The Wolf Of Wall Street

Revered filmmaker Martin Scorsese directs the story of New York stockbroker Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio). From the American dream to corporate greed, Belfort goes from penny stocks and righteousness to IPOs and a life of corruption in the late 80s. Excess success and affluence in his early twenties as founder of the brokerage firm Stratton Oakmont warranted Belfort the title "The Wolf of Wall Street."

Wow!!!  This was a hell of a long movie.  That's really the only knock I can make against it though.  The movie had amazing performances across the board.  Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill were amazing.  You kept going back and forth between despising them and wanting for them to come out on time.  The build up from the bottom up and the downward spiral from there was amazingly directed.  And the laughs?  I had no idea that this would end up being one of the funnier movies of the year between the way the friends talk to each other and a scene of DiCaprio's drug use that might be one of the funniest scenes ever.  This is easily one of the best movies of the year.

I would absolutely recommend people checking this out.  But it is over three hours long so be warned.  Also - the R rating is because of ALOT of drug use and nudity.  But it really is an incredible movie across the board.

The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty

Ben Stiller directs and stars in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, James Thurber's classic story of a day-dreamer who escapes his anonymous life by disappearing into a world of fantasies filled with heroism, romance and action. When his job along with that of his co-worker (Kristen Wiig) are threatened, Walter takes action in the real world embarking on a global journey that turns into an adventure more extraordinary than anything he could have ever imagined.

I really enjoyed this movie.  I like that they kept it artsy and simple instead of making it all cartoonish and over the top.  Ben Stiller actually kept this movie real, simple and down to earth while visually stunning with the daydreams and then Walter Mitty's actual travels.  For anyone who has zoned out into daydreams and has a great imagination, this is a great movie.  I was so invested in the movie that the ending really hit me and sent me into a daydream about my life and realizing the daily rewards and what not.

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.  It's a great ride in the life of an imaginative daydreamer.  Please be advised that the movie is done in a very artsy style and that it is not a textbook mainstream movie.

Walking With Dinosaurs

For the first time in movie history, audiences will truly see and feel what it was like when dinosaurs ruled the Earth. Walking With Dinosaurs is the ultimate immersive, big-screen experience. Recent discoveries and a breakthrough in technology will introduce new and unique dinosaurs that are more real than ever before and put moviegoers in the middle of a thrilling prehistoric adventure, where an underdog dinosaur triumphs against all odds to become a hero for the ages.

This movie was more of an entertaining documentary than a movie.  But it was like a documentary geared towards kids for the most part.  The dinosaur voices were all done in a narrative format.  The look of the movie was great and felt real and dinosaur fans should absolutely love it.   There really isn't much I took away from it other than the good overall look of it.  Why this was the only family/kids movie that opened for Christmas is baffling.

Outside of huge dinosaur fans, I wouldn't really recommend people checking this out.  It's not necessarily bad but it's just kind of there and there are much better options out there.

Grudge Match

In Grudge Match, De Niro and Stallone play Billy "The Kid" McDonnen and Henry "Razor" Sharp, two local Pittsburgh fighters whose fierce rivalry put them in the national spotlight. Each had scored a victory against the other during their heyday, but in 1983, on the eve of their decisive third match, Razor suddenly announced his retirement, refusing to explain why but effectively delivering a knock-out punch to both their careers. Thirty years later, boxing promoter Dante Slate Jr., seeing big dollar signs, makes them an offer they can't refuse: to re-enter the ring and settle the score once and for all.  But they may not have to wait that long: on their first encounter in decades, their long-festering feud erupts into an unintentionally hilarious melee that instantly goes viral. The sudden social media frenzy transforms their local grudge match into a must-see HBO event. Now, if they can just survive the training, they may actually live to fight again.  

This movie is pretty much exactly what you saw in the trailer.  There are age jokes and assorted laughs.  The movie is incredibly formula in every way and they go out of their way to pull every possible heart string that they can.  However, the movie is still enjoyable across the board and you care about how it's going to all play out knowingly for the characters and you find yourself rooting for everyone.

I'd somewhat recommend people checking this movie out.  It's a decent watch but there are definitely better choices.

47 Ronin

In 47 Ronin, after  a treacherous warlord kills their master and banishes their kind, 47 leaderless samurai vow to seek vengeance and restore honor to their people. Driven from their homes and dispersed across the land, this band of Ronin must seek the help of Kai (Reeves), a half-breed they once rejected, as they fight their way across a savage world of mythic beasts, shape-shifting witchcraft and wondrous terrors.  As this exiled, enslaved outcast becomes their most deadly weapon, he will transform into the hero who inspires this band of outnumbered rebels to seize eternity.

I went into this expecting an either hit or miss movie.  It could end up being a wannabe Kung Fu movie with a horribly miscast Keanu Reeves or it could end up being a well told story with great action.  Happily it was much more of the latter.  I really liked this movie.  The characters and their relationships to each other were very well developed and the action scenes were great.  The most shocking part of it all was that Keanu Reeves was not remotely miscast and was perfect for this role.

I would absolutely recommend people checking this out.  It was a very enjoyable movie in every way.  Very surprising.  Probably one of the bigger ones of the year.

Black Nativity

 

In a contemporary adaptation of Langston Hughes' celebrated play, Black Nativity follows Langston (Jacob Latimore), a street-wise teen from Baltimore raised by a single mother, as he journeys to New York City to spend the Christmas holiday with his estranged relatives Reverend Cornell and Aretha Cobbs (Forest Whitaker and Angela Bassett). Unwilling to live by the imposing Reverend Cobbs' rules, a frustrated Langston is determined to return home to his mother, Naima (Jennifer Hudson). Langston embarks on a surprising and inspirational journey and along with new friends, and a little divine intervention, he discovers the true meaning of faith, healing, and family.

This is a textbook heart string pulling holiday drama about family.  The characters work out all their issues since its holiday season and through the trials of the son/grandson.  The music was actually pretty good but outside of that, it was just overdramatic blah blah.

I wouldn't really recommend people watch this.  Its not that its awful, but more that you have seen something very similar to this 1000 times before.  This time there is just singing involved.

American Hustle

A fictional film set in the alluring world of one of the most stunning scandals to rock our nation, American Hustle tells the story of brilliant con man Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale), who along with his equally cunning and seductive British partner Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams) is forced to work for a wild FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper).  DiMaso pushes them into a world of Jersey powerbrokers and mafia that's as dangerous as it is enchanting.  Jeremy Renner is Carmine Polito, the passionate, volatile, New Jersey political operator caught between the con-artists and Feds. Irving's unpredictable wife Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence) could be the one to pull the thread that brings the entire world crashing down.

This movie was great.  David Russell basically combined his casts from The Fighter and Silver Linings Playbook and none of them missed a beat.  Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence were awesome as always.  Amy Adams continues to get better and better with every movie she does.  And Christian Bale?  What else can be said about how great this guy is.  Just the body transformation he went through for this film is mind blowing like what he has done with past roles.  The story was very interesting and watching it all play out was a great hook.  The only knock I could make against this movie is how long it was.  There was no need for this movie to be nearly three hours.  They could have easily trimmed this down.

Regardless of it being too long, I would still absolutely recommend this movie.  It will be on most top ten lists by the end of the year and is sure to get many award nominations, deservedly so.

Saving Mr. Banks

When Walt Disney's daughters begged him to make a movie of their favorite book, P.L. Travers' "Mary Poppins," he made them a promise - one that he didn't realize would take 20 years to keep. In his quest to obtain the rights, Walt comes up against a curmudgeonly, uncompromising writer who has absolutely no intention of letting her beloved magical nanny get mauled by the Hollywood machine. But, as the books stop selling and money grows short, Travers reluctantly agrees to go to Los Angeles to hear Disney's plans for the adaptation.  For those two short weeks in 1961, Walt Disney pulls out all the stops. Armed with imaginative storyboards and chirpy songs from the talented Sherman brothers, Walt launches an all-out onslaught on P.L. Travers, but the prickly author doesn't budge. He soon begins to watch helplessly as Travers becomes increasingly immovable and the rights begin to move further away from his grasp.  It is only when he reaches into his own childhood that Walt discovers the truth about the ghosts that haunt her, and together they set Mary Poppins free to ultimately make one of the most endearing films in cinematic history.

This was a very well done movie and while it eventually got to the happy ending, this was not a light and fluffy Disney movie by any means.  The back story of the author's childhood was tough at times. However, the back and forth jumping in the timeline to explain the much deeper levels of Mary Poppins was amazing storytelling.  It definitely keeps the viewer hooked and wanting to know why PL Travers was the way she was.  Tom Hanks was great at Walt Disney but the best acting of the movie by far was Emma Thompsen and Paul Giamatti as her driver.

I would definitely recommend people checking this movie out.  It is great storytelling on a couple different levels and has some really good acting.

A Madea Christmas

Madea gets coaxed into helping a friend pay her daughter a surprise visit in the country for Christmas, but the biggest surprise is what they'll find when they arrive. As the small, rural town prepares for its annual Christmas Carnival, new secrets are revealed and old relationships are tested while Madea dishes her own brand of Christmas Spirit to all.

I had hoped to find the whole Madea thing funny again after it had gotten so stale during the last couple of entries.  And it had a couple of moments but overall, it was just as bad.  The side story was overly dramatic as always.  And how in the hell Larry The Cable Guy is in a Tyler Perry movie is totally beyond me.

I would not really recommend anyone watching this.  I was a huge fan of Madea at the start.  I still found it funny for the first four or five films but it has definitely run its course now and needs to be shelved for a while, if not permanently.

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

With the 70's behind him, San Diego's top rated newsman, Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell), returns to the news desk in Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.  Also back for more are Ron's co-anchor and wife, Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate), weather man Brick Tamland (Steve Carell), man on the street Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd) and sports guy Champ Kind (David Koechner) - All of whom won't make it easy to stay classy while taking the nation's first 24-hour news channel by storm.

This is pretty much more of the same from the first one.  The funny thing is that  I left the theater after the first one thinking it was stupid and so not funny.  It wasn't until repeated viewings that I realized how damn funny and quotable it was.  That whole experience helped this movie to be more funny at first viewing.  But like I said, it's pretty much more of what was funny in the first.  That material combined with the mocking of news casting evolution provided lots of huge laughs.  

I'd absolutely recommend this movie for anyone that enjoyed the first one.  The characters are all still great and you will be laughing throughout the movie.

Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom is based on South African President Nelson Mandela's autobiography of the same name, which chronicles his early life, coming of age, education and 27 years in prison before becoming President and working to rebuild the country's once segregated society. Idris Elba stars as Nelson Mandela.

This is one of those movies that would probably be great for a history buff, unless they see it as propaganda like one point of view history.  I am in no way, shape or form a history buff so I can't really touch on all that stuff and didn't really fully embrace the movie.  I definitely enjoyed it and thought it was well told and well paced around a great performance by Idris Elba.  

I would somewhat recommend the movie.  It's one of those movies that I know is well done and I enjoy it but probably would have enjoyed it more if I were more connected to history and what not.

The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug

 

Having survived the beginning of their unexpected journey, the Company continues East, encountering along the way the skin-changer Beorn and a swarm of giant Spiders in the treacherous forest of Mirkwood. After escaping capture by the dangerous Wood-elves, the Dwarves journey to Lake-town, and finally to the Lonely Mountain itself, where they must face the greatest danger of all - a creature more terrifying than any other; one which will test not only the depth of their courage but the limits of their friendship and the wisdom of the journey itself - the Dragon Smaug.

This is as tough of a movie to review as the first part of The Hobbit last year.  It's an excellent movie.  Visually amazing at all points.  The dragon was pulled off masterfully by Peter Jackson.  The addition of Legolas and the female elf brought a lot more action into the movie.  Comparing it to the first part, I definitely enjoyed this one more because it didn't have the massive amount of development in the beginning that part 1 had.  However, just like the first part there was NO REASON for this movie to be almost three hours long.  And the majorly difficult part of reviewing this is that is nowhere near the league of the Lord Of The Rings trilogy.  Those movies are second only to the original Star Wars trilogty for me and these movies seem so much below par compared to them.  Yet, they are still very enjoyable and incredibly well made movies.

I would definitely recommend this movie just like I would recommend the first part.  Its a great ride and an awesome movie just expect it to be on par with the first part of the Hobbit and you will be satisfied.  If you are looking for Lord Of The Rings level, it is still not there.

Out Of The Furnace

 

Russell Baze (Christian Bale) has a rough life: he works a dead-end blue collar job at the local steel mill by day, and cares for his terminally ill father by night. When Russell's brother Rodney (Casey Affleck) returns home from serving time in Iraq, he gets lured into one of the most ruthless crime rings in the Northeast and mysteriously disappears. The police fail to crack the case, so - with nothing left to lose - Russell takes matters into his own hands, putting his life on the line to seek justice for his brother.

There was something about this movie that kept me hooked and made me want to like this movie.  I liked the characters and thought that the acting across the board was great.  Unfortunately, the movie never really came fully together.  It took way to long to get fully moving.  More disappointing was that once the characters got built up to a certain point they just kind of stopped and left things unanswered.  Woody Harrelson's character is still annoying me now because I felt like I was left waiting for more to be put into the development of it instead of him being a douche just because he's a douche. 

I wouldn't really recommend people checking this out.  Its not that the movie was bad.  It ended up a decent watch but it ended up just kind of being there instead of being a fully developed story of simple but complex at the same time characters.

Homefront

Homefront is an action movie about a widowed ex-DEA agent who retires to a small town for the sake of his 10-year-old daughter. The only problem is he picked the wrong town.

This was pretty much another textbook Jason Statham movie.  He's a guy trying to avoid conflict but when the conflict catches up to him and pushes him to far, he destroys everyone.  The only difference is that James Franco is pointlessly cast as the bad guy.

If you like Statham's movies, I'm sure you would like this too.  If not, I'm sure you have no intention of watching it.  

Oldboy

Oldboy is a provocative, visceral thriller that follows the story of an advertising executive (Josh Brolin) who is abruptly kidnapped and held hostage for 20 years in solitary confinement. When he is inexplicably released, he embarks on an obsessive mission to discover who orchestrated his bizarre and torturous punishment only to find he is still trapped in a web of conspiracy and torment.

WOW!!!  This movie was one hell of a crazy mindscrew.  The quick story progression pretty much takes you along on the ride that Josh Brolin's character goes on.  And it is one of the most insane and twisted rides viewers could go on.  Seeing what he was put through for twenty years prior to being turned loose.  The craziness that happens after he gets released only takes it to any even higher level due to the insanity of the puppet master that has been controlling him all along.  I will not ruin how it all plays out for anyone that wants to see this but the reveals that come along the way just get more and more twisted and make the movie better and better. 

I would absolutely recommend people checking this movie out.  It's a rough watch because it is so extremely twisted and there is some pretty intense violence but if you can handle this, the movie is one hell of a awesome ride.

Frozen

Walt Disney Animation Studios presents Frozen. When a prophecy traps a kingdom in eternal winter, Anna (Kristen Bell), a fearless optimist, teams up with extreme mountain man Kristoff (Jonathan Groff) and his sidekick reindeer Sven on an epic journey to find Anna's sister Elsa (Idina Menzel), the Snow Queen, and put an end to her icy spell. Encountering mystical trolls, an amazing and comedic snowman named Olaf, Everest-like conditions and magic at every turn, Anna and Kristoff battle the elements in a race to save the kingdom from destruction.

This was another great entry in the line of Disney princesses.  And I love that for once they made it about more than one with the sister angle.  There wasn't really a bad guy/girl in this movie.  That made it very different and fresh.  As always, Disney movies like this are usually dictated by the comedic side characters and Olaf the snowman pretty much carried this one.  I liked most of the songs but hated how they were scripted into the movie like dialogue.  The two or three main ones could have been really good, classic Disney songs but they were woven into the characters talking to each other and kind of took away from that.

I would recommend people checking this movie out.  It's worth the time and money.  Adults will absolutely enjoy it as much as the kids. 

The Book Thief

Based on the beloved bestselling book, The Book Thief tells the inspirational story of a spirited and courageous young girl who transforms the lives of everyone around her when she is sent to live with a new family in World War II Germany.

This was a great movie told about Nazi Germany in one of the more light hearted ways considering the subject matter.  It was all basically through the eyes of a child and it put a different perspective on everything and really hooked you in.  Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson were great as the adopting parents and the girl was perfectly cast with her innocent look.  There were times where I felt the movie was too simple or too fluffy considering what was happening, but they still had you hooked and you cared about all the characters and what they were going through.

I would definitely recommend people checking this movie out.  I thought it would be better and maybe it's level of greatness might have been effected by that but I still enjoyed it very much.

The Best Man Holiday

After nearly 15 years apart, Taye Diggs, Nia Long, Morris Chestnut, Harold Perrineau, Terrence Howard, Sanaa Lathan, Monica Calhoun, Melissa De Sousa and Regina Hall reprise their career-launching roles in The Best Man Holiday, the next chapter to the film that ushered in a new era of comedy. When the college friends finally reunite over the Christmas holidays they will discover just how easy it is for long-forgotten rivalries and romances to be ignited.

This was another movie where exactly what you see in the trailer is what you get.  Group of friends and couples each battling their own issues or demons with laughs along the way.  Don't get me wrong some of the laughs were great and some of the drama was very heart touching, but its just more of the first movie that I never considered to be sequel worthy.  I feel like these actors can accomplish so much more instead of playing the same stereotypical roles over and over again.

I would somewhat recommend people checking this movie out.  It's a very watchable movie but its just a blatant retread of stuff that we've already seen.

Catching Fire

Catching Fire begins as Katniss Everdeen has returned home safe after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games along with fellow tribute Peeta Mellark. Winning means that they must turn around and leave their family and close friends, embarking on a "Victor's Tour' of the districts. Along the way Katniss senses that a rebellion is simmering, but the Capitol is still very much in control as President Snow prepares the 75th Annual Hunger Games (The Quarter Quell) - a competition that could change Panem forever.

This movie was awesome.  I had high hopes for it since I thought that this book was the best of the series and they completely met them.  This movie served as a perfect "Empire Strikes Back" to the series where it amped up the overall story while developing the characters and their relationships more and more.  The action was great and it even looked better than in the first one.  You could noticeably see the budget difference due to the first one's success.  

I would definitely recommend everyone checking this movie out.  Fans of the book are going to see it regardless but even non-readers should really check these movies out.  Even though its based on a young adult novel, the story is really good and has so many different layers to it that viewers of all ages can enjoy it as it all plays out.

Delivery Man

Delivery Man stars Vince Vaughn as affable underachiever David Wozniak, whose anonymous donations to a fertility clinic 20 years earlier resulted in 533 children. David must now embark on a journey that leads him to discover not only his true self but also the father that he could become.

If you saw the trailer for this one then you saw the movie.  There really was nothing more of substance to it.  They tried to pull a bunch of heartstrings that didn't work.  The only guy that was funny was Chris Pratt who plays his friend/lawyer.  He was also the only funny part of the trailer.  I wanted so desperately to find Vince Vaughn amusing again, but it just didn't work.  Like not at all.  I was bored pretty much the whole time and only laughed 3 times - none of which were from him.  

I wouldn't recommend anyone wasting their time with this movie.  It's formula in every way and you can just decide how you liked the movie from watching the commercial since there is nothing more that it brings to the table.

Last Vegas

Starring four legends like you've never seen them before, Last Vegas tells the story of Billy, Paddy, Archie and Sam (played by Academy-Award winners Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline), best friends since childhood. When Billy, the group's sworn bachelor, finally proposes to his thirty-something (of course) girlfriend, the four head to Las Vegas with a plan to stop acting their age and relive their glory days. However, upon arriving, the four quickly realize that the decades have transformed Sin City and tested their friendship in ways they never imagined. The Rat Pack may have once played the Sands and Cirque du Soleil may now rule the Strip, but it's these four who are taking over Vegas.

This was a very, very enjoyable movie about friendship and growing old.  The movie is pretty much just as formula as you would have expected from the trailer, but the four actors all provide plenty of laughs and their friendship portrayed onscreen was completely believable since they all played off of each other so well.  My biggest fear going in to this was that it would turn out to be a dramedy with someone's health becoming an issue or something.  My fears were not answer and this comedy didn't swerve down that road.

I would definitely recommend people checking this movie out.  It really was a lot of simple fun at the movies and I liked it very much.

Free Birds

In this adventurous buddy comedy for audiences of all ages, two turkeys from opposite sides of the tracks must put aside their differences and team up to travel back in time to change the course of history - and get turkey off the Thanksgiving menu for good.

This was a surprisingly entertaining movie.  I usually don't have really high hopes for animated movies that don't come from Disney, Pixar or Dreamworks animation but this one felt like it did.  The story was simple and flowed.  The main characters as well as the side characters were perfectly crafted and developed.  And most importanly the humor was there in abundance.  That made this animated movie just as much fun for the adults as the kids.

I would definitely recommend people checking this movie out.  Nice, short movie with plenty of laughs.  If you have children they are guaranteed to love it.

Thor: The Dark World

Thor: The Dark World continues the big-screen adventures of Thor, the Mighty Avenger, as he battles to save Earth and all the Nine Realms from a shadowy enemy that predates the universe itself.  In the aftermath of Thor and The Avengers, Thor fights to restore order across the cosmos...but an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith returns to plunge the universe back into darkness.  Faced with an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all.

Thor has managed to surprise me yet again.  I liked this movie a lot and I actually think its one of the better Marvel era sequels.  It didn't just redo the original story.  It expanded Thor's world and used all the characters to make you hooked into what was a VERY sci-fi movie.  Loki was of course back and was once again the best part of the movie.  He stole every scene he was in and the movie picked up tremendously when he was on screen.  The story, tempo and side characters were all great.  And even though the new villains were basically explained by the opening narration, I still thought that they were great too.

I would absolutely recommend any Marvel fans checking this out.  It's a great continuation of the Thor and Marvel universe stories.

12 Years A Slave

12 Years a Slave is based on an incredible true story of one man's fight for survival and freedom. In the pre-Civil War United States, Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery. Facing cruelty (personified by a malevolent slave owner, portrayed by Michael Fassbender), as well as unexpected kindnesses, Solomon struggles not only to stay alive, but to retain his dignity. In the twelfth year of his unforgettable odyssey, Solomon's chance meeting with a Canadian abolitionist (Brad Pitt) will forever alter his life.

This was one of those amazing and beyond emotional movies about a period of time (12 years obviously) in a man's life.  The trials and tribulations of this man showed the absolute worst and best in fellow human beings.  There were numerous beyond uncomfortable scenes of slavery and phenomenal acting throughout the movie.  This movie will absolutely end up on most top ten lists at the end of the year and get a bunch of Oscar nominations.  The only knock I would make against this movie is that there were too many of the artsy staring off deep in thought type of moments.  Outside of that it was an amazing movie.

I would absolutely recommend everyone checking out this movie. The realistic gruesomeness is rough to watch at times but the movie was excellent.

Ender's Game

In the near future, a hostile alien race called the Formics have attacked Earth. If not for the legendary heroics of International Fleet Commander Mazer Rackham (Ben Kingsley), all would have been lost. In preparation for the next attack, the highly esteemed Colonel Hyrum Graff (Harrison Ford) and the International Military are training only the best young minds to find the future Mazer.  Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield), a shy but strategically brilliant boy, is recruited to join the elite. Arriving at Battle School, Ender quickly and easily masters increasingly difficult challenges and simulations, distinguishing himself and winning respect amongst his peers. Ender is soon ordained by Graff as the military's next great hope, resulting in his promotion to Command School. Once there, he's trained by Mazer Rackham himself to lead his fellow soldiers into an epic battle that will determine the future of Earth and save the human race.

I thought this was a really good movie in terms of sci-fi standards.  They did a great job of taking you to the world where the story took place in.  You felt connected to the story and the characters and you were definitely interested in where it would take you.  I also liked the tapping of the children as our potential soldiers/generals based on how they were able to see things develop during battle.  It's a pretty direct link to first person video games and online play that really have taken our younger generations to a different way of seeing things based on their "game play".  I can't really do into too much detail without giving away certain things that deliver quite well as the movie plays out.  I wish that I would have read the book or books that this is based on because I feel I would have enjoyed it even more. 

I would recommend this movie to fans of sci-fi.  Its definitely not a movie for all because of its specific subject matter, but it is an enjoyable watch for its target audience.

Bad Grandpa

86-year-old Irving Zisman is on a journey across America with the most unlikely companions, his 8-year-old Grandson Billy in Bad Grandpa. This October, the signature Jackass character Irving Zisman (Johnny Knoxville) and Billy (Jackson Nicholl) will take movie audiences along for the most insane hidden camera road trip ever captured on camera. Along the way, Irving will introduce the young and impressionable Billy to people, places and situations that give new meaning to the term childrearing. The duo will encounter male strippers, disgruntled child beauty pageant contestants (and their equally disgruntled mothers), funeral home mourners, biker bar patrons and a whole lot of unsuspecting citizens.

This movie was split in half for me.  I loved the prank scenes like always.  Some were simple and the reactions to them made me laugh my ass off.  These were the types of things that I always loved about Jackass.  Some were a little gross and/or sexual but they were much more tame than usual so I even enjoyed those.  The only bad thing about the movie is that instead of a series of pranks, they tried to make it an overall legit movie about the grandpa bonding with the son.  So any time they were on that track, I found myself bored and just wanting them to get back to pranks becuase these two characters are already established as fictional masters of prank.  Why would I feel any sort of emotional connection to their "story"? 

I would still recommend anyone that likes the Jackass show/movies check this out because there are some really big laughs in it.  Just be warned that this is a lot more like Dictator with Sasha Baron Cohen where the "story" of the movie gets annoying inbetween the laughs.

Machete Kills

Danny Trejo returns as ex-Federale agent Machete, who is recruited by the President of the United States for a mission which would be impossible for any mortal man - he must take down a madman revolutionary and an eccentric billionaire arms dealer who has hatched a plan to spread war and anarchy across the planet.

Just like the first movie, this is one of those it is what it is movie.  In terms of those 70s grind house type movies, this is great.  Totally over the top acting with really cheesy story and action.  If you like those types of  movies, I'm sure you will enjoy the filming style and silliness of it all.

I would only recommend this to people that specifically enjoy these types of movies.  If you don't or have not seen any movies of this "genre", I don't think you should touch this movie with a ten foot pole.

Escape Plan

One of the world's foremost authorities on structural security agrees to take on one last job: breaking out of an ultra-secret, high-tech facility called "The Tomb." Deceived and wrongly imprisoned, Ray Breslin (Sylvester Stallone) must recruit fellow inmate Emil Rottmayer (Arnold Schwarzenegger) to help devise a daring, nearly impossible plan to escape from the most protected and fortified prison ever built.

This is yet another throw back wannabe 80s action movies from two guys that really need to let go.  This movie is formula from beginning to end. You could walk out of the theater for like 20 minutes and come back and I guarantee you that you didn't miss anything and can still be well aware of where the story is and is going to go.  Stallone was much better in this than Schwartzenegger but its just sad watching these guys trying to hold on.  I've said it before and I'll say it again - The Expendables was only good because they didn't take themselves serious and were very tongue in cheek about the movies that they made a career out of.  When they attempt to take themselves seriously - it ends up just being painful.

I wouldn't really recommend anyone checking this out.  Even those of you that are big fans of throwback 80s movies will probably still find this movie dull, forced and formula. 

Carrie

A reimagining of the classic horror tale about Carrie White (Chloe Grace Moretz), a shy girl outcast by her peers and sheltered by her deeply religious mother (Julianne Moore), who unleashes telekinetic terror on her small town after being pushed too far at her senior prom. 

Yeah - this is pretty much total garbage.  I was never that big a fan of the original movie or any of the pointless remakes or sequels to it.  This was probably the worst of them all because I would think that a modern version of this story could at least look better.  But no.  They thought it would be better to make it look 1970s like.  Ugh.

Don't see this.  Don't ever see this.  Total waste of time.

Captain Phillips

Captain Phillips stars Tom Hanks in the true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years.

This was a really intense movie.  The direction kept you on the edge of your seat the whole time and it was great to see Tom Hanks back in a role that you could really get behind and care about.  Even knowing how the story was going to play out because of it being a true story didn't remotely make you more comfortable with how the story was playing out simply because the level of intensity and especially the filming style in the cramped space of the life boat thing. 

I absolutely recommend people checking this movie out.  It's definitely one of the best movies of the year and a great return to true prominence for Tom Hanks as far as I'm concerned.

Runner Runner

Princeton grad student Richie (Justin Timberlake), believing he's been swindled, travels to Costa Rica to confront online gambling tycoon Ivan Block (Ben Affleck). Richie is seduced by Block's promise of immense wealth, until he learns the disturbing truth about his benefactor. When the FBI tries to coerce Richie to help bring down Block, Richie faces his biggest gamble ever: attempting to outmaneuver the two forces closing in on him.

Was this movie beyond predictable at every turn?  Absolutely.  Did it follow the nice, pretty path where the protagonist beats the antagonist?  Absolutely.  Was it still somewhat enjoyable?  Yes.  Granted if you go into this with any kind of high expectations, you will be disappointed.  I did not so it ended up being a pretty decent watch.  Timberlake was his usual charismatic self and Ben Affleck was pretty entertaining as the over the top "bad" guy. 

I wouldn't outright recommend this movie for everyone.  There are definitely better movies out there that you could be seeing.  However, this wasn't a total waste of time . . . . . with your expectations being in check.

Gravity

Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) is a brilliant medical engineer on her first shuttle mission, with veteran astronaut Matt Kowalsky (George Clooney) in command of his last flight before retiring. But on a seemingly routine spacewalk, disaster strikes. The shuttle is destroyed, leaving Stone and Kowalsky completely alone--tethered to nothing but each other and spiraling out into the blackness. The deafening silence tells them they have lost any link to Earth...and any chance for rescue. As fear turns to panic, every gulp of air eats away at what little oxygen is left. But the only way home may be to go further out into the terrifying expanse of space.

This was one of the most stunning visual movies I've ever seen.  The way that it was filmed made it feel as if you were out in space with Sandra Bullock.  The pacing of the movie between being out in space all alone and the beyond intense scenes of action when the orbiting shrapnel attacked the satellites made you go back and forth between total desperation and sitting on the edge of your seat.  And even though this movie was so well done artistically, they didn't get wrapped up in an overdone running time.  The movie was a perfectly paced/timed 90 minutes and the end result was easily one of the best movies of the year.

I would absolutely recommend everyone checking this out.  It is pretty much a must see and a truly excellent job of film making in every way. 

Battle Of The Year

Battle of the Year is an international dance crew tournament that attracts all the best teams from around the world, but the Americans haven't won in fifteen years. Los Angeles Hip Hop mogul Dante (Alonso) wants to put the country that started the Sport back on top. He enlists his hard-luck friend Blake (Holloway), who was a championship basketball coach, to coach his team. Armed with the theory that the right coach can make any team champions, they assemble a Dream Team of all the best dancers across the country. With only three months until Battle of the Year, Blake has to use every tactic he knows to get twelve talented individuals to come together as a team if they're going to bring the Trophy back to America where it started.

This is a textbook underdog movie with dancing.  It's pretty much Step Up 5 with an all guy dance crew.  You have the troubled but excellent coach dealing with demons and a cast of guys that either have to work really hard, are crazy talented but need to embrace the team and Yada yada yada.  It's formula in every way.  Some of the dance scenes were pretty impressive but the movie really isn't anything to write home about.

I really wouldn't recommend anyone bothering with this movie.  If you saw the trailer, you saw the movie.

Rush

Set against the sexy and glamorous golden age of Formula 1 racing, Rush portrays the exhilarating true story of two of the greatest rivals the world has ever witnessed—handsome English playboy Hunt and his methodical, brilliant opponent, Lauda. Taking us into their personal lives on and off the track, Rush follows the two drivers as they push themselves to the breaking point of physical and psychological endurance, where there is no shortcut to victory and no margin for error. If you make one mistake, you die.

This felt at times like a Formula One version of Days Of Thunder.  You saw how the two drivers grew up professionally and personally on two very different paths.  The back and forth between them was great and even though the movie was advertised so heavily about Chris Hemsworth, the actor that played Lauda was more enjoyable and I found myself rooting for him much more.  The intensity of the racing scenes was great and the camera work was amazing at points. 

I would recommend people check this movie out.  It's not a must see by any means but it was a very enjoyable character drama.  I have never been a racing fan but I would have to think that if it got me into it that any racing fans would love this movie.

Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs 2

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 picks up where the first comedy left off. Inventor Flint Lockwood thought he saved the world when he destroyed his most infamous invention -- a machine that turned water into food causing cheeseburger rain and spaghetti tornadoes. But Flint soon learns that his invention survived and is now creating food-animals – "foodimals!" Flint and his friends embark on a dangerously delicious mission to battle hungry tacodiles, shrimpanzees, hippotatomuses, cheespiders and other foodimals to save the world – again!

While this movie took a little too long to get Flint and crew to the island with the foodimals, it was still,just as funny as the first one.  Adults are totally able to enjoy the movie as much as the kids because of the quick humor throughout the movie.  The pronounciation of the food making machine will never get old.  

I would definitely recommend anyone who enjoyed the first one check this movie out.  Parents will enjoy taking their kids to the movies for this one.

Baggage Claim

Determined to get engaged before her youngest sister's wedding, flight attendant Montana Moore (Paula Patton) finds herself with only 30 days to find Mr. Right. Using her airline connections to "accidentally" meet up with eligible ex-boyfriends and scour for potential candidates, she racks up more than 30,000 miles and countless comedic encounters, all the while searching for the perfect guy.

This was pretty much a total formula romantic comedy.  There is nothing that happens that you don't see coming a mile away.  Most of the humor is provided by the main characters sidekicks.  It's not a bad movie but it's not really a good watch either.  

I wouldn't really recommend people rushing to see this movie.  It's a somewhat decent watch but definitely falls under the dime a dozen romantic comedies.

Prisoners

Keller Dover is facing every parent's worst nightmare. His 6-year-old daughter and her young friend are missing, and as minutes turn to hours, panic sets in. The only lead is a dilapidated RV that had been parked on their street. Heading the investigation, Detective Loki arrests its driver, but a lack of evidence forces the only suspect's release. Knowing his child's life is at stake, the frantic Dover decides he has no choice but to take matters into his own hands. The desperate father will do whatever it takes to find the girls, but in doing so, may lose himself, begging the question: When do you cross the line between seeking justice and becoming a vigilante?

This was a great movie.  Great acting across the board and a realistic story.  You could relate to all of the characters reactions to this very traumatic event.  You get very hooked and tuned in to the movie the whole time wanting to see how it will all play out.  There were a couple of twists and turns that kept you on your toes although I was able to figure out the main twist way in advance.  There are two big knocks against this movie though.  First, the movie was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too long.  There was no need for the movie to be two and a half hours long.  Two hours maybe.  Possibly even less.  As much as you were hooked by the movie, you totally felt how long it was.  Secondly, the movie literally ended in the middle of a scene.  Won't give anything away but the detective hears something, turns to look and the credits begin.  Very strange.  Like I said - the movie was more than long enough and then they end it so abruptly?  It made no sense.

I would still recommend this movie because of how good it was overall.  Anyone who loves character dramas or procedural shows like Criminal Minds will undoubtedly enjoy this movie.

Insidious Chapter 2

The famed horror team of director James Wan and writer Leigh Whannell reunite with the original cast of Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye, Barbara Hershey and Ty Simpkins in Insidious Chapter 2, a terrifying sequel to the acclaimed horror film, which follows the haunted Lambert family as they seek to uncover the mysterious childhood secret that has left them dangerously connected to the spirit world.

Insidious scared me more than any movie in a long, long time.  Like lose sleep because of shadows in the corner kind of sleep.  This movie was just as good as the first one, if not better because of the story development incorporating the first and even giving you more background information prior to that movie.  The going back and forth between the three times was done very fluidly and actually made the movie, and the scary moments, that much better.  I absolutely had to pull my hat down so I was only watching the bottom third of the screen numerous times because I was trying to protect myself from shitting my pants.  It didn't even help 3-4 times because I still jumped in my seat.  The only knock I'll make against the movie is that they did a great job providing closure but then threw on a pointless open ending since there will obviously be a Chapter 3 since Hollywood doesn't know how to leave well enough alone.

I would absolutely recommend anyone that liked the first one see this one.  You will  not be disappointed.  If you have not seen either and like a good scare, you should definitely go check out both of them.

The Family

In the dark action comedy The Family, a mafia boss and his family are relocated to a sleepy town in France under the witness protection program after snitching on the mob. Despite the best efforts of Agent Stansfield (Tommy Lee Jones) to keep them in line, Fred Manzoni (Robert DeNiro), his wife Maggie (Michelle Pfeiffer) and their children Belle (Dianna Agron) and Warren (John D’Leo) can't help but revert to old habits and blow their cover by handling their problems the “family” way, enabling their former mafia cronies to track them down. Chaos ensues as old scores are settled in the unlikeliest of settings in this darkly funny film by Luc Besson ("Taken," "Transporter").

Was this movie supposed to be a comedy?  Or a drama?  Or an action movie?  It really couldn't decide and ended up going back and forth way too much.  This pretty much ruined the movie and made it be one of those movies that are just kind of there.  The climactic scene was great but the movie was way to scattered for the 90 minutes prior.

I wouldn't recommend anyone bothering with this movie.  It had some decent moments but nothing but muddled mess outside of them.

Riddick

The infamous Riddick has been left for dead on a sun-scorched planet that appears to be lifeless. Soon, however, he finds himself fighting for survival against alien predators more lethal than any human he's encountered. The only way off is for Riddick to activate an emergency beacon and alert mercenaries who rapidly descend to the planet in search of their bounty.  The first ship to arrive carries a new breed of merc, more lethal and violent, while the second is captained by a man whose pursuit of Riddick is more personal. With time running out and a storm on the horizon that no one could survive, his hunters won't leave the planet without Riddick's head as their trophy.

This was a great movie for what it was supposed to be.  It is a majorly testosterone fueled movie about a bunch of thugs arguing with each other and then having to fight together against the alien inhabitants on the planet.  There was just enough story that kept you interested in the characters and there was much more continuity with the two previous entries in this franchise than I expected and the alien makeup/design is still some of the better work out of any recent attempts to capture that look/feel from the Aliens franchise.

If you liked either of the first two movies based on the Riddick character, you should definitely like this one.  I wasn't really a fan of The Chronicles Of Riddick but loved Pitch Black.  This was much more like Pitch Black thankfully.  

Getaway

Getaway is an action thriller in which former race car driver Brent Magna (Ethan Hawke) is pitted against the clock. Desperately trying to save the life of his kidnapped wife, Brent commandeers a custom Shelby Cobra Mustang, taking it and its unwitting owner (Selena Gomez) on a high-speed race against time, at the command of the mysterious villain holding his wife hostage.

This was one of the most pointless movies I've ever seen.  I got excited at first because the movie pretty much jumped right out of the gates with the driving and I figured that they would get to the backstory later.  But . . . . . . there really wasn't any backstory.  It all just happened randomly.  And then Selena Gomez got in the car.  She has pretty much catapulted to the top of my annoying actor/actress list.  Her being in a movie is pretty much a guaranteed Bottom 10 of the year spot.  She was just plain awful and the movie played out like a videogame while having to watch the two of them in the car.  It's really a shame that Jon Voight (or basically just his voice) was in this movie because I'm loving him so much right now in Ray Donovan (anyone not watching that tv show REALLY should be) and this movie is the type of stink that will stick to to those in it for a long time.

I wouldn't recommend anyone bothering with this.  It was incredibly painful and I was begging WW to leave twenty minutes in and for the rest of the movie.

You're Next

You're Next reinvents the genre by putting a fresh twist on home-invasion horror. When a gang of masked, ax-wielding murderers descend upon the Davison family reunion, the hapless victims seem trapped...until an unlikely guest of the family proves to be the most talented killer of all.

This movie started out pretty damn awesome.  It was intense and definitely made you jump a couple of times so you were good if you're a fan of that.  There was definite gore in the killings for fans of that.  I thought this was going to be one of those random quietly released horror movies that is a million times better than the massively advertised ones.  And then they started with a "story" and had the need for twists that weren't too hard to figure out before they happened and the movie pretty much fell right into the toilet.  It was very disappointing because the first half of it was great.

I wouldn't recommend anyone wasting their time with this.  It basically became a homemade scary/horror movie that tried to be too smart for its own good.

The World's End

Director Edgar Wright and actors Simon Pegg and Nick Frost reunite for a third film following the successes Shaun of the Dead (2004) and Hot Fuzz (2007). In The World's End, 20 years after attempting an epic pub crawl, five childhood friends reunite when one of them becomes hellbent on trying the drinking marathon again. They are convinced to stage an encore by Gary King (Simon Pegg), a 40-year-old man trapped at the cigarette end of his teens, who drags his reluctant pals to their hometown and once again attempts to reach the fabled pub – The World's End. As they attempt to reconcile the past and present, they realize the real struggle is for the future, not just theirs but humankind's. Reaching The World's End is the least of their worries.

As a whole, this movie is beyond silly and completely pointless.  However, I really like watching Simon Pegg and Nick Frost together.  They just make me laugh regardless of what is happening in the movie or how over the top it goes.  Their chemistry is priceless and always hits me as funny. 

Breaking it down to recommendation - I would say that if you feel the same way as I do about their previous offerings - then you should check this movie out.  If you never saw any of their previous offerings there really isn't a reason to start now and if you didn't like them - you will definitely not like this one.

Planes

From above the world of Cars comes Planes, an action-packed animated comedy adventure featuring Dusty (voice of Dane Cook), a plane with dreams of competing as a high-flying air racer. But Dusty’s not exactly built for racing—and he happens to be afraid of heights. So he turns to a seasoned naval aviator who helps Dusty qualify to take on the defending champ of the race circuit. Dusty's courage is put to the ultimate test as he aims to reach heights he never dreamed possible, giving a spellbound world the inspiration to soar.

This movie is basically the "stories" of Cars and Cars 2 mushed into one and they are flying instead of driving.  That's really it.  There is not much else to say about this.  It was originally going to a straight to DVD release before Disney realized that they could make more money releasing this at the end of summer when there isn't much other family fare out there and make a bunch of money off of 3D pricing when parents have to take their kids to it.  Pixar's name isn't even on this.

I wouldn't recommend anyone wasting their time with this movie.  It's a blatant waste of time and just for young kids.  Wait until its on dvd and put it on for them then so you don't get stuck having to watch it.

The Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones

Set in contemporary New York City, a seemingly ordinary teenager, Clary Fray (Lily Collins), discovers she is the descendant of a line of Shadowhunters, a secret cadre of young half-angel warriors locked in an ancient battle to protect our world from demons. After the disappearance of her mother (Lena Headey), Clary must join forces with a group of Shadowhunters, who introduce her to a dangerous alternate New York called Downworld, filled with demons, warlocks, vampires, werewolves and other deadly creatures. Based on the worldwide best-selling book series.

I expected this movie to basically be Twilightish because of the whole teen/young adult reading connection and what not. For the first half of the movie, I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't like that at all. They did a good job of setting up the story and the pacing was really good with all the information needed to properly establish everything. Then, about halfway through the movie, it flipped very hard core into the Twilightish realm I was expecting and it really slowed the movie down for about 1/2 hour before picking up again with tons of crazy action at the end with the shadow hunters and werewolves fighting the demons.

I would actually recommend people checking this out though. Even though there is the Twilight vibe for parts of it, the movie did a great job of creating this world with all the different supernatural types are involved and established a lot of connections between the main characters that could lead to some interesting payoffs be it in the books they are based on or future installments of the movie.