In the present time, Alex, Gloria, Melman, Marty, King Julien, Maurice, and Skipper and his fellow penguins board a repaired airplane in the hopes of using it to fly back to New York. Mort tries to board the plane but King Julien doesn't want him on board and locks him outside. The plane takes off and starts with a relaxing journey, Alex spots Mort clinging to the wing of the plane and waves to him (causing Mort to wave back and fall of the wing into the sea). The plane soon ends up crash-landing in Africa when it runs out of fuel. In Africa the animals are amazed to find more of their kind. Alex is reunited with Zuba and his mother. Marty quickly fits into a herd of zebra who all look, sound, and talk exactly like him. Melman takes on the position of witch doctor amongst the animals. Gloria, interested in finding a mate, attracts the attention of a smooth-talking but shallow hippo named Moto Moto.
Meanwhile, the penguins set about repairing the plane. They carjack several jeeps from New Yorkers on vacation, leaving the tourists stranded and lost in the jungle. A tough old woman called "Nana" takes charge, reminding them that they are New Yorkers and always survive.
The next morning Mort washes up on the shore of Africa and sets off to find King Julien, only to be chased by a shark.
Unfortunately, life in Africa is not as wonderful as it first seems. Makunga, still determined to take the position of alpha lion, reminds Zuba that Alex must complete a traditional lion coming-of-age challenge. Alex, thinking that the challenge is a dance contest (it is actually a fight) competes against the strongest lion (who was recommended by Makunga) and loses quickly. To avoid being forced to banish Alex for failing, Zuba abdicates and Makunga immediately takes the position and banishes Alex and his family. Marty meanwhile begins to feel upset that all of the zebras are exactly the same as him, leaving him with nothing unique. Melman is happy as a witch doctor until he learns that he has the same spot that had apparently caused the previous witch doctor to die. Melman is also upset about Gloria dating Moto Moto, as Melman has secretly loved her for a long time. Gloria goes on a date with Moto Moto and quickly realizes that he only loves her for her body.
The next day, the animals are in a panic when they discover that the watering hole has dried up. Determined to make up for his earlier failure, Alex and Marty decides to risk being shot by hunters and leave the reserve to discover what happened. The pair discover that the stranded New Yorkers, under the instruction of Nana, have dammed the river and built a primitive civilization. Alex is captured and Marty runs for help. Meanwhile, Zuba hears what Alex did and goes to rescue him.
King Julien suggests that the animals sacrifice one of themselves into the volcano to appease the water gods and regain their water supply. Believing that he will die soon, Melman volunteers to be sacrificed. Gloria stops him just in time and Marty arrives to tell them of Alex's fate. The trio, the penguins, and several chimpanzees use the newly-fixed plane to come to the rescue. Alex meanwhile manages to rescue both himself and his father by dancing for the New Yorkers, who quickly recognize him from the zoo. The other animals rescue the lions with the plane and destroy the dam, freeing the water. Meanwhile, back at the volcano, King Julien complains to Maurice about the sacrifice plan not working. Soon Mort turns up and is overjoyed to see King Julien, although Julien is less then thrilled to see him. The shark that was chasing Mort also arrives but falls into the volcano, completing the sacrifice and causing King Julien to think that he brought back the water. Alex manages to remove Makunga from power by tricking Nana into attacking him and she drags him back to the other marooned tourists. Skipper marries a bobble-head hula doll from the plane and leaves on a honeymoon, leaving the other animals to remain in Africa.
http://rapidshare.com/files/220185151/aXXo-Madagascar2DvD.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/220178770/aXXo-Madagascar2DvD.part2.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/220178879/aXXo-Madagascar2DvD.part3.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/220179236/aXXo-Madagascar2DvD.part4.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/220179138/aXXo-Madagascar2DvD.part5.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/220179217/aXXo-Madagascar2DvD.part6.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/220179087/aXXo-Madagascar2DvD.part7.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/220177980/aXXo-Madagascar2DvD.part8.rar
In 1989, Michael O'Donnell was a star athlete with a full college scholarship imminent. He seemingly had it all, when, right before the championship game, his girlfriend Scarlet informed him she was pregnant. In that moment, he made the decision to throw everything away (including basketball and a chance at a scholarship) and proposed to her.
Twenty years later, Mike's life has come to a standstill. Scarlet has separated from him, forcing him to move in with his geeky, but millionaire, best friend Ned Gold, his job is going nowhere, and his kids Maggie and Alex want nothing to do with him. While paying a visit to Hayden High School to reminisce about the life he threw away, he encounters the mysterious janitor. On the way home, is magically transformed back into his 17-year old self.
With Ned posing as his father, he re-enrolls in high school, believing he has been given the chance to live his life over again, "but to do it right". However, he then discovers that his daughter is dating the basketball captain Stan, who is bullying his son. He realizes that his real mission is to help his children and makes friends with Alex. With Mike's (using the name "Mark Gold") help, Alex gets a place on the basketball team and the girlfriend he desires. Mike also comforts Maggie when she is dumped by Stan, who was pressuring her for sex. Meanwhile, he assists Scarlet in decorating her garden, gaining a new appreciation for her.
Meanwhile, Ned is smitten with the high school principal, Jane Masterson. Although his initial attempts to 'peacock' her fail, they soon bond over a love of Lord of the Rings. However, when taking her back to his house, they discover an out-of-control party raging there. To celebrate Alex scoring the winning basket in a game, "Mark" is throwing a victory party. When Scarlet appears looking for Alex, Mike's feelings for her are reawakened, and he goes to kiss her. She is appalled, and slaps him. His action is witnessed by Maggie and her friends, who are all disgusted, especially since Maggie became smitten with "Mark".
The next morning, Ned reminds Mike that it is the date of his divorce hearing with Scarlet. He shows up as Mark to read a letter from Mike O'Donnell, the contents of which touches her. However, upon seeing the "letter" (which is really just a piece of paper with directions on it), she realizes the truth. Later, at the championship game, Mike makes a gesture which she recognizes as his. Realizing that she is in the same situation as twenty years earlier, she flees the scene. Mike follows, handing the ball to Alex, who goes on to make the winning shot. The janitor catches sight of Mike and changes him back into his adult self, and Mike and Scarlet reunite.
In the end, Mike is happily reconciled with his family, now the coach of the high school basketball team. Ned, too, is happy, having mended his relationship with Principal Masterson.
DOWNLOAD
http://hotfile.com/dl/4185733/c8397b5/Rsdownload.Net-17.Again.TS.Mic.XviD…http://hotfile.com/dl/4185734/ee50ce8/GoLeech.org-17.Again.TS.Mic.XviD-DEViSE.part02.rar.htmlhttp://hotfile.com/dl/4185737/f9a7c1d/GoLeech.org-17.Again.TS.Mic.XviD-DEViSE.part03.rar.htmlhttp://hotfile.com/dl/4185741/6b368a6/GoLeech.org-17.Again.TS.Mic.XviD-DEViSE.part04.rar.htmlhttp://hotfile.com/dl/4185745/f2d7d3c/GoLeech.org-17.Again.TS.Mic.XviD-DEViSE.part05.rar.htmlhttp://hotfile.com/dl/4185749/f5d49fd/GoLeech.org-17.Again.TS.Mic.XviD-DEViSE.part06.rar.htmlhttp://hotfile.com/dl/4185752/dba3744/GoLeech.org-17.Again.TS.Mic.XviD-DEViSE.part07.rar.htmlhttp://hotfile.com/dl/4185754/a4ff799/GoLeech.org-17.Again.TS.Mic.XviD-DEViSE.part08.rar.htmlhttp://hotfile.com/dl/4185757/31356ba/Rsdownload.Net-17.Again.TS.Mic.XviD…
http://netload.in/dateiU9qVxPeu9f/GoLeech.org-17.Again.TS.Mic.XviD-DEViSE.part01.rar.htmhttp://netload.in/dateiaZVxMn0vjA/GoLeech.org-17.Again.TS.Mic.XviD-DEViSE.part02.rar.htmhttp://netload.in/dateiRyTvMAQsJj/GoLeech.org-17.Again.TS.Mic.XviD-DEViSE.part03.rar.htmhttp://netload.in/dateis7uALRvjYj/GoLeech.org-17.Again.TS.Mic.XviD-DEViSE.part04.rar.htmhttp://netload.in/dateidPmx8ePm51/GoLeech.org-17.Again.TS.Mic.XviD-DEViSE.part05.rar.htmhttp://netload.in/dateiwcGgAkwfTF/GoLeech.org-17.Again.TS.Mic.XviD-DEViSE.part06.rar.htmhttp://netload.in/datei2BW1WyaBgJ/GoLeech.org-17.Again.TS.Mic.XviD-DEViSE.part07.rar.htmhttp://netload.in/dateiBolqstiUSd/GoLeech.org-17.Again.TS.Mic.XviD-DEViSE.part08.rar.htmhttp://netload.in/dateiCSNmvPD0j0/GoLeech.org-17.Again.TS.Mic.XviD-DEViSE.part09.rar.htm
Download Torrent
Dance Flick is a noneducational 2009 American parody film directed by Damien Dante Wayans, written by his uncles, the Wayans Brothers, and starring Shoshana Bush and Damon Wayans, Jr.. The film is a spoof of the popular dance film genre. It was set for release in North America on February 6, 2009, but was moved to August 14, 2009. It was later released on May 22, 2009
A rich, suburban girl named Megan White (Shoshana Bush) gets into a series of misadventures when she moves to the inner-city. Street-smart Thomas (Damon Wayans, Jr.) helps her along the way.The film is primarily a parody of Save the Last Dance with a nearly-identical plot and structure. Dance Flick also contains references to other musical/dance films such as Fame, Ray, Hairspray, High School Musical, Honey , Roll Bounce , Stomp the Yard and You Got Served.
Download Links
http://rapidshare.com/files/238059902/Dance.Flick.Cam.2009_FurioN_www.darkwarez.pl.part01.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/238059983/Dance.Flick.Cam.2009_FurioN_www.darkwarez.pl.part02.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/238060049/Dance.Flick.Cam.2009_FurioN_www.darkwarez.pl.part03.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/238060112/Dance.Flick.Cam.2009_FurioN_www.darkwarez.pl.part04.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/238060172/Dance.Flick.Cam.2009_FurioN_www.darkwarez.pl.part05.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/238060244/Dance.Flick.Cam.2009_FurioN_www.darkwarez.pl.part06.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/238060322/Dance.Flick.Cam.2009_FurioN_www.darkwarez.pl.part07.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/238060393/Dance.Flick.Cam.2009_FurioN_www.darkwarez.pl.part08.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/238060454/Dance.Flick.Cam.2009_FurioN_www.darkwarez.pl.part09.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/238060466/Dance.Flick.Cam.2009_FurioN_www.darkwarez.pl.part10.rar
Pass: http://www.darkwarez.pl/
or
Adapted from Patrick Süskind’s clammy, high-toned international best seller, “Perfume: The Story of a Murderer” is of interest mainly as an example of what might be called the sensory imperialism of cinema. Quite a few movies, not content to stimulate the eyes and ears, try to conquer the other senses as well. Touch and taste are the favorites — hence the ubiquity of scenes that take place in bed or at a table — but an intrepid researcher could probably identify, amid the sighing caresses and laden forkfuls, an authentically olfactory film tradition. The touchstone might be John Waters’s divinely vulgar “Polyester,” filmed in “Odorama” and originally released in 1981 with a scratch-and-sniff strip that was handed out to theater patrons to provide a smell track.
Tom Tykwer, the director of “Perfume” (and also, most memorably, of “Run Lola Run”) asks to be taken much more seriously than Mr. Waters ever has, which has the unfortunate, predictable effect of making his new movie all the more ridiculous. It tells the story of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille (Ben Whishaw), a skinny, sallow young fellow who grows up in the pungent atmosphere of 18th-century France burdened with a preternaturally sensitive nose. Every stone and blade of grass, every young woman’s cheekbone and belly button, every piece of fruit and hunk of rotting fish sends its essence straight to Grenouille’s nostrils, sometimes from a great distance.
Whereas Mr. Süskind portrayed this condition in ripe, sarcastic prose, Mr. Tykwer’s method is one of stupefying literalism. Exploiting the lush, lurid tones of Frank Griebe’s cinematography, he rubs our noses in Grenouille’s world by assaulting our eyes with what he smells. Thus the camera lingers on rotting fish, on animal skins at the tannery where Grenouille serves an early apprenticeship, and then on the lissome ladies who become his victims. But the only smell produced by these long, breathy close-ups is a metaphorical one, a foul, stale odor traceable back to the movie itself.
Grenouille’s episodic, unsavory adventures are propelled along by John Hurt’s arch, third-person narration. (Mr. Hurt has performed a similar service for another over-reaching European filmmaker, Lars von Trier, in his English-language campus theatricals, “Dogville” and “Manderlay.”) Mr. Whishaw, wan and jug-eared, does not quite manage to make Grenouille either a victim worthy of pity or a fascinating monster. The fellow’s sensory endowment is meant to make him both an artist and an amoral killer — a social outcast who nonetheless gives the society what it really wants — but in the film he comes across as dull, dour and repellent.
Odorless himself — in the unwashed streets of Paris and the fragrant lanes of Grasse, France’s perfume capital, this condition is a kind of invisibility — Grenouille is consumed with the project of concocting a transcendental scent. After receiving some technical training from a master perfume-maker named Baldini (Dustin Hoffman), he sets out to perfect his own special formula, a recipe that calls for the extracted essences of 12 virgins and a prostitute, who all must be killed before the materials can be rendered. The women are thus bonked on the head, covered in animal fat and then left, naked and carefully posed, like subjects in a Helmut Newton magazine spread, in the streets and squares of Grasse.
The town authorities panic, in particular Antoine Richis (Alan Rickman), a local notable whose red-haired daughter, Laura (Rachel Hurd-Wood), conveniently possesses a natural funk that is one of Grenouille’s coveted ingredients. So intent is he on finding her that he pursues her over hill and dale, using his powerful nose to track her as she flees. The camera dutifully speeds across the countryside, and when it lights upon Laura, who is fleeing in disguise and on horseback, she turns around in the saddle, as if suddenly aware that she is being sniffed.
Try as it might to be refined and provocative, “Perfume: The Story of a Murderer” never rises above the pedestrian creepiness of its conceit. A connection between sexual desire and the impulse to kill — that tried and true German Liebestod — is proposed but never really explored. When Mr. Hoffman (who looks marvelous in velvety face powder) departs the scene, he takes any inkling of camp or whimsy with him, leaving behind an atmosphere that becomes increasingly arid even as it strains toward sensory saturation.
Grenouille’s grand, amoral project culminates in a ludicrously overdone scene of orgiastic abandon. Given the period costumes and the squirming alacrity with which they are removed, I’m tempted to think of it as “Fellini’s Shortbus,” but this suggests a commitment to pleasure, as subject and outcome, that “Perfume” wholly lacks.
Download Torrent
or
Download Links
http://rapidshare.com/files/100640689/Parfumer_DVDRip.part01.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/100640797/Parfumer_DVDRip.part02.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/100640913/Parfumer_DVDRip.part03.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/100641018/Parfumer_DVDRip.part04.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/100641129/Parfumer_DVDRip.part05.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/100641280/Parfumer_DVDRip.part06.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/100641378/Parfumer_DVDRip.part07.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/100641548/Parfumer_DVDRip.part08.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/100641713/Parfumer_DVDRip.part09.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/100641838/Parfumer_DVDRip.part10.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/100641908/Parfumer_DVDRip.part11.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/100642003/Parfumer_DVDRip.part12.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/100642079/Parfumer_DVDRip.part13.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/100642167/Parfumer_DVDRip.part14.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/100642225/Parfumer_DVDRip.part15.rar
Angels & Demons is like watching Juno. Like that overrated mess from 2007, Ron Howard’s latest film wants to be more than it really is. No one told it that at the end of the day it’s just Indiana Jones with some Bourne sprinkled in. The script tries to mask it’s many shortcomings in religious mumbo-jumbo to make us forget we’re watching an otherwise boring, meandering, and bland film. It’s not poorly made, nor is it the worst film of the year. It speeds down Mario Raceway only to miss that last power-up that would elevate it to second place.
Maybe it’s Tom Hanks’ very unengaged portrayal of Robert Langdon. That’s really depressing because it isn’t like Hanks isn’t at the top of his game, he just doesn’t give life to Robert Langdon. Where a flimsy story can be forgiven if the lead is charismatic and takes the film on his shoulders (i.e. - Iron Man), Hanks believes Langdon to be as boring as the audience does. He seems afraid to give any sort of wit, charm, or just plain fun to the character. Lines such as "Fellas…you called me," are delivered like they’re being read off a cue card. It’s not totally Hanks’ fault, the filmmakers give us no reason to be emotionally invested Langdon. By contrast, Ewan McGregor is probably the best thing about the movie. He does a great job with what he’s given and handles Patrick McKenna as a passionate individual. He has a certain charm to him that Hanks lacks to the point you almost root for McKenna over Langdon. The other supporters seem to follow Hanks’ lead and are just as bland as he is. Stellan Skarsgaard is playing the cliché angry super agent who’s only purpose is getting in the way of the hero. Ayelet Zurer seems confused as Vittoria as she can’t decide if she wants to be smart, then cute or cute, then smart.
None of the actors should really be blamed as the script gives them almost nothing to do but stand around like helpless idiots. Written by Akiva Goldsman and David Koepp (please, try to hold in all excitement), this screenplay seems to follow the National Treasure structure. An action scene happens, explanation about the Catholic Church, more action, more explaining and you get the picture. If it’s not over-explaining every detail about Catholicism, it’s giving the characters silly things to do that serve no purpose. It also should be noted that while the Vatican has made vast improvements in technology, and the film is based around the Large Hardon Collider yet no one has heard of GPS. Many times Langdon announces "We have to go that way," which one character asks "How do we get there?". No one thinks to whip out their Sony Ericsson phones and try to find the location, but rather pretend to be a married couple to find the next location. Goldsman and Koepp’s main fault is thinking they’ve given us "smart entertainment". This movie wants to be intellegent, thinks it is and isn’t. It also has the same misconceptions about being entertaining. The movie is really just laughable when you give it thought, which is probably why Goldsman and Koepp drown you in religious babble. Lines are spewed out that serve no purpose to the story and some even evoke unintentional laughter. "It’s a pentagram," proclaims Langdon after uncovering the symbol on the floor. This would work, assuming we hadn’t seen the symbol around fifteen times beforehand.
Ron Howard is very hit and miss with me, but he does a formidable job here making Rome come to life. If the film were to be judged on it’s photography alone I’d consider it one of the best of the year. It’s well documented how the Vatican wouldn’t let them shoot on their grounds but what Howard and company did is convincing enough to folks who’ve never been there. The movie certainly has scope, but like the writers, Howard does things unintentionally hilarious. Much has been made of the helicopter scene and it’s still in tact, with maybe a touch of modifications. It was at this point I thought the film wanted to be a Looney Tunes cartoon so I burst into a nice stream of laughter. This scene happened to be one of the times the uneven CGI reared it’s ugly head onto the screen. Other times, when the CGI is giving us a sweeping shot of Vatican City and flooding the streets with people it’s flawless. When it comes ot the helicopter scene and a couple of other sequences, you’re better off watching "Hillbilly Hare".
For all of this though, I did take away something from some of the intriguing ideas. If I get a little preachy here I apologize but the film ironically shares a belief I’ve pondered when it comes to church and science. The movie suggests that church and science are one and the same, but share different ideas when it comes down to where things came from. It’s highly probable that stuff like The Big Bang Theory could be orchestrated by God or whichever Deity one believes in. The problem is neither the science nor church want to admit that one might be right especially when Christians go by the book (personally, the Bible has stories that are about bettering ourselves) or that science needs fact for God to exist. Both sides should probably give a little more, and take a little less.
And that would be a great topic for discussion if the film were more than what it is. It wants to be, but no one tries to make it anything memorable other than a reason for the Catholic Church to be angered. I never saw or cared to see The Da Vinci Code but was willing to give this a shot because the trailer intrigued me. While Angels & Demons well made and not terrible, it’s also bland, laughable and boring. It has some nice ideas, but never capitalizes on the chance to use them. At the end of the day, you have to wonder what would happen if Robert Langdon wasn’t in the story.
Download Torrent
or
Download links
http://hotfile.com/dl/2946702/8dab303/Hans_Zimmer-Angels_and_Demons_OST-2009-ONe.rar.html
For More Links click here
Swagger assesses each of the locations given to him by Johnson and determines that a site in Philadelphia would be most conducive to a long range assassination attempt. He passes this information to Johnson, who purportedly arranges for a response. This turns out to be a set-up: while Swagger is working with Johnson's agents—including a local police officer—to find the rumored assassin, the Ethiopian archbishop is instead assassinated while standing next to the president. Swagger is shot by the officer, but manages to escape. The agents tell the police and public that Swagger is the shooter, and stage a massive manhunt for the injured sniper. However, Swagger has a stroke of luck—he meets rookie FBI agent Nick Memphis (Peña), disables him and steals his car.
He is thus able to use the first aid supplies in the car to stanch his wounds and escape by driving into the river after an extended chase. He then takes refuge with Sarah Fenn (Mara), widow of Swagger's late spotter and close friend Donnie Fenn, killed years before in a mission in Africa that saw Swagger himself barely surviving. She saves his life by cleaning and stitching Swagger's gunshot wounds, and Swagger later convinces her to help him contact Memphis with information on the conspiracy. Memphis is blamed for allowing Swagger's escape, and is disciplined for negligence. However, he has independently learned that Swagger may have been framed for the assassination by noticing several inconsistencies with the data and witness accounts given to the FBI by an unnamed federal agency.
Once the rogue agents realize their secret has been compromised, they kidnap Memphis and attempt to stage his suicide. Swagger tails the agents and kills Memphis' captors with a scoped .22 rifle equipped with a homemade silencer. Swagger and Memphis then join forces against the rogue agents and visit a firearms expert (Levon Helm) living in Athens, Tennessee. Together they plot to capture who they think is the real assassin, an ex-sniper allied with Colonel Johnson. Once they find him in Lynchburg, Virginia, he commits suicide after revealing that the archbishop was actually the real target of the assassins, and he was murdered in order to prevent him from speaking out against U.S. involvement in the genocide of an Ethiopian village. The genocide occurred in order to advance the aims of a consortium of American corporate oil interests headed by corrupt U.S. Senator Charles Meachum (Beatty); Swagger learns that the mission where Fenn was killed was also a part of the genocide as they were tasked to cover the withdrawal of the contractors assigned to the job. Swagger records the ex-sniper's confession as proof of the involvement in the African genocide, then with Memphis's assistance is able to escape from the trap set to ensnare them by killing all 24 mercenaries.
Meanwhile, other rogue mercenaries have kidnapped Sarah Fenn in order to entrap Swagger. With his new evidence and cat-and-mouse strategy, Swagger and Memphis are able to rescue her when Colonel Johnson and Senator Meachum arrange a meeting to exchange their hostage for Swagger's evidence of their wrongdoing. After killing several enemy snipers in an isolated mountain range and rescuing Sarah, Swagger and Memphis finally surrender to the FBI.
Later appearing in a closed meeting with the head of the FBI and the United States Attorney General present, he clears his name by loading a rifle round (supplied by Memphis) into his rifle (which is present as evidence as it was supposedly used in the killing), aiming it at the Colonel and pulling the trigger—which fails to fire the round. Swagger explains that every time he leaves his house, he replaces the firing pins from all his rifles with slightly shorter pins, rendering them unable to fire until he replaces them again. Unfortunately, although Swagger is exonerated, Colonel Johnson takes advantage of a legal loophole—the Ethiopian genocide is outside American legal jurisdiction—and walks free. The attorney general approaches Swagger and states that as a law enforcement official, he must abide by the law (he insinuates that if it was the wild west of before it would be appropriate to clean the system with a gun)—and Swagger is seen considering that statement. Afterwards, the Colonel and the Senator plan their next power play in the Senator's vacation house—only to be interrupted by Swagger attacking the house. He kills both conspirators, one of the Colonel's aides and two bodyguards, then breaks open a gas valve before leaving. The fire in the fireplace ignites the gas, blowing up the house. The final scene shows Swagger getting into a car with Fenn and driving away.
Taxi 4 (also spelled T4xi) is a 2007 French comedy film directed by Gérard Krawczyk. It is the sequel to the 2003 French Action/Comedy film Taxi 3. As with all the other films in the Gallic Taxi franchise, Samy Naceri plays taxi driver "Daniel Morales", this time in a Peugeot 407 unlike the 406 in the previous films. Frédéric Diefenthal is "Émilien Coutant-Kerbalec", whilst Jean-Christophe Bouvet reprises his role as "General Bertineau" yet again. The film also features French footballer Djibril Cissé.
A Belgian criminal, wanted all over Europe for his crimes, is in the custody of the Police Department of Marseille to be watched for a few hours before transfer to a prison in Congo. Unfortunately Émilien (Frédéric Diefenthal) is tricked by the villain and convinced to let the prisoner go. After these events he's fired but luckily for him his friend Daniel (Samy Naceri) helps him one more time telling him the location where the criminal is located, having been the taxi driver who drove him after he left the police station, not knowing he was a criminal. After this Émilien gets his old job back by telling the commissioner where to retrieve the criminal. He's then captured and taken to jail.
Writer : William Morrissey
: Maria Bello
: Gerard Butler
: Claudette Mink
: Chris Astoyan
: Samantha Ferris
Neil and Abby Warner have the perfect life and a perfect marriage. With their
beautiful young daughter, Sophie, they are living the American dream... until
today. When Sophie is suddenly kidnapped, they have no choice but to comply with
the abductors demands. The kidnapper - Ryan (PIERCE BROSNAN), a cold and
calculating sociopath takes over their lives with the brutal efficiency of
someone who has nothing to lose. In the blink of an eye Neil and Abby's safe and
secure existence is turned upside down. Over the next twenty four hours they are
at the mercy of a man who wants only one thing. That they do his bidding. It
soon becomes clear that Ryan's demands are all the more terrifying... because he
doesn't want their money. What he wants is for Neil and Abby's life, the life
that they have built over 10 years, to be systematically dismantled and
destroyed. Piece by piece. With time running out on their little girl, Neil and
Abby realize their nightmare is about to take its most deadly turn: They will
have to face Ryan's final, horrifying challenge - would they kill an innocent
man to save their own child? In the far distance a solitary light burns in the
window of a lodge as the car glides to a halt - and Neil knows it is a question
only he can answer - when Ryan hands him the gun...
Download Links
Pass: rapidsharedownload.net
Let me explain. This is the first of a planned series of prequels to the three movies based on Marvel's Mighty Mutants and it delves deeper into the backstory of their most famous mutant: Wolverine (Jackman). The character wasn't always an amnesiac cigar-chomping badass with Adamantium claws. In fact, the movie's story hews closely to that of the comics, in which we learn that Wolverine starts out life as a timid kid in the 19th century named James Howlett. One night, his father is killed by a man who turns out to be his real dad, so Jimmy shows some early onset berserker rage by popping some bone claws out of his hands and killing the guy.
James and his brother Victor (played as a grown-up by the always worthwhile Liev Schreiber) run from home, and fight as soldiers in everything from the Civil War to
The film throws all of these assorted good and bad guys at us with all the joy of a dead fish. When John teleports, we don't get the exhilaration of Nightcrawler's masterfully executed stunts in X2, and when Wade does some crazy shit with his swords we think of how much more fun it would be if we were playing him in a video game. Fans will know that Wade is Deadpool from the comics, one of the funniest and most entertaining anti-heroes in the Marvel Universe. Ryan Reynolds is the perfect casting decision, but unfortunately, the film wastes his presence. The same goes for Gambit (Taylor Kitsch). Hood, Benioff, Woods, and everyone else involved with the production know that the fans have been clamoring for Gambit's filmic appearance for so long that there's no way you could exclude him from the fourth entry in this franchise, but they put him in there with little to no excitement or fanfare. He's boring and unnecessary.
The movie is not all bad, though. For a while, it was so sloppy yet scrappy that I thought it might turn out all right, much in the same way that I liked X-Men: The Last Stand in spite of itself (or, for that matter -- *gasp* -- Spider-Man 3). Gavin Hood is a competent director, which helps. His Best Foreign Language Film Oscar winner Tsotsi was superb, and Rendition was an unfairly maligned political thriller. The action scenes here feel as robotic and uninspired as those in most big-budget franchise flicks, but the down-to-earth moments where Wolverine spends time in the Canadian Rockies and in love with Kayla show a real sense of feeling
In that respect, at least, it's just like the comics.
As if on cue, things begin to go south at the 15-minute mark. After establishing the characters at a most basic level, a rouge wave slams the side of a cruise ship (rather obviously named Poseidon), knocking it upside down in the middle of nowhere. Thanks to their cell phone carriers lack of underwater service, no survivors are able to call for help. If they were lucky, family could help get them out of this movie before it gets any worse.
Most of the films budget was obviously spent on this extra
Even at a brisk 90 minutes, the film is over after this point. If you’ve ever seen a disaster movie before, you can pick out the victims early, aside from one surprise late in the film. The characters slowly prowl through the overturned ship, and of course their paths only become deadly when the last person is trying to make it past a section. It’s amazing how the ship can hold together when the main characters are progressing, yet falls apart the minute an unknown makes a move.
Their journey is rife with standard plot devices, from the overbearing father to the annoying attempt at comic relief. Dialogue breaks down into standard “yes” and head nodding as they put simple plans of escape into action. When they do talk, it’s simply to let the audience know what the plan is in plain English. It’s always good to have someone on hand to explain any technicalities regardless of the situation.
Poseidon is over once the escapees decide to take along a kid too dumb to know when to get out of danger. If there’s a golden rule with disaster movies, it’s that the kid is never the smartest choice for your party. The second rule is to not spend mounds of cash making them unless they’ll try something unique.
Poseidon makes solid use of the format. Set details are gorgeous, and the extra effort spent setting them up pays off in higher resolution. Black levels are pristine, along with rich color. The only noticeable problems come from a light grain, noticeable mostly in the opening 15 minutes, though it does tend to creep up on occasion later. It’s a minor flaw at its worst, though it’s definitely there if you’re looking.
Presented with a high end Dolby True HD mix, the film simply couldn’t sound any better. The wave sequence alone is the worth the entry price for audiophiles. The boat rocks and sinks throughout, providing flawless audio cues to its status. Audio volume is significantly high, and makes a huge impact during action scenes, though it can make quieter dialogue difficult to decipher during downtime.
Warner releases this HD disc with their new In-Movie, hosted by star Josh Lucas. These rather annoying although informative features run concurrent with the movie via picture-in-picture window, and are unavailable elsewhere on the disc. Outside of the film, the History Channel provides an informative look at Rogue Waves, the phenomenon, and what scientists are doing to learn about them to prevent future problems. Generous clips from Poseidon fill some of the running time.
Poseidon: Upside Down is an 11 minute look at the films giant sets and trouble constructing them upside down. Ship on a Soundstage further looks at the issues the crew had assembling the film from all aspects. It’s a lot of praising and talking heads over some nice behind the scenes footage.
The best feature on the disc is Shipmates Diary following a young film student on her trek through her first Hollywood feature. Her comparisons to her school projects in terms of scope and money are priceless. If you’re wondering why these Hollywood epics cost so much in the end, this shows a lot of the reasons from food down to the lowliest jobs on the set. It’s a shame this is only 12 minutes.
Director Wolfgang Peterson wraps up a trilogy of water/ship movies with Poseidon. 1981’s Das Boot, a super long (nearly five hours) submarine epic is by far his best work, following that up almost 20 years later with the George Clooney vehicle Perfect Storm in 2000. He should have quit while he was ahead.
When I go to the movies I want to get caught up in the characters, their journey, their story, as well as the technique and visual flair used in telling the story. It's too bad I did not get that level of involvement with this. Lions for Lambs is 90 minutes of talking with little in the way of action or character development. The characters are there to fill the needs of the script rather than inhabiting this world, a conveyance for the thoughts of the writers rather than containing any semblance of organic growth. Still, it is not a complete loss; it is watchable although it is rather mediocre and incomplete.
Lions for Lambs is the latest of the recent spate of Iraq war-themed films unleashed by Hollywood upon an unsuspecting movie-going audience. No matter where you turn it seems as if a new one has arrived to add to your cinematic choices. It could also become the latest to be deemed a box office disappointment. By and large audiences are voting with their wallets and are giving these war movies a lukewarm reception. We live this war every day, be it in the papers, the evening news, or all the reports on the 24-hour news nets. Do we really need it on the big screen as well?
Something tells me that these films would be better received if they were disguised as something else, perhaps some science fiction or something more modern but a bit more obtuse. It's hard to ask people to pay to see a cinematic lecture on current world events when they may want to escape reality for a bit into an engrossing film. Then there are people like me who will see just about anything and blow this concept right out of the water.
Lions for Lambs plays out three stories running in parallel, nearly in real time save for a few flashbacks to help flesh them out. The centerpiece would be the verbal sparring between Tom Cruise, as presidential hopeful Senator Jaspar Erving, and Meryl Streep, as reporter Janine Roth. Their meeting is focused on the launch of a new strategy in Afghanistan that would turn the tide of the war and deliver an American victory. Jaspar is not backing down on his belief that this is the way of the future and will ensure a win. On the other side of the coin Roth is attempting to get some actual detail from Jaspar with regard to his conviction that this is the correct way to go.
On the other coast we are introduced to Professor Malley(Robert Redford) who is having an early morning meeting with a smart and promising student who has stopped caring, Todd Hayes (Andrew Garfield). They discuss the way government is working and the ways to incite change, the point being Malley's desire to give Hayes a little fire, get him involved with something, anything. Hayes represents most of us, bright, yet unmotivated and unwilling to try something under the belief that we would end up in the same place anyway.
The third story follows a pair of Malley's former students, a bright pair with the world at their fingertips who, as part of a class debate (seen in flashback) put their words to the test and enlist in the army. As the film begins, the duo, Ernest Rodriguez (Michael Pena) and Arian Finch (Derek Luke), are part of Jaspar's new initiative. They head into the snowy peaks as part of a small group charged with taking the high ground before the Taliban can move in. However, what is believed to be a safe zone is still very hot, and the two are left injured and exposed.
What did I get out of the movie? Well, the politicians got us in before we should have, not even considering if we should have, the media is at least as culpable for selling the war to the public, and it is the little people, the everyday Joes, who pay for it. Yes, if not for government and the media we would not be in this war, or at least not in the version we are living today.
It starts off potentially involving as each of the players is intriguing in their own right, but I kept waiting for something big to happen. They just kept talking, and talking, and then the movie was over. So, without much going on beyond the talk, any interest is going to lie with the star power. To a degree it works. Cruise has the smarmy politician down, Streep is fine as the conflicted reporter, and Redford has a laid back charm as he tries to start a fire. Pena and Luke carry the heart of the movie and represent the only characters that I actually cared anything for.
Bottom line. I did not feel that this movie broke any new ground and did not succeed in telling us anything that we didn't already know. The resulting product amounts to a lecture. Did I like it? To an extent, I just wish that there was more to it. It survives on the strength of the stars and the conviction with which they bite into the roles.
October Road is one of those shows that gets criticized for being predictable and sappy, but is in fact a great little dramedy in the vein of movies such as Beautiful Girls and No Looking Back.
The show is about Nick Garrett (played by Bryan Greenberg of the cable television gem Unscripted), who leaves Knights Ridge, Massachusetts, for six weeks to travel around Europe, with four high-school best buds and a girlfriend Hannah (played by Laura Prepon of That ‘70s Show fame) patiently waiting for his return.
Ten years later, Nick lives in New York and is a successful novelist, having written a book, Turtle on a Snare Drum. But he has yet to write a second book. To make matters worse, his first success is tightly based on his experiences growing up, and he has made a lot of frenemies as a result of divulging his version of the truth to the masses -- so much so that he’s never even been back home since he left.
But what would a good drama be without some tension? Nick decides to return to town under the guise of a new teaching gig at a local university, and havoc ensues.
Hannah now has a 10-year-old son, Sam (played by Slade Peace), who Nick comes to believe is his child. Along with the main storyline, involving Nick, Hannah, Hannah’s boyfriend Big Cat (played by Warren Christie), and Nick’s pseudo-girlfriend Aubrey (played by Odette Yustman), there’s also the shut-in Physical Phil (played by Jay Paulson), who hasn't left his house since 9/11; bitter Eddie (played by Geoff Stults), with whom Nick was supposed to start a business when he got back from Europe, and who currently has a crush on Janet (played by Rebecca Field); and Ikey (played by Evan Jones), who is having an affair with the wife of Owen (played by Brad William Henke).
Free Download:
http://dl.btjunkie.org/torrent/October-Road-seasons-1-amp-2-complete/2908061af9c84df363fb0082a1d9fc87caf010058b46/download.torrent
Michael Clayton (George Clooney) is a 45-year-old attorney with the prestigious New York law firm of Kenner, Bach & Ledeen. He doesn't really practice law because he is used as a "fixer", better known as the man with the ability to solve other people's problems. A former criminal prosecutor from a working-class neighborhood, he is an anomaly at this high-powered firm. His boss Marty Bach (Sydney Pollack) finds Michael's talents a necessity in cleaning up the firm's uncomfortable problems quickly and quietly. Michael gets a call concerning the firm's top litigator, Arthur Eden (Tom Wilkinson), who has suffered a mental breakdown. This incident is linked to a cover-up jeopardizing a lucrative case, so Michael's talent for fixing a problem is needed. At the same time Michael has his own problems he needs to address immediately. His life is in a mess -- he's a compulsive gambler, a lonely divorced man, and is under the pressure of owing money to "wise guys" due to an unwise investment in a restaurant business venture that failed.
The cover-up is the meat of the plot. This sets the tension up involving the corporate espionage of U/North Corporation, the client of Kenner, Bach & Ledeen. U/North's newly appointed chief counsel and litigator Karen Crowder (Tilda Swinton) finds her career hanging on the multi-million dollar settlement of a class action lawsuit. Arthur Eden's feelings of guilt over his part of representing U/North causes him to sabotage the case by becoming a whistle-blower. Arthur discovers evidence of toxic waste polluting a region resulting in illness and death. Murder and bribery isn't beneath anyone who wants to hide the secrets of corruption. Michael must decide on what is important in his life.
George Clooney - political advocate, writer, director, and actor - gives an excellent performance in portraying this complex character. He establishes a genuine depth as a man dealing with multiple issues and coming to grips with what he takes seriously in life. It's always a marvel to see Sidney Pollack on screen and in this film he is very effective as the head of the law firm. Tilda Swinton's portrayal of an eager hotshot lawyer in over her head was outstanding. Her role as a struggling, aggressive woman in a man's world was impressive. Her cold persona was always present in every scene. The most formidable performance was by Tom Wilkinson as a bipolar and manic depressive, brilliant man set on exposing a fraud. He is outstanding in the limited scenes he has in this movie
It seems like forever since the first trailers appeared for The Kingdom. It was like the film was getting ready for release, and then the trailers disappeared. Months later they reappeared and the release date actually appeared. I am not sure why the release was so delayed from the initial advertising push. Whatever the case, positive word-of-mouth swirled around the picture until it finally arrived on the big screen. Now that people are seeing it, word seems to be greatly split. Fortunately, I don't care about them and neither should you. The Kingdom is an exhilarating action/thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat the closer to the climax you get.
The Kingdom is not a completely realistic portrayal of life in Saudi Arabia, nor is it terribly realistic in any other sense. Still, it feels real. This is a movie that exists in a heightened reality, a world a few steps removed from our own. It portrays events that could happen similarly in our world, but not really. If you want real you will need to look up a documentary, watch world news, or go to Saudi Arabia. Fortunately I do not go to the movies to see realism, just a good story that plays by the rules it sets up. This story is believable within its own confines; it doesn't contradict itself and delivers exciting goods in the process.
The movie opens with an attack on an American housing facility in Riyadh, capped with a suicide bombing in the midst of a softball game. That is followed up in short order by an explosion that takes down buildings and leaves an enormous crater in its wake. Back in the States, an FBI response team recommends sending a team over to aid the Saudi forces in their investigation. Of course, this idea does not go over well. So, in the tradition of decades' worth of action films, our heroes go above and beyond in order to find a way into the country regardless of their superiors' feelings.
Leading the team is Ronald Fleury (Jamie Foxx). He is joined by Grant Sykes (Chris Cooper), Janet Mayes (Jennifer Garner), and Adam Leavitt (Jason Bateman). These guys are more than ready to hit the ground running and bring these terrorists to justice. They are met by American embassy man Damon Schmidt (Jeremy Piven), who attempts to guide them through the customs and requirements of the Saudi kingdom.
The middle portion of the film turns into a procedural thriller as the team investigates whatever evidence they are able to get their hands on. This stage of the game has them attempting to navigate between the lines of what the Saudi royals will allow them to do. Then, just when you think it is over, the action ramps up and we get nearly half an hour of incredibly well-staged action. Car chases, gun fights, fisticuffs -- there is a little bit of everything.
Throughout the entirety of The Kingdom, there is always something to be entertained by. Even when the bullets aren't flying and we have to be content with mere talking, The Kingdom offers great entertainment. Not to belabor the point -- this is not real, I do not watch this film and see any kind of documentary-style truth to it. Rather, I watch this as an intriguing work of fiction that is sideways related to the real world. The script by Matthew Michael Carnahan and direction from Peter Berg will draw you in and completely hold your attention. You will find yourself wondering what is going to happen next as you become more and more invested in the story.
Peter Berg injects a lot of energy into the proceedings, employing Paul Greengrass-style shaky cam throughout the action sequences. He knows how to put you right in the middle of the action and keep you there unflinchingly as the chaos flies all around. Add to that a script that has an interesting story that ties into world events, yet never becomes mired in explaining everything or trying to impart a message. It does keep everything fast and loose with a healthy injection of humor. Creatively, it finds itself in between serious fare like Syriana and more populist outings like Live Free or Die Hard. For the most part it succeeds at walking that line between serious and fun
Bottom line. Looking for an exciting film that will have you guessing what will happen next? A film that delivers an interesting story blended with frenetic action? Do you like a little comedy infused with your serious drama? If you answered yes to any of these questions, give The Kingdom a shot. Peter Berg has directed a nice slice of real world-inspired action.
The Bourne Supremacy
Plot
Robert Ludlum wrote a series of novels in the 1980’s about a secret agent named Jason Bourne with amnesia. In 1988 a TV miniseries was made, and in 2002 Hollywood caught up with the story enough to produce The Bourne Identity as a full film, an excellent film in top-notch form. It has been called the thinking man’s action movie.
Going into the sequel, having never read the books, I was leery of a rehashed plotline and less-than-interesting writing. Turns out I was pleasantly surprised. The characters were authentic from the first one, however they progressed the story well. We are privy to some details of the mystery of Jason Bourne’s identity that he is not, which makes following his questions and actions a little confusing. Thankfully, we get to see the world through Jason’s eyes most of the time, and this brings excitement to the film.
Caution Spoilers Ahead
There is a scene with another agent that did seem gratuitous to the plot, as the character is not set up, but is used as a vehicle for spy-on-spy combat, and a big explosion. The cool girlfriend from the first movie is in this one for a little bit, unfortunately not long enough.
The plot keeps me waiting for the next movie, but in the mean time, can anyone tell me if the movies follow the book plot lines well?
Acting and Casting
Matt Damon really is an excellent actor. He shines in the role of Jason Bourne in the Bourne Identity series. I’m impressed with his physical presence and ability to become a character so thoroughly that the fact that he’s acting becomes obscured. Sometimes the directing got in the way of his acting, by cutting into disconnected scenes which highlighted the fact that all Matt had to do for that scene is jog or something.
Joan Allen plays a CIA chief and she almost single handedly ruined the entire movie. Her acting was very obviously forced, and her rigidity gave an inauthentic feel to her scenes. Did Ludlum write a domineering woman into this role or did Hollywood make changes to suit political correctness?
Julia Stiles gave a better than last time performance. Enough said.
Action
The tunnel sequence was top-notch. In the James Bond series Bond’s coolness takes first seat to realism. In the Bourne series, Jason gets shot, seriously hurt, and his car chases include numerous bang-ups and slam-downs.
The realism doesn’t go too far, however, as tires don’t pop when they ought to, and glass doesn’t hurt like it should. The agent-on-agent fight scenes are edge-of-seat material.
Directing
I really enjoyed the directing style of this film. During action sequences it was so jostled one couldn’t really tell what was going on. This however, gave a very realistic “in-the-fight” effect, which is often tried, seldom accomplished. Think of how the directing style animated the plot in Traffic, and then apply that to the action genre.
There was a lot of footage taken in Moscow, Russia. I wanted to pause the movie for the Moscow skyline panoramas, which looked different that I expected.
Many questions are left unanswered
Does Jason Bourne have a choice as to whether he runs or dies? Will the government stop trying to kill him? Were those killed in the 2nd movie the last of his real enemies? Did Jason Bourne have a nefarious business deal with the Russians?
Free Download:
http://torrents.thepiratebay.org/4439073/The_Bourne_Supremacy_[2004]DVDRip[Xvid_AC3[5.1].4439073.TPB.torrent
The Bourne Ultimatum gets a little playful with its narrative, sandwiching the first acts of the film in between the conclusion of Supremacy, and that film’s epilog -- a daring, and altogether useful choice. Still on the run from those who would brand him a criminal, Bourne learns a reporter has begun writing a series of articles devoted to his killer alias, and sets out to find the writer with hopes of tearing down the rest of the wall separating Bourne from his past association with top secret CIA program Treadstone.
Though Ultimatum retains much of the creative force behind Supremacy, the focus of Bourne’s evolution as a character fades to the middle ground this time. Indeed, one of the factors that elevated Supremacy above the over-hyped Identity was turning Bourne into a hero with a quest a few shades deeper than cracking yet another web of conspiracy entrenched within Hollywood’s idea of the evil CIA. The evolving narrative of the Bourne legacy has spun around ideas of memory, moral conscious, choice and questions about what it means to be human. Ultimatum breezes past these and other more character defining elements, choosing instead to focus on the action.
And if it’s action you crave, you’re in for a feast. Director Paul Greengrass (United 93, The Bourne Supremacy) brings back the chaotic maelstrom that somehow retains a semblance of order, though it’s already become a bit old shoe. The flurry of cuts, edits and shaky-cam just leave too much room for confusion. At one point, Jason fends off an attacker with a towel, and even dispatches his foe with said linen, though I am at a loss as to the how. I replayed the scene twice, just to be sure, and I’m reasonably confident Jason strangled the poor guy. A minor quibble, perhaps, but a better film would not have left me room to question.
By now, the role of Jason Bourne has become a staple persona that doesn’t allow Matt Damon any room to maneuver with the character. He comes through with what’s provided, though he inspires a little less empathy this time (and maybe, as I stated earlier, this is more of a scripting problem than anything else). His supporting cast is a who’s-who of underused talent. Joan Allen returns as CIA deputy director Landy, and unfortunately has less to do this time, running second fiddle to the villainous Noah Vosen (David Strathairn), a cookie-cutter CIA bad guy taking orders from the shadowy Dr. Hirsch (Albert Finney).
The plot stays thin and light, always playing around with hints of depth and intrigue, but only enough to make the stakes feel more important rather than earning real importance. Dialog merely transitions the narrative to the next action set piece, and I’ve seen better delivery from a high school drama club. But seriously, who comes to these movies to see an actor chew scenery?
Downshifting Bourne as a character on this carnival ride has weakened assertions that he has become the action hero of the age. We had the opportunity to glimpse his beating heart through his relationship with the ill-fated Marie (Franke Potente), but Ultimatum fails to reconnect on that level. It’s an enjoyable, candy-coated escape that keeps its hand submerged in weightier themes just enough to elevate it over most actioners (see Peter T. Chattaway’s discussion of the trilogy’s water symbolism). Is it enough to earn Bourne a place alongside the likes of Eastwood’s Man with No Name, Dirty Harry, or even Bruce Willis’s John McClane (sequels notwithstanding)? Maybe. But again, a better film would not have left any doubt.
The Game Plan is not a terribly original movie. It does not break any new ground or offer up anything surprising for the genre. The plot points, save for one, are all telegraphed early on. If you cannot see the direction it is heading in early on, you have likely not seen that many movies.
Sort of sounds like I didn't care for the movie much, doesn't it? Well, sometimes what would appear to be criticism is exactly the opposite. It is a familiarity that works within the confines of the film. They say that familiarity breeds contempt; however, if you have the right ingredients you can change that feeling of contempt to something that more closely resembles respect. There is nothing wrong with making a film like this. The problems enter the picture when the creative team offers up little in the way of energy.
Take a look at something like The Pacifier. The concept and execution were devoid of passion and energy. The end result was a flat bore. Sure, it filled a need, but it did not do it very well. Compare that with the similarly themed No Reservations from earlier this year. That film leaned more towards the romantic and dramatic than the straight up comedic, but it was created by people who had a passion for the story. The end result was something that had a lot of heart and delivered a story that hit home even if the originality was not there.
When making a genre picture, be it science fiction, horror, action, or family comedy, it can be tough not to fall into the traps. The Game Plan is no exception. It does not avoid the clichés, it doesn't even try to. What it does is embrace them. It embraces them and uses them to its own advantage. They are capitalized on by the cast. In short, The Game Plan is nothing new, but it offers lots to smile about and will have you leaving the theater happy.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson stars as Joe Kingman. He is an egotistical, self-centered football star who lives the life of a playboy. He always makes sure to watch himself on Sportscenter, and has a luxurious apartment plastered with photos of himself alongside posters of his hero, Elvis Presley. His life is thrown for a loop when an 8-year-old girl named Peyton (Maddison Pettis) arrives on his doorstep claiming to be his daughter. From this moment on Joe's life is thrown for a loop. He struggles with the possibility that he really is her father, and then his publicist enters the picture. Her name is Stella (Kyra Sedgewick), and she is clearly not a mother. She comes in looking for a way to do damage control and protect her income by protecting her client.
The rest of the film follows the slapstick exploits of Joe trying to play father and Peyton trying to be his daughter. There are gags involving a bedazzler, putting Joe's bulldog in a tutu, and a cinnamon allergy. Not all of them work, some go on too long, but by and large they work. They probably work as well as they do due to the cast.
It is my belief that Dwayne Johnson (sans "The Rock") will be a big star. He just needs that one killer role to put him over the top. I doubt this will be that role, but it does go a long way to prove his versatility (something that is really evidenced by his complete filmography). He has already proven that he can anchor an action film (The Rundown), stand out in a comedy (Be Cool), and lead a more dramatic film (Gridiron Gang). The Game Plan plays off his excellent comic timing, and high level of charisma and screen presence, not to mention his willingness to poke fun at his macho image. He has all the tools needed to succeed.
There are a few moments in this film where he is able to convey some surprising depth with Joe Kingman. I am thinking specifically of a scene early on. A party in his apartment is dying down, and he says something to a teammate, played by Morris Chestnut, about having a life. Chestnut responds that family is life and, gesturing around the bachelor pad, that is not life. This is followed by Joe sitting down in the middle of an empty apartment, surrounded by his own memorabilia. It is a quiet moment that reveals much about Kingman, the movie in general, and about Johnson's ability to pull of something of such depth in the midst of a cliched family comedy.
Now, Johnson is not alone in making this as enjoyable as it (although he is a big reason). Maddison Pettis is good as the precocious youngster. She perfectly fills the cute role, displaying some good comic timing of her own. It doesn't hurt that she and the rest of the cast appear to have had a great time on set. She may be the smallest of the cast, but she more than holds her own.
The supporting cast is all good as well, including Sedgewick and Chestnut. Joining that pair is Roselyn Sanchez as Peyton's ballet instructor and romantic interest for Joe. This is a nice point as it is clear the two are meant to couple up, but it is subtle, much moreso than you would expect for this type of movie. There are even some big laughs to be had with Joe's teammates played by Hayes MacArthur, Brian White, and Jamal Duff.
Bottom line. Now, The Game Plan is not going to win any awards and is likely to be forgotten by many, but it definitely put a smile on my face. It delivers laughs and has a good heart. This is worth spending some of your time with, particularly if you have children.
Free download:
http://torrents.thepiratebay.org/3958217/The_Game_Plan[2007]DvDrip[Eng]-FXG.3958217.TPB.torrent
This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.