Predators

Release Date: July 9th, 2010

Genre: Action / Adventure / Sci-Fi

Stars: Adrien Brody, Alice Braga, Topher Grace, Laurence Fishburne

Synopsis: A group of professional killers from different backgrounds find themselves dropped into a jungle with no memory of how they got there and hunted by something otherworldly.

AltAss Ratings (On a scale of 1 to 5 asses)

Plot:                                              

Brings a decent formula to the table for what could amount to a pretty entertaining action adventure ride.

Writing / Production:                

The biggest problem with "Predators" is the painfully slow start and mundane lulls between the action.  The action scenes are okay but disappointing considering how long the audience sits in anticipation of them.  The special effects seemed hokie at times which drove the final nail in the coffin for this film.

Acting:                                         

I just don't think bad ass is in Adrien Brody's range so it is unfortunate that the film makers didn't go with someone else.  Laurence Fishburne and Topher Grace were very good but their roles were too small to carry the movie.  The rest of the supporting cast gets a solid B+.

Originality:                              

The film is a sequel and really offers only one small plot twist audiences may not see coming that is in the end quite trivial.

Overall:                                      

Action adventure movies are supposed to keep your juices flowing and at the very least not put you to sleep.  "Predators" fails to do either and perpetually will keep you waiting for something good to happen. 

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Centurion

Release Date: July 30th, 2010

Genre: Action / Adventure / Drama

Stars: Michael Fassbender, Dominic West, Olga Kurylenko

Synopsis: A Roman Centurion leads a small band of soldiers that has survived a brutal attack behind enemy lines in an effort to rescue their captured General and return to safety.

AltAss Ratings (On a scale of 1 to 5 asses)

Plot:                                     

A nice little tale that is mostly entertaining.  Once or twice it may have lulled too much between the action.

Writing / Production:       

Carried mostly by action packed fight scenes but the dialogue and drama wasn't nearly as horribly scripted as expected.

Acting:                               

Michael Fassbender struggled to match the screen presence of Dominic West and Olga Kurylenko who were both pretty good in their respective roles.  Unfortunately since Fassbender was selected to play the title role his inability to bring the goods hurts the picture.

Originality:                        

I liked the storyline but it is definitely a movie very much in the spirit of "Gladiator" and "300" etc..

Overall:                                

Surprisingly decent and entertaining enough to warrant a look by audiences that like this kind of film.  There is a lot of graphic violence and blood that some audiences will want to avoid and others won't want to miss.

What did you think?  Leave a comment below to tell us how you'd rate this film!

Toy Story 3

Release Date: June 18th, 2010

Genre: Animation / Adventure / Comedy

Stars (voices): Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack

Synopsis: The gang is back after a long hiatus and this time their owner Andy is all grown up and heading to college when his toys mistakenly end up being donated to a day care center from where they must make a daring escape to return home.

AltAss Ratings (On a scale of 1 to 5 asses)

Plot:                                  

Did a good job of providing a lot of adventure and sticky situations for the characters to overcome and ended with a heartwarming conclusion.

Writing:                        

There was some funny but not as much as I remember in the original films which had me rolling at times.  The material was just not as fresh and snappy as expected.

Acting (voices):              

Ned Beatty was fantastic as the villain Lotso and everybody else fell into their old parts rather nicely with no obvious missteps but seemed to lack the old intensity.

Acting (animation):         

It was good but felt a bit stale and not nearly as magical as the orginal films perhaps because we have grown so accustomed to the Pixar brand over time.

Originality:                  

Did not feel different from the previous movies in the franchise at all with the exception of the addition of some nice characters.

Overall:                           

Toy Story fans had to have been disappointed, but an entire new generation of kids were probably thrilled.  The ending was the only part of this movie that drew me in emotionally which its predecessors had so masterfully done for broad audiences from start to finish.  I suppose as third installments of a series typically go, this one was still better than most.

The Laugh Factor

Belly Laughs: 1-2

Chuckles: 6-8