Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)

While my mum was in town over the holidays we went to go see Sherlock Holmes with my friend Jeanette.  My mum had been looking forward to this movie for a while; we went to see the first Sherlock Holmes (2009) together, so it seemed right to see the second one together.  Many people did like the first one, and those people did not like the second, but both my mum and I really enjoyed it.

Personally I am a huge fan of Robert Downey Jr. Talk about an actor who was down on his luck and pretty much gone from the Silver Screen, that man came back with a vengeance and is now is pretty much everything. He is a wonderful actor and he is doing so very well.

But back to the story…Sherlock Holmes (played by Robert Downey Jr.) has become obsessed with Professor Moriarty (played by Jared Harris). He has basically hidden himself away in his house, drinking himself to death as he investigated seemingly unrelated crimes all across Europe convinced that they all lead back to his arch enemy Professor Moriarty.

Sherlock has become not only obsessed with Moriarty, but he is also still infatuated with Irena Adler (played by Rachel McAdams) who he has continued to maintain a relationship with, even though she is a criminal and works for Moriarty. Personally, I believe that not only is he in love with her, be he believes that through her…he will find Moriarty.

The movie begins with Holmes following Adler. He follows her to a funeral, where unbeknownst to her, Moriarty has set a death trap for an old man and anyone else who happens to be in the vicinity.  Holmes manages to rescue an old man from an explosion, only to find that Moriarty had sent backup to poison him if Adler failed.  

Moriarty has become frustrated with Adler and her continued feelings for Holmes; Moriarty requests a meeting with Adler. Selecting her favorite restaurant Adler agrees, taking precautions knowing she cannot trust Moriarty. But Moriarty has already decided Adler’s fate and even with all of her precautions, Moriarty poisons Adler in the middle of a restaurant…which, unbeknownst to Adler, he has strategically filled with his own minions.

Although Dr. Watson (played by Jude Law) has always been Holmes sidekick in solving crimes, he has taken a new direction in life. He is now engaged to be married to Mary (played by Kelly Reilly) and Holmes is not taking the news as well as a best man should. Instead he is ignoring the fact that the wedding is just a few days away and instead continuing to focus all his attention on Moriarty. 

When Dr. Watson and Holmes arrive at Watson’s stag party, Watson is furious when he realizes that Holmes didn’t invite any of his friends. The only person Holmes did invite was his own brother Mycroft (played by Stephen Fry). Determined to have a good time regardless Dr. Watson storms off and joins in on a nearby Poker game.  Holmes on the other hand didn’t not pick this location by chance, he is in fact trying to locate a gypsy names Sim (played by Noomi Rapace) who he believes is somehow connected with Moriarty.

Holmes arrives just in time and manages to save Sim from an assassin…although he does get his butt kicked pretty badly in the process.  But even though the fight and the heavy night of drinking, both Holmes and Watson make it to the church with no time to spare…and Watson gets married and heads off for his honeymoon with his new wife.

Side note: although the movie does seem slow at times, the fight scenes are really fast paced and very good in this movie.

Becoming annoyed with Holmes and his constant interrogation of his associates, Moriarty finally meets with Holmes. He warns him (in such a savvy sophisticated way) that if he continues to investigate him, he will have to start to target those closest to Holmes, his best friend and constant companion, Dr. Watson.

Realizing that he has but his best friend and his best friend’s wife in jeopardy, Holmes stows away on the train alongside Watson and Mary and just in time. Watson and his new wife are attacked, and Holmes steps in to the rescue. Knowing there is only one way to keep Mary from harm’s way. Holmes knocks Mary off the train into the river below. She is picked up by Mycroft and taken to safety. Enraged by Holmes pushing is new wife off a moving train and convinced that this is all Holmes fault between fighting for their lives, Holmes and Watson argue over what is going on.

The two men manage to fight off the attackers and arrive in France. Holmes and Watson track down the gypsy to find out more about her brother Rene. Holmes believes that Moriarty is targeting her because of her brother and believes her to be a loose end in his ultimate plan. Sim only agrees to talk with the men because Holmes saved her life. She is convinced that her brother would not work with Moriarty but she agrees to help them. She takes them to a hideout where a local rebel organization that Sim and her brother were working with is located. She explains to Holmes and Watson that she and her brother left the organization once serious violence started to be done. She claims that her brother would never go back to work with the group.

Walking around the hideout, Holmes realizes that Moriarty was in fact working with this group and he has used them to build a bomb he believes is designed to take out an opera house in the middle of the city. Holmes is not the only one to realize the organization has been used and set up as the fall guys, the leader of his group confesses what he has done in working with Moriarty to Sim and then he takes his own life.

Holmes, Watson and Sim rush to the Opera house only to realize that Holmes was wrong. Moriarty tricked him and he blows up a hotel instead. A hotel full of powerful leaders in the midst of a peace treaty that would end war across Europe for decades!

As the rubble clears, Holmes and Watson sneak in to inspect the bodies. Holmes notices that the bomb was actually just a cover for Moriarty’s gunmen and left hand man, Colonel Sebastian Moran (played by Paul Anderson). Moran had only had one mission…to kill one specific party member, the owner of a large arms factory in Germany, and Moriarty had recently purchased a large number of shares.

Curious as to why Moriarty had wanted to kill this man Homs and Watson do a little digging and realize the man was in fact an arms factory owner in Germany and Moriarty had recently purchased a majority investment in the company.

Living Sim behind, Watson and Holmes head to Germany to investigate what Moriarty’s end game is. Watson and Holmes get separated at the factory and Holmes is captured and taken to Moriarty. In the standard “Bad Guy Speech” Moriarty reveals that he plans to start a World War, which will ultimately increase the demands for products that his companies make…making him extremely rich.

**Side Note – Really!? Really?! Start a World War to sell your guns. This dude is seriously wacked out of his mind and should have just been put down like a mad cow there and then…but the movie needed to go on**

 Watson has a Texan standoff with Colonel Sebastian Moran and manages to keep the crazy sniper at bay until he can rescue Holmes and the two escape the factory and Holmes announces they are going to the Peace Summit.

At the summit with Mycroft, Holmes realizes that Sim’s brother, Rene, is no longer wearing his own face, but has actually undergone an experimental surgery that changed his appearance. Knowing that Rene could be anyone, Watson and Sim walk around looking at all the party guests while Holmes goes off to play a deadly game of chess with Moriarty.

I am going to stop here, so you can go see the rest of the movie for yourself and find out how it ends. No spoiler alert this time.

I really did enjoy this movie and so did my mum.  I think this movie makes you think and it has a lot of twists and turns. Keeping you on your toes and wondering what is going to happen next. I am not sure that I enjoyed it as much as the first one, but I would not be upset if they make a 3^rd.

Immortals (Movie 2011)

A few weeks ago I went to go see Immortals, not just once but twice (because it was that good!) The first time I went to go see it 2D with my friend, and the second time I went with my dad and saw it in 3D. First comment – besides the KICK ASS fight seen between the Gods and the Titans at the end, there is really no need to pay the extra $5 (or in some cases $10) for 3D. You can just save that money for popcorn, trust me!

The story begins when the world was ruled by the gods and Titans.  Man was living side by side with the gods accepting that the gods would come down and interfere in their lives.

As time passed, the gods realized that although they were immortal they could die and this realization lead to violence and a huge battle broke out between the gods and Titans. During the battle the mightiest of all weapons was lost, the Bow of Epirus which could shoot unstoppable arrows at unbelievable speeds. Although a tragic lose, the gods still came out victorious and imprisoned the Titans under Mt. Tartarus and took their place on top of Mount Olympus watching time slip by.

Centuries pass and the gods watch as man grows and builds cities, evolving and spreading out across the country. Always watching, but never again interfering. Too many times had the gods gone to earth and changed the outcomes of situations, slept with human woman who then gave birth to demi-gods (such as Hercules). Now the gods agreed to stand aside and let man make their own choices.

Over time, King Hyperion (played amazingly by Mickey Rourke) has become a powerful man. He holds a deep seeded grudge against the gods who did not step in and save his wife and child as they slowly died to a nasty disease. Realizing that the gods no longer played a role in the lives of men or answered prayers, King Hyperion starts a mission to recover the Bow of Epirus and free the Titans so that they can destroy the gods who did nothing to save his family. Fueled by vengous, nothing can stop him.

This time is not only ruled by Kings and gods, but predictions from the virgin oracles are relied upon. One virgin oracle knows as Phaedra (played by Freida Pinto) foresees the future of King Hyperion and the Bow of Epirus, she sees Hyperion free the Titans and realizes that he is coming for her. Surrounded by her attendants, the four woman realize they have no choice but to try and flee before Hyperion arrives to keep the Phaedra safe.

**Side note – I like Freida Pinto, she is a beautiful woman, but I must say, her talent was completely wasted in Rise of the Apes. If her acting skill was looked upon only from that movie, you would think she was crap. Her character in Rise of the Apes, unlike in this movie, had no depth and was just a filler and the movie could have moved along fine without her. It was nice to see her have such a nice come back in this movie. But really, her agent should be pissed about the Rise of the Apes role. Such crap!**

The oracle and her protectors just have time to flee to safety as King Hyperion and his hundreds of thousands of men flood into the Sybelline Monastery imprisoning all who are in it and lay waste to every village in the area. Killing the pregnant woman and children and removing (very brutally) the manhood of the men.

In a remote ocean side village a few days ride from the Sybelline Monastery is a young attractive bastard man known as Theseus (played oh so well by the drop dead gorgeous Henry Cavil). Theseus is an only child of an unwed woman who was raped so within the village Theseus and his mother are looked upon as outcasts. Only one old man (played by John Hurt) has taken Theseus under his wing and trained him since a child in the ways of military battle. The old man has guided Theseus as he has grown to look upon the world with compassion as protect those who need it.

As word spreads to the village that the Hyperion army is only days away, the military trained men of the village take up arms and prepare to ride out to meet the army and protect the village. Theseus wanting to help protect his people, tries to get his mother in the first wave of refuges leaving the village, but he is laughed at. Lysander (played by Joseph Morgan) begins a fight with Theseus, thinking Theseus is just a humble slave. Theseus through all his years of training with the old man stands up and not only takes out Lysander but holds at bay 3 other soldiers until the captain steps in and stops them.  The Captain, seeing Theseus potential as a soldier offers him the opportunity to join his army. Theseus disgusted by how they treated his mother refuses and storms. The Captain then turns on Lysander, telling him to hand over his weapons and informs him that he will be saying behind tomorrow to help protect the slaves.

Later that night, the Old Man walks alone in the village. Suddenly he stops, he turns and calls out. No one appears. As if watching a dream, the Old Man form drops to reveal that of Zeus (played by Luke Evans – also yummy!). Zeus turns on the night and demands whoever is hidden there to reveal themselves. Athena (played by Isabel Lucas) steps out from her hiding place. She turns to her father and begs him to leave the boy, unable to understand why Zeus has taken such a liking to this young man while he refuses to show the same compassion towards his own children…towards her.  Zeus tries to explain to Athena, that he is not controlling Theseus but guiding him, because he will one day lead his people to victory. Unable to sway him Athena leaves and the Old Man is once again left alone in the village. 

But that is not the only thing happening that night. High in the tower two soldiers stand guard over the village looking out for Hyperion’s army.  Lysander joins the two guards speaking about how they have no chance against Hyperion’s army, he turns and kills both of the guards before they can set off the alarm. Lysander, a weak traitor runs to Hyperion at the Monastery and begs to join his army. Hyperion, humored by the weak Lysander accepts his oath of loyalty on one condition. Hyperion wants to spread his seed across the world, he wants generations to look upon the faces of their loved ones and see his resemblance, so in order to join Hyperion’s army…Lysander is de-manned (literally – the Minotaur the most feared of Hyperion’s minions [played by Robert Maillet] takes a huge sledge-like-hammer and with full force blows it into Lysander’s testacies and penis. Every man in the theater groaned and cried out with a shared agony that I cannot fully understand). The Minotaur not only de-man Lysander, but he also de-figures his face and forces him (like everyone in his army) to wear a mask.

Hyperion’s men spread out and come across Theseus’ village. While Theseus returning from a day of training along the rocks he hears the screams in the distance. Running towards his home he witnesses Hyperion slit his mother’s throat in front of him as he is held back, helpless to stop the blood flowing out of her neck and down her chest. Hope and determination leave Theseus as Hyperion condemns him to work until he dies in the salt fields.

Time passes – not sure how much really and the Hyperion’s soldiers that guard the salt field works somehow have come across the Oracle and her 3 protectors and they are also in the encampment before being sent back to the Monetary to face Hyperion.  After a long day in the fields, the prisoners come back to the building. Rushing to the water, all but Theseus drink up the cool liquid as the masked Oracle and her protectors walk into the court yard to drink. As she passes Theseus her foot touches his and she has a prediction. She sees him embracing Hyperion and holding the bow, she knows he must survive because he has an important role yet to play. She goes to the pool and taking water into her mouth she goes to Theseus and gives him water to drink.

The Oracle, knowing that they must escape sets a plan in motion. The 4 woman lure the guards into their room and proceed to kill them. As more men rush past the slaves to see what is going on the slaves (and Theseus) attack them. Only 3 slaves, a monk and the Oracle manage to escape into the night.

Watching from Mount Olympus, the gods are frustrated with Zeus for forcing them to stand on the sidelines while the humans dig themselves deeper and deeper into a hole. But Zeus reminds them, any god caught interfering in the affairs of the humans will be killed and any god appearing in their true form to a human will be killed.  Angry they sit back and watch as the humans continue to make mistakes

The head towards the port, the escapees: Stavros the thief (played by Steven Dorff), Daerios the solider (played by Alan Van Spring), Phaedra, one monk (played by Greg Bryk) and Theseus quickly realize that if they stick together they have a better chance of survival.

Meanwhile, the remaining 3 protectors of the Oracle are brought before Hyperion. He looks upon them and demands to know which one of them is the true Oracle. But their bonds of sisterhood are stronger than anything and with all 3 proclaim that they are the true Oracle, Hyperion’s hands are tied and he cannot kill any in fear that he may kill the real one. Until one of the soldiers lets slip that one of the Oracles escaped. Furious, Hyperion sends some of his soldiers to cut the small group of escapees off at the port and sends the 3 protectors to the bull (a horrendous torture device. A huge metal bull over a fire which when its victims are put into his hot belly burn alive as everything they touch inside the metal bull is scorching hot).

Arriving at the sea black with oil, they see a supply boat coming in. Theseus, who has taken leadership of the small group of outlaws, leads them down to the port. They easily kill the few soldiers, but it was a trap, Hyperion had guessed their move and more soldiers came flooding out from the underground storage unit. They corner the small group in the back of the boat and they have no chance of surviving.

Unable to sit aside anymore, Poseidon (played by Kellan Lutz) looks to Athena. She gives him an reassuring nod as he leaps off the Mountain and plunges down, trident held ahead of him, into the sea of oil. A huge wave wipes up and head straight for the small boat.  Remembering the wave from one of her visions, Phaedra tells them to stand strong. At the last moment the small group leaps to safety as Hyperion’s men are cared off into the sea.

Theseus realizes that he must go home and he must bury his mother, even if he does not believe in the gods, his mother did and he must respect that. The small group head to his village.

Hyperion, furious to hear that he was outmaneuvered at the port, he sends the Minotaur and a few soldiers to intercept them at Theseus’ village.

Theseus and the group make it to his village, he takes his mother deep into the labyrinth and lays her to rest. However while putting her body into the crypt he hits a metal object, unable to push his mother’s body in, he begins to dig the object out of the way. Low and behold, it is the Bow of Epirus. Turning to leave the labyrinth, he comes face to face with the Minotaur, Hyperion’s men have found them.

Theseus barely manages to survive as the Minotaur poisoned him, but he manages to kill the beast by beheading it. He finds his way back out of the labyrinth, just in time to save Phaedra, the monk and Stavros. As Theseus stagers to back to the village, he collapse, and Phaedra cares for him. Upon his recovery, the Virgin Oracle tells Theseus that she no long wishes to have the visions and Phaedra makes love to Theseus…losing her virginity and her gift.

The small groups of survivors make their way to the Monastery only to discover that it is a trap laid by Hyperion. Thankfully the gods come to their aid (Ares and Athena), however, Zeus comes down from Mount Olympus and scolds Ares and Athena…Zeus in his rage kills Apollo.  But the rescue came too late and a Jackal steals the Bow of Epirus from Thesus and takes it to Hyperion.

Now Hyperion has the bow…but Thesus’ encounter with the gods has made him a true believer.

The small group realize that with the bow, Hyperion is next to unstoppable, riding on two horse provided by Athena to join the last stand against Hyperion and his overwhelming forces. Arriving at the wall, Thesus tries desperately to convince the king that Hyperion has the Bow of Epirus and that they are in trouble, but the King, bind to the truth refuse to listen.

A battle occurs, thanks to the Kings stupidity, and Thesus leads the solider into battle. Hyperion uses the battle to slip into the Titans prion and he uses the bow to free them.  Realizing what Hyperion is up to, Thesus and Stavros rush to intervene, but they are too late. Stravos manages to retrieve the bow and throw it to Thesus before the Titans devour him, but Thesus stands not chance against the creatures from time long lost.

Suddenly the gods arrive from Mount Olympus ready to stop the Titans in their tracks, and while a war is going on outside Mt. Tartarus a battle between the gods and Titans is raging inside.

This movie was excellent. I don’t want to tell any more…I feel like people should go to this movie. It is worth seeing. I went to see it twice and loved it.  

I watched it in both 3D and 2D and honestly, save your money…the 2D is just as good. There are only a FEW scenes where you go…neat. But thing that is worth spending the extra money.

Real Steel (2011)

Last week I went to go see Real Steel with my friend. It had been a few weeks since my last movie adventure, so I was looking forward to being transported for a few hours into another realm. Although Real Steel was not my first choice, to be honest the previews left little desire, I was not disappointed in the end. I was actually quite surprised with this movie and truly did enjoy it. I even recommend it to a few or my co-workers who have kids.

The movie starts with Charlie (played surprising well by Hugh Jackman) driving out to BFE where he has scheduled a fight between his old robot, named Ambush, and a 800 lb bull (who actually ends up being around a 2k lb bull). We learn very quickly on that Charlie is deep financial trouble and owes at least 2 loan sharks around 30k each, this is why Charlie has agreed to this unorthodox fight between his robot and a bull. When Charlie arrives at the fight, he is outraged when he sees the 2k bull and tries to complain to manager/owner of the bull fighting ring and ex-rival Ricky (played by Kevin Durand) but Ricky tells him if he wants to get paid his robot has to fight. Realizing that he has no other option, Charlie agrees to the match. Seeing a chance to make more money from the fight, Charlie bets Ricky 10k winner takes all. Ricky laughs and agrees with a sweet reminder that if he doesn’t get his winnings he will beat Charlie within an inch of his life.

The fight begins and Ambush (Charlie) hauls off and clocks the bull, making you think that the match will be over quickly.

**Side Note – after watching him hit the poor bull, I no longer felt sorry for Charlie and the crap he was in, seriously, who hits a bull and thinks its ok. It a freaking animal! Hit a person, fine, they know what they are getting into the ring for, but a bull. Sick and as I said already, unorthodox.**

Charlie, thinking he is the shiznet, starts to flirt with some cute girls in the stand (idiot men) and the bull, pissed off after being hit by a freaking robot turns and charges the robot from behind, taking one of Ambushes legs. Charlie, now realizing that he is about to lose the fight, his robot and the money that he desperately needs in order to keep his legs tries in vain to lead Ambush to a victory on one leg, but he quickly sees his hobs dash as the bull sticks Ambush cutting the robot into two.  

Knowing he doesn’t have the money to pay Ricky, Charlie hurries to leave. Dragging the mangled remains of Ambush back to his huge-ass truck, Charlie runs into two well-dressed men who inform him that his ex-girlfriend/wife (not really sure which) has died in a car accident and his son Max (played by Dakota Goyo) according to Texas law must be turned over to his father. However, Max’s aunt (played by Hope Davis) has offered to take full custody of Max if Charlie just signs the kid over.

Having no need or desire for a little kid dragging him down, Charlie goes to sign the paperwork. While in the courtroom, he realizes that Max’s aunt is married to a VERY rich man, and Charlie makes a deal with the rich old hubby (played by James Rebhorn) to agree to sign Max over for $100,000. The rich hubby agrees on one condition…Charlie keeps Max for the summer, Charlie agrees and hubby gives Charlie 50K up front and agrees to give him the rest after the summer. Charlie, ignoring the fact that he owes multiple people large sums of money, immediately spends the first 50K buying an old champion known as Nosiy Boy and has it delivered to the gym that his ex-girlfriend/girlfriend Baliey (played by Evangeline Lilly) took over after her father (and Charlie’s old boxing coach). We soon realize that Max also has a thing for the fighting robots, and the story involves, as we all know the father will fall for his son.

Thinking he will get his money back right away, Charlie doesn’t takes Max’s or Balieys advice and work with the robot to learn his combos and fighting technique. Instead, Charlie immediately take Max (through Max bribing him to let him come along) and Nosiy Boy to flight. Thanks to Nosiy Boy’s reputation and Charlie’s relationship with the ring owner, Finn, Charlie manages to get the top fight against Midas (one bad as bot) and Charlie manages to lose everything. The flight to the death destroys Nosiy Boy in less than 24 hours.

In an attempt to recoup some of his losses, Charlie takes Max to a bot junkyard, it is a sad sight. Old robots tossed aside after being uses up, abused and discarded. While Charlie tries to score enough parts to fix up some old robot…just so he can get enough money to get a new bot, Max falls off the edge of a cliff and plummets down into the dark…robot part filled cavern below. (Good job dead beat dad for keeping an eye on your kid). Luckily for Max (and because that would have been a horrible ending to a Disney movie) his jacket is caught on the arm of a buried robot. Thrilled with his discovery, Max begs Charlie to help him recover the bot, but Charlie…selfish and a man, doesn’t see the financial gain and leaves Max to spend the night in the rain digging up the bot alone…which he does.

Max and Charlie get to the gym and surprisingly Baliey manages to get the robot rebooted and they quickly realize that although not a actually fighting bot, this generation one sparring bot has a rare(advanced for the bots time) Shadow Function. The Sparring bot was designed to help fighting bots train, it can take an insane amount of beating and can mimic (shadow) moves from the other bots to help it train, but it can’t fight itself. But this doesn’t deter Max, who is convinced that the Sparring bot…named Atom, can fight. Max is infatuated with his new bot and quickly adopts it as a friend (makes you wonder how lonely this kid must have been).

After enduring endless begging from Max, Charlie agrees to take Atom and Sam to “The Zoo” which is an underground, no-rules fighting ring for Atom’s first fight. Max, confident in Atom and ignoring Charlie completely makes a huge bet against the crazy punk rocker ring-leader for 1K, winner takes all. Unable to pass up a punk kid and a sparring bot, the ring leader takes the bet and proceeds to have his robot beat down. Max, thrilled with himself takes the money…while talking smack…and they leave. While heading out, a man comes to them and asks them if Atom would like to do another fight. We see a light at the end of the tunnel for Charlie and his financial crisis.

The next morning Max and Atom are still up for the night before.

**Side Note – Charlie has introduced Max to energy drinks and crap food and the kid is so wired on caffeine that sleep is only something Max can day dream about at this point**

Max has been trying to teach Atom how to box. But after hours of training, Max has a little fun with Atom’s shadow function and the two of them break it down (in a VERY white boy way) to Eminem (I think, I am not sure…but it was something good).

**Side Note – yes I know another one so soon, but the album to this movie is WICKED good! The music seriously was kick ass!**

Charlie at this point walks out and see the two of them dancing (white boy dancing). Charlie agrees to teach Atom to fight if Max agrees to “dance” with Atom before the fights. Max agrees.  But Max didn’t spend all night dancing, he has also taken the speech functions out of Nosiy Boy and installed them into Atom. (Seriously, this kid is a freaking electronic genius or something, because that is some pretty spiffy stuff). And so Atom begins to rise as a star, Dancing with Max before every fight and training with Charlie every day. Slowly, Charlie starts to save up money to pay off his debt  (he sends Baily passed rent with interest) and Max works to make Atom better and better. 

Max and Charlie get there first shot at the big WRB (the Robot Boxing league) when Atom is invited to fight against Twin City (an Asian Robot with two heads…one for each of the creepy twin Asian controllers). Thrilled to get into the big leagues Charlie and Max take the fight, but it is not as easy as the underground matches and Atom is beat into a corner. Charlie suddenly sees Twin City’s weakness and beats the two headed bot down!!!  Seeing his change, Max grabs the mic and challenges the #1 Bot in the World Zeus to a duel. This does not please Zeus owners.

Now Zeus is one bad as bot. There is a reason he is number one. He was designed, paid for and built to be the best fighter. He was built by Tak Mashido a retired bot designer who not only built the champion Noisy Boy, but was commissioned for one final project…Zeus. Zeus has never lost a fight; in fact no bot has ever passed the second round with Zeus. His programming (specially developed by Tak Mashido) allows him to analyze and predict bot fighting patterns makes him unstoppable. So being challenged by a little kid and a sparring bot is pretty embarrassing, and also pretty stupid on the kids side.

Upon leaving their fight with Twin City, Charlie run’s into his old buddy from the County Fair, Ricky, who beats the crap out of Charlie (as he promised he would) and steals Max’s money. Realizing the danger that he has put Max in, Charlie quickly takes Max back to his Aunt. Old hubby, pleased that Charlie kept his part of the deal, try to give him the other 50K, which Charlie refuses.

**Side Note – at this point in time, Charlie really should have just taken the money. He really needed to pay some people off, before he was just beat to an inch of his life, but beaten to death, but something about pride and what not….stupid shit, pride ain’t gonna do you a damn thing when you’re dead**

Max is pissed to be back at home, and begs Charlie to let him stay with him, but Charlie refuses…seeing the error of his ways and so on J

Some time passes and all of a sudden a message comes down from Mount Olympus, Zeus has agreed to the fight. Unbelieving, Charlie rushes to Max. He apologizes (in a very bad way) to Max’s aunt and asks if Max can come for one night as Atom v/s Zeus. She reluctantly agrees.  

Max and Charlie are so ready, but before the fight, the get an invitation to Mount Olympus. Zeus hot ass owner tries to buy Atom from Max and Charlie for 200K (or some huge number), Charlie ready to leap at this chance, Max refuse, truly believing that Atom has a chance against the god of gods.

The bell rings, and no one expect Atom to even survive the first round with Zeus and bets are flying. We see Ricky go and make a bet 5 to 1 against with Charlie’s old buddy, Finn. But instead of making the bet and leaving, Ricky proceeds to be a racist dick to Finn.  

**Side Note – I just wanted to reach into the screen and strangle Ricky…such a prat?**

Atom is almost KO’d by Zeus as soon as the bell rings. But Atom struggles up and continues to fight again and again being knocked down by the god, but surprising everyone Atom makes it past the first and second and third round. By the fourth round everyone is surprised that this little sparring bot is holding his own against Zeus. Both bots are taking some amazing hits. The crowed is seriously going wild, you see both Max’s aunt and uncle and Baily in the crowd. Suddenly Atoms voice recognition software gets destroyed by one enormous blow from Zeus. Just then the bell rings….end of the fourth round.  Realizing that they can no longer tell Atom what to do, the only way to continue and complete the fight is for Atom to shadow box with Charlie. Max changes out the programing quickly and the last round begins. Charlie begins to fight, and the shadow boxing is allowing Atom to move faster than before and new non-standard bot moves that Charlie has taught Atom through their time together. Atom backed into a corner takes a heavy heavy beating from Zeus. Max screams at Charlie to do something, but Charlie has seen Zeus weak spot and is waiting for his moment. Meanwhile, all is not calm on Mount Olympus, Zeus is overloading, and about to crash. Tak is freaking out, seeing his bot about to crash in the middle of the most wildly watched bot fight in the world. He runs down and takes control of the robot himself…and this is not missed by the reporters. Who zoom the cameras in on Tak pushing the controllers out of the way and taking the seat himself. But Charlie is in the rhythm fighting Zeus alongside Atom. The crowd is going wild. Charlie starts to back Zeus into a corner, about to deliver the final blow to the god when the bell rings. Ending the final round. The crowd has already decided who has won the match, but as the judges votes are announced, it is clear that Zeus won (by a hair)…(I think Mount Olympus may have paid off the judges) but no one cares about the Judges choice, the reporters flood pass Tak and Zeus to Atom, Max and Charlie. The people have spoken, Atom gets the title of “The People’s Champion” and that is good enough for Max.

 

Can I just say, I was extremely hesitant to go to this movie originally, but the story, the graphics, the music, it ended up being a great movie. Regardless of if you have kids or not, this movie is worth seeing. I seriously clapped in the theater (admittedly I may have been the only one, but I clapped…everyone else was just lame). This movie moved me and I really truly enjoyed it. If you haven’t seen it, it is worth seeing go watch it, rent it, whatever, but definitely check it out.

Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (Movie 2011)

This week, I went with my friend to go see Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark. I love a good horror movie and they are just so hard to come by these days. I don’t know if it is because I have become desensitized to them of they just aren’t making them as scary as they use to. But when I saw the previews for Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, I asked my girl to go with me (because honestly…she is the only one who likes horror movies as much as I do!)

The movie itself starts off in the past at a spooky looking mansion called Blackwood Manor (heck even the name sounds spooky…Blackwood…aren’t a lot of rich men called Blackwood in movies??) . A maid (a white maid I noticed) is cleaning up when a bell rights calling her to her master. She grabs a candle and walks towards a door leading to the basement. She calls down to Lord Blackwood, but it is silent below. She cautiously begins to proceed down the stairs. You can tell by her steps that Lord Blackwood hasn’t been his usually self lately. Suddenly she over a wire that was stretched across the stairs and falls the rest of the way down. Lord Blackwood rolls her onto her back and sits on her chest. Coming out of her daze she looks up at Blackwood, he begins to apologize to her; he can barely speak because all of Blackwood’s teeth are missing and broken off. He pulls out a chisel and a hammer and as the maid screams he smashes out her teeth.

As the maid lay unconscious on the floor, Blackwood scoots around the floor, insanely, picking up the broken off teeth. He collects them all and puts them into a small offering tray in the fireplace. He begs whatever creatures he is making the offering to, that they release his son. Instead the evil creatures swarm him, pulling him down into the hole…killing him one assumes.

Time passes and the house stands empty for years, until it is bought by an architect.

We meet Sally (played by Bailee Madison) , an 8 year old little girl flying to go live with her father, Alex (played by Guy Pearce) and her father’s new girlfriend Kim (played strangely by Katie Holmes). Kim and Alex wait as Sally’s plane taxis in and we can see that Kim is nervous about meeting the boyfriends kid (but can you blame her…I have been there too…it is not pleasant). Sally gets off the plane, hugs her father and gives Kim the stink eye. Kim, desperate to make peace with the kid offers it a teddy bear, with Sally accepts after some encouragement from her father.

*Side Note – if you can avoid it…don’t hook up with someone who already has a kid. The drama and stress entailed in that type of relationship is serious and should not be taken lightly. And if the kid gets attached (which it will eventually) can really get screwed up if the relationship doesn’t work out. They saw one relationship fail around them, they don’t really need to see another**

The ride from the airport back to the house is brutal. Sally didn’t want to leave her friends and mother and move out with her father and as she sits in the backset you see the mother’s solution to dealing with her daughter….drugging her up….the kid is on Ritalin. Kim sees Sally look at her watch, pull out a pill bottle and pop one. Her father…is oblivious to the situation, his daughter or Kim’s amazement. He is to self-absorbed in making this Manor a success.

Pulling up the Manor it looks freaking haunted. Why you would by a house that creepy looking and not expect something bad to happen is beyond me. Idiots. But the Manor is lively. People are working around the house getting it ready for the debut night where the new couple will put the house on the market and attempt to get their money back and make a killer profit.

As the new patchwork family enters the house, we meet Harris (played by Jack Thompson). He eyes Sally as she arrives in a creepy pedophile way.  (I don’t think that was what they were going for, they were going for wary, but it just came out creepy). Sally looks around the huge evil looking house as she walks in. She wonders off to the office as her father leaves her to explore as he goes to handle some business. Kim desperate to get Sally to like her follows her into the office. Kim tries to get Sally to lighten up and tells her a story about her grandmother giving her a beautiful broche, but Sally just responds with “My mother gave me to my dad.” Surprised Kim is left speechless as Alex comes into the office and leads Sally away to show her the new bedroom the designed for her.  Kim is left speechless. Alex, trying to make his daughter feel at home is surprised when Sally asks when she can go home. Alex stumbles over his words for a second as he tries to explain that basically her mother didn’t want her anymore and dumped her on her father. Dealing with this sudden realization of abandonment Sally runs into the bathroom and locks herself in. Unable to do anything Alex turns on the nightlight (which is a spiffy carousel) leaves the room and goes to bed.

Kim, not sure how to deal with what is happening, tries to talk to Alex. But he just avoids the questions by starting some hanky panky. Luckily for Sally, the bedrooms are attached by an air vent and she gets to hear everything. She covers it up with a pillow and goes to sleep.

Deep in the basement in the fireplace that Blackwood was dragged into we hear evil voices whispering…”Sally…her name is Sally.”

The next day doesn’t start off much better for Sally, she is alone and the only kids. Bored out of her mind she wonders off into the garden. Sally hears whispers come through the trees, and she follows the faint sound of her name deeper into the forest. The garden is beautiful (although it has been years since someone has maintained it). Sally wonders around and ends up in a ring of mushrooms (I am going with magical ring of mushrooms), the wind blows and within the blink of an eye she is next to the house. She moves aside some of the brush and as she sees though a window into the basement, Harris suddenly appears, grabs her up scolding her that it is not safe to wonder off a lone and leads her back to the house. 

By this time Alex has realized that is daughter is not were to be seen and he and Kim are looking for her when they come across Harris and Sally in the woods. Sally explains that she found a basement window, Harris tries to dissuade them from looking, but trying to build up the relationship with his daughter, Alex looks. To their amazement a basement does exist, which is great for them because houses built in this time period didn’t have basements! This will be great for their pocketbook…so they think.

Rushing back into the house, Alex finds the wall that hides the stairway to the basement and Kim, Sally and Harris watch as he smashes his way though. Kim unlocks the door and the basement is reviled to them. Excited they all rush down to explore, but Sally is drawn to the fireplace. She leans close to it and hears voices calling her name. Before she can do anything, Alex and Kim say they have to go back upstairs and will look at it again more tomorrow.

Sally still upset with her father, acts up during dinner and storms off to her room half way through her meal (my mum would have KILLED me if I ever did that!). Later that night Sally hears the voices calling her name again through the vent. They ask her to be their friend and to come play with them. In need of a playmate the next morning Sally takes a wrench from one of the workman’s bags and heads down to the basement. She finds a random tooth lying on the ground and puts it into her pocket. She then works furiously on the bolts and unscrews them all but the last one before her father comes looking for her. He finds her in the basement and she tells him about the voices. Leaning down to listen Alex puts his ear next to the fire place and we see the creatures stick a long sharp piece of metal next to his ear. They pull back and just as they are about to plunge it into his eardrum he moves. Alex and Sally go upstairs, neither of them realizing what almost happened. As they walk away, the voices whisper "She'll be back, they always come back."

Later that night while getting ready for bed, Alex notices his shaving blade is missing. Kim opens her closet only to find her dress for the open house sliced into pieces.

The next morning Alex confronts Sally and yells at her. Sally cries that she didn’t do it. Alex notices Sally clutching an old coin that Sally had gotten from the tooth she had put under her pillow the night before and demands an explanation.  Sally unable to explains run away in tears. Kim confronts Alex on being so harsh.

The next day, still fighting over Alex’s displace of Sally, Kim and Alex head downtown to finalize some business leaving Sally alone with Harris and the cook.  Kim again confronts Alex about how he handles Sally and how she is acting out, but refusing to listen; Alex gets out and walks to the meeting, leaving Kim alone to wonder what is going on with Sally. Back at the Manor things are beginning to go downhill. Sally again sneaks off into the basement with a flash light (seriously, this little girl is asking for trouble). Sally tries to befriend the creatures in the fireplace. She offers them raisins and asks if she can see them. She shines the light into the fireplace, but the creatures hiss back at her saying they don’t like the light, she turns it off and the creatures begin to venture forward…”hungry” the say… “hungry”. Just then Harrison rushes down the stairs with his flashlight and points it at the fireplace sending the creatures plunging back into the deep. He asks Sally who she was talking to and when she replies’s No One he yells at her go get upstairs. Sally rushes out of the basement and as Harris makes his way backwards towards the stairs the creatures begin to come towards him and attack him. Knocking the flashlight out of his hand, they cut him with scissors, a razor, a knife and other objects. The scissors they stick into his collar bone. Harris climbs bleeding out of the basement and collapses in the entry way in front of Sally and the cook. 

Kim and Alex arrive home to see Harris being taken to the hospital. The cook cry’s that she tried to keep Sally from seeing it, but she was to slow. Realizing what Sally must have seen, Kim (NOT ALEX) rushes off to find her.  Kim finds Sally hiding in the tree, after coxing her down Kim takes her to a fountain in the middle of the garden with strange Japans fish in it. Sally tells Kim again that she didn’t cut her cloths. Kim hugs her and says that it’s ok. Thus the Step-mother – child bond begins.

Night comes again (it’s like ALWAYS night in this movie) and the creatures have made their way into Sally’s room and they lay in wait under her bed. Sally sits wide awake in her bed with her flashlight. One of the creature’s craws up under the covers and Sally sees the sheets move at the end of the bed. With her flashlight in had she looks under the bed, only to come face to face with the evil creature. She screams and Alex and Kim come running into the room.  Kim hugs her…Alex’s solution…to call a therapist.

The next day the therapist arrives, but this is not Sally’s first time.  She sits there drawing and answering the doctor’s questions. She tells him about the creatures that she believes are evil fairies. She tells him that they are her friends and that they told her that her parents don’t lover her. The therapist tells Alex and Kim that Sally is imagining the creatures and shows the pictures Sally drew to them. Alex feels better, but Kim questions it, especially after what has been happening.

Alex and Kim go out the next night; Alex is finalizing some more details for the Open House. Kim drops him off and heads to speak with Harris at the hospital. The cook and a few workers are around the house and keeping an eye on Sally. Sally goes and gets into the bath to get ready for work and while she is in the tub the creatures attack her. They shut off the light and remove the doorknob. The creatures start to attack Sally in the tub and she screams for help brining the cook and workers running.  They break through the door sending the creatures running into hiding.

Meanwhile Kim meets with a critically injured Harris who tells her to…Get HER OUT! And instructs her to go to the library and ask for the Blackwood collection.  At the library, Kim asks the librarian to show her the books and writings of Blackwood’s work, explaining that she is working at the house. The librarian leads her into the back vaults and explains to her that Blackwood’s son went missing when he was 8 yrs old and a few days later Blackwood himself went missing.   Surprised to hear this Kim questions the librarian some more. He explains that Blackwood drew some different types of pictures at the end of his life. He drew and wrote about ancient fairies that lived of the boons and teeth of children. In the writings by Blackwood he mentioned that the fairies must take one victim (child or adult) every time they emerge so they can survive until the next. Kim realizes that Blackwood’s drawings are similar to Sally’s. Kim turns to leave but just as she is leaving the librarian mentions that there is a mural in the house somewhere that Blackwood did before he died and he would love to see it if Kim comes across it. Kim is surprised again; she knew nothing of a mural.

Upon arriving home, Kim and Alex hear what has happened to Sally. Running upstairs, they realize that Sally is gone. Alex, undisturbed explains that Sally has done this before. Kim runs down to the basement and pulls back a huge tarp covering the far wall, only to uncover a huger mural of a child being sacrificed to the fairies. Convinced that Sally is telling the truth she tries to convince Alex while they head out to look for Sally. Unbelieving, Alex feels his point is backed when they find Sally walking down the road in the dark. Kim disappointed in Alex doesn’t bring the subject up again.

Later that night Kim is awaken by Sally lying on the end of their bed. Kim carries Sally back into her room (where is the father?? Blind). Sally wakes up and begs Kim not to leave, promising to stay the night they fall asleep together. In the middle of the night Kim wakes up, seeing that Sally is asleep and safe Kim tucks Sally in with the teddy bear and heads back to her room , but the creatures where lying in wait under Sally’s bed.

Once Kim is gone, the creatures come out. They knock over the night light waking Sally up. She grabs the flash light and shines it over the room, seeing the fairies running from the light, Sally screams and Alex and Kim come running.  Holding Sally, Kim (not the father) notices that the night light and teddy bear are broken and torn to pieces. Kim believes Sally.

The next night is finally the open house. Kim is helping Sally get ready and she finds Alex’s razor in Sally’s drawer. Sally’s explains that it is for protection from the fairies. She says that the only thing that hurts them is bright light. Kim gives Sally her camera (one of those really old Polaroid’s – who still has those!). Sally spends the evening taking pictures of the guess, until she hears a small sound in the flowers. It is a fairies. She snaps a picture…giving her proof. She rushing to show her father, but he ignores her and heads upstairs to find out where Kim is. Kim is in Sally’s room packing Sally’s things. They fight and Alex convinces Kim to stay until after the open house.  

At the dinner table, Sally tries to keep the picture safe so she sticks it under her legs, but while Alex is speaking one of the creatures comes and grabs it away. Sally goes under the table chasing it. She follows the creature out the dining hall and into the office/library.  Behind her the door slams and the creatures lock her in. They begin to torment her, pulling her hair, jump on her, Sally desperately tries to keep them away from her by taking pictures. She screams and the guests, Alex and Kim (who is still upstairs) hears her and come running.  Alex is unable to get in the door; Kim push’s her way to the front of the crowd and tries to get the door open. The fairies grab the camera and begin to rush away with it and Sally slides the bookcase into one of them killing it. As the camera hits the ground the door fly’s open. Sally rushes to Kim and embraced, Alex tells the guests it is time to call it a night. Crying Sally shows Kim her “proof” but it doesn’t show the creature, just her.

Alex still doesn’t believe Kim or Sally. He puts Sally to bed, alone, again, while she is crying and goes down to look at the mural. Finally he agrees to leave. He goes to start the car and Kim goes to pack.

Realizing that time is running out the fairies kick it into high gear, in the garage they close the door locking Alex in. They jump down on top of him and knock him out. The fairies go to the power box and cut the wires, plunging the entire Manor into darkness. Kim, now standing in complete darkness takes the flashlight from Sally’s bedside table and starts to look around for Alex. She hears whispering in the dark and as she makes her way down the stairs, she trips on a wire (just like the maid had done all those years ago). Kim hits the ground, knocking herself out.

Sally wakes up as she hears Kim’s unconscious body hit the ground. Realizing the flashlight is gone she takes the camera and goes to find Kim. Seeing her unconscious, Sally rushes up to her but the fairies swarm her. Trying desperately to keep them at bay with the flash from the camera she attempts to revive Kim. In the garage, the worthless father as finally come-too and is trying to get out, but the fairies have locked him in. Breaking the glass he tries to undo the lock. Back at the Manor the fairies knock the camera from Sally’s hand and drag her screaming into the basement. Kim awakes, and hears Sally’s cries. She rushes down the stairs to see the fairies pulling Sally into the fireplace. Kim turns the flashlight on them and they scatter. She tugs on the rope attempting to free Sally. Sally takes the flashlight from Kim and points it at the creatures. Kim begins to desperately try to cut at the rope.

Kim looks at Sally and tells her that once she has cut the rope, she needs to run. The rope snaps and Kim is dragged to the fireplace. The rope is around her knees and as the creatures pull, Kim’s knees snap backwards and she disappears into the darkness of the fireplace. Alex who has finally gotten out of the garage breaks down the doors as he goes he rushes down the basement, but he is too late.  Sally is standing there crying. Suddenly Kim appears at the entrance to the fireplace. Alex rushes over to grab her hand, but she slips and is gone.  Apologizing to the crying little girl he guides he from the house.

Time passes, we don’t know how much, but Sally and Alex return to the Manor during the day. A sign hangs on the door saying Foreclosure. Sally has her hair cut into Kim’s style and she puts a piece of paper down on the group of a picture of her and Kim by the fountain that says “I love you Kim.” They leave the house.

The drawing drifts down into the basement and into the fireplace, which has been re-bolted. You hear the fairies whispering what will they do the house is empty again.  Suddenly Kim’s voice is heard…. "We have all the time in the world," and the other fairies agree saying, "Yes, we have all the time in the world."

This movie wasn’t scary at all. It didn’t have a surprise or twist or anything. To be honest the acting was also pretty pitiful and it just wasn’t very real. It was almost like they acted blindly through it. You never felt like you were part of the movie or amazed by how it took you on an adventure. It was basically a boring move and not something I would recommend to even my worst enemy.

Next is Apollo 18. I hope that is better. I want a good horror movie! Pure Horror!!!