Yowazzup: A Directory of Happening Things

The Spy Next Door is an action comedy starring Jackie Chan. While babysitting his neighbor’s children, a mild-mannered guy winds up having to fight off secret agents after one of the kids inadvertently downloads a secret code. Starring Jackie Chan, Amber Valletta, Billy Ray Cyrus, The Spy Next Door opens on January 15, 2010.

Popularity: 1%

2012 is an action-packed disaster film about the apocalypse which the Mayan has predicted to be the end of the world.

SPOILER WARNING: Plot and/or ending details follow.

John Cusack in "2012"

The movie mainly revolves around Jackson Curtis (John Cusack) who is a writer and a part-time limousine driver. His ex-wife Katie (Amanda Peet) and his children live together with her boyfriend, Gordon (Thomas McCarthy). Occassionally, Curtis takes his children for an outing.

Dr. Adrian Helmsley (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and his counterpart in India have discovered that extraordinary phenomenon of a sun burst occurring in the sun and he begins to alert the President’s Chief of Staff, who later alert the President of the United States (Danny Glover). With that, a secret organization is formed to save mankind by building ship vessels beneath the Himalayan mountains while the public remains clueless of the upcoming disaster.

Soon, Earth’s crust displacement occurs all over the world causing cracks on the roads and before long, major cities in the world turn into dust. Curtis manages to rent a plane to save his family but his plane soon runs out of fuel, forcing him to join his limousine boss, Yuri (Zlatko Buric) who has a bigger plane.

The movie has similarity like the classic movie “The Day the Earth Stood Still” where the film depicts the end of the world and mankind are being saved.

Although mankind is saved in the end, many dies in the process and almost the entire world is filled with water except the Africa continent, which ground level has risen and the new era begins.

Overall, it is indeed an action-packed thriller, somehow, the movie is also filled with a lot of special effects and sometimes, it’s too unreal as the main characters are invincible, especially the Curtis family.

My ratings: 7 out of 10.

Popularity: 1%

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is an action adventure film based on the video game, which follows an adventurous prince who teams up with a rival princess to stop an angry ruler from unleashing a sandstorm that could destroy the world. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Alfred Molina, Ben Kingsley, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time opens on May 28, 2010.

Popularity: 1%

The Book of Eli is an action adventure film about a post-apocalyptic tale, in which a lone man fights his way across America in order to protect a sacred book that holds the secrets to saving humankind. Starring Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis, The Book of Eli opens on January 15, 2010.

Popularity: 1%

The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day is an action thriller about the MacManus brothers who are living a quiet life in Ireland with their father, but when they learn their beloved priest has been killed by mob forces, the duo return to Boston to bring justice to those responsible. Starring Julie Benz, Clifton Collins Jr., Sean Patrick Flanery, Peter Fonda, The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day opens on October 30, 2009 on a limited release.

Popularity: 1%

Solomon Kane is a action adventure fantasy film about Solomon Kane and who wanders the world with no apparent goal other than to vanquish evil in all its forms. Based on a fictional character by Robert E. Howard, Solomon Kane is directed by Michael J. Bassett and stars James Purefoy. Solomon Kane opens on September 24, 2009.

Popularity: 1%

Takers is an action crime movie about a group of bank robbers finding their $20 million plan interrupted by a hard-boiled detective. Starring Hayden Christensen, Paul Walker, Zoe Saldana, Idris Elba, Matt Dillon, Chris Brown, Takers opens on February 19, 2010.

Popularity: 1%

Inception is an action sci-fi thriller about a CEO-type becomes involved in a blackmailing scandal. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Inception opens on July 16, 2010.

Popularity: 1%

Avatar is James Cameron’s action adventure sci-fi thriller about a band of humans who are pitted in a battle against a distant planet’s indigenous population. Starring Sigourney Weaver, Sam Worthington, Michelle Rodriguez, Avatar opens on December 18, 2009.

Popularity: 1%

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is a live-action film based on G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toy franchise by Hasbro.

SPOILER WARNING: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Channing Tatum, Dennis Quaid, Saïd Taghmaoui, Rachel Nichols, Marlon Wayans in "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra"

Duke (Channing Tatum) and Ripcord (Marlon Wayans) are military and are involved in transporting extremely dangerous warheads. Their caravan is ambushed by a group of mercenaries led by the Baroness (Sienna Miller), who possesses highly advanced weapons far more superior than the NATO transport unit. Duke and Ripcord’s fellow soldiers are all killed by the mercenaries. The Baroness spares the life of Duke, as Duke knows her as Amy Lewis. All of a sudden, G.I. Joe appear out of nowhere and attack the mercenary, forcing them to escape leaving behind the warheads.

Sienna Miller in "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra"

Later on, Duke and Ripcord are recruited by General Hawk (Dennis Quaid) to join the ranks of the Alpha Team, the G.I. Joes and they are brought to The Pit, the home of the Joes where Duke and Ripcord have to go through military training where most parts involve virtual reality. When they pass their tests with flying colors, they are immediately engaged in battles with the mercenaries when the mercenaries invades The Pit to steal the warheads. It is known that the mercenaries known as Cobra is led by James McCullen (Christopher Eccleston), the person responsible in using NATO’s funds to make the warheads and then steal them back.

Duke, Ripcord, Scarlett (Rachel Nichols), Snake-Eyes (Ray Park), Heavy Duty (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) and Breaker (Saïd Taghmaoui) are sent to Paris to stop Cobra from activating the warheads. However, they are too late as Baroness and Storm Shadow (Lee Byung-hun) manage to activate the warhead, killing Baron de Cobray in the process.

After all the high speed car chase with Duke and Ripcord in highly advanced suits which make them incredibly fast and nearly invincible, Scarlett in a superbike and Snake-Eyes on top of the jeep that Baroness and Storm Shadow are in, Storm Shadow manages to destroy The Eiffel Tower even though Duke manages to stop the nano bugs which come from the warhead to continue to destroy the entire city.

Throughout the movie, there are numerous flashbacks to further depict the story behind everything includes how Duke’s ex-fiancée, Amy Lewis is recruited into Cobra and how the entire military thinks Rex Lewis (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), Amy’s brother is killed but actually survived and becomes “The Doctor”, Cobra’s highly intelligent scientist.

The movie is like the combination of “Watchmen” and “Terminator Salvation” in which the world is going to end but in G.I. Joe, “When All Else Fails, They Don’t”. That’s the motto of the movie. And as a matter of fact, it doesn’t fail. It is surely highly entertaining, full of actions and has the right elements and is occassionally comical.

My ratings: 8 out of 10.

Popularity: 1%