tells the story of a group of children who are filming their own movie for a competition when a train derails, releasing ‘something’ into their town.

The movie started off entertaining, but my focus faded slowly towards the end. The group of children were the heart of the story and they were what kept the movie going. I had a hard time watching it because I was trying to figure out what was going on. In my opinion, I shouldn’t be spending my time trying to figure out what the movie is about. I mean I understand the idea of trying to keep the audience in suspense but this was way too much.  Obviously I understood that there was something let loose that was confidential and it’s not hard to figure out that it’s probably an alien or something. But the story was just dragged far enough to lose my interest.

The only thing about the movie that I liked were the kids and how they interacted with each other. For some odd reason they reminded me of the Goonies. Other than that, it’s just a typical sci-fi movie, nothing original or creative about it.

I rate this movie 6/10.

Studio Ghibli’s latest animated film, Arrietty (or The Borrowers), is based on Mary Norton’s book “The Borrowers”, the first in her five-book series about the adventures of a family who make their life underneath the floorboards of a large house by borrowing small items from the big people. It was released in Japan in 2010, directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi’s, Ghibli’s youngest director, under the supervision of Hayao Miyazaki of course. It will be released in the UK in August and 2012 in North America.

The movie still entails the same concept as the book except that the location is in Japan instead of the UK. The movie stars Arrietty, a 14 year old “tiny person” who lives under the floorboards of a house in Tokyo with her father, Pod, and mother, Homily. Their life is changed when Arrietty is accidentally seen by Sho, a 12 year old boy who has come to live with his great Aunt until his heart surgery. The boy makes it clear to Arrietty that he saw her but has no intention of harming her. Just when Arrietty begins to form a friendship with Sho, her family decides to move. The decision is reinforced when the housekeeper, Haru, becomes aware of their existence and captures the mother and puts her in a jar.

It’s such a creative animation, the detailing of both worlds creates such a contrast between them. I did expect a little more theatrical touches especially when it’s a Ghibli movie but the movie was calm and reflected the book. The movie might not be as great as Spirited Away or Howl’s Moving Castle, but it was still a refreshing movie, as it always is when watching a Ghibli Studio’s production.

I rate this movie 8/10.

Money Ball

Coming out Sept 23

Abduction

Coming out Sept 23

Immortals

Coming Out in November

“Midnight in Paris opens as a loving postcard to all things Eiffel and then turns into a fairy tale balancing the timelessness of dissatisfaction with the beauty of human aspiration.”–Tom Long/Detroit News

I had heard several things about this movie ranging from “darling” to “it’s just meh”.

I never take anyone’s opinion for face value, I have this raging need to watch the film, especially if someone says they hate it. 9 times out of 10, I’ll find something to love and connect with, regardless.

All I really know about movies is the way it makes me feel, the way it facilitates my emotional connection with its characters and story, and the way it ultimately lingers on (or doesn’t) long after I’ve left the theater.

Any movie whose central character is yearning to find a better and deeper place of meaning for their own life is going to automatically win my stamp of approval. As if that “stamp” is worth anything, ha!

I would have to agree with the adjective of “darling” for Midnight in Paris. I don’t know much about Woody Allen films other than, I LOVED Melinda & Melinda,  Match Point, and Vicky Christina Barcelona and I can now include Midnight in Paris among them.

I truly enjoyed Owen Wilson’s (the main character) fantasies of a better life in a golden era of time long-past. The colorful use of the characters of that Parisian era (the 20-30′s)  such as Hemingway, Stein, Picasso, and the Fitzgeralds is brilliant and highly entertaining. I also have a shameless crush on Marion Cotillard; I am completely captivated by this woman’s strong performances.

I have to admit, the movie moves at an extremely slow pace, probably much too slow for some. But the beautiful setting of Paris, its lights, and all its allure, provides a lovely backdrop for the characters and this story about the appreciation of art and ultimately…of life.

And that my friends…is my 2 cents.

It’s Instagram picture day. Or, otherwise known as, the exact same Instagram picture post everyone else is doing!

In an effort to stay true to the masses, I present the following:

1. Cheese that was lit on fire and then served in flour tortillas from El Potrillo de La Sandia. Can we say heart attack?

2. This movie looks good and I WILL be watching it. Steve Carrell, Ryan Gosling AND Emma Stone…yes please!

3. I have a definite love/hate relationship with strawberries. I think they’re gorgeous, but not always sweet or delicious.

4. I finally gave into the bad burger “juju” that is Five Guys. But come one, you KNOW I’m team In-N-Out all the way!

1. Attempt at making crepes for Father’s Day Breakfast. The old skool plates are thrown in for good measure.

2. Finally had to investigate what Mr. Cliff had to say about Great Expectations. I’m re-living my high school English mediocrity and I’m OK with that.

3. THE MOST DELICIOUS black bean stuffed crepes from Buzzbrews. I know I say things are good/delicious/amazing/tasty….a lot! But THESE REALLY ARE!!!

4. Feet up, movie Sunday in which I watched Midnight in Paris (more on that later).

1. The Harbor on a Sunday afternoon.

2. The fluffiest of pancakes from Buzzbrews. Can you tell I love this place?

3. Protein plate from Starbucks to get me through the afternoon. I need to buy those Justin’s peanut butter packets, like yesterday!

4. The Wall o’ Draught @ Flying Saucer. A bevy of specialty craft beer, but a few minutes from my door…who knew?? I sure didn’t. Yes, I realize this is a complete fail on my part.

It’s obvious, yet again, that I spend most of my time eating. It’s a miraculous miracle of baby Jesus that I haven’t gained weight. Ok, in my never-ending quest to keep it real… I’ll admit that these days, I work out just SO I can eat.

And those June goals? Blehhhhh. I tossed those out the window along with my dignity and self-respect. The moment an ice-cold diet coke was shoved in my face, I attacked it, like I would never be allowed diet coke again. It was a tragic scene.

I do, however, KNOW I’ll be getting an A in my rhetoric class. This is due partly to the fact that I resorted to Mr. Cliff and his glorious, watered-down, novel summary/analysis. I DID read the book though, give me some credit.

What have YOU been up to? I wanna see!

]]> http://moovz.wordpress.com/2011/06/18/13-assassins-review/ Sat, 18 Jun 2011 15:33:23 +0000 moovz http://moovz.wordpress.com/2011/06/18/13-assassins-review/

13 Assassins is a 2010 Japanese samurai film. It’s based on true events during Feudal Japan where a young Lord Naritsugu is acting above the law, raping and murdering as he pleases. The situation becomes more dangerous when the young Lord is in prospects of rising in political status. An assassination plan is put in place and top samurais are recruited for the plan.

The movie starts off with a disturbing scene, someone commits suicide and this begins the plot. The theme of the movie is simple: corrupt politics ignites an assassination attempt to prevent further corruption. During that time, the role of the samurai has decreased  so it’s difficult to find talented samurai. The selected samurai plan and strategize the perfect operation to bring down the ruthless Lord Naritsugu, however, they are stunned to receive an army of 200 soldiers riding with the Lord. This does not break their spirits or demotivate them, and the carry out their plan which leads to the longest sword-fighting I’ve ever seen.

This movie is incredibly entertaining. The storyline gracefully sucks in the audience as it starts out with formulating the negative image of the Lord and the honorable position of the samurai. It’s action packed, excellent swordsmanship, and plenty of blood.

I rate 13 Assassins 9.5/10.

Saoirse made her imprint in my memory from her performance in Atonement, which was remarkable (the movie & her acting) and landed her an Oscar nomination. She was also in Lovely Bones, another great performance (and movie!). So, I started this movie knowing the movie had a couple of strong actors.

The movie started out with Hanna and her father in the middle of nowhere and from the beginning you get the picture of Hanna having been secluded from society, never had any contact with people other than her dad, and her curiosity seems to be taking over.

She finally feels that she is ready to go into society, implying ready to do what she had been trained to do. At this point, it’s not clear what their motive is, only that there is someone out there after them so they have to kill that person first. You can feel her determination and sense her strength, Saoirse performance was remarkable, I was very drawn to her character. The movie in general just kept me glued. Some of the editing was a little awkward – and at times the music was annoying +_O

And there are some parts that are hard to believe – the part where she jumps out of the man hole and attaches her self to the bottom of the car while its speeding… but then again she’s supposedly this abnormal human being designed to be a great assassin.

As the movie progresses, you slowly start to understand what’s going on, everything is given in small doses and it all comes together at the end. This movie reminded me of a mix of 1994′s The professional, Kill Bill, and some Kick-Ass.

The performances by all the characters were great and I definitely recommend it.

Hanna scores 9/10.

You can’t go into this movie expecting the Will Ferrell you’re accustomed to and that particularly is why I really enjoyed this film.

If you liked Will in Stranger than Fiction, you’ll love this movie too! If you haven’t seen it, you should, it’s excellent!

I love movies that illustrate stories about very real and complex human situations. I love that those stories make me think about my own life within the context of the theme it’s presenting. It’s easy to connect with the characters/story because i think, “they’re just as real and messed up and as complicated as me”!

I also love when an actor who is known primarily for their comedic work, portrays a character completely outside of that genre, and delivers a meaningful performance that connects with me.

Other movies I love that have comedic actors in a more dramatic story line are:

Adam Sandler in Punch Drunk Love

Jim Carrey in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Ben Stiller in Greenberg

Will Farrell in Stranger Than Fiction

Steve Carrell in Dan in Real Life

Zach Braff in Garden State

Bill Murray in Lost in Translation

I really like Everything Must Go. If anything, you should Red Box or Netflix it, when it comes out, it’s worth a watch!

Paul Bettany plays the lead role in Priest which centers around a world where the war between humans and vampires in the post-apocalyptic world is about to be resurfaced.  The movie is based on a Korean comic series.

The Priests were an elite group of warriors, created by the Church, who had the ability to slay vampires. The vampires are not the typical vampires we’re familiar seeing, they look more like monsters than vampires.

The Priests helped end the war, where the majority of the vampires were killed and anything else was put in a secluded reservation. The Church then disbanded the group of warriors, separating them, and allowing them to live amongst them in the cities. Once regarded as heros, they are now outcasts. The story begins right away, when the Priest’s niece is kidnapped by a vampire and he goes out to find her.

My thoughts:

- The movie is slow paced – but the action scenes make up for it

- The action scenes are great, but come on they’re still humans so when someone falls from a speeding train I would expect them to be a little more injured, not getting up right away as if it was nothing.

- There are some missing links or some unanswered questions, I guess they couldn’t fit everything in an hour and 27 minutes.

- The Church was portrayed as having a negative image, ruling the cities as an oligarchy – and the repetition of their slogan -”To go against the Church is to go against God” – backs up their oligarchy rule and signifies how propaganda is used as a form of control.

- Am I the only one getting tired of vampire movies?

- Paul Bettany’s performance kept this movie going for me.

I find post-apocalyptic films very interesting but they are not very well made. I don’t blame Priest because it was based on a comic and that’s why it is more animated, but sometimes I wish they would support the idea more by making it more realistic. The best post-aocalyptic movie I’ve ever seen is Waterworld.  

I didn’t watch it in 3D because 3D gives me a headache +_O but I rate this movie 6.5/10.

I watched the theatre version first, and then I was tempted to watch the movie because it has a different cast and thought it might slightly be different, but it wasn’t. Tyler Perry was a writer and producer for stage plays before he moved into the film industry.  From his range of movies, I loved Why Did I Get Married? & Why Did I Get Married Too? (should have put that in my sequels list). His writings & productions focus on different themes: life, love, family, religion… There’s always a moral to his stories.

In Big Happy Family- the play, the comedy is more natural and maybe sometimes improvised, and I found it much more dramatic than the movie. Only downside for me was the gospel music- I felt like I was watching another Disney movie where they sing every 15 minutes…

In this movie/play, Tyler Perry is not the main character, and just plays the recurring role of Madea as the aunt trying to help out a dysfunctional family.   The movie is about Shirley who is trying to gather her family together to break down some bad news, that she’s dying from cancer. However, family secrets emerge from this gathering – drug use, relationship issues, etc. and this delays Shirley’s announcement of her illness. I think everyone can relate in some way because let’s face it, no one has a perfect family. My family definitely falls somewhere close to dysfunctional, but that’s my family, and I think we all have learned to except it as it is. It helps us get along better when we have accepted each other as we are. And in this movie/play, all the secrets are aired out and only after the death of Shirley, they all learn the value and meaning of family.

All the actors in the movie are different from the play except for Tyler Perry & Aunt Bam (who was funnier in the play). The acting performances in the play were stronger than in the film itself. I’m not a big fan of musical plays but  because I saw the play before the movie, I have to admit the play is better. The movie’s cast also includes Loretta Devine & Bow Wow. I never really liked the character Madea, maybe because, unlike Mrs. Doubtfire, she really resembles a man, but she’s still funny with her wise-cracking jokes.

Things you won’t catch in the play but is in the movie – Madea on the Maury Povich Show for DNA testing LOL, and her new method on quickest way to get what you want at a fast food’s drive-thru.

I rate both the movie and the play 8/10