True Grit

True Grit is the remake of the John Wayne classic that tells the story of a girl named Mattie Ross who is searching for her father's murderer during the 1800's in the Wild West. She follows his trail to a town where she meets a U.S. Marshal named Rooster Cogburn and she attempts to hire him to help capture her father's killer. Rooster doesn't want to take the case at first but then ultimately decides to go ahead and go after the man. Along the way Rooster and Mattie run into a Texas Ranger named LaBoeuf who is trying to catch the same killer because he shot and killed a Texas Senator. The two lawmen and Mattie form an unlikely friendship as they make their way across the desert in search of the killer Tom Chaney.

When I first saw the previews for True Grit I wasn't too thrilled about seeing it, mainly because it was a remake of one of my favorite John Wayne movies, and most remakes (with a few exceptions) don't live up to how good the original was. Once I saw it though, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I've heard True Grit described as a 'dark' and gritty film. I have to disagree with that description. Movies like The Dark Knight I would consider 'dark' because of the subject matter and other things within the movie. I would say that True Grit is more of a light-hearted, sometimes comical, action/western film. It has its moments that I would consider 'dark' but overall it is not that way.

A lot of people have said that both the latest Coen brothers' version and the John Wayne version are so different from each other that they can't really be compared. I partially agree with that statement. They are very different in the way the story is portrayed since the Coen brothers' version stays more true to the book rather than to John Wayne's version; however, they are basically the same story so I think you can compare the two. With that said, while I loved this version of True Grit and I recommend that everybody go see it if you haven't yet, I still prefer John Wayne's version. Let's face it: You just can't beat The Duke.

Hanna

Hanna is the story of a young teenage girl who is raised by her father in the harsh wilderness of the Arctic Circle training to become an assassin. When she feels she is ready, she begs her father to let her go and experience the world outside of their home. Her father reluctantly agrees knowing that she cannot complete her training until she has faced the dangers of the outside world. That danger includes a ruthless government official who has been searching for Hanna's father and her since she was a child. Hanna must make her way across Europe with the government official hot on her trail if she has any hope of survival and to complete her training.

Hanna is an amazing work of art in the world of film that is part action thriller and part coming-of-age story. It is a film that keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout the entire movie. Saoirse Ronan did a fantastic job as the teenage assassin. Eric Bana plays Hanna's father, and even though he only shows up in the beginning of the movie and for a couple scenes in the middle and towards the finale, he still did a phenomenal job. Cate Blanchett gave me chills with how well she portrayed the cold-hearted government official. If I had to find one thing wrong with Hanna it would have to be that the camera shakes like crazy through most of the movie. There is one scene where it is almost impossible to tell what is happening onscreen because the camera is shaking so badly.

If you are looking for an action movie that is totally different than the normal shoot-'em-up action movies out there, I recommend seeing Hanna. You won't regret it.