"The Karate Kid" & "The Back-up Plan"

I'll start with the new Karate Kid with Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith even though I saw the other first.

This is such a good movie. Good for everyone from the youngest to the oldest. Jackie Chan has never done better acting in my opinion -he was amazing. Jaden Smith is just a chip off the ol' parental block. He looks so much like his dad and he does a great job. This is a talented young man who will be a super star one day, I have no doubt. The story is, as expected, a young kid being picked on finds a mentor who teaches him all the right things and then has to fight the bully who's being taught all the wrong thing. And you might be saying, 'but Clancy, if that's the case, then why do I need to see the movie?' and my response would be - because it's a good story, with great actors (Taraji P. Henson is really good too), amazing scenery (China - hello), great karate fighting and training action, and it makes you feel good because good triumphs over bad! Go see it.

The Back-up Plan stars Jennifer Lopez and Alex O'Loughlin. Hotties enough for all. And funny - I laughed a lot. Basically our girl is tired of waiting for Mr. Right to come along so she can have a baby, so she goes and gets inseminated and then meets Mr. Right. It's a rocky relationship, as can be expected due to her being pregnant and all, but while rocky for them, some funny stuff for us. I am not a huge fan of J-Lo, but I thought she did a really good job in this. Alex, oh Alex, he could just stand around shirtless and I'd probably pay to see it, but with that admission I would like to say he does a great job in this - he's not just a face (Ok - and a body), he's a good actor too. And perfect for a romantic lead. I really enjoyed this. So, don't snub it just cuz you have J-Lo issues people - seriously.

"The A-Team" Rocks!!!!!

Someone told me, Saturday, when I said I couldn't wait to go see this movie, that it was getting terrible reviews. So - reviewers be damned...this movie rocks! I went yesterday (Sunday) and I loved every minute of it. I wish I could go see it again right now.

The cast: Liam Neeson as Hannibal (amazing -hello? It's Liam Neeson), Bradley Cooper as Face (OMG - he's as hot or hotter than Dirk Benedict was), Rampage Jackson as BA Barracus (he's adorable in this really menacing way - so good), and Sharlto Copley as Murdock (did you see this guy in District 9? He was amazing in that, which if you haven't seen - DO! And he's amazing in this). Add to that awesome list - Jessica Biel as an Army Captain chasing the boys down (eye candy for the guys and she's good), Patrick Wilson as a CIA dude (way cute, funny and so charming) and Gerald McRaney as an Army General. And, what's not to love?

The action: Good grief! Crazy insane awesome summer blockbuster action. (I do need to go see this again - soon). Flying tanks, helicopters, car chases, huge planes, boats, motorcycles - wicked good fun.

The story: This, by the way, is where I was told it was lacking. I disagree. As a fan of the original TV show, the story is great - I understood it perfectly - I didn't think there were any holes. It has the same spirit and feel of the original. And, I love it when a plan comes together! Check it out troops...

"Get Him to the Greek"

I literally just returned from watching Get Him to the Greek with Russell Brand, Jonah Hill and Sean Combs. This is funny on par with The Hangover, Harold and Kumar go to White Castle, and Dude, Where's My Car?

Aldous Snow (Russell Brand), from Forgetting Sarah Marshall, is a rock star who has returned to drugs and alcohol and hasn't had a hit in quite a while. Sean Combs (genius) is the head of a music label looking for new talent. Johan Hill (so sweet and naive) works for Combs and suggests a comeback gig for Aldous Snow. Thing is, he has to fly to London, keep an eye on the troubled rock star and get him to LA in time for the big concert. Needless to say, hi-jinx ensue.

Rose Byrne plays Aldous' ex-girlfriend, and there are a ton of great cameo's. Russell Brand is wonderful in both his excess bad boy behavior and in his sweet broken caring moments. For no other reason than the party scenes in Las Vegas the movie would be worth it, but there are so many funny, quotable bits. Truly laugh out loud funny. Check it out.

'Prince of Persia'

First - sorry, I'm a slacker. I've been writing like a fiend and lost track of time.

On to Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. So good!!!! I have no idea what the video game was about but I love the movie. Let's see why, shall we?

Male hotties: CHECK (and loads of them, not the least of which is Jake Gyllenhaal)
Female hotties: Check (and Gemma Arterton is beautiful and we like her)
Action: Check (and lots of it)
Exotic locale: Check (C'mon, it's Persia people)
Cool Special Effects: Check and double Check
Romance: Check (ahhh)
Betrayal, Familial ties, Horses, Sand, Royalty: Check to all
AND Alfred Molina is genius in his role as a Sheik.

I think you get my point. Both my girl friends that saw it with me, loved it too. And trust me when I say none of us were the intended demographic. I shan't ruin it by giving away any plot points ( I know - you just hate that - but it is for your own good). I will say, this is a keeper. I must own this one. And you should go see it, at the very least.