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Ever since college-bound Mike Wazowski (voice of Billy Crystal) was a little monster, he has dreamed of becoming a Scarer—and he knows better than anyone that the best Scarers come from Monsters University (MU). But during his first semester at MU, Mike's plans are derailed when he crosses paths with hotshot James P. Sullivan, "Sulley" (voice of John Goodman), a natural-born Scarer. The pair's out-of-control competitive spirit gets them both kicked out of the University's elite Scare Program. To make matters worse, they realize they will have to work together, along with an odd bunch of misfit monsters, if they ever hope to make things right.
Redemption for Pixar. After Cars 2, I was afraid that part of Pixar had kind of mailed it in and they would start churning out less than par sequels just to make money off of their characters. In this prequel, the story was just as rich. It gave you even more depth to characters that you already loved from Monsters Inc and besides the entertainment value - it taught younger moviegoers that would see this so many important life lessons. And did I mention how funny it was? Just as great as the first entry with the monsters.
I would absolutely recommend everyone check this out. It was easily one of the best "origin" movies ever and Pixar has gotten back to their roots of great story and great laughs for both the children and the adults that take them . . . . . or go see it by themselves.
The story revolves around United Nations employee Gerry Lane (Pitt), who traverses the world in a race against time to stop a pandemic that is toppling armies and governments and threatening to decimate humanity itself.
I had tried to keep my expectations realistic for this movie and I don't know how much that played a part in my enjoyment level of the movie but I liked this movie alot. When I saw that it was a zombie movie that was rated PG-13, I figured that it would be decent at best. Not that I'm a gore junkie but how can you have a zombie movie with no blood/violence. Answer . . . . . World War Z. They managed to do alot of the zombie attacks from far away or in such a sped up manner that you ended up completely enthralled in what was going on without even realizing that there was no graphic violence. Hell, someone even got their hand cut off and you felt the power of all that without actually having to see it happen. It was great that they could still have you sitting on the edge of your seat without all the over the top shock value of showing you it. And the best part of the movie was the pacing. They started right off with the whole zombie infection and every time you would think that it would get all slowed down with too much dialogue some crazy scene would unfold again to get you sitting back on the edge of your seat.
I very strongly recommend people checking this out. It was a great movie and a hell of a ride.
A young boy learns that he has extraordinary powers and is not of this Earth. As a young man, he journeys to discover where he came from and what he was sent here to do. But the hero in him must emerge if he is to save the world from annihilation and become the symbol of hope for all mankind.
There are two parts to this review. First - the movie . . . . . . I loved it. It was easily the best Superman movie since Superman II. I thought Cavill, Shannon and Adams were greatly cast as Superman, Zod and Lois Lane. The back and forth between present and Clark growing up kept the pacing fresh. I did think the movie was a little bit too sci fi overall and I was stunned by something that happened at the end that kind of was different from everything I ever knew to be Superman. Won't spoil it but I was definitely thrown off by it . . . . and the lack of development on it after the fact. Maybe it will be a big part of the sequel? I'm glad that they were finally able to pull off relaunching a character that has always been so difficult to do for some reason. Second part - the epic failure of DC Comics yet again. This could have easily been their Iron Man to launch towards a Justice League and they epically failed. No mention of any of the other players in JL. No mention of Gotham City. Hell - you could have had Ryan Reynolds show up as Hal Jordan and just show some sort of a commitment to it that would have been similar to The Avengers. Who cares if you are following the same model!?! Just do it already. Do something. Now there are no other JL related projects in the pipeline except for a sequel to this that will be years off. This is pretty much one of the biggest ball droppings in movies as far as I'm concerned.
I enjoyed the movie very much and would definitely recommend people checking it out. It was a good reinventing even with the WTF moment towards the end and the failure to connect this to a possible JL timeline.
The comedy This is the End follows six friends trapped in a house after a series of strange and catastrophic events devastate Los Angeles. As the world unravels outside, dwindling supplies and cabin fever threaten to tear apart the friendships inside. Once they discover that they are experiencing the Apocalypse, they must come to terms with why they were left behind. Eventually they are forced to leave the house, facing their fate and the true meaning of friendship and redemption.
I thought for sure that the premise of all these actors "playing" themselves would get old 15 minutes into the movie. However, I was dead wrong and this is one of the funnier movies that has come out in a while. While the movie was pretty raunchy at times (whether it be the dialouge or the physical stuff shown on screen), the comedy was based in that they were all famous people reacting to the situation and just blatantly making fun of each other. What made it even funnier was the random pop ups of the celebrities NOT in the poster above. Michael Cera totally stole every scene he was in. You can completely tell that all these guys are friends and really enjoyed making this.
I would definitely recommend people checking this out if you are looking for some great laughs. It's such a simple concept but handled in the right way that delivers the laughs throughout the movie.
Billy (Vince Vaughn) and Nick (Owen Wilson) are salesmen whose careers have been torpedoed by the digital world. Trying to prove they are not obsolete, thet defy the odds by talking their way into a coveted internship at Google, along with a battalion of brillian college students. But, gaining entrance to this utopia is only half the battle. Now they must compete with a group pf the nation's most elite, tech-savvy geniuses to prove that necessity really is the mother of re-invention.
This movie was a decent watch. Totally formula across the board. Most of the funny parts were in the trailer and you pretty much have seen the movie just by seeing said trailer. But all that being said, I still enjoy Vince Vaughn. Even though I didn't laugh nearly as much as I would have liked to, I was still entertained by him, Wilson and their misfit group underdog story.
I wouldn't necessarily recommend people checking this movie out because its not great or even really a good movie. It was a decent and sometimes entertaining movie only if you are a fan of Vince Vaughn.
In an America wracked by crime and overcrowded prisons, the government has sanctioned an annual 12-hour period in which any and all criminal activity—including murder—becomes legal. The police can't be called. Hospitals suspend help. It's one night when the citizenry regulates itself without thought of punishment. On this night plagued by violence and an epidemic of crime, one family wrestles with the decision of who they will become when a stranger comes knocking. When an intruder breaks into James Sandin’s (Ethan Hawke) gated community during the yearly lockdown, he begins a sequence of events that threatens to tear a family apart. Now, it is up to James, his wife, Mary (Lena Headey), and their kids to make it through the night without turning into the monsters from whom they hide.
This was one of the cleverest (albeit creepy) premises for a "horror" movie in a while. I remember thinking holy $hit when I first saw the trailer. The movie definitely delivered on the premise. This was not just a horror movie. It had very heavy political/psychological themes throughout that at times worked out awesomely with the scary parts but at other times (unfortunately towards the end of the movie) kind of held the movie back from committing one way or the other. Not sure if that makes sense. At times you were totally engrossed in the political/psychological stuff but at others you were totally wrapped up in the defend your house/family at any costs angle and you just wanted it to be a straight up payback type of movie. I can't really go into too much more detail without blatantly telling you what happens but I was a little put off by the end of the movie because I had chosen in my head what way I wanted the movie to go and it didn't go that way.
I would definitely recommend anyone who was intrigued by the trailer going to check out this movie. I did enjoy it very much even though I didn't like the last 5-10 minutes. There was good creepyness and covered all the different angles of looking at the situation that the premise presented evenly.
Now You See Me pits an elite FBI squad in a game of cat and mouse against "The Four Horsemen," a super-team of the world's greatest illusionists. "The Four Horsemen" pull off a series of daring heists against corrupt business leaders during their performances, showering the stolen profits on their audiences while staying one step ahead of the law.
This was a very smart and fun movie. They also waste no time getting right into things. They took just enough time for a little character introduction/development and then took off running. The build up of each magic show/heist got better and better. The chemistry between The Four Horsemen and the FBI chasing them was perfect. I can't really go into too much detail without giving stuff away so I won't, but the ads referring to this as a modern day Ocean's Eleven are very accurate.
I enjoyed this movie alot and actually wanted to watch it again to see if I pick up on more stuff. I would definitely recommend that people check this movie out.
A crash landing leaves teenager Kitai Raige (Jaden Smith) and his legendary father Cypher (Will Smith) stranded on Earth, 1,000 years after cataclysmic events forced humanity’s escape. With Cypher critically injured, Kitai must embark on a perilous journey to signal for help, facing uncharted terrain, evolved animal species that now rule the planet, and an unstoppable alien creature that escaped during the crash. Father and son must learn to work together and trust one another if they want any chance of returning home.
I don't really know how to review this movie. I enjoyed it for what it is (a sci-fi survival of the fittest movie with dramatic family elements added in) while I was watching it. It wasn't a great movie. But it wasn't bad either. I didn't really have any expectations for it. Don't know if that made it more watchable. I will make one major knock against it though - Jaden Smith is no Will Smith.
I would sort of recommend people checking this out. Basically, it's just kind of one of those movies that is just there.
Since Dom (Diesel) and Brian's (Walker) Rio heist toppled a kingpin's empire and left their crew with $100 million, our heroes have scattered across the globe. But their inability to return home and living forever on the lam have left their lives incomplete. Meanwhile, Hobbs (Johnson) has been tracking an organization of lethally skilled mercenary drivers across 12 countries, whose mastermind (Evans) is aided by a ruthless second-in-command revealed to be the love Dom thought was dead, Letty (Rodriguez). The only way to stop the criminal outfit is to outmatch them at street level, so Hobbs asks Dom to assemble his elite team in London. Payment? Full pardons for all of them so they can return home and make their families whole again.
How the hell does a franchise fall completely off the tracks three movies in, rebound and get better and better like this? I think I probably still liked Fast Five better but this movie was awesome and second best in the franchise. The action was awesome. The fights were awesome. The humor (especially from Tyrese) was hysterical. Vin Diesel and The Rock really are the greatest tag team of all time. But the most mind blowing part of it all is that the writing and continuity of it all was awesome. You are not supposed to be able to say that about mindless action popcorn flicks like this, but these guys even managed to tie in Tokyo Drift incredibly and make that pointless garbage entry matter and suddenly seem awesome like 6 years later. And I will go on record as saying this franchise is pretty much the only one that I prefer to see in a crowded theater so that I can geek out along with everyone else with the constant adrenaline oohs and aahs the movie delivers.
I would absolutely recommend everyone check out this awesome roller coaster ride of a movie. Brainless, action summer blockbusters are what made me love going to the movies in the first place. This movie was awesome like that.
The Hangover Part III is the third and final film in director Todd Phillips' record-shattering comedy franchise. This time, there's no wedding. No bachelor party. What could go wrong, right? But when the Wolfpack hits the road, all bets are off.
This movie franchise has officially passed Transformers as the one that I would give anything for no sequels to be made. This movie was pretty much awful. They made Chow basically the main character. And Zach Galafanakis has gone from awkward/silly funny to just blatantly dumb not funny. They didn't even have the wild night thing from the first two movies. The few times I so much as giggled (since there really were no good laughs), it was at Bradley Cooper or Ed Helms who really didn't even seem to have major roles.
I would not recommend anyone waste their time with this. After the disappointment of the second one, my expectations were really low for this entry and it was still crappier than expected. So sad because the first one is one of the funniest movies of all time and everything since has been garbage.
Epic is an action-adventure comedy that reveals a hidden world unlike any other. From the creators of "Ice Age" and "Rio," Epic tells the story of an ongoing battle deep in the forest between the forces of good and the forces of evil. When a teen age girl finds herself magically transported into this secret universe, she must band together with a rag-tag team of fun and whimsical characters in order to save their world…and ours.
This was a decent movie. The animation was good. The comedy provided by the slugs was good. And the premise was good (although pretty much ripped off from a much better movie from a few years back called Arthur & The Invisibles). But that's really it. It was a good movie but not really much else to say about it.
I would somewhat recommend people checking this out. For parents with younger kids, there really isn't much else out there. Don't get too excited that this will be one of those equally as great for the parents animated movies. It's watchable but ultimately just kind of there.
Three young women – Sarah (Kate Bosworth), Abby (Katie Aselton) and Lou (Lake Bell) – get together for a private campout at one of the iconic settings of their childhood, an empty island off the coast of Maine, to renew their bond of sisterhood. They quickly learn, though, that the island is anything but empty, when they encounter three recently-returned servicemen, who have come to the island to hunt. A misunderstanding quickly turns to tragedy, and the three women soon find themselves the targets of the hunt. What started as a simple getaway to recall old times is now a race for survival as three ordinary woman must find extraordinary strength in order to beat the odds against violence and the elements.
This movie had an incredibly simple premise. It didn't waste too much time getting to the action. And even the tension/drama was kept simple and seemed much more realistic because of that. The movie was super short which made it even better. I was very surprised how this movie managed to keep my attention the whole time.
I would recommend people checking this out. It's not a must see (and didn't open wide anyway), but its worth checking out if you can find it online or when it's released on video.
In the wake of a shocking act of terror from within their own organization, the crew of The Enterprise is called back home to Earth. In defiance of regulations and with a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads his crew on a manhunt to capture an unstoppable force of destruction and bring those responsible to justice. As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew.
JJ Abrams is clearly a genius. Never throughout my childhood did I think I would put these words in writing . . . . . Star Trek Into Darkness is bad a$$!!! Seriously, I was never a fan of Star Trek. I watched them because they were there. I was and will always be all about Star Wars. Yet - JJ Abrams comes along and puts out the amazing relaunch of Star Trek a couple years ago with a greatly cast group of non-big Hollywood names. Then comes this amazing action movie with TONS of laughs sprinkled in due to the banter between the characters and I'm now officially hooked. This was an awesome summer blockbuster movie. The cast continued to be awesome in their roles from the original JJ Abrams entry. And when you want to talk about breakout performances - the dude that plays the bad guy (I won't give away who he is but I will say I actually cheered out loud when it was revealed), Benedict Cumberbatch, was amazing every time he was on screen. This guy is like Michael Fassbender was as he broke out a few years ago.
I completely recommend people checking this movie out. As of now - it is my favorite movie of the year. Still can't get over that. A Star Trek movie is my favorite move of the year so far. If my teenage self could travel into the future - I would kick my elder self's a$$.
The Great Gatsby follows Fitzgerald-like, would-be writer Nick Carraway as he leaves the Midwest and comes to New York City in the spring of 1922, an era of loosening morals, glittering jazz and bootleg kings. Chasing his own American Dream, Nick lands next door to a mysterious, party-giving millionaire, Jay Gatsby, and across the bay from his cousin, Daisy, and her philandering, blue-blooded husband, Tom Buchanan. It is thus that Nick is drawn into the captivating world of the super rich, their illusions, loves and deceits. As Nick bears witness, within and without the world he inhabits, he pens a tale of impossible love, incorruptible dreams and high-octane tragedy, and holds a mirror to our own modern times and struggles.
This had all the usual Baz Luhrman quirks. Visually it was amazing. I've always been a big fan of how he films/edits his movies and this one was no different. I'm not that big of a fan of the book nor did I remember too much of it so I can't really review it from that standpoint. I really liked the telling of the story and DiCaprio was awesome as Gatsby. He alternated so well between being totally confident at all times and then completely insecure around Daisy. Although the pacing slowed down way too much about 3/4 of the way through with all the main characters kind of hashing things out in a hotel room, it picked up again after that and wrapped up greatly.
I would recommend people checking this out. It's a little long and I don't remember the book enough to compare, but I enjoyed the movie a lot.
Chile has it all: gorgeous landscapes, smokin'- hot women, cool dudes, great wine, and the wildest parties. For a hapless American tourist, nicknamed Gringo (Eli Roth) by his two Chilean pals Ariel (Ariel Levy) and Pollo (Nicolás MartÃnez), the trip has been heaven on earth — except that he just can't hook up with the ladies. Gringo's luck seems to change when the group meets a trio of babes — Russian model Irina (Natasha Yarovenko), non-stop party girl Kylie (Lorenza Izzo) and her serious sister Monica (Andrea Osvárt) — who agree to accompany them on a trip to the coastal town of ValparaÃso. The new friends are having the best of times whooping it up in a dance club, until a violent earthquake brings the entire city down around them. With this one-time paradise now a landscape of death and destruction that's seething with terror and panic, our unlucky heroes must run for their lives from looters, escaped convicts, and the inevitable aftershocks.
This was kind of like Eli Roth's other movies with total brutality once the chaos started post earthquake. The group of friends suffered massively as they were taken out one by one via amputations, burning alive, rape, etc. This movie was decent for what it was supposed to be after a truly brutal 35 minutes of "character development" before the earthquake. Are we really supposed to care about any of them?
I would only recommend die hard Eli Roth fans taking the time to check this out. It's pretty much a lame yet watchable B movie.
Sparks fly in the Hamptons when "regular guy" Wade Walker (Craig Robinson) crashes the preppy Peeples family reunion to ask for their precious daughter Grace's (Kerry Washington) hand in marriage. Wade might be a fish out of water among this picture-perfect East Coast clan always trying to keep up appearances, but he's not about to let himself sink. Instead, in a wild weekend of fun, dysfunction and hilarious surprises, Wade is about to discover there's room for all kinds of Peeples in this family, no matter their differences. Writer and first-time director Tina Gordon Chism (writer of "Drumline") joins forces with Tyler Perry to present a laugh-out-loud look at the family ties that freak us out... but bind us together with love.
Hate to review this so bluntly, but this movie is literally a black version of Meet The Parents. Same father/daughter stuff. Same boyfriend/dad stuff. Same family member hijinks. I like Craig Robinson so the movie was somewhat entertaining. There were some decent laughs here and there. Would have been funnier if it wasn't a carbon copy of Meet The Parents.
I wouldn't necessarily recommend anyone rushing to see this. There are much better movies out there. You can just watch any of the Meet The Parents movies for free and wait for this one to show up on tv.
With an all-star cast led by Robert De Niro, Katherine Heigl, Diane Keaton, Amanda Seyfried, Topher Grace, with Susan Sarandon and Robin Williams, "The Big Wedding" is an uproarious romantic comedy about a charmingly modern family trying to survive a weekend wedding celebration that has the potential to become a full blown family fiasco. To the amusement of their adult children and friends, long divorced couple Don and Ellie Griffin (De Niro and Keaton) are once again forced to play the happy couple for the sake of their adopted son's wedding after his ultra conservative biological mother unexpectedly decides to fly halfway across the world to attend. With all of the wedding guests looking on, the Griffins are hilariously forced to confront their past, present and future - and hopefully avoid killing each other in the process.
This movie is just as formula as the ads made it seem. All the actors played the same characters that they seem to in all of their movies. Barely laughed throughout. Honestly, I don't think I laughed at all. The movie is pretty much just kind of there.
I wouldn't recommend anyone wasting their time with this. The movie isn't awful but not really worth the time at all. Watch the ad and you could have easily wrote the same review.
Fine art auctioneer Simon (McAvoy), in league with a gang led by underworld boss Franck (Cassel), plots the audacious theft of a masterpiece by Goya from a major public auction. When Simon double-crosses the gang during the robbery, Franck retaliates violently and knocks him unconscious. In the aftermath of the heist, Simon sticks stubbornly - and perhaps shrewdly - to his claim that the violent trauma has left him with no memory of where he stashed the artwork. Unable to coerce the painting's location from Simon, Franck and his associates reluctantly join forces with a charismatic hypnotherapist (Dawson) in a bid to get him to talk. But as they journey deeper into Simon's jumbled psyche the boundaries between reality and hypnotic suggestion begin to blur and the stakes rise faster and far more dangerously than any of the players could have anticipated.
This was a very smart and edgy movie. McAvoy, Cassel and Dawson all put forth great performances and kept you totally dialed in to where the story was going to go and unsure of who you could trust. The tension throughout the movie and how it was intertwined with emotions of love, anger, betrayal, etc was very well done.
I would definitely recommend people checking this out. It was a very entertaining watch.
Iron Man 3 pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy's hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him. As he fights his way back, Stark discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted him: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man?
This was a great movie for a third installment and a change of directors. Honestly, I liked it a lot more than Iron Man 2. The second one was a fun movie to watch but it was basically just a continuation of the story from the first one with a cooler villain. There was a definite lack of story substance. This movie had a lot more of that and built great off of The Avengers. The continuity that Marvel has created where that timeline is a vital part of this movie and what Tony Stark is going through is awesome. I also liked that they pretty much took him out of the suit for most of this movie. All of the action was still great and there was plenty of Iron Man battle scenes, but it was a great change of pace to see him have to get through stuff without being able to use the suit. As always, Robert Downey Jr's wit/delivery stole the show and this movie was downright hilarious at times. His reaction to a sad boy that he meets in this movie might be one of the out of the blue funniest one liners ever. There was one part of the movie that was equal parts impressive, disappointing and comical all at the same time. I can't go too much into it without ruining it but it has to do with the villain Mandarin. The only knock I can make against this movie would be the partial disappointment regarding that, but it was still very impressively done/marketed and provided some of the huge laughs in the movie.
I would absolutely recommend everyone check this bad boy out. It's another phenomenal entry in the Marvel universe.
Based on a true story, Pain & Gain follows a group of bodybuilders who engaged in a campaign of kidnapping, extortion and murder in Florida.
This movie is a tough one to review. The movie was really dumb since it was about a couple of complete bumbling idiots. It was pretty much like an out of control car wreck that just kept spinning over and over. However, because the acting of Mark Wahlberg, The Rock and Anthony Mackie as the three bumbling idiots was so well done - it made the movie very funny at times and entertaining throughout. Every part of my brain wanted to think that the movie was horrible, but the three actors kept making me laugh and wanting to see where it goes. I didn't think that The Rock could be more entertaining but pleying a dumb ass with a cocaine problem made him even more entertaining. The only thing that I wish could have been changed about this was the running time. It was a little over two hours long and this could have easily been 90 minutes long.
I don't know that I would recommend this movie to people. It's not a good movie. Its pretty silly and overall stupid, but at times I felt that it was so bad that it was good. And the three actors did a great job of being roided meatheads.
The latest installment of the Scary Movie franchise includes send ups of "Paranormal Activity," "Mama," "Sinister," "The Evil Dead," "Inception," "Black Swan" and pop culture featuring Ashley Tisdale, Charlie Sheen, Lindsay Lohan, Snoop Dogg, Katt Williams, Molly Shannon, Terry Crews, Simon Rex, Jerry O'Connell, Sarah Hyland, Katrina Bowden, Tyler Posey, Shad Moss aka Bow Wow, Kate Walsh, Heather Locklear, Mac Miller and Mike Tyson.
This movie was awful. I didn't laugh once. Hell, I didn't even smile. They really have to stop making these movies. Even the movies that they are parodying are totally unworthy or remotely memorable enough for anyone to care and for any of the jokes to stick.
I wouldn't recommend anyone wasting their time with this total garbage. Why do they keep making this crap!?!
Jack Harper (Cruise) is one of the last few drone repairmen stationed on Earth. Part of a massive operation to extract vital resources after decades of war with a terrifying threat known as the Scavs, Jack's mission is nearly complete.Living in and patrolling the breathtaking skies from thousands of feet above, his soaring existence is brought crashing down when he rescues a beautiful stranger from a downed spacecraft. Her arrival triggers a chain of events that forces him to question everything he knows and puts the fate of humanity in his hands.
Let me state for the record that this movie was visually awesome. The sci-fi future presented in this was very well designed. Unfortunately, that was pretty much it. The story was way to artsy at first and then became way too convuluted. Tom Cruise was very much miscast. And it was way too long. The futuristic world was set up easy enough that nowhere near that much time was needed to expand/develop it.
I wouldn't really recommend people checking this out. It wasn't horrible but it wasn't too good either even though the visual effects and the futuristic cinematography were great.
Luke (Academy Award nominee Ryan Gosling) is in constant motion, a high-wire motorcycle stunt performer who travels from town to town with the carnival. Passing through Schenectady in upstate New York, he tries to reconnect with a former lover, Romina (Eva Mendes), only to learn that she has in his absence given birth to their son Jason. Luke resolves to forsake life on the road and to provide for his newfound family, taking a job as car mechanic with Robin (Ben Mendelsohn).
Robin soon discovers Luke’s special talents, and proposes to partner with him in a string of spectacular bank robberies.
But it is only a matter of time before Luke will run up against the law – which comes in the form of Avery Cross (Bradley Cooper). Avery is an ambitious rookie cop navigating a local police department ruled by the menacingly corrupt detective Deluca (Ray Liotta). When Avery, just beginning to balance his profession and his family life with wife Jennifer (Rose Byrne) and their infant son AJ, confronts Luke, the full consequences will reverberate into the next generation. It is then that the two sons, Jason (Dane DeHaan) and AJ (Emory Cohen), must face their fateful, shared legacy.
This was a very well done movie. Great acting. Great storytelling. Very well developed characters and drama. Now that I've given all the positives, there were two things that hurt this movie for me. One was that it was waaaaaay too long. I realize that the multilayered story needed to play out but I was shocked when it was almost 10pm when the 7:15pm showing I went to ended. The other thing was that you had Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper putting great performances in yet without giving away too much they were only on screen together for like 30 seconds. I wish there could have been more on screen time for these two great characters.
I would definitely recommend people checking this out. It's excellent storytelling on many levels/layers. Just be warned that it is a pretty long movie.
Hero is a word we hear often in sports, but heroism is not always about achievements on the field of play. 42 tells the story of two men—the great Jackie Robinson and legendary Brooklyn Dodgers GM Branch Rickey—whose brave stand against prejudice forever changed the world by changing the game of baseball. In 1946, Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford) put himself at the forefront of history when he signed Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) to the team, breaking Major League Baseball's infamous color line. But the deal also put both Robinson and Rickey in the firing line of the public, the press and even other players. Facing unabashed racism from every side, Robinson was forced to demonstrate tremendous courage and restraint by not reacting in kind, knowing that any incident could destroy his and Rickey's hopes. Instead, Number 42 let his talent on the field do the talking—ultimately winning over fans and his teammates, silencing his critics, and paving the way for others to follow.
This was a truly great movie. Sure, you know the story going in. You know it will be about Jackie Robinson's struggle against racism. Yet, it's done in such a way that you are so uncomfortable watching the tough racism scenes and develop an actual hatred for the actors/characters displaying it. You also get that awesome feeling of joy when he succeeds. The real surprise of the movie is the spectacular performance of Harrison Ford as the owner of the Dodgers. This was seriously his best performance in years and you cant help but love the wisdom and strength that the character played behind the scenes of Jackie Robinson.
I fully recommend that everyone take the time to watch this movie. It was amazingly done and did absolute justice to such an important part of sports history.
After his latest mission goes disastrously wrong, veteran CIA black ops agent Emerson Kent is given one last chance to prove he still has what it takes to do his job. His new assignment: guarding Katherine, a code operator at a top-secret remote CIA "Numbers Station" where encrypted messages are sent and received. When an elite team of heavily armed assailants lays siege to the station, Emerson and Katherine suddenly find themselves in a life-or-death struggle against an unknown enemy. With the station compromised and innocent lives at stake, they must stop the deadly plot before it's too late.
This was a pretty decent watch simply because I like John Cusack. It was a pretty simple government conspiracy movie that didn't have a bunch of bla-bla-bla build up. The movie was barely 90 minutes long and was paced well enough to not lose the viewer.
I would somewhat recommend people checking this out. It's not a must see by any means but it wasn't a bad movie. Again, I'm somewhat biased because I've always been a huge John Cusack fan.
In the much anticipated remake of the 1981 cult-hit horror film, five twenty-something friends become holed up in a remote cabin. When they discover a Book of the Dead, they unwittingly summon up dormant demons living in the nearby woods, which possess the youngsters in succession until only one is left intact to fight for survival.
This was probably one of the most terrifying trailers I have seen in theaters for a very long time. I had to look away during the trailer so I was terrified about seeing the actual movie. Luckily, the movie wasn't so much scary as I would have nightmares but the level of gore was beyond crazy. I had to look down at the floor numerous times because I couldn't watch what was happening. The story was kept simple just like the original and the build up was definitely tight enough that this just ended up being a hell of a gory ride for anyone who likes these types of movies. I'm definitely one of them.
I would absolutely recommend this movie to horror fans. Just be warned that it is insanely gory. It was bad back in 1981 but with all the advancements made in the film industry and what not - this one was that much more difficult to stomach.
An exploration of the intrigue and perils of infidelity, Tyler Perry's Temptation is a compelling love story that dives straight into the heart of obsessive passion. “It's about a woman who starts to get restless in her relationship and her choice to be with another man has a huge effect on the rest of her life," explains screenwriter/producer/director Tyler Perry. "She goes on a journey – in her career and in her marriage – and she ends up in a very different place than she expected." In a departure from his previous dramas, this explosive film finds Perry exploring the nature of desire – and just how powerful and dangerous a taste of the forbidden can be. "This is definitely one of the most provocative movies – sexually and otherwise – that I've made," says the director. "There are a lot of people who struggle in their relationships. They make bad choices about their marriages. They get divorced. And so many of them don't step out of their situation and really think about the consequences of what they're doing. This movie asks, 'Are you sure you want to do this?’ It sends up a flag."
This was pretty much another textbook Tyler Perry movie without Madea. It's great character drama where the small group of characters are very well developed and you are interested in where they will go based on their decisions/actions. For awhile it was actually less melodramatic than most of his other fare without any major incidents that the characters had to deal with but then it kind of ended up going that way anywho.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone who has liked Tyler Perry's previous movies like this. It's different in that its mostly about desire and thinking the grass is greener on the other side instead of the usual rising above/redemption kind of stuff.
What if everything you love was taken from you in the blink of an eye? The Host is the next love story from the creator of the "Twilight Saga," worldwide bestselling author, Stephenie Meyer. When an unseen enemy threatens mankind by taking over their bodies and erasing their memories, Melanie Stryder (Saoirse Ronan) will risk everything to protect the people she cares most about - Jared (Max Irons), Ian (Jake Abel), her brother Jamie (Chandler Canterbury) and her Uncle Jeb (William Hurt), proving that love can conquer all in a dangerous new world.
I had read this book and expected it to be very difficult to translate to the screen. I was pretty much right. They sped through the first third of the book that established the world that the movie was based in with a quickened narrative play by play. The biggest part of the story was that the "host" was still awake in the alien's new body and talked to her inside their shared head. The voiced over host communicating was lamely done and awkwardly over dramatic. The movie is still watchable but nowhere near as it could have been if they would have emphasized the sci-fi part of it instead of the fluffy lovey/dovey stuff.
I would lukewarmly recommend people checking this out. It's not a bad watch but you kind of are better off reading the book prior to seeing the movie for background knowledge. But the book is better and makes the movie somewhat disappointing.
Superstar magicians Burt Wonderstone (Steve Carell) and Anton Marvelton (Steve Buscemi) have ruled the Las Vegas strip for years, raking in millions with illusions as big as Burt's growing ego. But lately the duo's greatest deception is their public friendship, while secretly they've grown to loathe each other. Facing cutthroat competition from guerilla street magician Steve Gray (Jim Carrey), whose cult following surges with each outrageous stunt, even their show looks stale. But there's still a chance Burt and Anton can save the act—both onstage and off—if Burt can get back in touch with what made him love magic in the first place.
Wow! This movie was really lame. I mean - I didn't really expect much but got even less. When I first heard about Carell and Carrey playing rival magicians I naturally got excited. But in total honesty, I didn't laugh once the whole movie. I might have smiled once or twice but that was really it. How has Jim Carrey become so unfunny?
I wouldn't recommend anyone waste their time with this movie. It's pretty much garbage and a total waste of time.
In this sequel, the G.I. Joes are not only fighting their mortal enemy Cobra; they are forced to contend with threats from within the government that jeopardize their very existence.
This was pretty much more what I had wanted from the first GI Joe movie. Not that the first one was bad but in terms of production value it was lacking. This one had a much better look to it and much less forced effects/action. It also had The Rock and as I've been saying for a long time - The Rock just makes everything better. Not sure that anything will match the adrenaline/testosterone rush of him and Vin Diesel on screen together but him and Snake Eyes came pretty close. There really wasn't much in the way of a complicated story or anything in this movie but was anyone really looking for one. This was a fun, brainless action movie based on my favorite childhood toys.
I would recommend anyone interested in these type of movies checking this out. It's not great. It's not bad either. It's a good watch and I liked it better than the first one.
The Croods is a prehistoric comedy adventure that follows the world's first family as they embark on a journey of a lifetime when the cave that has always shielded them from danger is destroyed. Traveling across a spectacular landscape, the Croods discover an incredible new world filled with fantastic creatures - and their outlook is changed forever.
This movie was great on so many levels. The animation was awesome. The family dynamics were so portrayed in both comedic and dramatic ways. The cave people seeing and learning about things for the first time was well scripted and hilarious. The whole family of characters was very well developed. This is definitely one of those movies where the adults can enjoy it just as much if not more than the kids that they are taking to see it.
I fully recommend that people check this out. It's easily one of the better movies to come out so far this year and was very entertaining and enjoyable for all ages.
Tina Fey and Paul Rudd star in Admission, a movie about the surprising detours we encounter on the road to happiness. Straight-laced Princeton University admissions officer Portia Nathan (Fey) is caught off-guard when she makes a recruiting visit to an alternative high school overseen by her former college classmate, the free-wheeling John Pressman (Rudd). Pressman has surmised that Jeremiah (Nat Wolff), his gifted yet very unconventional student, might well be the son that Portia secretly gave up for adoption many years ago. Soon, Portia finds herself bending the rules for Jeremiah, putting at risk the life she thought she always wanted -- but in the process finding her way to a surprising and exhilarating life and romance she never dreamed of having.
This could have been a great comedy with the talents of Tina Fey, Paul Rudd and Lily Tomlin. Unfortunately, they overloaded this movie with so much unneccesary heartstring pulling drama that all laughs kind of go by the wayside and the movie ends up being very heavy on the waa-waa and just kind of circles the drain for 2 hours.
I wouldn't really recommend anyone bothering with this movie. It's really not a comedy. It's too all over the place to be a legit drama. It really just doesn't know what it wants to be and is a waste of your time.
When veteran 911 operator, Jordan (Halle Berry), takes a life-altering call from a teenage girl (Abigail Breslin) who has just been abducted, she realizes that she must confront a killer from her past in order to save the girl's life.
This was essentially a movie length version of a Criminal Minds episode. It wasn't bad. It wasn't great. If you like procedural tv shows like Criminal Minds or SVU - then I have no doubt that you'll like the movie. There really isn't much else to say other than that I could have done without the weird close up in tight spaces camera work. Did they think that would make it more realistic or something? Ultimately - just got annoying.
I would again recommend this movie to anyone that likes those procedural type tv shows. Based on this being exactly that - you definitely get what is advertised.
When the White House (Secret Service Code: "Olympus") is captured by a terrorist mastermind and the President is kidnapped, disgraced former Presidential guard Mike Banning finds himself trapped within the building. As our national security team scrambles to respond, they are forced to rely on Banning's inside knowledge to help retake the White House, save the President, and avert an even bigger disaster.
This movie was a straight up throwback to 80's/90's popcorn action movies. Like the good Jerry Bruckheimer films that would come out every summer. Lots of action. Good guys getting the bad guys. Good and basic shut your brain off and enjoy the show entertainment. And it was great to finally see Gerard Butler back in the kind of performance that his career was made on from 300. Enough of the romantic comedies, fella!
I would definitely recommend people checking this movie out. It's an awesomely entertaining roller coaster ride of a movie.
Spring Breakers tells the story of four sexy college girls as they plan to fund their spring break getaway by burglarizing a fast food shack. But that's only the beginning... At a motel room rager, fun reaches its legal limit and the girls are arrested and taken to jail. Hungover and clad only in bikinis, the girls appear before a judge but are bailed out unexpectedly by Alien (James Franco), an infamous local thug who takes them under his wing and leads them on the wildest Spring Break trip in history. Rough on the outside but with a soft spot inside, Alien wins over the hearts of the young Spring Breakers, and leads them on a Spring Break they never could have imagined.
How in the blue hell did this movie get such raving reviews. I watched the trailer and couldn't for the life of me understand how the reviews I was hearing were paired with this movie. I thought maybe it was a great movie that was just pushing the 'girls gone wild" and drug/thug angle to pull in that audience too. I was wrong. And so were all the great reviews. It is nothing more than a "girls gone wild" and drug/thug themed movie with James Franco playing an incredibly annoying character and the direction, while trying to be artsy, really only accomplished being annoying.
I wouldn't recommend anyone checking this movie out. It was a giant turd and a complete waste of time based on moronic critics praising it for some completely unknown reason.
Oz The Great and Powerful, directed by Sam Raimi, imagines the origins of L. Frank Baum’s beloved character, the Wizard of Oz. When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he's hit the jackpot--fame and fortune are his for the taking--that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone's been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity--and even a bit of wizardry--Oscar transforms himself not only into the great and powerful Wizard of Oz but into a better man as well.
I had heard nothing but horrible things about this movie. So I'm not sure if I enjoyed the movie because my expectations had been so lowered or not but I did. I wouldnt say that the movie was awesome and what not but it reminded me a lot of the recent Alice In Wonderland and I think I might have liked it more than that. It was very campy and there were tons of random fantasy characters. I thought James Franco did a good job and I liked the back and forth between the three witches.
Again - not sure if my lowered expectations effected my take on the movie but I liked it. I guess I would recommend people going to check it out with the same lowered expectations.
Dead Man Down is an action thriller that stars Colin Farrell and Noomi Rapace as two strangers whose mutual desire for revenge draws them together and triggers an escalating trail of mayhem. The film also stars Academy Award-nominee Terrence Howard and Dominic Cooper.
If this movie could have been edited a lot tighter, I probably would have loved it. I liked the story very much, the dynamics between Colin Farrell and the girl and the tension that developed throughout but there was too much time that led to a lot of dragging and pensive staring. The ending confrontation was awesome.
I'd still recommend people who were interested in seeing it check it out. Its a good watch but about 20-30 minutes too long.
Jack the Giant Slayer tells the story of an ancient war that is reignited when a young farmhand unwittingly opens a gateway between our world and a fearsome race of giants. Unleashed on the Earth for the first time in centuries, the giants strive to reclaim the land they once lost, forcing the young man, Jack, into the battle of his life to stop them. Fighting for a kingdom, its people, and the love of a brave princess, he comes face to face with the unstoppable warriors he thought only existed in legend—and gets the chance to become a legend himself.
I'm not really sure how I felt about this movie. It was watchable and the battle that it built up to was pretty cool with the special effects and what not. But the movie felt like it was just kind of there. I wasn't at any point fully involved or engaged with the movie. I was basically watching it because it was on the screen. There was no real hook to keep my interest.
Not sure on any sort of a recommendation. Again - it's not that I didn't like the movie. It was definitely watchable, but it was just kind of there. I just saw the movie a couple of hours ago and to be honest, I'm bored just to be writing about it.
Straight-A college student Jeff Chang has always done what’s expected of him. But when his two best friends Casey and Miller surprise him with a visit for his 21st birthday, he decides to do the unexpected for a change, even though his critical medical school interview is early the next morning. What was supposed to be one beer becomes one night of chaos, over indulgence and utter debauchery in this outrageous comedy.
I had really wanted this movie to be funny and Hangover like. So many movies (including Hangover 2) have tried to capture that over the top one night partying comedy aura and have fallen way short. I think this movie probably has come the closest by far. There were plenty of big laughs and the bantering between the three guys was great. I'm not going to say that I laughed my ass off from start to finish, but I definitely enjoyed the movie alot.
I would recommend anyone interested in seeing this to check it out. It was very funny and didnt drag at all due to the short run time.
