L

Click on the links to read my reviews


Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

#3 - Lord Of The Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring

I had never read the books until I had heard that there was going to be movies made about them. Then I thought what the hell, they might be good. Although they can be wordy, I fell in love with them as soon as I started reading them. From the very first moment of LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring, I felt the very same way about the movies.

This is my type of movie. I like science fiction and fantasy movies so the LOTR were right up my alley and even my family got excited about them once they saw the trailers. Going to theLOTR movies became an event for us and each December for three years we went. My family, my brothers-in -law and their wives, my brother and sister; we all went together to all three. After Return of the King came out, we all had a sense of disappointment because they were finished. They were done and we wouldn't be able to enjoy this time together watching these movies.

One of the things I really like about this trilogy and especially this movie is how it goes from a happy, jolly, innocent experience to one of foreboding and evil. Ultimately this is what the Hobbits had to endure during their journey. The way Peter Jackson was able to put this movie together was amazing. Every moment in FOTR, was awesome. Even though I had read the books a number of times, I couldn't wait until the next scene, wondering what he was going to come up with next.

The performances in FOTR, was great and I especially liked Viggo Mortenson and Sean Astin. Both of these men put on great performances from the very second they were on screen and ultimately until the very last shot of ROTK. Wonderful jobs.

Also, the CGI and score were deadly as well. Like in Braveheart, the score was another character in itself. It brought so much emotion to the movie and it seemed like it allowed you to feel exactly what the characters were feeling.

I could go on and on about this movie and the trilogy as a whole. But I won't. This is still a movie my family and I love to watch and we will continue to watch it for a very long time. It is part of us as a family.

Take care and enjoy the movies!!!

Little Miss Sunshine

Hello everyone! I just wanted to mention a few things about this movie, which I watched the other night. This was one hell of a movie. I wasn't expecting a whole lot, but when I turned my DVD player off, I realized how much i thoroughly enjoyed this movie. My wife said I would laugh out loud while I watched it, as she had already seen it. The truth is, I did. I found the family dynamics funny yet at times heart wrenching. This family, as dysfunctional as it was, was able to show true love and loyalty to each other. Whether it was Olive, the beauty pageant wannabe, the suicidal uncle or the son who desires a life as a plot, you feel for all of them like they were your own family members.
We all have the crazy family members like these. For me, its the highly energetic, ADHD sister inlaw who at times, more often then not, puts her foot in her mouth. The thing is, we still love her no matter the circumstances. She is a wonderful wife, mother and friend who would do absolutley anything for you, even though you sometimes want to wring her neck. We have never had to go on an adventure like this family did, but she still makes life extremely interesting for the rest of us.
The actors in this movie are excellent from top to bottom. Greg Kinnear, Steve Carrell, Toni Collette, Alan Arkin and Paul Dano do a wonderful job of expressing what a family with issues have to deal with on a daily basis. The scene stealer in the movie though is little Olive, played by Abigail Breslin. She exudes innocence, yet maturity, strength and vunlnerability theat not many young actresses out there today can portray. I was amazed at her ability to show in her character the I don't give a damn attitude that she showed. I would be absolutely surprised if she did not go on to bigger and better things in her acting career.
This movie was very enjoyable to watch and one that I will be able to watch over and over again.
Anyway, I hope you all had a good read and a good day. Hope to write soon.

Take care