Movie Mama Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Starring: Claire Danes, Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sienna Miller, Charlie Cox

Directed By: Matthew Vaughn

Running Time: 2 hours and 8 min.

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some fantasy violence and risqué humor.

When Tristan (Charlie Cox), a young peasant man, professes his love to the beautiful village girl Victoria (Sienna Miller), he finds that she is already promised to another. She agrees to break the engagement and marry Tristan only if he crosses a forbidden wall into the magical country of Stormhold and brings her back a fallen star. Tristan sets out on the quest determined to win Victoria's love, but he is not prepared to find that the fallen star is actually a young woman named Yvaine (Claire Danes). As Tristan attempts to bring Yvaine back to Victoria, he realizes that the fallen star is being hunted by several foes. As he tries to protect her, they embark on an adventure of epic fantasy proportions.

Stardust is a whimsical tale of adventure and romance set against a breathtaking and magical backdrop. It's almost like The Princess Bride meets Harry Potter meets The Golden Compass. The cast, the story--every scene has the potential to be enjoyable for both men and women. It moves at a perfect pace and despite several crude parts, Stardust will have you laughing throughout.

There are cameos from many blockbuster actors such as Ian McKellen (Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings) as the narrator, Mark Williams (Arthur Weasley from the Harry Potter films) as a hilarious billy goat, Ricky Gervais (from the British television show The Office) as Ferdy, an underground salesman, and even Robert De Niro (Jack Byrnes from Meet The Parents) as an effeminate pirate captain. Claire Danes has grown into a very capable and mature actress, and she fits in very well alongside a very talented cast. Michelle Pfeiffer once again plays a terrifically horrid and terrifying antagonist.

One positive lesson that is predominant in the film is that we don't have to bend over backwards to be popular. Tristan's idea of the most beautiful woman is skewed, but his own soul-searching shows him that he's better off being himself, rather than trying to "fit in" just to impress others.

No one can say this film isn't entertaining. Though that's about all it has going for it. One would think that a compelling story studded with famous faces should be enough, but Stardust proves itself just another Hollywood film by weaving unnecessary sensuality and violence throughout each frame.

Here are a few things parents should be aware of:

For one, there are quite a few scary images, especially regarding the scenes with the three witches who are hunting Yvaine. The witches dabble with divination, voodoo, runes, and also sacrifice several animals quite brutally. In the end, one of the witches is viciously attacked and killed by a pack of angry animals.

There is a royal family who takes no remorse in killing each other off, and the film even makes light of murder and death by having the ghosts of each dead family member follow their living siblings around, making satirical comments.

Worst of all, both Tristan and his father live in a fantasy world where one simple kiss must always lead to sex. Because these scenes are off screen, one might think this film is "clean," but it is simply the idea of promiscuity that is so dangerous for our kids. I for one do not want my children believing the Hollywood myth that having sex with someone you just met should be as casual as going out for ice cream. Besides this, Tristan is born out of wedlock as a result of his father's impetuous and impromptu affair with a princess. During one of the off-screen "intimate" scenes, one of the ghost brothers sneaks in to watch--resulting in someone calling him a pervert. As if there couldn't be more, Stardust's director has chosen to include sensual camera angles, risqué dialogue, come-hither looks, and even several jokes regarding women's breasts.

Movie Mama Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Starring: Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci, Matthew Fox, Susan Sarandon, John Goodman

Directed By: Larry Wachowski, Andy Wachowski

Running Time: 2 hr. 15 min.

MPAA Rating: PG for sequences of action, some violence, language and brief smoking.

Genre: Comic Book, Sci-Fi, Sports

Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) breathes, eats, and lives car racing. With his trusty Mach 5, Speed is at the top of his game, winning race after race, and he starts getting noticed by huge corporate sponsors. When he turns down an offer from big-time conglomerate, Royalton Industries, Speed learns that professional racing is controlled by the sponsors--even the results of the Grand Prix are fixed. Not only that, but Royalton takes his revenge out on the Racer family business, hoping to destroy them. In order to change how the game is played, and save his family's legacy, Speed must risk his life competing in the fiercest race in the world--the same one that claimed his older brother's life many years before.

I must admit, I wasn't too excited about seeing this film. After what the Wachowski brothers did to the Matrix sequels, I wasn't sure if they could win my admiration back. But within only ten minutes, I was turning to my husband saying, "You know, I really like this so far." He even agreed with me. And as the film progressed, we found ourselves laughing, tearing up, even repeating several times that the film was better than we expected.

The first thing to grab our attention was of course, the brilliant color palette. The Wachowski brothers filmed almost all of the actors against a green screen back-drop, which they then filled in with an amazing, jaw-dropping world of color, outstanding animation, and comic book cinematography. The techniques they use are guaranteed to be nothing you've ever seen on screen before. The bar for special effects has now been raised.

Speed Racer is a thrill ride for anyone who loves comic books, video games, racing or NASCAR, kung fu, gangster films, or anime. It's almost like Mario Kart on the big screen. The scenes with Spritle (Paulie Litt) and Chim Chim (his trusty chimpanzee) really put you in the mind of a child and are truly funny. The car races are so spectacular that they had quite a few kids (and adults) in the audience yelling out, "Cool!"

In case you've heard reviews that the film's bright colors and psychedelic effects will make you nauseous or give you a headache, I'm here to tell you that I received neither. (I actually got a raging headache from last year's The Bourne Ultimatum with its constant jerky cinematography--if you can stomach that, then Speed Racer shouldn't be a problem.) The Wachowski brothers split up the racing scenes enough so that you don't have a constant blur, and there's enough plot going on outside the actual races that help keep a nice pace.

PROS

The most touching part of the film is the heart-to-heart talks that Pops Racer (John Goodman) and Mom Racer (Susan Sarandon) share with their son, Speed. The family unit is very strong and important in this film, and both Pops and Mom make sure to encourage Speed and tell him they love him.

Speed and his girlfriend, Trixie (Christina Ricci), have an admirable relationship, both making good role models for our kids. There is no kissing until the very end, Speed is a perfect gentleman around her, and their relationship involves more than just making out like other teen movie couples. Trixie supports and encourages Speed no matter what without being manipulating. They spend a lot of time together with his family and in essence, she's been a part of the family since grade school. There is a underlying theme that Pops Racer married his best friend, and it looks like Speed is following in the same footsteps--a great lesson for young men in the audience.

Another theme in the film is standing up for what is right, even if you think you don't have a chance. Speed Racer going against the major moguls of the racing industry is a sort of David and Goliath story. The lesson is: money and greed get you nowhere, but love and family does.

Finally, some reviewers have said that the film isn't true to life--personally, I'm glad it isn't! I think that if it weren't set in such an obvious comic book or video game world, kids would be more inclined to imitate the outlandish things they see on screen.

CONS

Here are a few things that parents should be aware of before they venture to the theaters:

There are a few comic book/gangster-like violent parts like piranhas biting off someone's finger, a few scary car chases, and lots of shoot-em-up action.

As far as the PG rating, I'm a little disappointed as to how much crude content was allowed to slip by. There are a handful of curse words, even young Spritle gives someone the middle finger, and one racing opponent calls everyone "turds." Chim Chim throws his own excrement at one point, and an enemy gets kicked in the groin (both of which received roaring laughter from the kids in the audience).

There is also a fair bit of sensuality in the film. I was hoping a PG racing film wouldn't have to include the "hot babes and cars" stigma, but unfortunately, the Wachowski brothers thought they had to throw it in. There are several sensuous camera angles, some women wear indecent shorts and very low cut tops, and at one point, a woman wearing what seems to be a swimsuit steps into view, resulting in a half-bare butt cheek filling up a major portion of the screen. The film would have been even better without these unnecessary distractions.

Part of the plot involves the stock market, which might be over kids' heads, but they should understand the general idea portrayed. And the film jumps back and forth between the past, present, and future--this also might be hard for some younger viewers to follow.

Is hollywood sex a reality or not. Are the sex scenes we see on our screens anything to compare with our relationships? The trick lies in never comparing yourself or your sex life with the stage managed scenes of Hollywood which are spotless and perfect. However, people are always glued to their screens and fascinated with Hollywood soap operas even if some are totally outrageous. We crave for Hollywood sex due to its perfection and appeal, but is it a reality or a myth? What lacks in our lives and relationships is complimented in Hollywood. This makes Hollywood so addictive to millions of people all over the world. But is Hollywood sex a myth or a reality? Maybe it is the failures in our sex lives that drive us to Hollywood. Real sex with real people can be more satisfying than sex on the cinema.

It is possible for a woman to reach orgasm in a record time of three seconds? Yes, in Hollywood and Hollywood only. It is a blatant lie perpetuated by many movies. Our real world is outside Hollywood where a woman is still not yet ready for sex even in two minutes. A world where some women cannot climax with penetration alone. A woman builds up for sex at a slow momentum with a lot of foreplay at hand. Body stimulation of critical areas of arousal like the breasts and the clitoris come in handy. But here comes Hollywood where a perfect couple meet, entangle in sex which ends in a mind boggling climax barely three seconds later, a reality or a myth. It creates confusion amongst many people especially men. They wonder why a woman takes ages to attain an orgasm during a sexual encounter. It would be accurate to argue that, Hollywood sex diminishes sexual satisfaction in the real world.

Hollywood is a pseudo world where inside every decent woman lies a professional stripper just begging to be let out. It is possible to term Hollywood as a fantasy world. Every young actress in this fantasy world has striped for the cameras at one particular time. It was made popular, trendy and hot in 'striptease' when it starred Demi Moore. Striping in Hollywood is done with well choreographed moves combined with pole dancing that leaves the audience with hanging mouths. The strippers are appear to the sexiest ever to behold your eyes. A lot of practice goes before hand before the striper graces the stage with her stunning moves and an even more stunning body when she eventually strips and engages in Hollywood sex.

It is more sexier and more sexually appealing to fool around in world class stages than in normal awkward ares and places. Hollywood sex looks great because it is sheer acting. In this wonderland called holly wood, it is never awkward to do anything. It is perfectly all right to do anything despite the prevailing circumstances. The word uncomfortable does not feature in Hollywood. You can get down to hot sex in the rain without fear of ever getting chilly. Neither do you fear getting urinary tract infection as you do it in a hot tub or in a pool without a water proof lube. In reality no woman would even remotely come near an orgasm while she is miles away from the comfort of her bed.

Want to download Iron Man full movie online? Iron Man is the latest blockbuster to hit the screens in US. Some official blockbuster figures put the estimated gross earnings at $35 million on Friday 02 May, and $37.5 million on Sat 03 May. This comes up to a total of $100.8 million over a 3-day period, not inclusive of earnings from advanced screenings. Read on as I share with you more about the movie and where to download Iron Man.

Directed by Jon Favreau and released by Paramount Pictures in over 4,105 theaters, this is slated to be an international box office hit as it is screened in 57 territories worldwide. Combined global box office earnings for this Marvel Studios' Iron Man movie was last estimated at over $200 million.

Iron Man - The Plot

Based on Marvel Studios' iconic Super Hero, Iron Man, the story revolves around Tony Stark played by Robert Downey Jr, a wealthy industrialist. Tony was forced to build a devastating weapon after being kidnapped. However, using his intelligence, he built a high-tech armour suit instead and escapes. Back in America, Tony Stark aka Iron Man struggles to face his past. As he discovers a nefarious plot with immense global implications, he decided to don his armour suit and fight the villains a Iron Man.

Heroes aren't Born. They're Built - the favorite tagline of the movie when you download Iron Man full movie online and watch from your PC. As of now, there are several sites that offer the full version Iron Man movie download.

Details about These Download Services

For a flat fee of less than $50, you can download Iron Man the movie as well as unlimited movies. Whether it is a new release or old classic, you can find them there.

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Take note of these and you can enjoy your movie really soon. Find out from my movie blog how you can download Iron Man full movie within the next few minutes.

Probably, not everyone knows about the possibility to watch Heroes TV shows online. Like popular movies, live sports and news, serials too can be watched online, and you do not need anything for that, except for Internet access, of course.

The Heroes show is really loved by viewers. The idea of ordinary people discovering super powers within has a universal appeal. The series have become immensely popular not only in North America, but also in Australia, New Zealand and other countries.

The famous serial has a strong fan following even in some countries, where it was not shown on TV. This is because so many people choose to watch Heroes TV shows online, along with dozens of other popular TV shows.

Even if you try and catch every episode of your favorite TV show, there are situations when you simply can't be home on time in front of your TV set. Probably, you are stuck in a traffic jam, or working late, or have a business meeting, or traveling, or...

Isn't it frustrating to miss a TV show you are addicted to? Now you don't have to. As long as you are connected to the Net, you can watch Heroes TV shows online - in the office, away from home, anywhere! And the most wonderful part is that your laptop or PC can be converted to a satellite TV set within minutes and with no additional hardware installation required.

The method is based on specially designed software, which allows tuning to hundreds and even thousands of free-to-air satellite TV channels. With all the advancement of the software, it is very easy to use and a person with minimal computer skills will be able to figure out the way it works within minutes.

After downloading and installing the software, you can watch Heroes TV shows online instantly, or check out a wealth of other exciting programs, including news, sports, movies, serials, music videos, etc. Go further and see what various international channels have to offer you. There is no dull moment with satellite TV on your PC!

As for the cost, you really don't have to worry about it. The software can be downloaded for around $50 from most online retailers and once the price is paid there are no recurring charges for anything. To view any channel, any program is completely free!