Review of Johnson Family Vacation (2004) by Daniel O — 20 Mar 2005

[b][size=6][color=white]The Godfather[/color][/size].

[/b]?[b]The Godfather?[/b] tells an epic tale of Mafia life in American during the 1940s and 1950s. Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) is the family patriarch balancing a love of his family with an ambitious criminal instinct. At the wedding of the Don?s daughter Connie (Talia Shire), youngest son Michael (Al Pacino) is reunited with his family. A subsequent assassination attempt leaves the Don too ill to run the family business, forcing Michael and Sonny (James Caan), with the help of consigliere Tom Hagen (Robert DuVall), to lead the Corleones into a vendetta-filled war with other mob families. Violence revenge ensues as the family tries to change from its old criminal ways into legitimacy.

Continuing my journey into the mind of Francis Ford Coppola?s movies, this will probably be my favorite movie of his. It is just truly an amazing movie, everything in it is just almost perfect. The acting was incredible by James Caan, Al Pacino, Marlon Brando and Robert DuVall. A lot of the actors took me a little while to recognize who they were because the movie is so old and they don?t look at all the same as they do now. The story and how everything happens, is one of the key elements to why this movie is so great, theres some unexpected things that happen. I love movies based on the mafia, I just think they are funny, how they are so caring for their family, espically their mom. And they go to church and all this stuff and then they go and kill people. I don?t know maybe its just me that finds it funny. Anyways I know I?m about the only one that hasn?t seen this movie until now, so if you haven?t seen it, then make a wise choice and rent this instead of something like ?[b][color=white]White Chicks?.[/color][/b].

[b][color=#ffffff][/color][/b].

[b][color=lime]10 out of 10.[/color][/b].

[b][size=6][color=white]Johnson Family Vacation[/color][/size][/b].

AAA can?t help the roadside emergency that is the [color=white][b]?Johnson Family Vacation?[/b][/color]. Even the onboard navigation system has a meltdown on Nate Johnson (Cedric the Entertainer) and his family?s cross-country trek to their annual family reunion/grudge match. Reluctantly along for the ride are Nate?s wife (Vanessa Williams), who?s only in it for the kids; their rapper-wannabe son (Bow Wow); their teenage daughter (Solange Knowles) who?s fashioned herself as the next Lolita; and their youngest (Gabby Soleil), whose imaginary dog Nate just can?t seem to keep track of. Can the Johnsons survive each other and all the obstacles the road throws at them to make it to Caruthersville, Missouri? Can they find Missouri?

I never really had any intention on watching this movie at all. But, my parents told me that it was funny, and so I watched it with them and laughed I believe a total of two or three times. I?ve always thought Cedric the Entertainer was relatively funny, but he wasn?t really. He had a few moments in here and those were the times I laughed. I think Christopher Erskin needs to go back to keep on directing Music Videos and Commercials, because movies doesn?t seem to be his calling. Same with the brother writers, Todd R. Jones and Earl Richery Jones, just stick to TV shows guys. The main problem with this movie is, well its not original. If you?re looking for a family vacation movie, go see National Lampoons Vacation movies, mainly the Christmas one and the original Vacation one.

[b][color=red]4 out of 10.[/color][/b].

[b][size=6][color=white]The Ring Two[/color][/size].

[/b]Six months after the horrifying events that terrorized Rachel Keller (Naomi Watts)and her son Aidan (David Dorfman) in Seattle. To escape her haunting memories, Rachel takes Aidan and movies to the small coastal community of Astoria, Oregon, to start fresh. However, Rachel?s resolve quickly turns to dread when evidence at a local crime scene?including an unmarked videotape?seems eerily familiar. Rachel realizes that the vengeful Samara is back and more determined than ever to continue her relentless cycle of terror and death.

[b][color=white]The Ring Two[/color][/b] definitely keeps the trend of incredibly bad sequel syndrome going. Now, if this was [color=white][b]Scary Movie 4[/b][/color], then it would be a different story, because it was actually funnier than being scary or creepy like it should have been. When the director of the remake directed the movie that is being remade, well that should throw up a few flags. Hideo Nakata, directed the two ?[b]Ringu?[/b] movies, but didn?t direct the original American version. I don?t think the original director should ever remake their own work. Naomi Watts is a great actress I like her, but she couldn?t pull the movie by herself. The plot just...well....sucked. It had a few sweet looking special effects, but, that doesn?t make a movie good. This movie shouldn?t be recommended to anyone, no matter if you are Naomi Watts biggest fan or whatever, this should be avoided at all costs.

[b][color=red]3 out of 10.[/color][/b].