Monday, November 23, 2015

Inside Out

I recently took my kids to see Inside Out and they really liked it. For a kid it might be kind of complicated like Inception. I thought it was a "cute" movie. It was creative but there was also more animation than I usually care for. The movie highlights how different emotions take over our thinking and moods at different times during life. There are also some "touching" scenes kind of like there was in the movie Up.


Right now my tired emotion is at the helm of my brain so I will make this short and I also don't want to type any more quotations marks around words I am not comfortable saying. I give Inside Out 7.3 stars. Some fans of the movie might think that is a low rating but as a grown man there is no way I can give it a better rating than James Bond.

P.S.- It should not be confused with these movies.


Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Spectre


It's been a big year for spy movies and I have been looking forward to king of them all for quite some time. I saw Spectre on opening night and overall I enjoyed it.. The movie picked up where Skyfall dropped off. with the customary exciting opening sequence which takes place in Mexico. Daniel Craig is back again as 007 and I am liking him more and more as James Bond. I know  some people have complained that they don't get enough sophistication and gadgets from Craig's Bond, but I like a more physical,  human, and realistic hero. I also don't miss all the lame puns that Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan were subjected to.

The latest installment is also directed by Sam Mendes and I like his style. I also like the supporting cast of M, Q, and Moneypenny. The movie deals with 007 discovering a secret organization called Spectre and it shows how they were behind the villains of the prior three movies. It also offers more insights to Bond's upbringing. I believe this is the longest Bond movie to date and some parts slow down a little but I didn't really mind that.

The villain Blofeld is played well by Christopher Waltz and his henchman Mr. Hinx is played by Dave Bautista. He's not as intimidating as Jaws but he reminds me of him since he only utters one word during the entire movie.

This isn't the best Bond but it's better than most. I'd rank it behind Casino Royale but it is much better than Quantum of Solace and is on par with Skyfall. I give it 7.3 stars.

Saturday, October 24, 2015

7th Year Anniversary Review Summary

It has now been 7 years since I started my movie blog. As is customary I am including a summary of the movies I have seen in the last year. I acknowledge that I don't have a full review for some of the movies listed below but what do you expect from someone who did half of these reviews in Haiku form? I have given you my final rating which is all that really matters.

Interstellar- 8.4
Mad Max: Fury Road- 8.3
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation- 8.2
The Martian- 8.1
The Man From U.N.C.L.E.- 7.8
Hobbit: The Battle of 5 Armies-7.7
Avengers: Age of Ultron-7.5
Cinderella- 7.4
McFarland USA- 7.3
Jurrasic World- 7.2
Furious 7- 7.1
Generation Iron-7.0
Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials- 7.0
Mockingjay Part 1- 7.0
Hercules- 6.7
Taken 3- 6.4
San Andreas- 6.3
Jupiter Ascending- 6.2
Exodus: Gods and Kings-6.1

At a glance this can tell you if watching a particular movie or renting the video is worth your time or not. I am getting more selective so if a movie got horrible reviews I won't waste my time watching it which is why you don't see any reviews under 6.0. In the future you can expect more thorough reviews from me starting with Spectre which I am looking forward to seeing next week in the theatre. Yes I intentionally spelled it the British way in honor of James Bond.

Friday, October 9, 2015

Past Due Movie Reviews

I am way behind on reviews so as usual here are some very short movie summaries.

Exodus: God and Kings- I was hoping for much more from this movie since I usually love almost anything that Ridley Scott directs. It had good visuals and was an interesting take on the story of Moses, but it just came off a little flat. It had an interesting portrayal of God and sort of offers a explanations to all of the miracles Moses did in Egypt. It was however, much better and less offensive to believers than the Noah movie that came out last year was. I give it 6.1 stars.

Generation Iron- This is a bodybuilding documentary about the most recent competitors in the Mr. Olympia Contest. It is a modern day version of the 1977 film Pumping Iron. It follows the top 8 participants but ultimately boils down to Kai Greene and the returning champion Phil Heath. I was entertained by the different personalities, determination, and interactions between each bodybuilder. You don't need to be a bodybuilding enthusiast to enjoy this documentary. I give it 7.0 stars.

Avengers: Age of Ultron- This is the sequel to the first Avengers movie and includes a huge cast of super heroes and villains. It is very entertaining and has plenty of action, twists, and humor. If you liked the first Avengers movie than you will like this one too. Good to know since you probably already saw it since it came out a long time ago. I give it 7.5 stars.


Cinderella- I couple months ago I did something I hadn't done in about 10 years. I took my entire family to a movie. We saw Cinderella and I would never have watched it had it not been for all my kids but I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed it. It is a nice adaption of the story without any animation. I'm a tough guy and movies about princesses are not my thing, but it was a great family movie and they did a good job with the story. I give it 7.4 stars.

McFarland USA- This is a movie based on a true story about a coach who starts up a Cross Country team in California. His students are Mexican immigrants who spend the morning picking agriculture with their families as a regular job before they are able to go to school. Despite their busy schedules and lack of competitive running experience they develop a championship team. The film is just as much about prejudice and racial issues as it is about sports. It is a bit formulaic but it was good. The best part was the end when it gave real life updates about the runners and showed how many of them were able to get college degrees as a result of running. I give it 7.3 stars.

San Andreas- This is a disaster movie staring Dwayne Johnson "The Rock". He works as a rescue helicopter pilot and the movie shows his efforts as he attempts to find and save his family after a massive earthquake destroys many California cities. The special effects were entertaining but it is not great movie. Johnson is good as always but there is just so much fake stuff that it's hard to believe or get into. My biggest dislike was the English character and his side kick little brother. If you want to see a disaster movie it's entertaining but it's not great. I gave it 6.3 stars.

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Copycat movie posters

I've previously addressed the topic of deceptive counterfeit movies, but how is the Movie "A Deadly Game" not being sued for such a blatant ripoff poster of the Hunger Games?

Redbox is infamous for renting out straight to DVD movies that mimic popular films. I guess the only chance that some of these movies have of being rented is to confuse the elderly, people who can't read, or people with very bad eyesight.




Thursday, April 16, 2015

7 Big Movies Reviewed in Haiku Form

I am way behind on movie reviews so in an effort to catch up quickly I have decided to write a Haiku for each of the following 7 blockbuster movies. These brief reviews will even make Twitter look long winded.

Intersteller
Cool space idea
Long but I thought it was great.
It will test your brain

8.4 Stars

Mockingjay Part 1
Hiding underground
Fighting evil President
To be continued

7.0 Stars

Hobbit-The Battle of the 5 Arrmies
Smaug made such a mess
Dwarf King has an attitude
Hobbit saves the day

7.7 Stars

Jupiter Ascending
Tatum crazy ears
Protects the heir of the Earth
Could have been much better

6.2 Stars

Taken 3
Someone killed his wife
He uses his set of skills
Milk the series dry

6.4 Stars


Furious Seven
Gang being hunted
So fake yet entertaining
Nice ending for Paul

7.1 Stars

Some of these movies were definitely better than others. Interstellar was the most thought provoking. Mockingjay was a little less entertaining than the prior installments. The Hobit was a solid sequel especially if you like Fantasy films. I was expecting more from the Wachowski brothers with Jupiter Ascending. Taken has started to lose it's appeal and is nowhere near as good as the first one. I was shocked that Furious 7 got such high ratings. It is entertaining and over the top so turn off your reality sensor when the movie starts, but I think much of the praise was due to it being Walker's last film.

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Hercules

As is customary for Hollywood, rival studios regularly release similar movies each year. Last year was no exception with the release of "The Legend of Hercules" with Kellan Lutz and "Hercules" starring Dwayne Johnson. I didn't see the first one and it didn't appear to do too well, but I did finally see The Rock's version.



Let me first say that this review may be biased since I have a man crush on Johnson and think he is one of the most charismatic and entertaining guys in Hollywood these days. At first I was expecting the traditional Greek Myth version of Hercules, but I was pleasantly surprised with the direction the movie went. I suppose this is a spoiler alert, but Hercules and his companions are pretty much a group of mercenaries who are watching out for themselves while creating a legendary reputation for Hercules, but it is not due to brute strength or God like powers but rather street smarts, good promoting, and playing on other's emotions.

Despite being compared to modern day con artists, they are still the "good guys" and end up saving the day. This movie had plenty of flaws but it was still enjoyable. It has action, comedy, and Dwayne Johnson. I give Hercules 6.7 stars for it's unique take on the legend.

Monday, February 16, 2015

Summaries of Movies I saw in 2014

Another year has already passed so I am listing the movies I saw in 2014 and ranking them by how much I liked them.

Edge of Tomorrow 8.2
Captain America 2: Winter Soldier 8.1
Guardians of the Galaxy 8.1
Captain Phillips 8.1
Hunger Games: Catching Fire  8.0
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug 8.0
X Men Days of Future Past 8.1
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes 7.5
Non Stop 7.4
The Saratov Approach 7.3
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty 7.2
42  7.2
Divergent 7.2
Mud 7.0
Spider Man 2  6.9
All Is Lost Lost 6.9
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit 6.8
Robo Cop 6.8
Thor The Dark World 6.7
Brick Mansions 6.6
Maze Runner 6.5
Enders Game 6.5
The Giver 6.4
Three Days to Kill 6.3
Godzilla 6.2
47 Ronin 5.5
Noah  4.8
Red Dawn 4.0
 
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