Crazy On The Outside

Starring:  Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Ray Liotta
Comedy, 2010 (Rated PG 13)

Tim Allen plays Tommy who is fresh out of prison and looking to make a new start that does not involve crime.  He moves in with his pathological lying yet extremely caring sister, reports to his probation officer, and gets a job in a fast food joint.  Trouble tries to find him by way of his old buddy Gray (Liotta) and he does a good job of resisting until he becomes frustrated when his cagey past continues to follow him and ruins his fledgling romance with his attractive probation officer.  Can he stay on the straight, narrow and continue the struggle to play it straight or will the lure and the money of his old way of life call him back.

• I'd never heard of this one but it was pretty funny from start to finish.  Tim Allen is great as a not so rough and tough ex con and Sigourney Weaver does a great job playing the role of his protective tough yet sensitive older sister.
• There are funny moments throughout the film and it leans toward a somewhat cliche story line but it's a light hearted comedy so not only did I expect that but it was done well enough that I also enjoyed it.

3 STARS

Avatar

Starring:  Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez
Science Fiction, Rated PG 13 (2009)

A former Marine fills in for his brother as an Avatar driver on Planet Pandora.  With very little training Jake Sully (Worthington) jumps right in and finds out that there is something special about him that gets the natives to accept him into their village and train him in their ways.  Over time he grows to love the Na'vi way of life and becomes extremely close to Neytiri, the one who has taken him under her wing.  All too quickly the reason he was put there in the first place comes to a boiling point.  The human's goal all along was to gather intelligence that would help them relocate the Na'vi willfully so that they could mine the precious metal in their land.  If the Na'vi don't go peacefully they are prepared to use force and Jack suddenly finds himself forced to choose sides.  Will he fight for his people or betray the peaceful Na'vi that he has come to love?

• This movie was a gold mine of amazing visual imagery.  The Pandora forest is filled with unusual animals, brightly glowing plant life, and visually stunning people. 
• The Na'vi are tall, graceful and lean.  They are so powerful in their movements that you forget that they are not invincible.  With all of their physical prowess they can be killed just like any human.
• This was the classic story of the impossible fight and not being afraid to die for your people and what you believe in.  The fight for what is just and right.
• A bow and arrow is nothing compared to a machine gun aircraft but the Na'vi rallied and refused to back down after the humans attacked their peaceful way of life.  It was terrible to see these innocent people being gunned down by the greedy humans much like the Native Americans were attacked by Americans so long ago.
• This movie is 162 minutes long but not once did I feel that it went on too long.  Magnificent movie from start to finish. 

5 STARS

The Girl In The Park

Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Kate Bosworth, Keri Russell
Drama, 2007

The young daughter of Julia (Weaver) and her husband disappears from the park one day. After such a terrible loss Julia sort of checks out of life and never quite recovers. One day she meets a homeless young girl names Louise (Bosworth) and she forms an emotional attachment to her. She finds herself fixating on Louise and blurring the lines between her long disappeared daughter and this troubled young girl.

• I liked this movie.
• It didn't have a real plot or story line but I found it very interesting and enjoyed watching what unfolded.
• If you want action you will not find it here. It just isn't that type of movie.
• Great interesting characters and wonderful acting to go along with it.
• The hubby was on the internet during most of the movie but I was interested enough to focus on it.

3 STARS