I, Frankenstein

 

Set in a dystopic present where vigilant gargoyles and ferocious demons rage in a battle for ultimate power, Victor Frankenstein's creation Adam (Aaron Eckhart) finds himself caught in the middle as both sides race to discover the secret to his immortality.

This was a decent movie for what it was meant to be.  Is it good?  No its not good.  It's not that kind of movie.  It is a Frankenstein version of Underworld basically and it pulls off what it intended to.  Demons vs Gargoyles with Frankenstein in the middle.  The effects were good enough that they didn't look corny.  The movie was definitely short enough that you didn't get bored.  The story was simple enough that you basically just enjoyed all the confrontations.  It is one of those movie that is good for what it was supposed to be.

I would recommend this movie to people that like these kinds of movies.  Its a decent enough watch since it doesn't go too overboard with taking itself seriously and just puts on a good quick story with lots of action.

The Legend Of Hercules

 

In the origin story, The Legend of Hercules, Kellan Lutz stars as the mythical Greek hero - the son of Zeus, a half-god, half-man blessed with extraordinary strength. Betrayed by his stepfather, the King, and exiled and sold into slavery because of a forbidden love, Hercules must use his formidable powers to fight his way back to his rightful kingdom. Through harrowing battles and gladiator-arena death matches, Hercules embarks on a legendary odyssey to overthrow the King and restore peace to the land.

This is pretty much the exact piece of poop that you thought it would be from the commercial.  They mixed in a knockoff action scene from 300, a knockoff arena scene from Gladiator and a big knockoff speech from Braveheart together and put it through the 3D machine so that they can get extra money out of it and released it in the beginning of January where nothing good ever gets released. 

I wouldn't recommend anyone wasting their time or money on this.  It's a joke that this was even released in theaters and criminal for anyone to pay in the ballpark of $15 to watch it.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

 

Based on the Jack Ryan character created by bestselling author Tom Clancy, the film is a contemporary action thriller set in the present day. The original story, written by David Koepp, follows a young Jack as he uncovers a financial terrorist plot.

This was a decent watch of a movie.  The problem is that every "twist" was beyond predictable and the movie was formula in every way.  I thought Chris Pine was great as Jack Ryan and I actually thought Kevin Costner was the best part of the movie.  Kenneth Brannagh was pretty crappy as the lead villain and was beyond stereotypical in every way as an 80s-ish Russian bad guy.  There wasn't a lot of action except for a couple of scenes and they were all pretty basic just like the rest of the movie.

I would somewhat recommend people checking this out.  It's not a bad watch but its not a great watch either.  Its a movie that belongs in the late 80s/early 90s in terms of the level of "suspense".  I'm thinking they should kind of go ahead and leave this franchise alone.

The Nut Job

 

The Nut Job is an action-packed comedy in fictional Oakton that follows the travails of Surly (voiced by Will Arnett), a mischievous squirrel, and his rat friend Buddy, who plan a nut store heist of outrageous proportions and unwittingly find themselves embroiled in a much more complicated and hilarious adventure.

I really have next to nothing to say about this movie.  It is definitely not one of the animated movies that adults will like as much as the children.  It's basically a weak and should have been direct to dvd attempt at an Over The Hedge rip off.  And if it wasn't for the randomness of Psy's Gangham Style (how does this song not get old for me!?!), we would have left the theater annoyed.  Instead, my friend and his daughter left cracking up about a song that is a year old and animated characters dancing to it.

I wouldn't recommend anyone wasting their time with this.  I know that there really isn't anything fresh out there for families to go check out, but you are much better off waiting for whatever the next animated entry will be.

Ride Along

 

For the past two years, high-school security guard Ben (Hart) has been trying to show decorated APD detective James (Cube) that he's more than just a video-game junkie who's unworthy of James' sister, Angela (Tika Sumpter). When Ben finally gets accepted into the academy, he thinks he's earned the seasoned policeman's respect and asks for his blessing to marry Angela.  Knowing that a ride along will demonstrate if Ben has what it takes to take care of his sister, James invites him on a shift designed to scare the hell out of the trainee. But when the wild night leads them to the most notorious criminal in the city, James will find that his new partner's rapid-fire mouth is just as dangerous as the bullets speeding at it.

I love Kevin Hart.  I find the guy absolutely hysterical.  I will gladly watch him rant/babble on and on.  It never gets old to me.  Pairing him with Ice Cube was perfect and they played off of each other very well.  The movie is pretty much a formula buddy cop type of movie but I still enjoyed it throughout because of Kevin Hart. 

I'd recommend this movie to people.  It's not a must see but it is very entertaining.  And if you are a fan of Kevin Hart, you will like it that much more.

Devil's Due

 

After a mysterious, lost night on their honeymoon, a newlywed couple finds themselves dealing with an earlier-than-planned pregnancy. While recording everything for posterity, the husband begins to notice odd behavior in his wife that they initially write off to nerves, but, as the months pass, it becomes evident that the dark changes to her body and mind have a much more sinister origin.

I'm officially begging Hollywood to stop with the found footage movies.  Paranormal Activity was an original and very well done and the formula has now been beyond beaten to death over the course of four years.  This movie is no different than the others.  It's only 90 minutes long but pretty much NOTHING happens for the first hour.  Its the same occasional sound, occasional appearance in a doorway cheap scare tactics.  Its a bunch of character build up that you really don't care about.  And then there is some creepy stuff for about 10 minutes and total chaos for the last 5 to 10 minutes and the credits come on.  Oh wait - they then have to of course set it up for another one because these stories are never complete. 

I don't recommend anyone bothering with this.  There are much better options out there and this is not worth your time or money.

Inside Llewyn Davis

 

LLewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac) is at a crossroads. Guitar in tow, huddled against the unforgiving New York winter, he is struggling to make it as a musician against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, some of them of his own making. Living at the mercy of both friends and strangers, scaring up what work he can find, Llewyn's misadventures take him from the baskethouses of the Village to an empty Chicago club on an odyssey to audition for a music mogul and back again.

This is one of those movies that I feel was just way too overhyped by the critics.  I've never been too big of a fan of the Coen Brothers work and it seems like they could take a dump on film and throw it on a screen and critics will say it's one of the best movies of the year.  It's not that I didn't enjoy the movie.  Honestly, I liked this one more than most.  It was a simple movie following one man's struggles.  Was there a point?  Not really?  Was the acting top notch?  Not really.  It was a decent watch about trying to break through in the music business.  That's it.  None of this should have been nominated for best picture nonsense.  I'll never understand the Coen Brothers obsession.

I would somewhat recommend this movie.  It is a decent watch and kept my attention more than I thought it would to be honest.  I didn't find it remotely as great at the critical acclaim its been getting though.  But then again - I rarely do with the Coen Brothers.

Dallas Buyers Club

 

Matthew McConaughey stars in Dallas Buyers Club as real-life Texas cowboy Ron Woodroof, whose free-wheeling life was overturned in 1985 when he was diagnosed as HIV-positive and given 30 days to live. These were the early days of the AIDS epidemic, and the U.S. was divided over how to combat the virus. Ron, now shunned and ostracized by many of his old friends, and bereft of government-approved effective medicines, decided to take matters in his own hands, tracking down alternative treatments from all over the world by means both legal and illegal. Bypassing the establishment, the entrepreneurial Woodroof joined forces with an unlikely band of renegades and outcasts - who he once would have shunned - and established a hugely successful buyers club.  Their shared struggle for dignity and acceptance is a uniquely American story of the transformative power of resilience.

This is easily Matthew McConaughey's best role in his career.  He was so physically and mentally into this role and it showed.  It was weird going back to the start of AIDS and how ignorant all the thinking was and seeing his character deal with it.  Then it was even better to watch this person adjust to the cards he had been dealt and to completely change his ways and accept people that he otherwise would have had nothing to do with.  It was also amazing how dedicated he was to saving himself and others around him and wouldn't accept any government red tape answers of no. 

I would absolutely recommend that people check this movie out.  It is a great story with awesome acting.  You really get hooked by it all and rooting for him and him bypassing the system to help others.

Blue Jasmine

 

Blue Jasmine is the story of the final stages of an acute crisis and a life of a fashionable New York housewife. 

I have never really been a fan of Woody Allen movies.  I can't really put my finger on it.  They just tend to not interest me.  The one thing that he does incredibly well though are character studies.  And this was a prime example of him at his finest.  Cate Blanchett's character in this movie is an upper class houswife who's phony life comes crashing down around her and you watch her try to struggle with accepting it and moving on while there is something clearly off about her.  She deserves all the accolades she has gotten from critics as her acting is phenomenal.  The weirdest part is that you go back and forth between not liking her and hoping that she is able to work through everything and come out okay. 

I would recommend people check this out.  It's not a must see by any means, but it is a great character and Woddy Allen's character portrayal at its finest.

All Is Lost

 

Robert Redford stars in All Is Lost, an open-water thriller about one man's battle for survival against the elements after his sailboat is destroyed at sea.  The film is a gripping, visceral and powerfully moving tribute to ingenuity and resilience. Deep into a solo voyage in the Indian Ocean, an unnamed man (Redford) wakes to find his 39-foot yacht taking on water after a collision with a shipping container left floating on the high seas. With his navigation equipment and radio disabled, the man sails unknowingly into the path of a violent storm. Despite his success in patching the breached hull, his mariner's intuition, and a strength that belies his age, the man barely survives the tempest.  Using only a sextant and nautical maps to chart his progress, he is forced to rely on ocean currents to carry him into a shipping lane in hopes of hailing a passing vessel. But with the sun unrelenting, sharks circling and his meager supplies dwindling, the ever-resourceful sailor soon finds himself staring his mortality in the face.

This movie was one of the quietest intense movies ever.  There really is no speaking in it and all emotions are shown via Redford's facial expressions and body demeanor.  I have never been a fan of being on the water and this movie is a prime example why.  The playing out of his experience continues to get dreary and drearier and it is a real testament to Redford's silent action and the direction of the film that at no point do you get bored of it.

I would recommend people checking this movie out.  It is very well made and acted and has one hell of a hook to it that doesn't let go even though every part of it is so simple.

Enough Said

 

A divorced and single parent, Eva (Julia Louis Dreyfus) spends her days enjoying work as a masseuse but dreading her daughter's impending departure for college. She meets Albert (James Gandolfini) - a sweet, funny and like-minded man also facing an empty nest. As their romance quickly blossoms, Eva befriends Marianne (Catherine Keener), her new massage client. Marianne is a beautiful poet who seems "almost perfect" except for one prominent quality: she rags on her ex-husband way too much. Suddenly, Eva finds herself doubting her own relationship with Albert as she learns the truth about Marianne's Ex. Enough Said is a sharp, insightful comedy that humorously explores the mess that often comes with getting involved again.

This movie was like a 5 or 6 episode of a television show on dating.  Great characters.  Great chemistry.  And a really funny development spiraling out of control for the Julie Louis Dreyfus.  As much as I loved The Sopranos, I thought that James Gandolfini was overhyped after his passing.  This movie showed me how wrong I was as he really had such a great on screen presence and aura about him outside of being Tony Soprano and I will actually miss him more now after seeing this movie.

I would definitely recommend people checking out this movie.  It's a very cute and touching movie about how things so simple can be made so difficult when we get in our own way. 

August: Osage County

 

August: Osage County tells the dark, hilarious and deeply touching story of the strong-willed women of the Weston family, whose lives have diverged until a family crisis brings them back to the Midwest house they grew up in, and to the dysfunctional woman who raised them.

This is one of the most melodramatic/soap opera like movies I have ever seen and I would probably have hated it if it wasn't for the awesome acting by everyone involved.  Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts were awesome in the two leads and they all contributed to portray family disfuntion at its finest.  It was also great to see how this was turned from a play to a movie.  When watching it, you start to realize that almost every scene in the movie happened around the dinner table which was probably the focus of the play on stage.  There were also lots of huge laughs that I wasn't really expecting going in and the movie as a whole would have been much more enjoyable with those along with the excellent acting if the drama wasn't so heavy. 

I would somewhat recommend people checking this movie out.  Like I said - it's a very well acted story about family but there is barely any major subject matters that this family doesn't deal with on some level and its just a bit too much all together.

Her

 

Set in Los Angeles, slightly in the future, Her follows Theodore Twombly, a complex, soulful man who makes his living writing touching, personal letters for other people. Heartbroken after the end of a long relationship, he becomes intrigued with a new, advanced operating system, which promises to be an intuitive entity in its own right, individual to each user. Upon initiating it, he is delighted to meet "Samantha," a bright, female voice, who is insightful, sensitive and surprisingly funny. As her needs and desires grow, in tandem with his own, their friendship deepens into an eventual love for each other. From the unique perspective of Oscar-nominated filmmaker Spike Jonze comes an original love story that explores the evolving nature and the risks of intimacy in the modern world.

This was one weird movie.  Two things kept it afloat.  First is the commentary on society's dependence/love of their technological gadgets.  As silly or crazy as this movie seemed at times, you had to think to yourself how connected you are in today's world to your device/devices.  His reaction at one point when he thinks it's broken and "she" is gone is so spot on to how people react when their phone is broken.  The other thing is that Joaquin Phoenix just goes so all in with all his movies.  As quirky and weird as the whole thing was - he kept you interested because of how deep his portrayal of this role was. 

I would somewhat recommend this movie to people.  I wouldn't agree with the critics putting this at the top of the year lists and what not.  Great acting by Phoenix but not a must see movie by any means.

Lone Survivor

Based on The New York Times bestselling true story of heroism, courage and survival, Lone Survivor tells the incredible tale of four Navy SEALs on a covert mission to neutralize a high-level al-Qaeda operative who are ambushed by the enemy in the mountains of Afghanistan. Faced with an impossible moral decision, the small band is isolated from help and surrounded by a much larger force of Taliban ready for war. As they confront unthinkable odds together, the four men find reserves of strength and resilience as they stay in the fight to the finish.  Mark Wahlberg stars as Marcus Luttrell, the author of the first-person memoir, whose book has become a motivational resource for its lessons on how the power of the human spirit is tested when we are pushed beyond our mental and physical limits. Starring alongside Wahlberg as the other members of the SEAL team are Taylor Kitsch, Emile Hirsch and Ben Foster.

Wow!  This was an amazingly real feeling movie.  It was equal parts adrenaline pumping madness and tough as hell to watch.  The four main performances were amazing and knowing that this was all based on a true story makes me have even more respect than I already did for the US armed forces.  I have not been this blown away by a war movie since Black Hawk Down and I feel very much the same way right now as I did then.  

This movie should be seen by all.  Like I said - it is not an easy watch.  But it is an amazing cinematic  portrayal of our soldiers in a major crisis and a testament to their courage and resilience.

Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones

This spin-off from the "Paranormal Activity" series focuses on a Latino family.

As you can tell from that joke of a synopsis, this was pretty much just another Paranormal Activity movie.  It had the same home video look/filming.  It had the same slow but creepy build.  It had the same rapid set of scare shots at the end.  But then they did some weird thing with a mystery door that somehow brought you back to the first movie and then the movie quickly ended after that.  Rarely have I heard a theater say what the hell out loud like they did at the end of this one.

Although anyone who is a fan of these movies is going to see this regardless, I wouldn't really recommend anyone bothering to waste their time with this.  It was just more of the same with a very annoying and nonsensical ending that didn't have anything to do with the overall story.

The Ten Best Movies Of 2013

Honorable Mention - Star Trek Into Darkness
JJ Abrams is such an amazing director that he has managed to turn me into a full blown Star Trek fan with this movie and his first one.  The story and action were awesome.  And Bendict Cumberbach put forth a truly career launching performance.

10 - The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug
Much like the first part of The Hobbit last year this was an awesome movie.  I actually liked it a lot more than the first part and the dragon stuff was amazing.  I was very nervous that they would screw the pooch on that one, but they didn't at all.  This movie is still nowhere near Lord Of The Rings level though.

9 - 42
They did such a good job of portraying the racism that Jackie Robinson faced that it was literally uncomfortable to watch it at times.  They did a great job of telling the whole story from lots of different points of view and it featured what might be one of Harrison Ford's greatest acting performances in his career.

8 - Fast & Furious 6
This was the best popcorn movie of the year.  Sure all of it was over the top just like everything else in this franchise but few franchises get me this pumped watching them.  Not as good as the fifth entry but probably the second best of the 6 behind that one.

7 - Captain Phillips
Tom Hanks finally showcased is awesome acting ability again.  This was a very intense movie and he did such a great job of showing that tension physically since so much of the movie was him and his captors crammed in a little emergency boat.  You felt the journey of this character throughout the whole ordeal.

6 - Catching Fire
Wow!!!  This was so much better than the first installment in every way.  It looked better.  The action seqences were better.  The acting by all the awesome supporting actors was highlighted more.  Sure it ended in a frustrating Empire Stikes Back kind of way but I can't wait for the next installment. 

5 - Monsters University
I was very afraid of this movie after how Pixar/Disney really mailed it in with Cars 2 a few years back but this movie was great.  And it pulled off a rarity of making a prequel that works.  This is probably the best one I've ever seen outside of X-Men: First Class and it was great how they showed you all the characters that you were already familiar with while introducing great new ones too. 

4 - The Wolf Of Wall Street
This is one of those movies that was so wrong in so much of the stuff that they put on screen but they did such a great job of showing how completely out of control this lifestyle was and the cost that came with it eventually.  Leonardo DiCaprio's drugged out of his mind scene might be one of the funniest scenes I've ever seen in my life. 

3 - Oldboy
This movie blew my mind.  And I knew the basic outline of it and what not.  But it was so intense and was such a total mindscrew for the main character and the viewers from beginning to end.  I still can't believe that Spike Lee made this movie.  It kills me that this didn't get a wider release and practically nobody saw this.

2 - The Butler
I am by no means a history buff so when a movie comes along and makes me care about historical stuff that speaks volumes.  This movie did just that.  And the presidential terms that this butler lived through made this almost like a Forrest Gump trip though White House history.  Great performances thoughout the movie and an amazing look at family dynamics through changes in society was spot on.

1 - Gravity
This is one of those years where I could go with the best made movie or what is a once a decade movie going experience.  While this movie was very well made, I'm giving it the number one spot based on what an amazing experience this was at the movies.  I was skeptical at best about this movie keeping my attention for the duration of it but based on the ticking clock before the shrapnel did another orbital rotation you were stuck holding your breath and bracing for the craziness to happen all over again.  This is only the third movie that I would say was worth seeing in 3D since the whole price jacking con job started.  Visually it took this movie to a whole other level.

The Ten Worst Movies Of 2013

Dishonorable Mentiion - The Curse Of Chucky

This was a straight to DVD movie but that doesn't excuse blatantly beating a dead horse.  Why is Hollywood so unable to leave things alone?  I literally watched the whole movie with an annoyed look on my face.

10 - Scary Movie 5
This could basically be explained by the same comments above except this one got a wide release in theaters.  Please stop making these.

9 - The Hangover Part III
It kills me how the first one is one of the funniest movies ever and this one was so God awful.  The only positive of this movie was how disappointed people were by the second one causing them to pass on this one.  I wish I was one of them.

8 - The Last Stand
Arnold needs to stick to Expendables movies.  Trying to pump out 80s type movies and not in a mocking way is just insulting.  The ship has sailed, fella.

7 - Bullet To The Head
Stallone - please see the above notes to your buddy, Arnold.

6 - Getaway
First of two entries on the list from Selena Gomez.  This movie was an awful extension of a driving video game.  How was Ethan Hawke in this?  And every time Selena Gomez spoke I wanted to throw my soda at the screen.

5 - Texas Chainsaw 3D
As if the movie getting relaunched or rebooted or repackaged for the 700th time, they decided to add in the most absurd twist ever.  Leatherface is just misunderstood and reacting to bullying.  WHAT!?!?!  Writers sat in a room and said "yeah, let's go with that"?  Unreal.

4 - The Haunting In Connecticut 2: Ghosts In Georgia
This movie wasn't even a sequel.  It had no connection to the first one outside of the sequel.  I kept waiting for a connection and it never happened.  Why the 2?  Just call it Ghosts In Georgia!

3 - The Last Exorcism Part II
Unlike the above movie, this one was connected to the first but nothing happened.  It's an exorcism movie and there was maybe one scene where the possessed girl bugged out.  On top of that there were no legit actors in it and it looked like a couple of high school kids made it.  Worst part was that the movie pretty much just ended in the middle of a scene.  The audience collectively yelled WHAT?

2 - Carrie
Another movie that I don't understand the need to remake or do sequels to.  But I thought maybe they could modernize the movie and maybe it would be decent.  But they didn't.  They literally remade the movie.  What the hell is the point of that!?!?!?  I didn't even bother finishing the movie and pulled the plug halfway through.

1 - Spring Breakers
It has been like 8 months and I still cannot for the life of me figure out why critics loved this movie so much.  The only reason I made it to the end was thinking that it had to get better.  It never did.  James Franco would have been great if this movie was a comedy since the role was ridiculous.  Selena Gomez was awful.  Everything about it was awful.  Honestly, the movie is so bad that I expected the cast at the end to be on screen laughing at the audience for wasting their time and money.  To boot, I will never be able to say Spring Break again without saying it like James Franco's character.