Movie: Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance 3D

Genre: horror-thriller

Synopsis: This is a sequel to 2007’s “Ghost Rider”.  Johnny Blaze (Nicolas Cage) was a stunt motorcycle rider who made a deal with the devil that resulted in him being a part-time demon know as Ghost Rider.  When evil is near, Ghost Rider takes over – a skeletal “man” in flames who rides a flaming motorcycle and whose weapon of choice is a flaming chain.  In this movie, he is trying to save a boy who was fathered by Satan.  Naturally, he leaves a large body count in his wake.

My two cents: Not quite as good as the original, it is hard not to enjoy watching Ghost Rider knock off a few dozen baddies.

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The Secret World of Arriety

Movie: The Secret World of Arriety

Genre: animated fantasy

Synopsis: Shawn is a young boy with a heart ailment.  He is living with his aunt so that he can rest before he has heart surgery.  Living in his aunt’s is the Clock family - a family of four-inch high “Borrowers” The Clocks live in secret, surviving off of items they “borrow” from the humans.  One of the Clocks is a fourteen-year-old Arriety.  She has just come of age and is making her first borrowing excursion.  When Shawn accidentally sees Arriety, all he wants to do is be friends with her.  On the other hand, Clock’s family is horrified that she was seen and fear that they will have to move.  Complicating things is the nasty maid of Shawn’s aunt, who is determined to find the little people and put an end to them.

My two cents: I was less than enchanted with this, perhaps because I have never read the books upon which it was based.  I am also not crazy about the Japanese style of animation that was used.

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Movie: Safe House

Genre: thriller

Synopsis: Matt (Ryan Reynolds) is a rookie CIA operative in Cape Town, South Africa. His job is to manage a company safe house – something he has done for 10 months without ever having a “guest”.  This changes when

Tobin Frost (Denzel Washington) is brought in.  Frost is the CIA’s most wanted man.  He is a former agent who turned traitor 10 years ago and has been on the run since.  Things get really dicey when a large heavily armed squad breaks into the safe house to find and kill Frost.  Matt manages to escape with Frost, but ends up being branded a traitor with the entire CIA after him, as well as Frost.

My two cents: Pretty entertaining – but I would like to have seen more of Denzel Washington unleashed.  Tobin Frost was such a bad-ass . . . it would have been nice to see him kick some more butt.

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