New releases win
Several movies came out while we were all being couch potatoes over Christmas break. I saw three: “Sherlock Holmes,” “New Year’s Eve” and “Mission Impossible.” I could not possibly write just one review when I saw all three in less than a month, so I decided to give you a little something about each film.
If you have liked “Valentine’s Day” you will love “New Year’s Eve.” It is one of those all-star cast, chick flicks that is incredibly predictable. Is it worth it? There are hunky men and sexy women to be found throughout the entire movie. Even pregnant Jessica Biel looked good. “High School Musical” star Zac Efron played one of the best parts in the movie. He was charming, good looking and funny — not to mention single. Basically, this movie follows the lives of a select few and their New Year’s Eve endeavors.
One of the characters (Lea Michelle) is the backup singer and gets possibly the break of a lifetime — working for some famous musician played by Bon Jovi. Ashton Kutcher’s character hates the holiday and refuses to go out until he meets said backup singer. Besides, how can you say no to Lea Michele? She is Idina Menzel reincarnated. Another prominent character, Hilary Swank, is running the ball drop. There are many stories and types of people that are portrayed in this movie. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I have no complaints about acting or plot.
The next movie I saw I also had very few complaints about, but how can you complain about classic characters like Holmes and Watson?
It is hard to compare “Sherlock Holmes” with “New Year’s Eve” since they fall into two completely different genres. I was very pleased with the first Holmes flick and had high expectations for the next. I knew it would be good and my instincts were right. The story went a little like this: Holmes finds his long-lost love, played by Rachel McAdams, and gets intelligence on a rising criminal — Professor James Moriarty. He finds more about the man and his plot for world destruction.
Holmes convinces Watson to be his sidekick one last time. After a few near-death experiences, Holmes dressing as a woman and some unexpected twists later, the world is again saved. I promise that isn’t a spoiler. It gets better than my little predictable details.
There were twists and turns that got me questioning the entire story. The end was the best part. I loved it. These guys know what they are doing. I do have one complaint though. Where did Rachel McAdams go? She had just a few minutes of screen time in this second film, however, she owned it.
“Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” was the last but not worst movie I saw this break. I will always be a fan of Tom Cruise, mainly because the first time I can remember seeing him on screen was in the first “Mission: Impossible.” I was 8 years old and had the biggest crush on him. It wasn’t until later that I saw his better-known movies like “Top Gun” and “Jerry McGuire.”
Comparing all the Mission movies, nothing beats the first, it is just a classic. With that said, Tom Cruise has still got it. I guess Katie Holmes is keeping him young because he was just as intrepid as ever, swinging around the tallest building in the world. The graphics were really well done and the fact that super-cool spy gadgets were revealed in this film made me even more intrigued.
The story for this is basically the same idea as any M:I film or even “Sherlock Holmes.” It centers around a super-talented ninja-like protagonist who fights evil to save the world. The difference is the “how” they accomplish such a feat.
Seeing the newest Tom Cruise hit in IMAX gave it an extra edge. Also, if you are a big fan of the first Mission movie, there were a lot of references in the fourth movie. It added to the overall entertainment factor of the film.
With so many good choices, it was hard to pick the best film this Christmas break, so I want to award each individual film its own little award. “New Year’s Eve” gets the “Aw, that was cute with all those movie stars acting together” award. “Sherlock Holmes” gets the “I have no idea what is going to happen next” award. “Mission Impossible” gets the “Holy cool stunts and gadgets” award. But the big prize goes to… drum roll please… “Sherlock Holmes.” Hooray for a new year of movies.
– anike.pullens@aggiemail.usu.edu