by Matt Marble

Everybody knows that the “Fast And Furious” franchise has been the main car movie since it came on the scene in 2001.

After the original was released, law enforcement agencies all over the country, maybe even the world, took notice of the illegal activity that was taking place in almost every metropolis.

Eight years later, the films are still going strong with the release of the next installment: “Fast & Furious.”

Bringing the original cast back together was a nice touch. The way Justin Lin, director of Tokyo Drift and Fast And Furious described it was “with this film, I wanted to bring back the roots of the films, but also incorporate more muscle cars, as well as keeping true to the imports.”

If you watch the film, you can definitely see what he meant with the return of Vin Diesel’s iconic 1970 Dodge Charger and a 1972 Ford Torino.

The plot picks up as a prequel to “Tokyo Drift” and follows Dom (Vin Diesel) and Brian (Paul Walker) as they infiltrate a Mexican drug cartel. In my mind, you can try as much as you want, but you can never do better than the original…but this film comes very close.

Fast & Furious is rated PG-13 and is still playing in area theaters.

Here are some Fast & Furious video clips chock full of fast cars, hunks, babes and explosions to whet your appetite:

[EDITOR'S NOTE: "Matt's Movies" is a regular movie-review column written by Matt Marble, a 17-year old student at Highline School District's Big Picture High School.

If you have a movie you'd like for him to review, please email him.

Look for more of his movie reviews and other articles soon on The B-Town Blog!]

by Matt Marble

Everybody has rules.

A common one is that you never mess with a man’s family.

This is what happens in the action thriller “Taken.”

Bryan (Liam Neeson), a former secret agent living in the US,  is very skilled in hand-to-hand combat, divorced, and he loves his 17-year-old daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) who lives with his ex-wife and her new husband Stuart (Xander Berkeley).

Kim wants to take a vacation in Europe with her friend Amanda (Katie Cassidy), and together follow U2’s European tour. But when they arrive in Paris, they get kidnapped by some thugs and are forced into the sex trade.

When Bryan finds out, he heads to France and starts knocking down doors…and busting heads. With only 96 hours before she vanishes forever, time is not on his side.

The film demonstrates that a father’s love knows no bounds. From the very beginning, you can feel the connection that Bryan longs to have with his daughter. Giving up his “career” to be closer to her is a sign of this. “Taken” is filled with action and violence, but also has a good feeling of family and love.

Written by Luc Besson (“The Fifth Element”) & Robert Mark Kamen, and Directed by Pierre Morel (“The Transporter”), “Taken” is rated PG-13.

“Taken” was #2 at the box office last weekend, and has brought in over $100 million bucks; it’s playing at several area theaters – click here to see locations and showtimes.

Here are some clips of the movie to whet your appetite:

[EDITOR'S NOTE: "Matt's Movies" is a regular movie-review column written by Matt Marble, a 17-year old student at Highline School District's Big Picture High School.

If you have a movie you'd like for him to review, please email him.

Look for more of his movie reviews and other articles soon on The B-Town Blog!]

by Matt Marble

When Adam Sandler first appeared on Saturday Night Live in the 80’s, it was clear that he was going to become a great comedic actor.

He has stayed strong since then with films like Happy Gilmore, Billy Madison, and The Longest Yard.

Now he stars in Disney’s “Bedtime Stories” as Skeeter Bronson, a happy-go-lucky hotel handyman who dreams of one day running the establishment that his father built.

But when the current owner informs him that the job will go to his arch enemy Kendall (Guy Pearce), he feels like all he’s worked for has been flushed down the toilet. Then his sister Angie (Courtney Cox) has a business trip and asks Skeeter to watch his niece and nephew for a couple days. This seems like his worst nightmare, but when the stories he tells them actually start to come true, Skeeter sees this as an opportunity to help his situation.

I had a feeling going into this film it was going to funny and…I was right.

Filled with tons of laughs and great chemistry, this has been the funniest movie I have seen this year! And with this film being a made by Disney, you can be sure that it’s kid friendly.

Adam Sandler makes a great role model in this movie by showing children that happy endings aren’t just for fairy tales.

Local theaters and showtimes here.

Here are some clips to tide you over until you hit the theater:

[EDITOR'S NOTE: "Matt's Movies" is a regular movie-review column written by Matt Marble, a 17-year old student at Highline School District's Big Picture High School.

If you have a movie you'd like for him to review, please email him.

Look for more of his movie reviews and other articles soon on The B-Town Blog!]

by Matt Marble

Brad Pitt has already established himself as a Hollywood heavyweight, sharing the screen with close friends like George Clooney, Matt Damon, and his current wife Angelina Jolie.

But in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” Brad stands tall on his own.

Stretching his dramatic wings, Pitt plays the title character, who is born with a disease that causes him to age backwards. When he comes into this world at the end of World War I, he is physically around 80 years old. His parents believe that he’s a monster, so they leave him on a stranger’s doorstep, thinking that he won’t survive. But Benjamin beats all odds and grows up to experience life through the eyes of a man with a lot to live for.

His adopted mother has a saying, “you never know what’s comin’ to you,” which is very fitting because Benjamin takes on a lot at an early (yet old) age. Through his meetings with people who make a profound impact on his life, it’s easy to say that he is a product of his environment.

This film was nominated for a Golden Globe Award, which speaks a lot about the quality of the acting.

In all, it’s a heartwarming story of determination and a great example of living life to the fullest…live like every day was your last.

Written by Eric Roth (“Forrest Gump,” “Munich”) and Robin Swicord (“The Jane Austin Book Club”), adapted from the 1920s story by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Directed by David Fincher (“Fight Club,” “Zodiac”), this movie is rated PG-13.

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” is still playing in theaters in the area; here’s a list of showtimes.

Here are some trailers and clips of the film:

[EDITOR'S NOTE: "Matt's Movies" is a regular movie-review column written by Matt Marble, a 17-year old student at Highline School District's Big Picture High School.

If you have a movie you'd like for him to review, please email him.

Look for more of his movie reviews and other articles soon on The B-Town Blog!]

by Matt Marble

Most movie buffs think that Clint Eastwood was at his prime playing Dirty Harry or starring in one of his many “spaghetti” westerns.

But I think that Gran Torino proves that Eastwood is still in his prime, as both a leading Actor and Director.

He stars as Walt Kowalski, a retired autoworker and Korean War Vet, who’s not afraid to pronounce his hatred for…well everybody.

When a Hmong teenager tries to steal his mint condition 1972 Gran Torino, his temper flares. After the failed carjacking, the boy’s family insists that he repays Walt by working odd jobs. Over time, Walt gets used to the kid. A series of events lead to a very heartfelt and memorable climax.

In the beginning of the film, I was unsettled by the anger that Eastwood possessed for the Hmong people, but by the end, you can witness the transformation from angry old man to caring neighbor.

You don’t have to be a fan of Clint Eastwood to enjoy Gran Torino – just a fan of great storytelling…and remember, this film is rated R for a reason.

Gran Torino is playing at many local movie theaters; you can find movietimes here.

Here’s the trailer for the film, which was ranked #1 at the box office last weekend, as well as an AP feature on Eastwood:

[EDITOR'S NOTE: "Matt's Movies" is a regular movie-review column written by Matt Marble, a 17-year old student at Highline School District's Big Picture High School.

If you have a movie you'd like for him to review, please email him.

Look for more of his movie reviews and other articles soon on The B-Town Blog!]

[EDITOR'S NOTE: "Matt's Movies" is a new regular movie-review column debuting today on The B-Town Blog. It is written by Matt Marble, a 17-year old student at Highline School District's Big Picture High School.

Matt is the second teen Writer to join our ranks after Josh Hart.

If you have a movie you'd like for him to review, please email him. Look for more of his movie reviews and other articles soon on The B-Town Blog!]

by Matt Marble

Two-time Academy Award nominee Will Smith leads a great dramatic cast in “Seven Pounds,” a film Written by Grant Nieporte and Directed by Gabriele Muccino.

Smith portrays Ben Thomas, a mysterious IRS agent who has many inner demons. From the beginning of the film, the Director creates a deeply emotional tone. I felt that I spent the whole film trying to figure out what exactly he was going to do and why. Thomas’ entire persona changes when he meets Emily Posa (Rosario Dawson), an ailing woman who forms a deep bond with Thomas.

After several other meetings with people who seem to have various 
problems with their health, relationships etc., you realize that he 
wants to help them, although you are just not sure to what extent or
 why.

There are a couple of scenes where he meets with his life-long best friend Dan (Barry Pepper) where you will get a little hint of something, but as quickly as it seems that you will finally find out what is going on – the movie moves on.

By the end of the film though, it all adds up and the message that shines through is amazing.

The one point I hope everyone takes away from this powerfully moving movie is that while the world is a cruel, mean, violent place, there are people around that truly do care about changing the lives of others for the better…

Here’s a trailer for “Seven Pounds,” which is still playing at several local theaters, as well as an interview with Will Smith: