Christmas Break movie review

We made the best of the looong winter break by renting lots and lots of movies. Almost as good as going to a warm locale, no? No, definitely not. But we were entertained more often than not. Here is a quick review of each movie we saw, in case you were thinking of catching a flick or two.

'Star Trek' This movie was way better than I thought it was going to be. Bart & Evan had seen this at the theater, so I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did. Great story, great cinematography. Gotta love JJ Abrahms! Two thumbs up!

'It's Complicated' Really funny movie. Just as good as I hoped it would

be. Meryl was adorable. Steve was wonderful. Alec was awesome. The theater was packed (which I usually hate) but only added to the fun of the movie. And I can't forget John Krasinski-he was a riot.

'Avatar' in 3D Even though I saw this a few days before the break, it's worth mentioning again.

A visually stunning movie, a must see in 3D just for the forrest scenes alone. James Cameron made a fantastic movie. Two thumbs up!

'Land of the Lost' a totally ridiculous movie, but highly entertaining. A love for Will Ferrell is a must. Beware-the language is a little racy for kids! Mine thought they died and went to double entendre heaven.

Best line of all movies watched: "Matt Lauer can suck it!"

'Funny People' I really wanted this to be funnier,

considering the title and all. Good performances, but sort of depressing. And the best line of the movie was cut. You'll have to watch the gag reel to catch it. One thumb up.

'The Taking of Pelham 123' Never saw the original, but kudos to the remake! Great performances, inventive storytelling, made-my-palms-sweaty action sequences. Lots of swearing-not kid friendly. Two thumbs up!

'Up' Out of all the movies we saw during the break, this was by far my favorite. I wish I had seen it in 3D at the theater. I wish I hadn't

discounted it as yet another cartoon movie. This movie had me crying at three different spots. Crying! The story was incredibly moving and the animation was fantastic. Two thumbs way UP!

'(500) Days of Summer' Our very first 'on demand' movie almost turned into a disaster, but once we got the glitches fixed, all was good. Totally delightful. Two thumbs up!

'Transformers:Revenge of the Fallen" Totally stupid. A major disappoinment after the cleverness of the first movie. This movie is a teen boys' wet dream. The rest of us, not so much.

'District 9' Now here is an interesting sci-fi movie! Very creative storytelling, good performances, and kick ass aliens. Two thumbs up!!

' Nine' I love a good musical. (In fact, I have had the soundtrack to 'Funny Girl' stuck in my head for weeks. Thank you, Glee!) The performances were good, the songs were good, the story was good. But not great. Fergie was great, Who da guessed.

'Four Christmases' Another good but not great film. I usually like Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn, but something about them was a little off. Whatever. It was enjoyable. A fine way to pass 2 hours.

It's quite possible I missed a movie or two. Pretty much when I seal up the Netflix envelope I forget what I am holding in my hand. Anything is possible. I hope my reviews helped and will make you want to see a few of them in your spare time.