TV Review: Breaking Bad (Seasons 1-3)

Okay, I was a little behind the hype on this show, but after speeding through it over the last couple of weeks, I have officially caught up all the way the the end of the most recent third season. Bryan Cranston is remarkable as Walter White, part-time high school science teacher, part-time meth supplier, full time husband, father, and cancer patient. With Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) as his junkie, meth-peddling business partner, and a brother-in-law with the DEA (Dean Norris) you can only imagine how the show begins. Throughout the first three seasons, we see Walt's ups and downs in the drug community. We see him battle with cancer and his mortality, and we see him do the best he can to make sure that his family is taken care of when he's gone. With a supporting cast that tends to change from time to time and danger around every corner, things never get boring. That, and seeing the occasional severed head riding the back of a tortoise in the desert, among other shenanigans, always keep you guessing how it's all going to turn out. If you have not seen this show yet, but you've thought about it, you should just do it! You totally have time to catch up before the next season starts! There is no excuse.

I give Breaking Bad (Seasons 1-3) a 5 outta 5.

TV Review: Futurama (Season 6, Episodes 1-2)

Alright, I am kicking off a new set of reviews right now, and what better way to start, than with something that was dead, and brought back to life! Starting now, I am also going to be reviewing TV shows and a variety of other sources of entertainment across many mediums. The main difference between the ratings for TV shows is that I will only be rating them on a scale of 1 to 5, while I will continue to review movies on a 1 to 10 scale. And here we go...

Futurama first debuted on Fox back in 1999 and ran for five years before Fox pulled the plug. Can you believe we have not had any new episodes since 2003?! Well, after all this time and three direct to DVD movies, the show is back on the air and debuted with two brand new episodes the other night. With the entire voice cast returning and familiar banter all around, it felt like they never left. How the show will hold up this time around, we can only guess. In my opinion, they didn't really have to fix it because it was never really broken, and I think they know that to be the case as well.

I give the new season of Futurama a hopeful 4 outta 5.

Movie Review: She's Out Of My League

This movie, in my opinion, was in and out of theaters with little notice at all, but now that I've sat down and watched it, I can say that it's actually not too bad. Jay Baruchel was fully able to carry the film as Kirk, a mind-mannered airport security guard with low self-esteem. Then Molly, played by Alice Eve, shows up and she is, as they point out a thousand times, a perfect ten. The supporting cast is pretty entertaining, including Nate Torrence (Get Smart), T.J. Miller & Mike Vogel (Cloverfield), and Krysten Ritter (Breaking Bad) as well as Debra Jo Rupp (That 70's Show). Self-esteem and image concerns aside, there are some really funny moments (most courtesy of Vogel, Torrence, and Ritter) mixed with a little physical comedy and some crude humor really make it a good mix of funny from all angles. It's worth it if you're interested in seeing it.

I give She's Out Of My League a 7 outta 10.

Movie Review: Hot Tub Time Machine

And the good times keep on 'a rolling! I was interested in this movie, but was really scared that it was gonna suck. Too bad I didn't have anything to worry about. Four friends got away for the weekend when their lives are almost too shitty to bear, when they are given a chance to go back to the 80's and live one of their most epic weekends all over again. Are there consequences to going back in time? Will things work out better the second time around? Only "time" will tell (wow, that was punny, I'm sorry... but really I'm not). John Cusack was awesome... as usual (duh!) Craig Robinson was effin hilarious, proving once again that he has what it takes to be part of the comedic A-List of the new millennium. Clark Duke, who I truly enjoyed in Sex Drive (watch it if you haven't!!!) delivered another great performance here as he traveled back to the weekend of his conception. And Rob Corddry was perfect as the downer in the group with a lot to prove, or not. All this, and a supporting cast that includes Chevy Chase, Lizzy Caplan, and Crispin Glover makes this movie a great watch, and a whole lot of time-traveling fun!

I give Hot Tub Time Machine an 8 outta 10.

Movie Review: Iron Man 2

As anyone that knows me can tell you, I am a sucker for comic book movies and besides the fact that Iron Man rocked, and I know that Iron Man 2 would be a lead in to the Avengers movie, I was really looking forward to what this movie had to offer. Mickey Rourke playing Whiplash (who in the comics, was a shitty C-List baddie) mixed in with a little of the Crimson Dynamo back story and some cooler gadgets turned out to be a good choice for Jon Favreau along with a weasel like Justin Hammer (played to his full asshole potential by Sam Rockwell). When you add Nick Fury, Black Widow, and War Machine to the mix, I'm sure some people were a little overwhelmed, but for me as a big time fanboy, I effin loved it! Robert Downey Jr. was great, just like in the first movie, and Gwyneth Palthrow might have been even better this time around as Pepper Potts. Don Cheadle was a good Rhodey, but I don't know if I preferred him to Terrence Howard. Anyway, the length of the movie was good. I never got bored, and the plot was full enough to keep going for a full two hours without dragging on or getting ridiculous. Then, topping it all off with a special appearance from a certain Hammer after the credits... I'm not gonna lie, I shed a single tear. All in all, it was a fun movie, and that's all I could have asked for.

I give Iron Man 2 an 8 outta 10.

I found this quote kind of inspiring. I hope you do too.

My Return To The Land Of The Living!

So I have been absent from my blog for a while, but I intend to fix that now. The good news is that I haven't had the chance to see too many movies, and the ones that I have seen, I am updating blogs for now.

Secondly, on top of movie reviews, I will also be reviewing some TV shows and updating some treats as well from time to time. I also have a couple other surprises in the works, so get excited and check back often because shit's gonna get crazy up in here! (I want to apologize for that last bit, I honestly don't know where it came from).

Stay tuned folks, Deuce's Wild 2.0 is here and it's gonna be a wild ride!

Movie Review: Alice In Wonderland

I love Tim Burton. I love Johnny Depp. I did not love Alice In Wonderland. Some things were good, but others were just odd and confounding. Sure, it's supposed to be Wonderland, and things there are supposed to be insane, but that should not be used as an excuse for flawed storytelling. Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter was just awkward, and his role was way more important than the character needs to be (but if you're gonna pay Johnny Depp to be in a movie, you're sure as hell gonna use him!) I was entertained my Helena Bonham Carter's shenanigans, as usual, but again, it was just not enough to redeem it for me. The Cheshire cat was good, but Alice was dry and emotionless in my opinion. Eh, I could keep going, but why waste my breath on a movie that came out six months ago... At least it was pretty to look at.

I give Alice In Wonderland a 5 outta 10.

Movie Review: Sherlock Holmes

I am a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes, most notably the old Universal serials from the 40’s with Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. There have been many incarnations of the character over the years and even though each has it’s own flavor, the core of the character remains the same. Solving mysteries by exploiting the most basic of observations that most people look right past. The master sleuth’s adventures, accompanied by is loyal companion Dr. Watson and with the aid of Inspector LeStrade and Scotland Yard are always full of twists and turns and entertaining. This new incarnation with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law does not disappoint. Their version of the duo is much more action oriented and it does make sense in our current day and age that they would need to be in order to draw more people into the theater. Though Downey’s version of Holmes took a little getting used to, Law’s Watson was fantastic from start to finish. Rachel McAdams was a fitting addition as well playing Irene Adler, a savvy femme fatale whose intentions are unclear for the duration of the film. With Lord Blackwood as the main villain and a very occult feel to the film, the tone was dark and dreary, matching the look of London in Guy Ritchie’s take. I enjoyed it, and I’m looking forward to seeing more in the future.

I give Sherlock Holmes an 8 outta 10.

Movie Review: Avatar

Okay, this review is a little overdue, but better late than never. No one can dispute that James Cameron is one of the greatest directors of our time. His movies are legendary; including Aliens, Titanic, Terminator and more. Avatar was visually captivating. The CG was immaculate. The story was entertaining and full. The cast was top-notch as well. As much praise as this film has gotten however, I still saw a few flaws in my opinion. My first issue was with the mechs. Not actually with the mech suits themselves, but with their weapons. Firstly, why aren’t their weapons built in? That is very inconvenient. And even more that that, shy do the operators have to mime holding the weapons? Again, not really the most productive way to do things if you ask me. I don’t know about you, but if I was miming holding a gun whilst controlling a big-ass mech armor, I might be a little hindered. Just an observation. The other thing that bothered me, and I feel that most people just glanced over it without any thought… The story was nothing I haven’t seen a thousand times! I even heard someone reference Fern Gully a couple weeks back. Hahaha. If that doesn’t explain where I’m coming from, nothing will. Now, don’t get me wrong, I still thoroughly enjoyed the film. It was entertaining and colorful and a great piece of film.

I give Avatar an 8 outta 10.