CrystalsBonusAndReviews

Takers is taking over! This is one movie where you want to see the takers take it all. This film has an all star cast. Under the direction of John Luessenhop they all give good performances. The takers are Idris Elba, Michael Ealy, Chris Brown, Paul Walker, Hayden Christensen and T.I. Zoe Saldana plays the love interest of Michael Ealy’s character Jake, but she has history with T.I.’s character Ghost. This movie has action, action and more action. Everybody is after something. Some work for a living while others take. These guys look good while they are taking and they have perfected it into an art.  They cold steal you blind and get out in record time and you would never see it coming.

They are so smooth with how they execute every plan, but even the best laid plan can go wrong. The action in this film is awesome! The scene where Chris Brown’s character Jesse is running from the police is high speed action. He literally jumps from buildings and onto moving cars. Then he jumps off and over the cars, hits the street and keeps on running. This scene really draws you in. It is so thrilling to watch!

Matt Dillon plays Jack Welles a cop that is hot on the trail of a bank robbery. He tries to take down Idris Elba and the crew. He is just a cop trying to do his job. But he becomes obsessed with them which lead to no good. There is honor among thieves. These guys prove this until the end. The ending will blow you away! This definitely deserves 4 out of 5 popcorn bags.

This is film is based on a true story about Felix Bush. Robert Duvall plays Felix Bush a man with a horrible secret that he has kept to himself for 40 years.  He is also an old man that knows death is knocking at his door. He comes up with an idea to have a funeral party while he is still living. Bill Murray plays Frank Quinn who is owner of the funeral home that Felix goes to for help in planning his funeral party. He invites everybody to come that has a story to tell about him. Lucas Black plays Buddy who works for Frank. Buddy takes Felix wherever he wants to go. The more time he spends with Felix the more he respects him and his wishes for his funeral party. Buddy takes Felix to see Rev. Charlie Jackson played by Bill Cobbs. He and Felix are old friends. He is the only one that knows Felix’s horrible secret. Felix asks him to speak at his funeral party, but Charlie refuses.

To make sure he gets a good turnout at his funeral party Felix decides to raffle off his land for $5.00 entry fee. People from all over sent in their money in the hopes that they would be the winner of his land which is over 300 acres of untouched woods and forests. His property is a lumberman’s dream. The days before the funeral party were intense and Frank and Buddy had to hide the money in caskets to keep it safe.

The scene where Felix takes his picture for the funeral party invitation is very funny. It’s good to see Sissy Spacek on the big screen again. She plays Maddie Darrow a woman in Felix’s past. All the actors deliver brilliant performances. I like this movie. I’m giving it 4 out of 5 popcorn bags 

Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman star as Wally Mars and Kassie Larson. They are best friends who share everything in their lives with each other. Wally is a very peculiar fellow because he’s very neurotic, a hypochondriac, never seems happy and very cynical. Kassie on the other hand is a risk taker. She is the opposite of Wally and in their case opposites do attract.  Wally doesn’t adjust well to change where as Kassie embraces it. Juliette Lewis plays Kassie’s friend Debbie who marches to her own drum and that drum is usually playing disco music. It’s good to see Jeff Goldblum on the big screen. He plays Wally’s friend Leonard. All the actors give good performances especially newcomer Thomas Robinson who plays their son Sebastian.

Kassie decides that she is ready to be a mother. She tells Wally and he is against the idea of a stranger fathering her child. He wonders why she didn’t just ask him, but she tells him he is too neurotic. Kassie decides to throw a party celebrating her getting impregnated. The sperm donor Roland played by Patrick Wilson is at the party where he leaves his sperm in a container in the bathroom for Kassie.

Wally gets wasted and accidentally makes the switch. The scene where he makes the switch is hilarious because he is so out of it. Kassie does get pregnant and moves away and seven years later she returns with her son Sebastian who unbeknownst to her is really Wally’s son. Sebastian is adorable and he acts just like Wally. Kassie doesn’t notice, but Wally sure does. These scenes are hilarious because of the facial expressions Wally makes as he looks at Sebastian. This movie is a funny romantic comedy with a twist. I liked it. I’m giving it 4 out of 5 popcorn bags.

What would you do if you won the lottery? This is the question that Bow Wow’s character faces.  Bow Wow stars as Kevin Carson a kid from the projects. He lives with his Grandmother played by Loretta Divine. Kevin suddenly wins the lottery! The scene where he and his grandmother are celebrating winning the lottery is hilarious. T-Pain is funny as the store owner where Kevin bought the winning ticket. Once the word gets out that Kevin won the lottery things get crazy. He finds it hard to know who to trust and given the area he lives in he’s got to be careful and watch his back. Brandon T. Jackson plays Benny his best friend who tries to help him with his dilemma.

Everyone is after him, from loan sharks like Sweet Tee played by Keith David to random thugs like Lorenzo played by Gbenga Akinnagbe. Even his pastor played by Mike Epps wants a share. Benny and Kevin visit the lottery office only to discover the office is closed due to it being the 4^th of July weekend and would not reopen until Tuesday.

 Kevin has to wait until Tuesday before he can claim his winnings. The real challenge is not getting jacked for his ticket before he can claim his winnings. Terry Crews plays Jimmy a guy who works for Sweet Tee and hired to drive Kevin and his friends wherever they want to go. He also gives Kevin a little spending change until he cashes in his ticket. The scene where he goes on a spending spree is hilarious. Ice Cube plays Mr. Washington a retired boxer. He tries to give Kevin some good advice. This movie is the lottery of laughs and it brings a good message about money.  It deserves 4 out of 5 popcorn bags.

This movie is awesome! It is a long movie but the time goes fast. Julia Roberts Elizabeth Gilbert. Liz is a woman that really doesn’t know what she wants. She divorces her husband Stephen played by Billy Crudup because she decides she doesn’t want to be married any more. She meets David played by James Franco who is younger then she is. They have a good relationship for a while until things go sour and they just stop communicating. She has supportive friends like Delia played by Viola Davis who just want to see her happy and at peace with herself. After she and David split she decides to embark on a year’s journey to travel to Italy to eat good Italian food, India to learn the teachings of a Guru and back to Bali to help Ketut an old medicine man who once read her future.

During her travels she meets some amazing people that become her friends. Each one is searching for something and they help one another find it. Along the way Liz develops a connection with herself that is long overdue. Through meditation she discovers a peace she never knew before. She learns how to smile with her whole body and be truly happy.  The scene where she touches the elephant is so enlightening. She begins to understand her life and what went wrong in her past relationships.

She is even open to starting another. What she finds most people search their whole lives for and never find. You will be enlightened just by watching this film. It is for this reason I am giving it 5 out of 5 popcorn bags.