Rio Grande Herald Movie Critic:
Gerald Salinas

What is the American dream? Easy, becoming a millionaire. But it's not just the American dream, but also the dream of every person in the world; especially for a slumdog.

Slumdog Millionaire is an extraordinary movie, that not only show you, but takes you into the life of everyday India. And it is not pretty. The only movie I can recall doing that, is "City of God". But Slumdog Millionaire does it better and although not as graphic, this is visually more effective.

Slumdog tells the lives on two brothers, Jamal Malik (Dev Patel), and older brother Salim Malik (Madhur Mittal). With the movie flashing back to Jamal's childhood poverty life and present, sitting in a televised stage of an India version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" Jamal, answering every question giving to him correctly, has begun to inspire a nation, going from rags to riches, and suspicion from the inside people of the game show itself.

Jamal knows these answers from his violent, brutal and dark childhood. Witnessing the murder of his mother, growing up as a petty thief, hustling tourist and meeting the love of his life Latika (Freida Pinto). His older brother Salim is the more aggressive type, learning from the underworld streets of Mumbai and accepting his role in it. Jamal never accepting his life, desires only one thing; Latika. And will go to great length to show it.

Slumdog is a movie for the ages. But give credit where credit is due, Danny Boyle made this movie the phenomenon that it is, his dramatically visual effects, just amaze you with inside beauty revealed. With the moving soundtrack of the movie, suitable for the fast pace editing. Danny Boyle's great challenge to tell and direct this story is incredible.

What amazes me the most, is underneath it all, this is a great love story. Yes this movie is graphic not intended for kids, but for the rest of us, shows what love can really do and how much it can inspire us all. I can't go on enough about Danny Boyle on how he visually told this incredible story, just take my word on it.

Slumdog Millionaire gets it right on everything, deserving winning the Oscars, yes other films I feel had a good chance of taking the grand prize, but this was no let down. This is a can't miss movie, that deserves your viewing.

Rio Grande Herald Movie Critic:
Gerald Salinas

Call your friends and make plans to go out to your fathers cabin in the woods and have a good time. After all there's nothing to fear. Wait... yes there is, Jason (Derek Mears) is back, yet again, in another series of horrible killing sprees.

Make no mistakes about it, this is probably the best Friday the 13th (I'm just gonna say Jason) movie, and it does stands apart from the rest; that's not saying much. Why do young, naive, groups of friends still go up to Crystal Lake? I guess they haven't seen the past Jason movies and recognize that's his home. This new series of the Jason movies is not a sequel but more of a remake of the 1980 original movie. Well, some what of a remake, in the original movie Jason doesn't do all the killing in fact he doesn't do any. Mrs. Voorhees, his mother is the lunatic, and she commits all the killing, in anger or should I say revenge on the counselors who let her beloved son drown in Crystal Lake.

She later is decapitated at the end of the original movie and at the beginning of this movie. 20 years now gone by, guess what happens next,... yup a group of naive kids decide to go to Crystal Lake, in which I'm sure you know, so I won't ruin anything here, end up being brutally killed. Clay Miller (Jared Padalecki) who sister Whitney (Amanda Righetti) was involve in that killing fest by Jason, is out to find his sister when even the police have given up. Clay runs into Jason next victims in where do you think, yes Crystal Lake, and there begins the chase. Why does Jason chase them and kill them? Cause he just wants to be left alone, and these naive kids are trespassing in his territory.

Jason does handle the beginning of the movie dirty. The opening scene is a bit terrifying and extremely gruesome and sets the tone for the movie. Well not exactly, see we know the story to these movies and what or why we go see this movies is for our date and for disturbing scenes. This not so much, just simpling slashing and chasing. And your forced to sit in your seat for about an hour and 35 minutes, well if you want that is. Jason is clever on some parts, with traps and alarms, and the use of a bow and arrow. Guess Jason's been watching discovery channel. Other than that it's just tries to hard on gore and brutally.

Not a whole lot of acting was experienced in this movie, (except Jare Padalecki) most of the acting was one dimensional, but who's trying to win an Oscar in this movie anyway. I will give credit to the director Marcus Nispel, who does revive Jason himself not the movie but the character Jason. Jason, finally has a presence, this Jason is a very huge guy, does look like he has been living there for 20 plus years and no more walking Jason and I actually saw him run, yes run.

The movie doesn't bring much to the table, yes this is an entertaining movie with no plot, or story, and no acting, not a good choice for the weekend unless your really a huge Jason fan, or just want your girlfriend holding your arm while she screams. Either of the two that's the only way I recommend this movie.

Growing up a wrestling fan, I've been waiting to see a great wrestling movie. Who says wrestling is fake?, steel chair shots, head banging on steel turnbuckles, flying across the ring, blood pouring down the face, and many visit to your local hospitals on a regular basis. It is nice, finally, to see a movie with a different atmosphere, we've seen football, baseball, basketball, and even soccer movies get their chance to tell you what it's like to be a part of that life style. The Wrestler comes along and body slam it's way into your life.

Mickey Rourke plays Randy "the Ram" Robinson, a washed up, beat up-broken down wrestler, who, to date, still wrestles for pleasure and need. Mickey Rourke is able to bring this character to life, in one of the most tremendous and brave performances I have ever seen from Mickey Rourke.

Randy the ram now lives alone with his glory days behind him, working at a grocery store to help maintain himself financially, and working weekends at local school gyms, community centers, and dance halls to do what he loves to do, wrestle. Performing in front of a hundred people or maybe less. Randy the ram as well as his opponents treat this very seriously, taping their battered parts, pumping themselves up, and rehearsing the outcome of the match just before the show begins, some call this preparation "scripted". Randy the ram puts his body through a great ordeal of pain in the movies more graphic wrestling match, and after the match he is treated immediately for his wounds, all this for only a few hundred bucks at best.

Randy the ram has known only one thing his entire life; and that is wrestling. He has sacrificed his own, as well as his family's, life for this sport. Randy, now being older, finding it hard to maintain his physical abilities, subdues to pain killers and steroids usage. The down to earth, very gentle yet very tough and physically big, Randy the ram may have had his last match after collapsing at the end of a show due to a heart attack. After being told he could not wrestle again, Randy the ram now decides it is time to move on focusing on other things in his life, his grocery job and his distant relationship with his daughter Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood). Stephanie is less than happy to see him and has no problem showing it. He also focuses on a hope to be in a relationship with stripper Cassidy (Marisa Tomei) or real name Pam.

The very beautiful Marisa Tomei, who is just wonderful in this movie and proves she still has her 1992 oscar winning talents, doesn't want a relationship with Randy the ram due to her principles, or should I say "rules", which do not allow her to date her customers. Which is a little hypocritical considering they both have the same line of work, the two very different lives of a wrestler and a stripper aren't so different, they both perform for an audience, it pays the bills, and there is always a connection with the audience.

The Wrestler is an inspiring picture, taking you on an emotional roller coaster ride. This movie, not only focuses on wrestling but also with the world around it. The Wrestler is directed by Darren Aronofsky who is not afraid to take you into the life of underground wrestling, depicting the tricks of the trade, from the before hand "scripting" backstage moments to the very brutal wrestling matches and taking you to raw-real environment of struggling performers. Making this one of the best movie I've seen because of it. Known for his proactive movies, Darren Aronofsky makes a beautiful masterpiece.

This movie gets everything right and I cannot say enough on Mickey Rourkes performance. It is great to see someone tell this story and handle it well. The movie is very violent, very graphic, and shows a great deal of nudity giving it the raw feeling it creates and deserving of a lot of attention. The passion of this movie will move you, the brutality will shake you, the performances will carry you, and the movie will inspire you. Though it will probably not make non wrestling fans, fans, it will show you a whole deal of respect for every wrestler out there putting on a show for our viewing pleasure. Please don't miss this extraordinary movie, you will be satisfied.

Rio Grande Herald Movie Critic:
Gerald Salinas

It's always exciting to see people with paranormal abilities. X-Men up to this date remains to be the only one who knows how to handle it (and I'm not talking about the movies, thanks Bryan Singer).

In world war II an experiment gone wrong by the Nazi made the U.S. a little envious, so we decide to pick up were they went wrong. Because of that, we now have the second generation living among us. The movie covers just about every super power you can think of, your sniffers who can sniff things and know their history, telekinesis who can gravitate objects, your shifters who can shift anything, your watchers who can see the future, and your pusher who can push your mind into anything they want you to do, and your others who can do some other stuff, as you'll see.

Nick, (Chris Evans) a telekinesis (I thought was gonna be the pusher since he pushes things) is hiding from the U.S. government in Hong Kong, and having trouble developing his power, which I find odd that even though he hasn't used it yet, he still tries to out hustle some hustler. Nick, being witness to his fathers death, is located by Cassie (Dakota Fanning) a watcher. Cassie's mother was also a watcher. Cassie who is 13 yet seems to be 12 and wants to be 14, whatever her age is in the movie, it is hard to believe how a girl around that age has been capable of boarding a plane to Hong Kong and making it on her own. Okay different story.

Kira (Camilla Belle) is a pusher who can push inside your mind, and is also a survivor of an U.S. experiment, and somehow finds a way to escape a highly protected secure government institute and is now being chased by Henry (Dijimon Hounsou) the leader of a government agency to bring in the pushers, however he fails to see his mission through when Kira escape with a syringe filled with super soldier effects.

Pushing along (no pun intended...I'm joking there was) this movie will introduce a lot of question and not really answer them. For one thing, Cassie informs Nick how they have to find Kira cause she will lead them to the syringe, which Henry is also looking for, and not just the U.S. government but also local Hong Kong natives who are also pusher/watchers. So now you have 20 future telling people looking for Kira, who might have a past with Nick, don't know anything about that. Kira holds the key to their future (paranormal people) for whatever their future may be. The movie drives you, but it seems like the driver keeps telling you "we'll be there in 20 minutes" while in the back of your mind saying "I think he's lost."

The movie does do a couple of things right. First off they got Dakota Fanning in the movie, a brilliant young actress with a great career ahead of her, well if she doesn't take more of these roles. And I give credit to the director Paul McGuigan for giving it a new look and for having some good scenes.

This movie does have a lot of potential. Going back to last year's wannabe superhero movie Jumper, which opened around the same time of year. What Jumper did was keep it simple. This movie being more complicating than it should be will leave you questioning everything. This movie wasn't a complete waste, it does bring some excitement but not enough to spend your money on.

(All movie stills courtesy of movieweb.com)

Rio Grande Herald Critic:
Gerald Salinas

If you ever thought CIA agents were a bunch of suits who don't clean up the trash, and lived a safe career behind the desk, you are sadly mistaken. According to the movies of course.

Taken is a fast pace, smart action thriller that takes you to the dirty reality of human trafficking. Not that the movie focuses on the human trafficking, but it does on everything else and does it very well.

Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) a some-what retired CIA agent who likes cook-outs, hanging out with old partners/friends, and moved closer to home to spend more time with his daughter Kim (Maggie Grace). Kim now lives with ex wife Lenny or should I say Lenore (Famke Janssen) and Father in law who's name I can't recall cause I don't remember hearing it (Xander Berkeley). Bryan and Kim don't have a poor relationship, as the movie show her happy to see her father Bryan on her 17 year old birthday party.

Bryan has seen action in the past, his skills briefly demonstrated while protecting a young pop star as a masked man tried to stab her. Bryan knowing how to protect himself and others is against sending his 17 year old daughter to Paris alone with her friend Amanda. He then later agrees to send her.

After a only a few hours in Paris Kim and Amanda are kidnapped in the movie's most intense trailer pick-up scene. Bryan being an expert in many fields knows exactly what to do but being overseas is unable to do anything.

"I don't know who you are, I will find you and I will kill you" yes better believe it as Bryan has 96 hours to find and save his daughter before they auction her off and treat her like a prostitute and eventually never seeing her again. Bryan goes overseas and becomes a one man army. Using his skills that he developed over a long career he is able to track down each man responsible and causing a lot of pain on the way.

The movie is a bit too much. It's clear they weren't aiming for best picture. But the movie was handled well, just think of it as the bourne movies just 40 years old. The thing that makes this movie work is Liam Neeson. Neeson is one of the great actors working today. With this quick to react, highly intelligent character he proves he can dominant any role given to him, focusing in on his fatherly figure to his "I'm gonna get you" with fist flying anger scenes. A remarkable actor he truly is.

Taken won't blow out numbers in the box office but will give you a ride to remember. Take this movie for what it is and I'm sure just like, I did.