Comedy: Big Business- 1988

Upscale New Yorkers Sadie (Bette Midler) and Rose (Lily Tomlin) think they're twin sisters, but what they don't know is they were separated at birth from their true identical twins -- Southern blue-collar types also named Rose and Sadie, and also played by Midler and Tomlin. The two sets of twins cross paths some 40 years later on the streets of Manhattan, setting up a hilarious story of mistaken identities, split personalities and trouble times two! (Per Netflix.com)

Grade: C+

Ok, this was one of those movies that had me cringing and thinking "COME ON!!" This movie kept that feeling going by having the "twins" switching places (without knowing it), being in the same room, missing each other by a hair, like one getting on one elevator, while the other is getting off another. It was funny, it was cute, and, once again, another thing I enjoyed about it was the originality, and the acting by Bette Midler and Lily Tomlin was great, both playing two people, and making the distinction between their characters obvious. It was a good watch.

Action Adventure/ Thriller: Quantum of Solace- 2008

Picking up an hour after the events of 2006's Casino Royale, this James Bond adventure finds 007 (Daniel Craig) tracking a traitor who's infiltrated Britain's MI6. The trail leads to Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), the charismatic head of a world environmental agency. But behind this seemingly legitimate facade, Greene runs Quantum, a powerful terrorist organization whose plot to overthrow a Bolivian dictator masks an even more sinister scheme. (Per Netflix.com)

Grade: B

Trying to describe what an action movie is to someone who's never seen one? Well, this definitely falls into the category of high-impact action, and would be a great example of it! I mean, from the first moments of the movie and on it was a series of fast-paced, ass-kicking moments, a total guys movie, which may explain why I gave it a B. This movie was somewhat lacking in a solid story line, I mean, I watched it for about 30 minutes, if not MORE, before the plot of the movie was explained by Bond, in a tidy little bundle too. It seemed like the plot was nearly an after thought to the myriad of different ways they could show people getting beat up and things getting blown up. But, if you can look past that little flaw, and enjoy the action, it's worth the watch!

Comedy/ Romantic Comedy: All of Me- 1984

Just before stubborn millionaire Edwina Cutwater (Lily Tomlin) dies, she asks her uptight lawyer, Roger Cobb (Steve Martin), to amend her will so that her soul will pass to the young, vibrant Terry Hoskins (Victoria Tennant) -- but the spiritual transference goes awry. Edwina enters Roger's body instead, forcing him to battle Edwina for control of his own being. Director Carl Reiner's comedy nabbed Golden Globe nominations for Martin and Tomlin. (Per Netflix.com)

Grade: B

This was a cute movie. The characters were played wonderfully, as one would expect, and probably just as important, if not more, the story was very unique and original, and you know I'm a sucker for that. Steve Martin and Lily Tomlin make a great team in this movie, and make it a great watch. Steve Martin's ability to play a person with two souls, basically two people is fun to watch. Definitely check it out!

Comedy/Romantic Comedy: Whatever Works- 2009

After a failed suicide, and consequential divorce, genius, and former physicist Boris (played by Larry David) lives a antisocial, curmudgeon lifestyle, as a chess instructor. That is, until a young runaway, naive southern girl, winds up on his doorstep, and his life, and her family's lives begin to change immensely. Directed by Woody Allen.

Grade: B

This was an interesting side to a story rarely seen in movies. The life of a divorced older man, and his entertaining journey through a specific period of time in his life. It was funny, and smart, yet cute and romantic, with the ultimate "moral of the story" being: Do, for your life "whatever works" for you. This was a good movie, and very well acted!

Romantic Comedy: Did you hear about the Morgans?- 2009

After a night out to dinner, in an attempt to reconcile their separation, husband and wife, Meryl and Paul witness a murder, and after being seen by the murderer, are now on his hit list as well. In an attempt to keep them safe, Meryl and Paul are placed in the witness protection program, where they have to face their marital woes together.

Grade: B-

This was a cute romantic comedy, as most are. The story line was a good one, the characters were somewhat believable, and, all-in-all, it was a good watch. It wasn't too lovey-dovey gushy, but at the same time, it wasn't a non-stop laugh-fest either. It was ok. I guess worth checking out though, I mean, I gave it a B-.

Romantic Comedy: I do and I don't- 2007

Before their church will allow them to marry there, Bob and Cheryl are obligated to attend couples counseling, however, since they waited too long to book the class, they are placed in a fast-track one-on-one counseling with a couple from the church, who are first timers themselves.

Grade: B+

This was pretty funny. It wasn't a "continuously laughing" kind of movie, but the situations were really funny, the couple who are performing the counseling, played by Jane Lynch and Matt Servitto, are hilarious. I love that Jane Lynch! She's a hoot. She was really a driving force behind the laughter, in my opinion. This was a funny, good movie.

Dark Humor Comedy: World's Greatest Dad- 2009

After his son (Daryl Sabara) dies in an awkward freak accident, high school poetry teacher Lance (Robin Williams) ghostwrites a suicide note to spare the family embarrassment. But when the note becomes an unexpected hit, Lance sees a chance to resurrect his writing career. In a bid for literary fame, Lance writes his son's journal and passes it off as his own. Writer-director Bob Goldthwait's comedy debuted at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. (Per Netflix.com)

Grade: B+

This was an amazingly odd, and yet really funny movie. First of all, Lance and his son's relationship is a totally strange one, to say the least. This movie had a good way of leading you through different emotions, and that's something I always appreciate about movies. The acting was good, and the story was just bizarrely intriguing. Good one, check it out!

Children and family/ Action/ Drama: The Karate Kid- 2010

Dre (played by Jaden Smith) has had to face many changes recently in his life, from losing his father, to the biggest change, moving to Beijing with his mother. The problem? After arriving in Beijing he begins to be bullied by a group of boys who happen to be learning, and good at Kung-Foo. Thankfully for him, his apartment building's handy man, Mr. Han, knows Kung-Fo, and is willing to teach him.

Grade: B

This was a cute family friendly movie, that was actually a fun watch. The acting was good, the story was good, and it actually surprised me that a remake could be done for that movie and be good, and relevant. I liked it. Great movie to watch with little boys!

Action/Martial Arts: Ninja Assassin- 2009

After being raised since childhood to be a bad-ass ninja, Raizo decides, after seeing his first love murdered by them, that he is not like them at all, and vows revenge on the entire Ozunu Clan. Meanwhile, the government is getting close to cracking down on the clan completely, and with Raizo's help, and skills, it might even happen.

Grade: B

Ok, This movie had some pretty brutal scenes. I mean, the opening sequence alone was a bloody massacre that was really only the tip of the ice burg of what was to come. The story line was ok, the acting was ok, but the action scenes, and the overall feel of the movie was great. Good watch. Anytime there is killing with swards it gets way more than a little messy!

Family Sci-Fi/Fantasy: Wall-E- 2008

After the worlds population has depleted the earth of it's resources, and moves to a space station, it is the job of Wall-E, and other robots like him to scour the earth for any sign of life. Unfortunately Wall-E ends up being the last one left, until a newer model shows up, and becomes his love interest. When things go awry it is Wall-E's job to find and save her.

Grade: B+

This movie was just great. It was cute, and funny, and heart warming. I mean, honestly, who would have guessed that a CG robot could actually make me misty eyed. Not to mention that despite the total lack of dialogue for a large portion of the movie, it was still so easy to stay interested and enjoy. This is a family friendly, wonderful movie.

Comedy: Raising Arizona- 1987

After watching a news story about the recent birth of quintuplets, ex-cop wife, and her ex-con husband, after years of being able to conceive their own children, decided that it would be a great plan to take one of the quints to raise as their own. After all, they figured they'd be helping this family, that can't possibly be able to take care of all of those children alone, right?

Grade: C+

The idea of the story is definitely funny, and the acting and comedic timing is great, this just didn't fall into my list of all time best comedies, but that's ok, it doesn't mean it wasn't good, maybe just not my idea of "super" hilarious. I did enjoy it though, so I gave it a C+, what more can I say. It's worth checking it out, and see if it suits your sense of humor!

Documentary: Tyson- 2008

From director James Toback comes this documentary feature about the trials and triumphs in the life of famed boxer Mike Tyson. From his salad days with promoter Don King, to his infamous ear-ripping match against Evander Holyfield, to his sexual assault conviction, this film, made with the cooperation of Tyson himself, was culled from more than 30 hours of fascinating interview footage of the notorious heavyweight champion. (Per Netflix.com)

Grade: A+

This was a very interesting, and intriguing insight into a totally different side of Mike Tyson than the public has ever been shown before. Behind his "tough guy" outer crust, lies a normal, emotionally charged man. Angry at times, fragile at times, family man, friend, lover, all of the sides that make up a human are examined and exposed in this documentary. It was put together and edited beautifully, and was a very revealing documentary, and honestly, such a profoundly personal look into someones life is always worth the greatest respect.

Comedy: Adventureland- 2008

Unable to afford the European vacation he'd dreamed of, recent college grad James Brennan (Jesse Eisenberg) reluctantly takes a gig at a local amusement park, only to learn that the dead-end job is, in fact, excellent preparation for the real world. Writer-director Greg Mottola's semi-autobiographical comedy-drama, filmed in Pittsburgh's Kennywood Park, also stars Ryan Reynolds and Kristen Stewart. (Per Netflix.com)

Grade: B

Ok, so this movie was cute, and funny, and had a lot of great actors. The one thing that kept me from giving it an 'A' through (I think) was the fact that it had too many of those "my personality is to not have a personality" characters. At this point, I'm beginning to question if those actors who portray their characters that way (and you know who I'm talking about) are trying to play the role that way, or, is that the only thing they CAN do, and in other words aren't very good actors. Perhaps I'm being a bit harsh, I mean, I did give it a 'B', so I did think it was funny,... these are just things I'm seriously starting to question when I see these actors who seem to be playing the same character in every movie they're in,... that's all. Over all though, it is worth the watch.

Comedy: Labor Pains- 2009

How does someone go about keeping a job that they just aren't that good at? Why, pretend to be pregnant, get the sympathy, keep the job, and get cut a little slack for the lack of quality work. but wait, forgetting one thing that comes along with that lie, TOTAL insanity, and a whole lot of trouble!

Grade: C+

Ok, this was cute, the acting was average, and honestly, it was a little hard to take Lindsay Lohan seriously as a business minded "go-getter", but, that's neither here nor there, it did make me laugh, and the story did keep me interested. In other words, it wasn't BAD, per say, I mean, I didn't turn it off or anything, but, it wasn't that great either.

Sci-Fi/Fantasy: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen- 2009

Unlikely hero Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) and his foxy girlfriend, Mikaela Banes (Megan Fox), return with tough-as-nails Capt. Lennox (Josh Duhamel) to assist the Autobots in another epic battle against the evil Decepticons in this supercharged sequel to the 2007 megahit. Blockbuster impresario Michael Bay brings his trademark pyrotechnics to the proceedings, while comic whiz Rainn Wilson joins the cast as a college professor. (Per Netflix.com)

Grade: C+

There are a few good aspects to this movie, this is for sure, it's fun, loud, lots of action, and comedy, but the story line was wishy-washy, at best. I think they really tried this time (after complaints from the first one I'm sure) to make the fight scenes more clear, and easy to watch. In other words, they were much less blurry and close up than before. This is a great one to watch with the kids, especially boys, and what can I say, Megan Fox IS a fox, and that makes it worth watching to me! ;)

Sci-Fi Thriller- District 9- 2009

Throughout history, humans have had an unfortunate track record for finding, and segregating anyone, or in this case anything, that is "different". What happens when that difference is more than skin deep, and more like worlds deep? How would the people of earth react if suddenly we were living amongst alien life forms? This movie explores all of those things, in a very compelling way.

Grade: B+

The idea of this movie alone is something that should make us think. In a way, it seems very reasonable that the human race would react so hostilely to an alien "invasion" (I use that word loosely, because it seems to convey a more violent intent). This was just a well acted action/sci-fi movie that did a great job at making a social commentary in an interesting way.

Suspense/Drama: The Hurt Locker- 2008

Fallow the journey, and conflicts that take place during war in Iraq, for a team of IED dismantlers in this edge of your seat thrill ride.

Grade: A+

Well, it's no question why this movie won best picture of the year, and was so wildly popular, it was amazing! I don't think I've watched a movie that LITERALLY kept me on the edge of my seat, with my stomach in my throat for so much of the movie. This movie was really able to convey the emotions of the army squad, and allows the viewer to place themselves in their shoes. This was a total roller coaster of emotions; fear, anxiety, anticipation, relief, humor, and back again. This was a great movie, on so many levels.

Comedy: The Goods; Live Hard, Sell Hard- 2009

What do you do when your car lot business seems to be failing? Call in a mercenary team of course! Led by Don "the goods" Ready, and his off the wall team, they get the job done,.... One way or another!

Grade: A+

Ok, this movie was funnier than I was expecting! It had me laughing quite a bit, and kept me laughing the entire movie! The characters were awesome, the story was original, and it was just great! I mean, there are so many funny parts that I can go on and on about, but I would suggest just watching it! The "man band" and DJ ReQuest,... Awesome! Good stuff! Check it out!

Comedy: The Invention of Lying- 2009

Ever imagine what the world would be like if there was no such thing as lying? If everyone on the face of the planet had to tell the total and absolute truth about EVERYTHING? Well, this is a look into what that world would be like, and what would happen if one person suddenly realized he was capable of saying things that weren't true.

Grade: A+

This was a really funny movie, that had me laughing quite a bit. The whole premise of the story line was so fresh and such a new take, that that alone made me enjoy the idea of it, and it did not fall short of my expectations at all. Ricky Gervais is funny, as usual, and Jennifer Garner is as well. For being such an unbelievable plot, it was acted in a way that was very much so!

Drama: There will be blood- 2007

Ambitious prospector Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis, in an Oscar-winning role) strikes it rich when he buys the oil rights to a California family's ranch, turns a simple village into a boomtown and stokes the ire of a charismatic young preacher (Paul Dano). Kevin J. O'Connor, Ciarán Hinds and Russell Harvard co-star in writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson's Oscar-nominated adaptation of Upton Sinclair's novel Oil! (per netflix.com)

Grade: D+

ugggg,..... Ok,... Here we go,.... The hype on this movie was HUGE, so my expectations of it were just as much so, and unfortunately I was let down. In a way, I wish I hadn't heard all of the hype, and I would have gone into this movie not expecting anything at all, and probably would have had a better response,.... maybe,.... It was just VERY slow moving, a WHOLE lot of time, for not a lot of story. Sure, the acting was all just fine, but there wasn't really anything that drew me in, or a character that I liked and cared about what happened to them. It just wasn't that spectacular in my opinion.

Romantic Comedy: Ghosts of Girlfriends Past- 2009

Pleasantly content "playboy" Connor is confronted with "the one that got away" while at his younger brothers wedding, but that's not all! He's also visited by the ghosts of all of his former girlfriends, in an attempt to show him the errors of his ways.

Grade: B

This was a cute and funny romantic comedy, as I was expecting, but, it also fallowed a new path that isn't seen in romantic comedies very often: Originality. Sure, it fallowed the romantic comedy formula for the most part, but the entire idea was new, and that kept me interested. It was a fresh story, and a cute one at that. Definitely worth checking out.

Fantasy: The Chronicles of Narnia; The lion, the witch anf the wardrobe- 2005

In this family friendly fantasy adventure four children from London are sent away to a boarding school for safety during WWII, only to discover a magical wardrobe cabinet that transports them to a mystical place and time, where their troubles in "the real world" seem no more prevalent than they are there.

Grade: B+

For some reason I was actually hesitant to watch this one. It took me a while to decide that I did indeed want to watch it, and I was pleasantly surprised. The story was wonderful, and actually kept me really interested. The acting was great, and the film itself was amazingly visually stunning. A wonderful fairy tale story.

Comedy: 17 Again- 2009

Nearly completely dissatisfied with his life, Mike O'Donnell (Matthew Perry) wonders what life would have been like if he had made other choices, and wishes for a "do-over", and is completely surprised to find out that he gets what he wants, only he doesn't travel back in time, he's 17, only this time, he has kids his age, and uses this opportunity to get to know them better from another perspective.

Grade: B-

This was a cute movie, of course. It was funny, and had all of the normal things you look for in a cute teen comedy. The acting is well done, and the laughs come fairly easily. Reno 911's Thomas Lennon's role was hilarious, certainly driving plenty of laughs. This was a sort of "moral of the story" movie. In the end, the grass is not always greener.

Comedy: Extract- 2009

Here's a look into the "quiet" lives of "simple" folks, and the troubles, and quirks that come along with them. After an unforeseen accident almost permanently disfigures a certain "member" of the crew, hilarity ensues. How can a seemingly average group of factory employees be so funny? I'm not sure, but they are!

Grade: A+

This movie is really funny! Perhaps I'm a bit biased because I like Jason Bateman so much, but COME ON! This movie had me laughing quite a bit, and that is exactly what I'm looking for when I watch a comedy. This is a quirky, comedy that has a little bit of everything, including "romance". The characters are perfectly played, and the comedic timing is awesome!

Drama: Winter Passing- 2006

Upon learning that a New York City publishing agent (Amy Madigan) will pay dearly for the love letters her novelist father (Ed Harris) wrote to her late mother, a desperate Reese Holden (Zooey Deschanel) returns to Michigan after seven years away from home. But instead of the reclusive man she expected to find, she discovers her dad has formed a deep connection with a struggling musician (Will Ferrell) and an ex-grad student (Amelia Warner). (Per Netflix.com)

Grade: C+

This movie was an engaging, and thought provoking look into the seemingly lonely and somewhat troubled life of a young girl, and a point in her life where she is learning more about her family than she ever thought possible. The acting in this movie was great, and very believable. This is certainly a movie to watch if you are in the mood to "feel" things.

Drama/Tear Jerker: My sister's keeper- 2009

A former defense attorney (Cameron Diaz) finds herself back in the courtroom when she and her husband (Jason Patric) are sued for medical emancipation by their 11-year-old daughter, Anna (Abigail Breslin), who is expected to donate a kidney to her dying older sister. The subsequent trial tests ethical boundaries and the limits of parental love. Joan Cusack and Alec Baldwin round out the cast in this powerful drama based on Jodi Picoult's novel. (per netflix.com)

Grade: A+

This movie is a non-stop tear fest, with so many moments that will bring you to tears you may actually go through a box of tissues. The story is wonderful, the message is powerful, and the acting was amazing. This is one of those stories where you'd better be prepared to cry, and have a strong emotional response.

Drama based on real life: W.-2008

Fallow the life and career of former president George W. Bush in this "satiric retrospective" of the positives and negatives of his life.

Grade: C+

This was a wonderfully acted movie, and honestly led me to understand Bush in a whole new light. This is definitely an interesting insight into his life, and regardless of weather everything in this movie is completely factual or not, it was a great watch, and definitely kept me interested.

Romantic Comedy: Couples Retreat- 2009

When one couple in a group of friends realize their marriage may be on the brink of ending, after several unsuccessful attempts at getting pregnant, they plead with their friends to join them at the retreat, in order for them to receive the group rate, which they begrudgingly agree to. As the retreat moves on it seems like more than just their marriage is on shaky ground.

Grade: C+

This movie had some pretty good actors, and all of their parts were played well. I had a few problems though. First of all the wives in this movie seemed WAY to young for the husbands, almost unbelievably so. Also, it just wasn't one of those movies that had me consistently laughing, although it did have it's moments. I think I can say that it was worth the watch, just wasn't as funny as the trailer made it out to be.

Crime Drama: Eastern Promises- 2007

In an Oscar-nominated role that requires him to bare all, Viggo Mortensen reteams with director David Cronenberg for this intense thriller set in London's seedy underworld, starring as notorious Russian gangster Nikolai Luzhin. Luzhin finds his normally steely resolve compromised when he learns that a midwife named Anna (Naomi Watts) has discovered incriminating evidence against his "family" in the pages of a dead woman's diary. (per Netflix.com)

Grade: C+

This movie started out very slow to me, and was almost hard for me to get into. It wasn't until about 30 minutes or so into it that I began to enjoy it. This movie was VERY character driven, and was mostly dialogue, although it was interesting, and the few very short "action" scenes were good, especially the roughly 5-10 minute sequence of Viggo Mortensen fighting for his life nude in a steam room. The story was a good one, it just seemed that they took a story that could have been 20 minutes and made it into a movie. I can say that, for the most part, the acting was very believable.

Comedy/Suspense: The 'Burbs-1989

Every neighborhood in America has that one house on the block that just seems off, and the people who live there seem even more off. This is the story that fallows a group of neighbors as they attempt to investigate their strange, and down right creepy neighbors, in an attempt to prove that they are murderers.

Grade: C+

This was a pretty funny movie, with Tom Hanks doing a fantastic job as usual. There's also a lovely little part for Corey Feldman, which is always funny to see. The only "downside" was that there wasn't "constant" laughs, but, as with many comedies, that's not always the case. All in all it was pretty funny, and worth the watch.

Drama based on real life: American Gangster-2007

This movie fallows the life of Frank Lucas, played by Denzel Washington, during his rise to, and ultimate fall from, control of one of New York's most powerful African American gangs of the 60's.

Grade: B+

Denzel Washington played this role wonderfully of course, as well as the entire cast. The organization of the movie, and sequence of events definitely keeps you on your toes, and the intertwined story lines of both the "good guys" and "bad guys" makes it all the more interesting. This is definitely not a movie to watch with the kids!