UFC 142: Rio Aldo vs. Mendes

UFC 142: Rio Aldo vs. Mendes
January 14, 2012

Review
The UFC returns to Rio with the main event, Jose Aldo vs Chad Mendes. First, the other fights on the card were a mix. Edson Barboza showed some impressive skills in his defeat of Terry Etim. His knockout is one of the best knockouts in a while. The kick was clean and Etim tightened up and fell straight back like a board. Erick Silva, in his second UFC fight, stopped the fight against Carlo Prater even faster than his first. Sadly, it was negated by a controversial disqualification for illegal blows to the head. Despite the DQ, Silva still looked dominate in the short seconds of the fight. Rousimar Palhares had a great leglock submission victory against Mike Massenzio. The quickness of how Palhares pulling guard and finishing the submission was technical magic. Anthony "Rumble" Johnson was unable to make weight for his fight against Vitor Belfort. As disappointing as that fact is, his performance in the fight proved to be even worse. Belfort took advantage of Johnson's poor conditioning and ended the fight with a rear naked choke, while Johnson was too tired to do anything to defend himself. Finally, Jose Aldo, who is considered to be one of the best pound for pound fighters in MMA, knocked out Chad Mendes. Mendes had his back and when Aldo escaped, got a knee into Mendes' head. The finish was at the 4:59 mark of the first round. Only disappointment was the short length of the main event. The crowd was insane in the building as Aldo celebrated. There were a couple of highlight knockouts and an impressive submission in UFC 142. The finishes were great and overshadowed the disappointed disqualification and poor showing of Anthony Johnson. There have been better UFC events and worse UFC events.
6.5/10
UFC Official Website: Click Here

Assassin's Creed: Revelations

Assassin's Creed: Revelations
Genre: Action, Adventure
2011

Review
Ezio Auditore is back, not to mention, Desmond Miles and Altaïr ibn La-Ahad. The fourth game in the main series of Assassin's Creed had high expectations. The story is good. The transitions between playing as Ezio and Altaïr are smooth enough to not disrupt the game too much. There is hardly any Desmond in this game. The only real time spent playing as Desmond are some first person puzzle "journeys." These were probably the worst part of the game, but then again they were probably the only real bad part of the game. Plus, they are optional so no need to worry about those. The multiplayer is fun. Surprisingly, more fun than some people were expecting. Every game type has good things about them and it is a nice change pace from the other multiplayer games out there. One huge negative for the multiplayer is, if you rented the game, you only get a three day trial before you need to pay to play online. Ubisoft has done this with many games, and it really impacts impressions of the game that only a portion is offered to those who rent games. Even with as good as the multiplayer is, it still does not hurt the story or single player mode. A solid game that is only hurt by the limited multiplayer trial for renters and dull Desmond journeys.
7/10
Assassin's Creed Website: Click Here

Louis C.K.: Hilarious

Louis C.K.: Hilarious
Genre: Comedy, Stand-up
Starring: Louis C.K.
2009

Review
Stand-up comedian Louis C.K. has been gained huge following for his honest, raw comedy. Hilarious is a great example of how stand-up comedy is supposed to be performed. It is pure comedy, standing up. No running around stage, wild motions, or stolen material. Certain stretches will have you laughing out loud before your smile even wears off from the previous jokes. The crude jokes are delivered in a way that you can't help but laugh even if you feel you should be appalled. If you are a fan of stand-up comedy, this is a great watch. It is hilarious with no threat of being accused of hyperbole.
9.5/10
Louis C.K.'s website: Click Here
Hilarious on Netflix: Click Here

Cowboys & Aliens

Cowboys & Aliens
Genre: Sci-Fi, Action
Starring: Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell, Paul Dano, Keith Carradine, Adam Beach, Clancy Brown, Walton Goggins
2011

Review
Some of you may be skeptical about watching this movie because of the western and alien mixture in the plot. This is understandable, but by the end of the movie, it is not an issue. The action keeps you engaged enough that if you had any doubts, you forget about them eventually. It is directed by Jon Favreau, and some even bigger names are attached to this movie. This fact sets some high expectations. While not being an instant classic, it is a solid movie. Fans of westerns and fans of sci-fi should be able to enjoy this movie alike.
8.5/10
Cowboys & Aliens Official Site: Click Here
Cowboys & Aliens on Netflix: Click Here

The Smurfs

The Smurfs
Genre: Family, Children
Starring: Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays, Hank Azaria, Sofía Vergara, Katy Perry, Alan Cumming, Fred Armisen, George Lopez, Kenan Thompson, Jeff Foxworthy, John Oliver, Wolfgang Puck, B.J. Novak, Paul Reubens
2011

Review
This children's comedy is loaded with star voices. There is a certain level of fun trying to guess who voices which character, with a few obvious ones. The best performance was Hank Azaria for his role as Gargamel. He was perfect for that role. This has gotten good feedback from children which is good since it should be the target audience, but it also a good movie to adults. Especially, adults who grew up watching the cartoons. As far as children go, the ratings would probably be higher if only reviewed by kids. Taking into account that adults are going to watch this too, it probably not rated as highly as it could be rated. It is good movie for the kids, with enough humor that the adults won't hate the movie. That being said, if there are no children or you did not grow up enjoying the cartoons, pick an alternative movie, because the movie is geared more toward children. There are probably more choices available that would be better use of your time, if you choose to use that time watching a movie.
7/10
The Smurfs from Sony Pictures: Click Here
The Smurfs on Netflix: Click Here

The Change-Up

The Change-Up
Genre: Comedy
Starring: Jason Bateman, Ryan Reynolds, Olivia Wilde, Leslie Mann, Alan Arkin
2011

ReviewThis is another body switch comedy. This formula for a movie has been around for a while. There have been successes and failures. This was a pretty big success. The raunchy humor is on point. Watching Jason Bateman play the obnoxious guy is pretty funny. As he is known for playing more level-headed characters, this was a nice change of pace. The supporting cast does a great job and the daughter in the movie, played by Sydney Rouviere, is a great actress, especially considering her age. This movie is definitely worth seeing if you are a fan of Jason Bateman, Ryan Reynolds, or raunchy comedies in general.
8/10
The Change-Up Official Site: Click Here
The Change-Up on Netflix: Click Here

Bad Teacher

Bad Teacher
Genre: Comedy
Starring: Cameron Diaz, Jason Segel, Justin Timberlake, Lucy Punch, Phyllis Smith, John Michael Higgins
2011

ReviewThis comedy has a great cast. Cameron Diaz for starters, but she is not best cast member in the movie. Jason Segel delivers another great performance, just adding to his list of solid jobs in movies. Lucy Punch does a good job playing the role of the uptight teacher across the hall. Her job in this movie will probably get her a few more acting jobs in the future. Phyllis Smith and John Michael Higgins support the other actors and help with some of the best scenes in the movie. Finally, Justin Timberlake plays his role near perfectly and adds another notch under his belt as an actor. There are quite a few laugh out loud moments, depending on your sense of humor. Though this movie is toward the top of the list for raunchy comedy of 2011, it is sure fall behind some others. If raunchy humor is your type of humor, this movie is definitely worth watching, though.
7.5/10
Bad Teacher Official Site: Click Here
Bad Teacher on Netflix: Click Here