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Showing posts from October, 2011

The Rum Diary

Starring: Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, and Aaron Eckhart Directed by: Bruce Robinson Screenplay by: Bruce Robinson Based on the novel by Hunter S. Thompson     It's the 1960s and the guy who plays Jack Sparrow is still getting rather drunk.  But this time, Johnny Depp plays an American journalist.     Paul Kemp (Johnny Depp) has just moved to Puerto Rico where he has taken a job at the San Juan Star newspaper, a newspaper that is well on its way to bankruptcy and will shortly go out of business.  So, in the mean time, he is working on covering a hotel development project on a remote island (whose name and location are never revealed) with a very wealthy American, Hal Sanderson (Aaron Eckhart).  And then there's Chenault (Amber Heard), who seems to be Sanderson's girlfriend and has no really important role.  She seems to be there simply for young teenage boys like me to stare at and drool over her beauty.     I'll be honest.  There is little in the way of a discernib

Real Steel

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Evangeline Lilly, and Dakota Goyo Directed by: Shawn Levy Screenplay by: John Gatins and Dan Gilroy It's Rocky meets Transformers in the huge clash of action in Real Steel. It's not too far into the future, and the world of boxing has changed a little bit.  No longer are people in the boxing ring.  Instead, robots have taken over this new generation of boxing.  In this new game, it seems as though the old dogs must learn new tricks. Charlie Kenton is a broke robot boxer (once a real boxer before the game changed) in a sport that he is no longer very good at.  He has become a bad bet for those who invest their money and robots with him.  Meanwhile, Charlie is involved in a custody battle over his son, Max, between him and his ex-girlfriend's sister.  Charlie is allowed to take Max for the summer and get to know his son, even though he does not have legal custody of Max.  Max is a big fan of robot boxing, so Charlie shows him what it's like.