Yowazzup: A Directory of Happening Things

Up in the Air is a comedy about Ryan Bingham (George Clooney), a corporate downsizing expert whose cherished life on the road is threatened just as he is on the cusp of reaching ten million frequent flyer miles and just after he’s met the frequent-traveler woman of his dreams. Starring George Clooney, Jason Bateman, Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air opens on December 4, 2009.

Popularity: 1%

Couples Retreat is a comedy centered around four couples who settle into a tropical-island resort for a vacation. While one of the couples is there to work on the marriage, the others fail to realize that participation in the resort’s therapy sessions is not optional. Starring Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman, Jon Favreau, Malin Akerman, Kristin Davis, Kristen Bell, Faizon Love, Kali Hawk and Jean Reno, Couples Retreat opens on October 9, 2009.

Popularity: 1%

Hancock is a superhero movie starring Will Smith, Jason Bateman, and Charlize Theron.

SPOILER WARNING: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Will Smith in the movie "Hancock"

John Hancock (Will Smith) is an alcoholic superhero whom everyone loves to hate. Although he has saved many lives, Hancock has destroyed buildings, trains, roads, cars and many others to get his job done. The last time he captured several criminals, it cost the city nearly $9 million to fix the damages. His image is further tainted with videos of him saving lives butt-naked spreading around in YouTube.

When Hancock saves Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman) from being run over by a train, Ray invites Hancock to come over to his house for some spaghetti meatballs. Hancock then meets Ray’s wife, Mary Embrey (Charlize Theron) and son, Aaron (Jae Head). Hancock seems to be attracted to Mary someway.

Before Hancock flies off, Ray offers to help Hancock to change his image and to get the public to like Hancock. In doing so, Hancock has to spend time in jail in order to prove to the city that they need him when he’s not around. Even in jail, Hancock creates trouble by stuffing a criminal’s head into another criminal’s butt.

Finally, after more than two weeks in jail, the Chief Inspector calls for Hancock to help them to solve a huge bank job in which four heavily armed robbers have taken many as hostages and the cops have failed miserably to even get near to the bank. Hancock arrives in a black Velcro costume that has everyone amused. Before he flies off, he tells the Chief, “Good job”, a phrase taught by Ray during his jail time. It is amusing how he wrongly uses the phrase throughout the bank job robbery.

Later Hancock learns that Ray’s wife, Mary also possesses the superhuman strength and speed he has and is technically his wife. He also learns that he’s actually not an alien, but a member of an ancient race which have been referred to as angels and gods throughout history. They are at least 3000 years old and are the last remaining couple of the race which eventually died out because of their weakness which causes them to lose their powers when in close proximity to one another. Members of this race were created in pairs, and are inevitably drawn towards each other. Ray’s Wife is revealed to be the other half of Hancock, and that they are ‘fated’ to be together. Ray’s Wife and Hancock have a brief fight scene and during this scene tornado and other weather disturbances wreak havoc on the city.

Hancock begins to lose his powers as he grows closer to Ray’s wife, and his feelings grow, which has almost caused him his life when he is shot by a robber in a convenience store. In the hospital, Hancock and Mary are assaulted by a group of prisoners who vowed to take revenge on Hancock and have escaped the prison. Mary is heavily injured by gunshots while Hancock tries to fend off the criminals. In the end, in order to save her life from a mortal wound, he leaves her proximity to restore both his powers and hers, healing her.

The movie ends with Ray, Mary and Aaron leading a normal life while Hancock is contented being a superhero.

Overall, the movie is humorous, almost like My Super Ex-Girlfriend, but slightly funnier albeit containing tonnes of excessive languages and scenes.

My ratings: 7 out of 10.

Popularity: 1%

There are heroes… there are superheroes… and then there’s Hancock.

Hancock (Will Smith) is an alcoholic and sarcastic superhero who is misunderstood by the public.

Popularity: 1%

Juno is an American/Canadian comedy-drama film that revolves around a 16-year old pregnant high school girl. The film has been raking in some USD $120 million up to the time of writing and has earned many positive reviews, making many critics’ top ten lists for 2007, as well as receiving four Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. And guess what? The budget for this film is only $6.5 million.

SPOILER WARNING: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Juno meets the parents who’ll adopt her baby

It all started with a chair. Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page) is convinced she’s more than two months pregnant after taking three pregnancy tests in a convenience store. The father-to-be is her best friend and long-time admirer, Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera) whom she has sex with on the “chair”.

Initially, Juno opts for an abortion, but after some thoughts as well as seeing Su-Chin (Valerie Tian) anti-abortion calling outside the clinic has made her change her mind. She later decides to have the baby for child’s adoption. With the help of her hot friend, Leah (Olivia Thirlby), Juno searches the Pennysaver and finds a couple she feels will be perfect for the baby. Together with her father, Mac (J. K. Simmons), Juno meets the couple, Mark and Vanessa Loring (Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner), in their luxurious home and finalizes the adoption arrangements.

Juno is not just an ordinary 16-year-old like her other school mates from Minnesota. Her conversations has shown she’s as smart as any other adults. When the cinemas are showing movies about war, aliens attack, ruthless zombies and vampires flicks, meaningless basketball “slam dunk” movie, Juno is the only film that stays in touch with the reality and ordinary life issues as it touches sensitive issues such as teenager pregnancy and the way she copes with it. The movie even has a 93% rating from RottenTomatoes. Simply brilliant.

My ratings: 9 out of 10.

FirstShowing.net has hinted that there may be possibly a sequel for Juno.

Popularity: 1%