The Magnificent Seven

Director Antoine Fuqua brings his modern vision to a classic story in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures' and Columbia Pictures' The Magnificent Seven. With the town of Rose Creek under the deadly control of industrialist Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard), the desperate townspeople employ protection from seven outlaws, bounty hunters, gamblers and hired guns - Sam Chisolm (Denzel Washington), Josh Farraday (Chris Pratt), Goodnight Robicheaux (Ethan Hawke), Jack Horne (Vincent D'Onofrio), Billy Rocks (Byung-Hun Lee), Vasquez (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), and Red Harvest (Martin Sensmeier). As they prepare the town for the violent showdown that they know is coming, these seven mercenaries find themselves fighting for more than money.

This movie was great for being exactly what it was supposed to be.  This is a popcorn western movie.  There is a bad guy.  A crew gets rounded up to fight him.  Said crew bonds together.  They fight the bad guy.  No extra nonsense.  No pointless filler.  Straight and to the point and a very enjoyable ride.  The cast had great chemistry and you find yourself attaching to several of the characters.  It's exactly what it was supposed to be and that really is a rarity in today's movies.

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.  It's a very enjoyable ride with great on screen chemistry.  

Storks

Storks deliver babies…or at least they used to. Now they deliver packages for global internet giant Cornerstore.com. Junior, the company’s top delivery stork, is about to be promoted when he accidentally activates the Baby Making Machine, producing an adorable and wholly unauthorized baby girl. Desperate to deliver this bundle of trouble before the boss gets wise, Junior and his friend Tulip, the only human on Stork Mountain, race to make their first-ever baby drop – in a wild and revealing journey that could make more than one family whole and restore the storks’ true mission in the world.

This movie was a lot more enjoyable than I thought it would be.  With its September release date I kind of expected one of those family movies that kids like but the adults are tortured through.  This one was plenty fun for the adults as well and the movie had lots of laughs throughout.  It wasn't Pixar or Dreamworks level but it was definitely better than expected.

I would recommend families checking this out.  It was a decent watch for all and is a good family trip to the movies.

Bridget Jones's Baby

After breaking up with Mark Darcy (Firth), Bridget Jones’s (Zellweger) “happily ever after” hasn’t quite gone according to plan. Fortysomething and single again, she decides to focus on her job as top news producer and surround herself with old friends and new. For once, Bridget has everything completely under control. What could possibly go wrong? Then her love life takes a turn and Bridget meets a dashing American named Jack (Dempsey), the suitor who is everything Mr. Darcy is not. In an unlikely twist she finds herself pregnant, but with one hitch… she can only be fifty percent sure of the identity of her baby’s father.

Why is this a movie franchise?  Was there really a demand for another Bridget Jones movie?  Besides the fact that if you saw the trailer you pretty much saw the movie.  There really is nothing more that needs to be said about this rather turdly movie.

I wouldn't recommend anyone bothering with this.  Hopefully that will mean they don't bother making any more of these.

Blair Witch

A group of college students venture into the Black Hills Forest in Maryland to uncover the mysteries surrounding the disappearance of James’ sister who many believe is connected to the legend of the Blair Witch. At first the group is hopeful, especially when a pair of locals offer to act as guides through the dark and winding woods, but as the endless night wears on, the group is visited by a menacing presence. Slowly, they begin to realize the legend is all too real and more sinister than they could have imagined.

This movie was absolutely awful.  I remember seeing the original Blair Witch Project.  It was about a month or more before it was released.  The studio came to my movie theater and asked if they could screen it for the staff.  We had no idca what it was but said sure.  We then sat there and crapped ourselves as we watched the very original and creepy as hell movie with handheld cameras.  The hype then started advertising it as the scariest movie ever and that ruined it for a lot of people because of heightened expectations.  Which is unfortunate because it really was an amazing movie.  Simple as hell but very scary.  Since that movie came out the handheld camera thing has been done to death.  Its now formula for like every other scary movie and tired as hell.  I don't know why I got my hopes up for this relaunch of this movie but it was god awful.  There was nothing scary.  The shaky handheld camera stuff was nonstop and way too much.  The movie was only an hour and 20 minutes long but felt like three hours.  Please just leave well enough alone and don't bother with these movies anymore.

I would absolutely NOT recommend anyone wasting their time or money on this movie.  It was a total waste of time and a massive insult to the greatness that the original Blair Witch Project was.

Snowden

Oliver Stone, who brought "Platoon," "Born on the Fourth of July," "Wall Street" and "JFK" to the big screen, tackles the most important and fascinating true story of the 21st century. Snowden, the politically-charged, pulse-pounding thriller starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Shailene Woodley, reveals the incredible untold personal story of Edward Snowden, the polarizing figure who exposed shocking illegal surveillance activities by the NSA and became one of the most wanted men in the world. He is considered a hero by some, and a traitor by others. No matter which you believe, the epic story of why he did it, who he left behind, and how he pulled it off makes for one of the most compelling films of the year.

I have to give this review an incomplete for now because out of total exhaustion I passed out like 15 minutes in and woke up with about 15 minutes left.  DAMN YOU, COMFY RECLINING CHAIRS!!!   Anywho, the opening and closing both felt very powerful and I know that I felt hooked by the movie even though I had missed most of the it.  I will reference Wonder Woman's thoughts on the movie for an actual perspective.  She loved it.  She was definitely hooked and is still talking about the movie a couple of days later.  It didn't seem like too much of an Oliver Stone movie in that his usual biases come into play and he is showing a specific perspective.  He definitely provided a much more human side of Snowden than we have seen before and you come away from the movie with a much better understanding of everything that happened.

I would definitely recommend people checking this out . . . . . . including myself again so I can see the whole movie.  WW definitely gives it a big thumbs up and I can't wait for it to show up online so I can finish watching it.

When The Bough Breaks

John and Laura Taylor (Morris Chestnut and Regina Hall) are a young, professional couple who desperately want a baby. After exhausting all other options, they finally hire Anna (Jaz Sinclair), the perfect woman to be their surrogate – but as she gets further along in her pregnancy, so too does her psychotic and dangerous fixation on the husband. The couple becomes caught up in Anna’s deadly game and must fight to regain control of their future before it’s too late.

This movie was pretty much a massive waste of time.  It was basically a wannabe Fatal Attraction or Hand That Rocks The Cradle.  If you saw the trailer - you saw the movie.  I wanted to leave after like 20 minutes and thinking about all the other things I could be doing instead of watching this.  There was no suspense.  There was no surprises.  There was nothing positive to say about this movie.

I would not recommend anyone bothering with this total time vacuum and I saw it for free.  The thought of paying for this would lead to me probably having to punch someone in the face.

Sully

On January 15, 2009, the world witnessed the “Miracle on the Hudson” when Captain “Sully” Sullenberger (Hanks) glided his disabled plane onto the frigid waters of the Hudson River, saving the lives of all 155 aboard. However, even as Sully was being heralded by the public and the media for his unprecedented feat of aviation skill, an investigation was unfolding that threatened to destroy his reputation and his career. Clint Eastwood is directing the film from a screenplay by Todd Komarnicki, based on the book "Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters," by Sullenberger and Jeffrey Zaslow.

This was a great movie across the board.  The direction, the acting, the way the story was told were all really top notch.  I was curious to see how they would make this in to a full length movie that wouldn't just tell you the story that you already knew and they did an exceptional job of telling it from the pilot's point of view and in a non-heart string pulling kind of way.  The fact that I enjoyed this movie so much is that much more impressive when you take into account that this story/movie took my biggest fears (flying and birds) and combined them in the most horrible of ways and I was still loving every second of it.  

I would absolutely recommend people checking this out.  It's a great reminder of how awesome Tom Hanks still is and is easily one of the better movies to come out this year.

Florence Foster Jenkins

Set in 1940s New York, Florence Foster Jenkins is the true story of the legendary New York heiress and socialite (Meryl Streep) who obsessively pursued her dream of becoming a great singer. The voice she heard in her head was beautiful, but to everyone else it was hilariously awful. Her "husband" and manager, St. Clair Bayfield (Hugh Grant), an aristocratic English actor, was determined to protect his beloved Florence from the truth. But when Florence decided to give a public concert at Carnegie Hall, St. Clair knew he faced his greatest challenge.

I really didn't get this movie.  Was it a comedy?   Was it a drama?  So she couldn't sing well but thought that she could?   That was it.  I still don't get it.  Why would Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant do this movie?   I would think that there should be much more substance to it, no?   Maybe this is just one of those not my cup of tea type of movies and people that are more familiar with these historical people or time era that it took place in will really like this.   I pretty much sat there for the vast majority of the movie thinking "huh?"

Like I said above - I'm really not sure how to review this one.  It's just kind of there and I have no idea why it was made.  But maybe I'm just ignorant about the times/characters and people that are not would like it more?

The Light Between Oceans

After four harrowing years on the Western Front, Tom Sherbourne returns to Australia and takes a job as the lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock, nearly half a day’s journey from the coast. To this isolated island where the supply boat comes once a season, Tom brings a young, bold, and loving wife, Isabel. Years later, after two miscarriages and one stillbirth, the grieving Isabel hears a baby’s cries on the wind. A boat has washed up onshore carrying a dead man and a living baby.  Tom, who keeps meticulous records and whose moral principles have withstood a horrific war, wants to report the man and infant immediately. But Isabel insists the baby is a “gift from God,” and against Tom’s judgment, they claim her as their own and name her Lucy. When she is two, Tom and Isabel return to the mainland and are reminded that there are other people in the world. Their choice has devastated one of them.

This is one of those truly frustrating movies.  As you are watching it - you know that it is a very well done movie in every way.  Direction, Cinematography, Screenwriting and especially acting.  But regardless of all that - you are just so damn bored throughout the movie.  I felt like I was sitting there for years watching this.  LOL!!!   Again - the performances were great and very powerful especially when they were conveying emotions without talking.  But I couldn't wait for it to end just so I could go home and move on to doing other things.  

I would recommend this movie to people that want to see all the award nominated movies because even though this was released in September, I could definitely see it getting acting nominations at the end of the year.   But it is one of those slowly paced and torturous well done movies.   Be warned.

Morgan

A corporate troubleshooter (Kate Mara) is sent to a remote, top-secret location, where she is to investigate and evaluate a terrifying accident. She learns the event was triggered by a seemingly innocent “human,” who presents a mystery of both infinite promise and incalculable danger.

This was a decent idea with some pretty decent action/story progression.  The problem was that there was no need for this to be a wide release film or honestly to be made at all.  It's not that it's a bad watch.  It is just there.  It's a textbook September release in that you forget about it within 48 hours and that brings you back to why did they spend time even making this?

I wouldn't really recommend anyone bothering with this in theaters.   It's not worth the time and definitely not the money.  It's a decent watch if you have some down time at home when it's on cable or netflix but still no rush in having to see this.

Before I Wake

In this supernatural thriller, Jessie (Kate Bosworth) and Mark (Thomas Jane) decide to take in a sweet and loving 8-year-old boy, Cody. Unbeknownst to them, Cody is terrified of falling asleep. At first, they assume his previous unstable homes caused his aversion to sleep, but soon discover why: Cody's dreams manifest in reality as he sleeps. In one moment they experience the incredible wonder of Cody's imagination, and in the next, the horrific nature of his night terrors. To save their new family, Jessie and Mark embark on a dangerous hunt to uncover the truth behind Cody's nightmares.

This movie was a decent watch.  It had its fair share of creepy images and moments that make you jump.  The problem is that it was missing an emotional hook.  Without that in scary movies you tend to forget about them five minutes after seeing them.  That is the boat that this movie falls into.  Watchable.  Enjoyable at times.  But overall forgettable.

I would not really recommend people spending money to watch this.  It's a decent watch but not good enough for that.  Wait to see it at home for free or something.

Ben-Hur

Ben-Hur is the epic story of Judah Ben-Hur (Jack Huston), a prince falsely accused of treason by his adopted brother Messala (Toby Kebbell), an officer in the Roman army. Stripped of his title, separated from his family and the woman he loves (Nazanin Boniadi), Judah is forced into slavery. After years at sea, Judah returns to his homeland to seek revenge, but finds redemption. Based on Lew Wallace’s timeless novel, "Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ." Also starring Morgan Freeman and Rodrigo Santoro.

This movie wanted to be an epic film but it absolutely was not.  It didn't even really have the budget to be so or it was massively misspent.  The acting wasn't epic.  The action wasn't epic.  The movie ends up just kind of being there.  It's a textbook end of summer type of movie.

I wouldn't really recommend people wasting their time with this.  There are much worse things you could watch but this just really isn't worth your time and definitely not your money.

The Wild Life

From the over-exuberant parrot Tuesday to the snack-obsessed tapir Rosie, from the persnickety echidna Epi to the acrobatic pangolin Pango, from the ditzy goat Scrubby to the commonsensical kingfisher Kiki and the always-cool chameleon Carmello, things are larger-than-life on a tropical isle that is pure wild animal paradise. Then Robinson Crusoe, a marooned human, arrives in the midst of a furious storm, and their lives are forever changed by this bewildering new “creature.” No matter their differences, castaway human and quirky animals embark on an hilarious new adventure, building the island’s first tree-house and surviving together. But when two conniving members of the animal kingdom — the savage cats Mal & May – pounce into a battle for control of the island, Crusoe and his animal posse must uncover the true power of friendship against all odds (even savage cats).

This movie was eh.  It was kind of watchable but there really was not the necessary hook that comes with most animated movies today.  The characters had moments but there were none that really carried the movie.   It almost felt like the animators kind of mailed it in on this one.  

I wouldn't really recommend people checking this out.  It's just kind of there and is one of those blatant money grabs by it being released when there really are not any other options out there for kids or families.