Monday At the Movies: June Movies & Action Heroes

Monday's Movie is hosted by Sheri at A Novel Menagerie.

Movie: Up (2009)

Genre: Animation, Comedy, Drama, Adventure
MPAA Rating: PG
Directed By: Pete Docter & Bob Peterson (co-director)
Writers: Bob Peterson & Pete Docter (screenplay)
Pete Docter, Thomas McCarthy & Bob Peterson (story)

From Netflix:

After a lifetime of dreaming of traveling the world, 78-year-old homebody Carl (voiced by Ed Asner) is lured into an unbelievable adventure, thanks in part to the persistence of Russell, an 8-year-old Wilderness Explorer (Jordan Nagai). Together, the unlikely pair embarks on a thrilling odyssey full of jungle beasts and rough terrain. Other voices include the renowned Christopher Plummer and Pixar stalwart John Ratzenberger.

I wanted to love this film. I really did. I even got teary-eyed during the telling of Carl's life story, about how he met his wife and their life together. And yet, I left the theater feeling unsatisfied. On one hand the movie was a beautiful, somewhat sad, redemptive story and on the other it was an entertaining adventure story. The two contrasting personalities of the film just never quite gelled for me. I did like the movie, don't get me wrong. I just didn't love it. Bags of Popcorn: 3


Movie: X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

Genre: Animation, Comedy, Drama, Adventure
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Directed By: Gavin Hood
Writers: David Benioff & Skip Woods

From Netflix:

This action-packed prequel to the popular X-Men films explores Marvel Comics character Wolverine's (Hugh Jackman) past and the events that influenced the mutant before the Weapon X program bonded his skeleton with the powerfully strong metal alloy adamantium. After the death of his girlfriend, Wolverine seeks vengeance against supervillain Victor Creed (Liev Schreiber). Ryan Reynolds, Danny Huston and Lynn Collins co-star.

I really liked the first and second X-Men movies. While the third one wasn't quite as good as the first two, I still enjoyed it. So, of course, there was no question that I would see Wolverine. I had heard the chatter and read a few reviews of the movie before hand and so knew not to expect much going in. There were plenty of great action sequences and Hugh Jackman looked terrific, all of which I expected. And while I know these types of stories demand suspension of disbelief right from the start, this one really pushed the envelope for me. I am not quite sure what bothered me about it: the fact that the plot seemed so convoluted or that it was downright silly at times. So, maybe I should have listened to my husband and waited to see this one on DVD. Still, it was an entertaining film. Bags of Popcorn: 3

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The Monday Movie Meme is brought to you by The Bumbles.

This week's movie topic is all about Action Heroes . . .

Summer is in full swing and that means it is time for the blockbuster releases. You know, big budget flicks where things get dicey, blow up, burn down, and in the end - saved - by those quintessential action heroes. Here are some that we feel best represent the genre.

Jason Bourne - Bourne Series

Wolverine - X-Men Series

Aragorn - Lord of the Rings Trilogy

Captain Steven Hiller - Independence Day

Batman - Batman Begins & The Dark Knight

Lara Croft - Tomb Raider Series

Ellen Ripley -Alien Series

Trinity -Matrix Series

Lola - Run Lola Run

Charlie's Angels

(Note: I'm a non-gender specific kind of gal. Action heroes to me can be men or women. Watch, next week the question will be to name action heroines. That's okay. At least I got a head start.)