The Middle-Aged Movie Maven Returns!

Hi there. I haven't weighed in on my blog in a while, but that doesn't mean I've stopped going to the movies. So here, for your edification (and to help you avoid the TOTAL clinkers at the cineplex), my latest thoughts:

Killers. Ashton Kutcher is adorable and sexy, and he has charisma, but Katherine Heigl has peaked. And both are apparently taking a page from the Jennifer Aniston movie playbook and only picking the WORST scripts they can find (I hated both Valentine's Day with Kutcher, although he was cute in it, and The Ugly Truth, with Heigl). The movie opens kind of cute, but is stupid and unbelievable, with cartoon characters. They're trying to emulate Mr and Mrs Smith, but have none of the chemistry, sex appeal, or clever banter of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. They're tv stars, just like Aniston, and that's where they should stay. I didn't laugh once and even my nephew, who loves most movies, said it was too long!

Shrek 3. So-so...there are some good laughs, but overall I found it forgettable. The first two Shreks were all we needed.

Get Him to the Greek. This movie actually has some good moments. Yes, it's crass and silly, it veers kind of widely from outrageous behavior to serious moments, but if you liked The Hangover or Forgetting Sarah Marshall you might enjoy this one.

Sex and the City 2. Carrie is a big, spoiled baby crying because her sexy, rich husband doesn't want to go out on the town every night but rather wants to stay in and watch clever old movies with her. The real stinker in this movie is Samantha, though, who takes her crassness to new heights. Her behavior is HORRIBLY insulting to Muslims and not funny. The fashions are ridiculous. I was hoping to love it--especially since I liked the first movie and the series (and, I'll admit it, the book about Carrie's teen years called The Carrie Diaries). And at 2 1/2 hours, it is REALLY too long!

Iron Man 2: I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this action flick. I loved the first one, but this one looked to be much darker. But I trust in Robert Downey Jr and he delivered--he's just as funny and fun as ever. The female characters are mere sexpots in tight skirts and high heels, but the plot wasn't half bad. I was quite entertained.

On my list of movies to see: The A Team (yes, I'll probably regret it but I do love that Bradley Cooper), Winter's Bone, The Kid's Are Alright, Eat Pray Love, Joan River's--A Piece of Work, Inception.