Category: Reviews

Every major holiday you can expect movies to pop up to cash in on the festivities, and this Easter, we have the 3D animated/live action movie: Hop. I had no idea what to expect besides rabbits after looking at the standee, so I went into the cinema with no expectations at all.

Hop is about EB (Russel Brand), a rabbit that’s next in line to be the Easter bunny. Deciding that he enjoys drumming much more than hiding eggs in the gardens of humans, he decides to flee Easter Island and hide out in Hollywood. There he encounters Fred O’Hare (James Marsden), a man who’s basically nowhere in his life and trying to get back on the right track. Together they embark on a journey to grow up and realize their dreams.

Hop is a movie for families and kids. The jokes aren’t edgy (though Russel Brand as EB does pretty well) and despite the cast, you’re not going to have any Sex Drive/Forgetting Sarah Marshall humor here. It’s been taken down to grade school level. Children are going to love the cute characters in the movie, and adults, well adults don’t really have much to look forward to except wholesome fun. You can expect something similar to Alvin & The Chipmunks – just a whole lot less annoying. And you get Kaley Cuoco gracing the screen with her presence. Mmhmm.

The movie is nothing to shout about, and might even be a little boring for some people, but if you gotta take a younger sibling to a movie to shut them up for 1.5 hours, you can’t go wrong. Hop gets 5/10.

When the movie was first announced and posters starting appearing on walls, I never thought I’d ever find myself sitting in a cinema watching a movie starring child superstar Justin Bieber. As the months passed, and I found myself actually enjoying some of his singles, I thought why not just give it a shot. And I’m glad I did because I enjoyed the movie, surprisingly.

Never Say Never tells the story of Justin Bieber – how this 16 year old boy rose from being nobody to the megastar he is right now. Sure, it feels like one overhyped, full-blown special that belongs in the extras section on a special edition DVD, but they managed to include enough music and fillers to turn it into a movie. If you’re not a fan of the kid, chances are this movie won’t change your mind about him. But if you hate him, you should stay away, very far away. It really is all about Justin Bieber.

His story is pretty inspiring – Bieber actually worked hard to get where he is right now. He wasn’t some overnight sensation that people seem to think he is. Even though it was by fluke that he was discovered by his current manager, he had to face many rejections from labels before he finally got signed. Before he became a star, he was playing small shows at street corners, in schools and talent shows. In fact, the most surprising thing I discovered about him was that he’s a pretty good drummer. In fact, I think if he was drumming for a band now instead of being a pop sensation, he wouldn’t be getting all the hate he’s receiving right now, but we all choose our own paths in life, and this was what he chose.

Concert footage was pretty well shot, though you can tell some parts were just forced just to make use of 3D but his Madison Square Garden show (that was reported to have sold out in 22 minutes) has plenty of theatrics and big name guests to keep things interesting for people who don’t know his music.

Overall, I don’t have anything really bad to say about the movie – except that if you absolutely hate the Bieber, you shouldn’t be watching it in the first place. The plethora of screaming fan girls will probably annoy the hell out of you. If you’re not a hater, give the movie a shot, I’m sure you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Never Say Never gets a 6/10.

Just Go With it is about a cosmetic surgeon, Danny (Adam Sandler) who uses his wedding ring as leverage to get girls into bed with him. His tactic proves to be so successful; it gets him into trouble when he meets the girl of his dreams, Palmer (Brooklyn Decker) – or so he thinks. Enlisting the help of his assistant in the clinic, Katherine (Jennifer Aniston), Danny fabricates a crumbling marriage just to get together with Palmer. As usual, things never go according to plan.

Just Go With It has the hallmarks of your typical Adam Sandler movie – hot girl, kids, and the nonstop assault of jokes. So in essence, the movie delivers but it definitely isn’t one of Adam Sandler’s best ones. Adam Sandler as Dr. Danny is entertaining as usual, and so is Jennifer Aniston as Katherine. Brooklyn Decker is a pretty new face in the industry, and her good looks will get her places but she doesn’t really shine in terms of acting. The supporting cast does a great job, especially Katherine’s kids (Bailee Madison and Griffin Gluck) – hopefully they’ll get more roles in the future. Nicole Kidman and Dave Matthews are pretty funny as well.

Overall, it’s nothing much to shout about, but you’ll definitely have loads of fun watching this film. Just don’t expect a storyline more complex than getting from point A to point B and you’re set. But after watching the movie, you can’t help feel like age is catching up with Adam Sandler – his jokes seem to be much more family-oriented these days. Let’s hope he doesn’t lose his edge. Just Go With It gets a 6/10.