Fast and Furious- like a car crashed into your brain

I'm still reeling from the barrage my brain took for watching the fourth installment of the Fast and Furious series. It doesn't get any more dumbed-down than this. This may be a long entry, so please bear with me.
Fast and Furious takes place five years after the events of the first film and Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) returns to his old stomping grounds to find the murderer of his girlfriend Letty. Meanwhile, Brian O'Conner has moved up in the FBI and is investigating a major drug cartel who are using street racers to transport their drugs. Anyways, after some silly plot developments the two cross paths once again.
Dumb development one: Dominic goes to the crash site where Letty was killed and is able to determine that the burn marks on the street are from a certain car nitrate that only one guy in LA sells. Coincidentally, this guy is still in the only one in LA who sells it and Dominic knows where this guy works. You'd think in five years something would have changed but no. Even more lame-brained is that the FBI couldn't figure this out themselves.
You know what? I can't even continue writing about how many silly things went down in this movie. I mean, it's a given that it would have a bad plot so I'll leave it there. Let me break down the other elements of the movie. There was no mise-en-scene worth talking about. The camera work was ok, but the editing was choppy and poor. The car races were hard to follow because like a lot of action movies these days constant cutting is used to create tension rather than good old fashioned filming techniques. The acting was funny, but I don't know if I should blame the director or actors. When Jordana Brewster, who plays Dominic's sister Mia, says, 'I love you.' it was like an, 'I'm in love with you.' Which is kinda....weird. Nitpicky, I know, but nonetheless bad. The dialogue was hilarious. How many movies has someone replied, 'Every day.' when being asked how often they think about a bad decision they made? Like, come on! We get that you're 'tortured'. Maybe something like, 'Too often.' would have been better. That's different at least! What else can I complain about? Oh yea, is it just me, or is it not hilarious when every character looks like the clothes they were came fresh out of the box? Hahaha, like, what? Just hilarious.
I'd like to say I'm done, and I will stop typing, but there is just too much that was bad about this movie not to keep going. I'm going to watch a really good movie soon so that it will be amazing in perspective and save some of my sanity.

Keanu Reeves- total, like, idiot

There are some bad actors out there. We all know it. Then there are those who are bad actors and keep...getting...work....it's an odd thing. I mean, no matter how poor they are from film to film, there are always people lining up to put them in that next flick. My favorite: Keanu Reeves.
Now I have a theory on Keanu. Perhaps this is why I like him more than the other talentless hacks. I have him figured out. The theory goes like this: when he plays a character who doesn't know what is going on, he's awesome. When he plays a character that has a clue, he's terrible. Think about it. Speed, The Matrix, Bill and Ted's; he's awesome. No freakin' clue. The Matrix sequels, The Watcher, The Replacements, he smells.
No matter if you like or dislike Keanu, you have to admit the theory holds for the most part. Some exceptions to the rule have to do with when he's clueless. This include Dracula, in which he is terrible and has the less of a clue than a knat and the Devil's Advocate, among others. However, there are no exceptions for a smart Keanu. Whenever he's in on it, he's bad.
To finish off, it's a requirement that film makers need to be given their due despite their faults. Tom Cruise may suck, but few people can pick a role that matches them like he can. So open your minds and be cool.

Point Break- it's about the rush, bro

Who doesn't like a good bank robbery? Every once and a while, a good bank robbery is just what a moviegoer needs. What better bank robbery story than a good old existential trip with the man they call Bohdi.
Point Break is the story of Johnny Utah played by Keanu Reeves, a hotshot FBI agent who takes the case of finding a notorious heist group known as the Dead Presidents, who may or may not be surfers. Utah finagles his way into the local surf crowd and begins investigating the leads. He quickly befriends surf philosopher Bodhi played by Patrick Swayze, who drags him into his world of adrenaline fueled exploits. Turns out, Bodhi is bad. Keanu Reeves fits well because for the most part he has no clue what is going down, his speciality (see. Keanu Reeves- total, like, idiot). Swayze is at his best, a chillaxed surfer who sees more to life than the system. He is, in a word, radical.
Point Break is a classic thrill ride. The acting is more or less crap, the writing is more or less silly, and the mindless coolness never stops. It fits the very definition of a guilty pleasure. Check it out. It'll blow your mind. Seriously.

What have I watched lately?

I went through a binge. A major movie binge. If it was a movie and it was on tv, I watched it. If it was a movie and it was on tv and I owned it, I popped it in the DVD player and watched it without commercials. Cause commercials suck.
Let me recap what I watched: Philadelphia, Misery, and Die Hard. Quick few sentence opinion of each. Philadelphia is a drama of great magnitude. Johnathan Demme manages to make it very a revealing look at discrimination, through his combination of uncomfortable close-ups and subject matter. Very good acting, too. Misery is a classic look at obsession. It's a little campy but the overall package, especially the famous 'hobbling' scene, is terrifying. Kathy Bates makes you cringe thinking about being in her care. Die Hard is the bomb. Enough said.

Trailers- love 'em, hate 'em

I just watched a trailer for X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Let me be one of the few to say, hooooly wow that is gonna be bad. I mean, bad bad. Not kind of bad. Poo bad. Which brings me to the topic at hand: trailers.
Whether you like watching trailers or not, they have become a vital piece of the movie industry. They excite crowds about the possibilities. They give the audience a preview of what is to come. Therein lies the double-edged sword. A good trailer can do wonders for a films opening weekend gross. A bad trailer can kill a movie.
Think about the last time you saw a really good trailer. At that time, you probably were 99% sure you would see the movie. Sometimes that fades, for instance when I watched the Watchmen teaser. Or it stays with you, like when I saw the trailer for Kingdom of Heaven. The effect is undeniable though. It influences your decision before the movie has even hit screens.
I just watched the trailer for Where the Wild Things are. I can easily say that even if it got one star I would see it. It's just a beautiful trailer. It helps that it's made by Spike Jonze and is based on one of the greatest children's books ever. The effect, once again, is undeniable, The trailer convinced me there was no need to listen to reviews or critics or people who see it first. A bad trailer only manages to open a persons ears....and shut their eyes.