Life Of Pi

 

Director Ang Lee creates a groundbreaking movie event about a young man who survives a tragic disaster at sea and is hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery. While marooned on a lifeboat, he forms an amazing and unexpected connection with the ship's only other survivor -- a fearsome Bengal tiger.

This was one of the more amazing visual movies I've ever seen.  I didn't see it in 3D but really wish that I had.  It's very rare that a movie can consist mostly of a man and a tiger on a boat and keep you as captivated as this movie does.  The narration was done very well and complimented the unspoken relationship growing between the boy and the tiger. 

I didn't expect much because I usually think that Ang Lee is one of those overrated critically acclaimed directors.   However, I was wrong.  This was a great movie.  And I would definitely recommend people checking this out. 

Breaking Dawn - Part 2

 

Breaking Dawn - Part 2 is the final installment in the franchise and is based on the fourth novel in author Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" series.  Do you really need more of a synopsis on this one?

The franchise is over.  I can go in to great detail reviewing this or I could just save my time.  If you love the franchise, you have seen it or will.  If you don't - you won't.  I read the books and saw the movies.  This one was much more tolerable that Part 1 of Breaking Dawn and I was glad that they did a twist at the end that gives much more satisfaction (and a pretty big laugh after realizing it) then the last book did.

Like I said - if you are going to go - you will.  If you are not - you won't.  No reason for me to recommend whether or not you should.

Red Dawn

 

In Red Dawn, an American city awakens to the surreal sight of foreign paratroopers dropping from the sky.  Shockingly, the U.S. has been invaded and their hometown is the initial target. Quickly and without warning, the citizens find themselves prisoners and their town under enemy occupation. Determined to fight back, a group of young patriots seek refuge in the surrounding woods, training and reorganizing themselves into a guerilla group of fighters. Taking inspiration from their high school mascot, they call themselves the Wolverines, banding together to protect one another, liberate their town from its captors, and take back their freedom.

For the record - the original Red Dawn was not a great movie in terms of quality.  It was however a cult classic for me.  So this was one of the million remakes that Hollywood has churned out the last couple of years that made me cringe at the thought of it.  So I went in to this movie braced for an intense amount of pain.  And to be honest - it wasn't that bad.  Whoa.  Don't get me wrong.  It wasn't good at all, but it wasn't that bad.  The part that killed it the most was how atrocious the kid that used to be the fat guy from Drake & Josh was.  If that part was an actor with the tiniest shred of acting ability, this movie probably would have been much more digestible.  But since every scene had his face looking like Rocky Balboa talking to Adrienne, it just got so beyond annoying every time he was on screen. 

I would absolutely not recommend anyone bothering with this one.  I went into it with garbage expectations so I deemed the garbage acceptable . . . . . .for garbage.

Lincoln

 

Steven Spielberg directs Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln, a revealing drama that focuses on the 16th President's tumultuous final months in office. In a nation divided by war and the strong winds of change, Lincoln pursues a course of action designed to end the war, unite the country and abolish slavery. With the moral courage and fierce determination to succeed, his choices during this critical moment will change the fate of generations to come.

This was a movie that is a reminder just how good of a director Steven Spielberg is.  Forgotten at this point for the most part with all the talk about the new class of directors that churn out movie awesomeness, Spielberg has put forth a historical biopic without any of his usual special effects and what not that can make even the most not interested in history peeps (like myself) riveted by the story being played out on the screen.  And Daniel Day-Lewis completely equals his director's awesomeness with his performance.  The man is pure gold as an actor.  It seemed as if Lincoln himself was alive and back on screen.

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.  Premium acting and directing are on display and this is easily one of the best movies of the year.

Rise Of The Guardians

 

Rise of the Guardians is a magical adventure that tells the story of Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman, and Jack Frost - legendary characters with previously unknown extraordinary abilities. When an evil spirit known as Pitch lays down the gauntlet to take over the world, the immortal Guardians must join forces to protect the hopes, beliefs and imagination of children everywhere.

This was a cute and enjoyable movie taking known characters and giving them an extra twist of being guardians to children.  The voices were good (although Santa with a Russian accent was a little weird) and the story progressed fast enough that any adults going with their kids are not wanting to scream. 

I would lukewarmly recommend this movie to people.  It's not bad.  It's not great.  It is watchable and enjoyable but there are actually better options out there for parents to take their kids too.

Fun Size

 

Fun Size is a teen comedy centered on a sarcastic high school senior, Wren (Victoria Justice), who is eager to distance herself from her dysfunctional family by going off to college. Before that can happen, Wren's mother, Joy, insists that she watch her little brother Albert on Halloween night, so Joy can go to a rager with her much younger boyfriend. When Wren gets distracted by an invitation to the party of the year, Albert disappears into a sea of trick-or-treaters. Frantic to locate him before their mother discovers he's missing, Wren enlists the help of her sassy best friend April, as well as Peng, an aspiring ladies man and co-captain of the debate team, and Peng's best friend, Roosevelt, a sweet nerd whose crush on Wren clouds his better judgment. This unlikely foursome embarks on a high-stakes, all-night adventure to find Albert, crossing paths with outrageous characters every step of the way.
This is a pretty pointless teenage comedy.  It's like a teenage Adventures In Babysitting based on Halloween.  There is literally nothing more that can be said about this movie.

I wouldn't really recommend it . . . . . . unless you are a teenager. 

Skyfall

 

Daniel Craig is back as Ian Fleming's James Bond 007 in Skyfall, the 23rd adventure in the longest-running film franchise of all time. In Skyfall, Bond's loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.

This was a pretty kick a$$ Bond movie.  It was very straight forward with a ton of great action.  There was no heavy espionage story.  We got a lot more of M (Judi Dench) which was pretty cool and Javier Bardem was awesome as the bad guy.  Daniel Craig has really grown on me as Bond.  He might be my favorite one at this point.  The only real knock I can make on this movie was that it was about 20-30 minutes too long.  The pacing could have been kicked up and the movie kept shorter.

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.  It was great and very entertaining popcorn type movie to just get away from everything else and enjoy for 2 plus hours

Flight

 

Flight tells the redemption story of "Whip" (Washington), a commercial airline pilot who pulls off a heroic feat of flying in a damaged plane, saving 98 lives on a flight carrying 106 people. While the world begs to embrace him as a true American Hero, the everyman struggles with this label as he is forced to hold up to the scrutiny of an investigation that brings into question his behavior the night before the doomed flight.

This movie was tough to watch although an amazing movie acting wise overall.  A - Anyone with a fear of flying will only have that fear multiplied by like a million after watching the plane crash in this movie.  B - It was very tough to watch so many people try to cover for an out of control alcoholic for about two hours.  It speaks volumes of how great Denzel Washington's performance was that I legitamitely hated him so much throughout the movie.  I wanted to see his character get his a$$ kicked at some point for his alcoholic behavior and blatant disrespect for all of the people trying to help him.

I would recommend it because it really was a well directed and amazingly acted movie.  But I am dead serious when I say that this is a very hard to watch movie on a fear level and a human being level.

Wreck-It Ralph

 

Ralph (voice of John C. Reilly) is tired of being overshadowed by Fix-It Felix (voice of Jack McBrayer), the "good guy" star of their game who always gets to save the day. But after decades doing the same thing and seeing all the glory go to Felix, Ralph decides he's tired of playing the role of a bad guy. He takes matters into his own massive hands and sets off on a game-hopping journey across the arcade through every generation of video games to prove he's got what it takes to be a hero.  On his quest, he meets the tough-as-nails Sergeant Calhoun (voice of Jane Lynch) from the first-person action game Hero's Duty. But it's the feisty misfit Vanellope von Schweetz (voice of Sarah Silverman) from the candy-coated cart racing game, Sugar Rush, whose world is threatened when Ralph accidentally unleashes a deadly enemy that threatens the entire arcade. Will Ralph realize his dream and save the day before it's too late?

This movie was alot of fun.  I have been disappointed for the most part by animated movies recently.  There are few movies that I enjoy more than animated movies that the kids can enjoy and the parents can enjoy just as much.  I had very high hopes for this movie and they definitely met them.  The story was great and does for video games what Toy Story did for toys in my opninon.  Knowing most of the characters and games just made it that much more enjoyable.  This is easily Disney's best non-Pixar animated movie in a while.

I would definitely recommend people checking this one out.  Kids will love it.  The adults taking them will love it.  The movie totally met my very high expectations.

The Man With The Iron Fists

 

Since his arrival in China's Jungle Village, the town's blacksmith (RZA) has been forced by radical tribal factions to create elaborate tools of destruction. When the clans' brewing war boils over, the stranger channels an ancient energy to transform himself into a human weapon. As he fights alongside iconic heroes and against soulless villains, one man must harness this power to become savior of his adopted people.

This is one of those "it's good for what it is" movies.  It's a throwback kung fu movie with lots of great fights and gore.  The story is kind of there but doesn't matter.  The acting a dialogue is nothing more than filler between the fights. 

If you like pointless kung fu movies - then you should definitely check this one out.  If you don't - I don't see why you would need me to tell you not to bother.

Chasing Mavericks

 

Based on the inspirational true story of surfing icon Jay Moriarty, Chasing Mavericks tells the story of a young man's quest to surf Northern California's most dangerous wave, and the local legend who takes him under his wing. What begins as a mentorship turns into a unique lifelong bond, as the two unlikely friends discover that there is nothing more powerful than pushing your limits and chasing a nearly impossible dream.

This was a cutesy, heartstring pulling movie.  Think Karate Kid but with surfing.  You know the story from the trailer.  There are no surprises.  Just a good build up to a completely expected outcome.  The footage of the waves was amazing. 

I would somewhat recommend people checking this out.  It is not a must see by any means, but there are much worse things that you could be watching.

Killing Them Softly

 

Killing Them Softly follows professional enforcer, Jackie Cogan (Pitt), who investigates a heist that occurs during a high stakes, mob-protected, poker game.

The movie is actually only worth that short synopsis.  This movie was basically two things.  A LOT of talking.  And then a lot of hipster, gangster cleanup type stuff.  This movie felt like it was trying too hard to be hip/cool.  Kind of like Snatch or RocknRolla.  There was the dark designs and the non-stop dialogue.  There was Brad Pitt looking like a bada$$ cleaner.  The look was definitely there, but the substance was pretty much non-existent.

I wouldn't recommend people wasting their time with this.  Its pretty much one of those movies that is just there and looks good appearance wise but that is about it.

Silent Hill: Revolution

 

Heather Mason (Adelaide Clemens) and her father (Sean Bean) have been on the run, always one step ahead of dangerous forces that she doesn't fully understand. Now on the eve of her 18th birthday, plagued by horrific nightmares and the disappearance of her father, Heather discovers she's not who she thinks she is. The revelation leads her deeper into a demonic world that threatens to trap her forever.

Not going to even bother here.  The first one was a somewhat decent gorefest based on a video game.  This is a sequel that was literally made to pull in quick first weekend 3d prices.  It was horrible across the board and I walked out after compiling a list of things that I could be doing instead of watching the rest of the rank turd.

No, I wouldn't recommend it.  I can't even come up with one reason other than my movie seeing obsession that even made me sit through the 45 minutes that I did.

Cloud Atlas

 

Cloud Atlas explores how the actions and consequences of individual lives impact one another throughout the past, the present and the future. Action, mystery and romance weave dramatically through the story as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero and a single act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution in the distant future.

I wanted so very badly to like this movie.  I knew that it was going to either be completely awesome or way too far out there and suck.  The movie is three hours long and after a little over an hour, I had no clue what was going on, I wasn't even sure that they were speaking english half the time and I simply couldn't see sitting through this for another two hours.  The plug was pulled and maybe one day I will try to brave the rest of this movie, but I doubt it.

Unless you are the most dedicated of movie watchers - I would not recommend checking this out.  Like I said - I was pretty much staring at the screen with a "what?" face for a little over an hour before my frustrations took over and I bailed.

Alex Cross

 

"Alex Cross" follows the homicide detective/psychologist (Tyler Perry), from the worldwide best-selling novels by James Patterson, as he meets his match in a serial killer (Matthew Fox). The two face off in a high-stakes game of cat and mouse, but when the mission gets personal, Cross is pushed to the edge of his moral and psychological limits in this taut and exciting action thriller.

Words do no justice to just how lame/bad this movie was.  No matter what angle you look at it from - it was poop.  I am a huge James Patterson fan and have read all the Alex Cross books.  Having a background knowledge of Alex Cross was kind of a prerequisite for this movie because they really didn't bother with any of his character development.  You were just supposed to kind of know who he was.  That being said - the movie was all over the place in terms of the books.  The "wife" was never known in the books.  Referred to but not known.  His partner/best friend was a huge black guy named Sampson - not Ed Burns.  His kids ages were all out of sync.  They were in Detroit instead of Washington DC.  It was beyond frustrating in so many ways.  Was this supposed to be like a prequel to the Alex Cross in the books?   As a stand alone movie - it was still horrible.  The acting was sooooooo over the top.  Especially Matthew Fox.  Tyler Perry is atrocious casting as Alex Cross.  He would have been better as the aforementioned non-existent Sampson.  The story was just there and everything was pretty much happening haphazardly.  This was like a lame 80's action movie that should have had Sylvester Stallone as a random cop or something. 

I would not recommend anyone bothering with this.  It was so beyond disappointing in every way.  I just don't get it.  If they were to just recreate the books like they did with Kiss The Girls and Along Came A Spider this could be the most easy to make 11 movie franchise at this point.  Baffling how this can be so screwed up.

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower

 

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a modern classic that captures the dizzying highs and crushing lows of growing up. Starring Logan Lerman, Emma Watson and Ezra Miller, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a moving tale of love, loss, fear and hope-and the unforgettable friends that help us through life.

This is one of those artistic character dramas.  But what made it so good is that the actors were all so young yet put in amazingly adult like performances.  Emma Watson shows to me how she will be the only one from the Harry Potter kiddies that will go on to have a legitamite acting career.  She was great with the teenage rollercoaster/angst portrayal and played well off of all the other characters. 

I would recommend anyone interested in a very high quality character drama check this out.  It was a well acted movie with great performances throughout.

Argo

 

Based on true events, Argo chronicles the life-or-death covert operation to rescue six Americans, which unfolded behind the scenes of the Iran hostage crisis--the truth of which was unknown by the public for decades. On November 4, 1979, as the Iranian revolution reaches its boiling point, militants storm the U.S. embassy in Tehran, taking 52 Americans hostage. But, in the midst of the chaos, six Americans manage to slip away and find refuge in the home of the Canadian ambassador. Knowing it is only a matter of time before the six are found out and likely killed, a CIA "exfiltration" specialist named Tony Mendez (Affleck) comes up with a risky plan to get them safely out of the country. A plan so incredible, it could only happen in the movies.

This movie was great.  And I didn't even realize how much I was enjoying it until the tension that had been building for so long finally passed.  I literally felt relieved.  That is good film making when you get someone to feel that way and totally reel them in without them knowing it's even happening.  I continue to be amazed at how much better Ben Affleck is as an actor than a director and the fact that when he is directing himself, he makes himself a better actor.  So weird. 

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.  It's a pretty intense true story that is excellently directed and acted throughout.  I'm pretty sure this movie is going to show up on a lot of top ten lists at the end of the year.

Paranormal Activity 4

 

The fourth film in the supernatural franchise.

That is literally the synopsis that I found.  Does the synopsis really matter for these movies at this point.  If you are into them - you know the deal.  If not - why would you start with number four?

I have really enjoyed this franchise until this point.  The first one scared the living hell out of me.  The second one was very creepy.  The third one (a prequel) backtracked a little but still had more than it's fair share of creep out moments.  This one was more of a sequel to part 2 and started off with great promise, but for the first time I wasn't scared.  I didn't find myself dreading what was going to happen.  I didn't find myself jumping.  It was basically a 90 minute set up to the final scene that actually made the story movie forward ever so slightly.

Again - whether I recommend it or not doesn't really matter.  If you saw the others and liked them - you will see this one.  If you didn't - then you probably won't.

Sinister

 

Sinister is a frightening new thriller from the producer of the Paranormal Activity films and the writer-director of"The Exorcism of Emily Rose" Ethan Hawke plays a true crime novelist who discovers a box of mysterious, disturbing home movies that plunge his family into a nightmarish experience of supernatural horror.

This movie had great scares.  Not like a lose sleep kind of stuff like Paranormal Actitivty or last year's Insidious, but the kind that makes the whole audience jump.  The story was pretty good and easy enough to follow.  The only real problem I had with the movie was the constant waa-waa between Ethan Hawke and his wife.  They basically had the same discussion/fight 17 times.  It took away from the overall feel of the movie.

I would still recommend that fright fans check this one out.  It is a more than decent enough watch and the jump scares are enjoyable.  It's just a shame that they couldn't stick more to the story instead of the waa-waa this is my big break speeches made by Ethan Hawke.

Here Comes The Boom

 

In the comedy Here Comes the Boom, former collegiate wrester Scott Voss (Kevin James) is a 42-year-old apathetic biology teacher in a failing high school. When cutbacks threaten to cancel the music program and lay off its teacher (Henry Winkler,) Scott begins to raise money by moonlighting as a mixed martial arts fighter. Everyone thinks Scott is crazy - most of all the school nurse, Bella (Salma Hayek) - but in his quest, Scott gains something he never expected as he becomes a sensation that rallies the entire school.

This is by no means a good movie.  It's beyond formula.  It's beyond unrealistic and silly in terms of credibility.  You pretty much have seen the movie by watching the trailers.  That being said - I LOVE watching Kevin James so I just decided to shut off my brain and watch the movie.  By doing that, I was actually able to enjoy it quite alot.   I found myself cheering for him and enjoying the ride of the movie knowing full well how silly/lame it really was.

I would recommend this movie to anyone who is able to do what I mentioned above.  Not being able to turn off the analytical part of your brain will make this probably one of the dumbest movies ever.

Trouble With The Curve

 

Gus Lobel (Clint Eastwood) has been one of the best scouts in baseball for decades, but, despite his efforts to hide it, age is starting to catch up with him. Nevertheless, Gus, who can tell a pitch just by the crack of the bat, refuses to be benched for what may be the final innings of his career. He may not have a choice. The front office of the Atlanta Braves is starting to question his judgment, especially with the country's hottest batting phenom on deck for the draft. The one person who might be able to help is also the one person Gus would never ask: his daughter, Mickey (Amy Adams), an associate at a high-powered Atlanta law firm whose drive and ambition has put her on the fast track to becoming partner. Against her better judgment, and over Gus's objections, Mickey joins him on his latest scouting trip to North Carolina, jeopardizing her own career to save his. Forced to spend time together for the first time in years, each makes new discoveries, revealing long-held truths about their past and present that could change their future.

This was a great character drama.  Clint Eastwood played pretty much the same role that he has in his last couple of movies.  Hey - if it ain't broke - don't fix it.  Amy Adams was great as the daughter to the dad that was never there.  The baseball intricacies were great and Justin Timberlake continues to get better and better as an actor. 

I would definitely recommend that people check this out.  It is an amazing father/daughter movie.  The story was simple yet touching.  The main characters all had great hooks that make you care.  And all of the main actors played very well off of each other.

Pitch Perfect

 

Beca (Anna Kendrick) is that girl who'd rather listen to what's coming out of her headphones than what's coming out of you. Arriving at her new college, she finds herself not right for any clique but somehow is muscled into one that she never would have picked on her own: alongside mean girls, sweet girls and weird girls whose only thing in common is how good they sound when they sing together, in the new out-loud comedy Pitch Perfect.

This movie was soooooooooo much fun.  I loved the music.  I loved the characters.   I laughed my ass off.  This is easily one of the biggest surprises of a movie I've seen in a long, long time.  I'm not by any stretch of the imagination willing to say that in terms of good filmmaking this is a phenomenal movie.  But in terms of just pure fun and laughs - this is one of the more enjoyable movies that I have seen this year.

I would absolutely recommend people checking this movie out.  It was so much fun and I am now officially the hugest fan of "Fat Amy".

Taken 2

 

Liam Neeson returns as Bryan Mills, the retired CIA agent with a particular set of skills who stopped at nothing to save his daughter Kim from Albanian kidnappers. When the father of one of the kidnappers swears revenge and takes Bryan and his wife hostage during their family vacation in Istanbul, Bryan enlists Kim to help them escape, and uses the same advanced level of special forces tactics to get his family to safety and systematically take out the kidnappers one by one.

It is hard to believe how God awful this movie was.  The first one was a great paced, simple story bada$$ movie.  How could they manage to screw up the simplest sequel in the world to make like this?  Answer - push way too much of the wife and the daughter and tone it down for a PG-13 rating.  All enjoyment was pretty much non-existent in this and a barely 90 minute movie seemed like forever long.

I would absolutely not recommend anyone bothering with this.  It's pretty much a big giant turd and easily one of the most disappointing movies to come out this year.

Frankenweenie

From creative genius Tim Burton comes Frankenweenie, a heartwarming tale about a boy and his dog. After unexpectedly losing his beloved dog Sparky, young Victor harnesses the power of science to bring his best friend back to life with just a few minor adjustments. He tries to hide his home-sewn creation, but when Sparky gets out, Victor's fellow students, teachers and the entire town all learn that getting a new leash on life can be monstrous.

Personally, I enjoyed this movie.  I have pretty much always enjoyed Tim Burton's stuff like this.  It was a simple enough story.  One that definitely hits home with me because of my closeness with my cat.  It was definitely short enough that it didn't go on and on.  That being said . . . . this movie is soooooooo not for young kids as advertised.  The last 15-20 minutes of this movie are really creepy and kind of violent. 

I would still recommend that people go and check this out.  It was a very enjoyable movie.  Just do NOT bring young children to see it.

Looper

 

In the futuristic action thriller Looper, time travel will be invented - but it will be illegal and only available on the black market. When the mob wants to get rid of someone, they will send their target 30 years into the past, where a "looper" (a hired gun), like Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is waiting to mop up. Joe is getting rich and life is good until the day the mob decides to "close the loop," sending back Joe's future self (Bruce Willis) for assassination. The film is written and directed by Rian Johnson and also stars Emily Blunt, Paul Dano, and Jeff Daniels. 

This movie did two things incredibly well.  Sci Fi is all about making people believe in the world being portrayed.  This "future" was very well developed and beliveable.  The storytelling and back and forth between present Joe and "future" Joe's stories was incredibly done.  You found yourself going back and forth rooting for them as you understood both of their lines of thinking on how things had to play out.  There were only two things that kept me from completely raving about this movie.  One - the makeup on Joseph Gordon-Levitt making him not look like Joseph Gordon Levitt was driving me crazy the whole movie.  I don't see why that was necessary at all.  The second thing is that the pacing was so kick ass for the first half of the movie and then awesome for the last 1/2 hour but there was a 1/2 hour in there where the movie basically just kind of stopped.  If that were done better, this would be a lock for my top ten movies list . . . . . even with the ending that is very philosophical instead of the textbook closure providing type.

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.  It is excellent sci-fi and amazing storytelling. 

Hotel Transylvania

 

Welcome to the Hotel Transylvania, Dracula's lavish five-stake resort, where monsters and their families can live it up, free from meddling from the human world. But here's a little known fact about Dracula: he is not only the Prince of Darkness; he is also a dad. Over-protective of his teenage daughter, Mavis, Dracula fabricates tales of elaborate dangers to dissuade her adventurous spirit. As a haven for Mavis, he opens the Hotel Transylvania, where his daughter and some of the world's most famous monsters, Frankenstein and his bride, the Mummy, the Invisible Man, a family of werewolves, and more, can kick back in safety and peace. For Drac, catering to all of these legendary monsters is no problem - but his world could come crashing down when one ordinary guy stumbles on the hotel and takes a shine to Mavis.

This was a simple, fun kids movie that the adults can enjoy as well.  It wasn't a bunch of stupid toilet humor because of the Adam Sandler factor.  It was funny more because of the incorporating of all the "monsters" that we have come to know through numerous forms of presentation.  Dracula bugging out when he got mad for a couple of seconds didn't get old, the Wolfman stuff was really funny and the zombie's throughout it all were great.  The story was cute and the run time was perfectly short. 

I would definitely recommend people checking this out - especially those of you with kids.  Hopefully this movie marks the end of the black hold of movie going that the first 2/3 of September represent and there will be more worthwhile stuff for the families like this to go check out.

Dredd

 

The future America is an irradiated waste land. On its East Coast, running from Boston to Washington DC, lies Mega City One- a vast, violent metropolis where criminals rule the chaotic streets. The only force of order lies with the urban cops called "Judges" who possess the combined powers of judge, jury and instant executioner. Known and feared throughout the city, Dredd (Karl Urban) is the ultimate Judge, challenged with ridding the city of its latest scourge - a dangerous drug epidemic that has users of "Slo-Mo" experiencing reality at a fraction of its normal speed. During a routine day on the job, Dredd is assigned to train and evaluate Cassandra Anderson (Olivia Thirlby), a rookie with powerful psychic abilities thanks to a genetic mutation. A heinous crime calls them to a neighborhood where fellow Judges rarely dare to venture- a 200 story vertical slum controlled by prostitute turned drug lord Ma-Ma (Lena Headey) and her ruthless clan. When they capture one of the clan's inner circle, Ma-Ma overtakes the compound's control center and wages a dirty, vicious war against the Judges that proves she will stop at nothing to protect her empire. With the body count climbing and no way out, Dredd and Anderson must confront the odds and engage in the relentless battle for their survival.

Most unnecessarily long plot summary ever for a movie with no story/plot whatsoever.  This is total garbage.  Acting poop.  Writing poop.  Action even poop.  This was just a cheap excuse to show gunshots and exploding blood in slow motion 3D.  Total garbage.

Should anyone see this?  Absolutely not.  Pretty much a lock for the Bottom 10 at the end of the year.

House At The End Of The Street

 

Seeking a fresh start, newly divorced Sarah (Elisabeth Shue) and her daughter Elissa (Jennifer Lawrence) find the house of their dreams in a small, upscale, rural town. But when startling and unexplainable events begin to happen, Sarah and Elissa learn the town is in the shadows of a chilling secret. Years earlier, in the house next door, a daughter killed her parents in their beds, and disappeared - leaving only a brother, Ryan (Max Thieriot), as the sole survivor. Against Sarah's wishes, Elissa begins a relationship with the reclusive Ryan - and the closer they get, the deeper they're all pulled into a mystery more dangerous than they ever imagined.

This movie started off as a decent creepy movie with the sister still being alive and the brother trying to cover for her and keep her hidden.   It wasn't really good, but decent.  Then there was a twist that pretty much dumped this movie right in to the crapper and I felt like I was watching a repeat of that show Criminal Minds.  Can't really go in to much more detail without playing the whole Spoiler Alert thing and to be honest - the movie was too crappy to waste my time going in to any more detail.

I would absolutely not recommend anyone bothering with this movie.  It is pretty pointless and a big pile of poop.  Any hope it might have had left once they did their stupid swerve.

End Of Watch

 

Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena star in End of Watch as young Los Angeles police officers Taylor and Zavala as they patrol the city's meanest streets of south central Los Angeles. The film creates a riveting portrait of the city's most dangerous corners, the cops who risk their lives there every day, and the price they and their families are forced to pay.

This movie was awesome.  It seemed so real.  They did such an amazing job of hooking you into these two characters that the intensity you felt when they were in action was amazing and the laughs you had while they were busting each other's chops were equally as great.  There were a couple of times where I started to wonder where the movie was ultimately going but I didn't really care because I would gladly keep watching the daily events in these two cops lives. 

I would absolutely recommend people checking this movie out.  Granted this has been a pretty bad year for movies so take this with a grain of salt - but this is easily one of the best movies that I have seen this year.

Resident Evil: Retribution

 

The Umbrella Corporation's deadly T-virus continues to ravage the Earth, transforming the global population into legions of the flesh eating Undead. The human race's last and only hope, Alice (Milla Jovovich), awakens in the heart of Umbrella's most clandestine operations facility and unveils more of her mysterious past as she delves further into the complex. Without a safe haven, Alice continues to hunt those responsible for the outbreak; a chase that takes her from Tokyo to New York, Washington, D.C. and Moscow, culminating in a mind-blowing revelation that will force her to rethink everything that she once thought to be true. Aided by newfound allies and familiar friends, Alice must fight to survive long enough to escape a hostile world on the brink of oblivion. The countdown has begun.

Why do they keep making these?   The fact that this is a franchise with however many movies (is this the fifth one, now?) is one of the things that I hate the most about my movie seeing problem.  It's just another Resident Evil movie.  I really don't have to say anything else.   It's poop.  Just like the rest of them for the most part. 

Really?  Would I recommend it?   No.  I recommend that for the love of all that is holy they stop making these damn movies.

The Words

 

Starring Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Irons, Dennis Quaid, Olivia Wilde and Zoe Saldana, The Words follows young writer Rory Jansen who finally achieves long sought after literary success after publishing the next great American novel. There's only one catch - he didn't write it. As the past comes back to haunt him and his literary star continues to rise, Jansen is forced to confront the steep price that must be paid for stealing another man's work, and for placing ambition and success above life's most fundamental three words.

It's hard to put my finger on why, but I liked this movie.  A lot.  I'm not saying its a great movie but it was very enjoyable for the usual toilet of movie releases that is the month of September.  I guess it was the storytelling format that they used.  It was simple and different and even though you knew any twists that would pop up, you were still totally intrigued to see how it played out . . . . or was told by the narrator.   The movie was also very short and I think that the lack of dead time kept the storytelling that much tighter.

I would recommend people check this movie out.  Again - it's not a must see by any means but I did enjoy it very much just because of the narrative way of telling the story and the back and forth between three different writers.

Hit And Run

 

Hit and Run is the story of Charlie Bronson (Shepard), a nice guy with a questionable past who risks everything when he busts out of the witness protection program to deliver his fiance' (Kristen Bell) to Los Angeles to seize a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Their road trip grows awkwardly complicated, when they are chased by the feds (led by Tom Arnold) and increasingly dangerous, when Charlie's former pals, a band of gangsters (led by Bradley Cooper), enter the fray.

I sat through this movie for the first 30-40 minutes with that "how bad can this movie really be" face on and begging WW to leave.  The acting was god awful.  Don't know if you read in the synopsis above that Tom Arnold was in it.  After seeing his 4th or 5th rant of the movie, I finally realized that I had the car keys on me and was able to use that leverage to pull the plug before Bradley Cooper even came on screen. 

I would not recommend that anyone even waste the half hour that I did on this movie.  This is one of those movies that will be etched in my mind under the category of how the hell do movies like this even get made in the first place.  The budget that was spent on something like this could probably cure hunger in Ethiopia or something for Christ's sake!!!

Premium Rush

 

Dodging speeding cars, crazed cabbies, open doors, and eight million cranky pedestrians is all in a day's work for Wilee (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), the best of New York's agile and aggressive bicycle messengers. It takes a special breed to ride the fixie (super lightweight, single-gear bikes with no brakes) and riders who are equal part skilled cyclists and suicidal nutcases who risk becoming a smear on the pavement every time they head into traffic. But a guy who's used to putting his life on the line is about to get more than even he is used to when his last envelope of the day, a routine "premium rush" run, turns into a life or death chase through the streets of Manhattan.

Is this what Hollywood has come down to?  Remaking old Kevin Bacon movies from the 80s.  They don't openly admit that this is a remake of Quicksilver but it sure as hell felt like it.  And how in the hell did such legit actors like Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Michael Shannon decide to do this?  It's not that the movie was horrible.  It's somewhat watchable and short enough that you don't lose interest in it and what not.  It's beyond predictable from the first scene and they try to mix it up by going back and forth over the two hour timeline covered in the movie. 

I would somewhat recommend this movie to people.  Like if you have absolutely nothing else to do and have seen most other movies out there maybe.  It's not bad, but its not great.  It's just kind of there.

The Cold Light Of Day

 

Will Shaw (Henry Cavill) goes to Spain for a weeklong sailing vacation with his family but his whole world turns upside down when the family is kidnapped by intelligence agents hell-bent on recovering a mysterious briefcase and Will suddenly finds himself on the run.

My how far some big name actors have fallen.  Bruce Willis and Sigourney Weaver were useless in this movie.  Honestly, the whole movie was useless and this was not a good start for the guy that is taking over Superman.  This movie had been pushed back over a year and it was not hard to understand why.  There was zero suspense in this "suspense" movie.

I wouldn't recommend anyone wasting their time with this one.  It is pretty much pointless and not worth the time at all.

The Possession

 

Clyde (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Stephanie Brenek (Kyra Sedgwick) see little cause for alarm when their youngest daughter Em becomes oddly obsessed with an antique wooden box she purchased at a yard sale. But as Em's behavior becomes increasingly erratic, the couple fears the presence of a malevolent force in their midst, only to discover that the box was built to contain a dibbuk, a dislocated spirit that inhabits and ultimately devours its human host.

I tend to not look forward to these PG-13 exorcism type movies because they never hit the mark.  Anything remotely creepy is usually shown in the trailers and it's a waste of 90 minutes.  Finally, this one was enjoyable.  It had plenty of creeped out moments.  It had to do with a kid which for whatever reason is always that much more terrifying.  The story wasn't over the top too much that it slowed the movie down too much.  Pretty surprising.

I would definitely recommend creepy movie fans check this one out.  It was a pretty entertaining watch.

Lawless

 

Lawless is the true story of the infamous Bondurant Brothers: bootlegging siblings who made a run for the American Dream in Prohibition-era Virginia. In this epic gangster tale, inspired by true-life tales of author Matt Bondurant's family in his novel "The Wettest County In The World," the loyalty of three brothers is put to the test against the backdrop of the nation's most notorious crime wave.

I'm kind of torn on this movie.  I liked it, but still thought that it could have been so much better.  For a two hour movie, the characters weren't really developed enough and it just felt like parts of the story were missing and we were just supposed to "know" or assume stuff.  I loved Tom Hardy and Guy Pearce.  Gary Oldman's character seemed great but ended up not being a necessary part of the movie whatsoever.  Surprisingly, Shia LeBeouf was pretty crappy in this movie.  Maybe that's what held it back?  I found myself wanted to see more of the other characters than his. 

Again - I would lukewarmly recommend this movie to people.  It isn't bad, but it could have been so much better.  I liked it and was disappointed at the same time.

Sparkle

 

Sparkle tells the story of the title character; Sparkle, (Jordin Sparks) the youngest of three sisters and a music prodigy who struggles to becomes a star while overcoming issues that are tearing her family apart. Sparkle is from an affluent Detroit area, naive to the unexpected experiences her new life will bring as she and her two sisters blossom into a dynamic singing group during the Motown-era. Whitney Houston will play the trio's mother (Emma). Mike Epps plays a wealthy comedian named Satin, who woos Sparkle's sister into a drug-filled abusive relationship on their way to the top. During her journey, Sparkle endures the trials and tribulations of fame but fights to rise through the ranks of the music business.

I made it 25 minutes into this movie before not being able to take it anymore.  It's like a homemade rehashing of Dreamgirls.  It's pretty much crap. 

I wouldn't recommend anyone ever bothering with this.  It wasn't even worth a 26th minute of watching for me.

The Expendables 2

Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone), Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), Yin Yang (Jet Li), Gunnar Jensen (Dolph Lundgren), Toll Road (Randy Couture) and Hale Caesar (Terry Crews) -- with newest members Billy the Kid (Liam Hemsworth) and Maggie (Yu Nan) aboard -- are reunited when Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) enlists the Expendables to take on a seemingly simple job. The task looks like an easy paycheck for Barney and his band of old-school mercenaries. But when things go wrong and one of their own is viciously killed, the Expendables are compelled to seek revenge in hostile territory where the odds are stacked against them. Hell-bent on payback, the crew cuts a swath of destruction through opposing forces, wreaking havoc and shutting down an unexpected threat in the nick of time - six pounds of weapons-grade plutonium; enough to change the balance of power in the world. But that's nothing compared to the justice they serve against the villainous adversary who savagely murdered their brother.

This movie is great, just like the first one,  for being exactly what it's supposed to be - a throwback to over the top 80s action movies.  There is crazy shootouts and fighting.  There are cliche one liners all over the place and they have even brought in more throwback actors that pretty much made entire careers out of these types of movies.

If you liked the first one (or 80s action movies) - you will like this movie just as much.  If you didn't - don't touch it with a ten foot pole.  It's pretty much one of the easiest movies to review.

ParaNorman

In ParaNorman, a small town comes under siege by zombies. Who can it call? Only misunderstood local boy Norman (voiced by Kodi Smit-McPhee), who is able to speak with the dead. In addition to the zombies, he'll have to take on ghosts, witches and, worst, of all, grown-ups, to save his town from a centuries-old curse. But this young ghoul whisperer may find his paranormal activities pushed to their otherworldly limits.

This movie had moments where there were good laughs.  However, the animation was kind of creepy like Coraline.  Worse than that the story was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay out there and much too dark for any kids to be seeing this - much less understanding it. 

I wouldn't really recommend people checking this out.  It's not horrible.  Its just an animated movie that isn't remotely for kids and kind of dark but not committed to be "dark enough" for adults to really like.

The Odd Life Of Timothy Green

The Odd Life Of Timothy Green is a story about a happily married couple, Cindy and Jim Green (Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton), who can't wait to start a family but can only dream about what their child would be like. When young Timothy (CJ Adams) shows up on their doorstep one stormy night, Cindy and Jim, and their small town of Stanleyvill, learn that sometimes the unexpected can bring some of life's greatest gifts.

This was one of those blatant heartstring movies.  They take some characters and give them a horrible situation - in this case being unable to have children - and milk the sadness out of it as much as they can.  At the risk of losing my man card - I usually love movies like this, but wasn't really hooked by any of the characters.  No hook = no sympathy connection = movie is just kind of there.

I wouldn't really recommend people checking this out.  Well, maybe it was just me and you'll connect with the characters and enjoy a sapfest.  It just didn't work for me at all.

The Campaign

When long-term congressman Cam Brady (Will Ferrell) commits a major public gaffe before an upcoming election, a pair of ultra-wealthy CEOs plot to put up a rival candidate and gain influence over their North Carolina district. Their man: naive Marty Huggins (Zach Galifianakis), director of the local Tourism Center. At first, Marty appears to be the unlikeliest possible choice but, with the help of his new benefactors' support, a cutthroat campaign manager and his family's political connections, he soon becomes a contender who gives the charismatic Cam plenty to worry about. As Election Day closes in, the two are locked in a dead heat, with insults quickly escalating to injury until all they care about is burying each other.

This movie definitely had moments of hilarity from both Ferrell and Galifinakas.  But the laughs were spaced out too far and there was too much down time for an already extremely short movie.  Ferrell was back in an Anchorman type role where he was so self-obsessed and oblivious.  Galifinakas's quirkiness was awesome at first but kind of grew old.  The funniest part of the movie was actually his two kids.  The few lines that they let them have had me dying.

I would somewhat recommend people checking out this one.  The laughs that were there were huge, but I just wish that there would have been much more of them.

The Bourne Legacy

The architect behind the "Bourne" film series, Tony Gilroy, takes the helm in the next chapter of the hugely popular espionage franchise - The Bourne Legacy. The writer/director expands the "Bourne" universe created by Robert Ludlum with an original story that introduces us to a new hero (Jeremy Renner) whose life-or-death stakes have been triggered by the events of the first three films.

This was an awesome twist to the franchise.  It took place alongside the Jason Bourne stuff and that back and forth was great.  This movie was a little more talky talky than the other three and went much more in depth about how these men became super agents and the methods used to do so.  The action scenes were still great and I think Jeremy Renner was an excellent choice to be cast in this.  Ideally, the best part of this movie is that it was done in a way that the franchise can ultimately go to a whole other level like what they did with the Fast & Furious franchise by continuing it without the main star but leaving it open that Vin Diesel could come back.  The thought of the next movie or another one down the road in this franchise having both Renner and Damon is awesome.  Very good overall storytelling.

I would definitely recommend people checking this movie out.  Again - the action wasn't as high as in past Bourne movies, but the writing/story is very smart and involves the overall franchise instead of just keeping this one seperate. 

Hope Springs

Kay (Meryl Streep) and Arnold (Tommy Lee Jones) are a devoted couple, but decades of marriage have left Kay wanting to spice things up and reconnect with her husband. When she hears of a renowned couple's specialist (Steve Carell) in the small town of Great Hope Springs, she attempts to persuade her skeptical husband, a steadfast man of routine, to get on a plane for a week of marriage therapy. Just convincing the stubborn Arnold to go on the retreat is hard enough � the real challenge for both of them comes as they shed their bedroom hang-ups and try to re-ignite the spark that caused them to fall for each other in the first place.

This was a cute relationship movie.  You care about the characters and the situation that they are in/going through.  And both of them did a great job.  The movie was definitely watchable, but outside of seeing where these two characters end up - there really is no major point to the movie.

I would recommend this to anyone who is a Meryl Streep fan or can identify with the level of their relationship I guess.  Again - the characters are well portrayed but there is no overall point to the movie.

Total Recall

Total Recall is an action thriller about reality and memory, inspired anew by the famous short story "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale" by Philip K. Dick. Welcome to Rekall, the company that can turn your dreams into real memories. For a factory worker named Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell), even though he's got a beautiful wife (Kate Beckinsale) who he loves, the mind-trip sounds like the perfect vacation from his frustrating life - real memories of life as a super-spy might be just what he needs. But when the procedure goes horribly wrong, Quaid becomes a hunted man. Finding himself on the run from the police (controlled by Chancellor Cohaagen (Bryan Cranston), the leader of the free world) Quaid teams up with a rebel fighter (Jessica Biel) to find the head of the underground resistance (Bill Nighy) and stop Cohaagen. The line between fantasy and reality gets blurred and the fate of his world hangs in the balance as Quaid discovers his true identity, his true love, and his true fate.

Ok.  There are two ways to look at this movie.  The first is to pretend that the original Total Recall with Arnold Schwartzenegger never happened.  If you do that, this is a barely watchable sci-fi movie.  They basically had the robots from I, Robot and the stormtroopers from Star Wars make a baby and those were the soldiers chasing them.  Then they basically stole the exact look and transportation from Minority Report.  Then they told Beckinsale to pretend that she was in Underworld 17.  Unfortunately, stealing all these things from other good sci fi movies (I'm referring loosely to Underworld 1 included in that), doesn't make a good sci fi movie.  This movie had some of the dryest acting ever and was barely watchable due to the visual effects of it.  If you are watching this in the second way to see it . . . . factoring in the original Total Recall . . . . . . this movie is absolutely horrible.  The first Total Recall was one of the iconic movies of my teenage years.  I can pretty much quote it word for word and at the time, the makeup and effects were top notch.  This movie was pretty much a giant insult to that movie across the board. 

I wouldn't really recommend anyone bothering with this movie.  It's pretty much garbage either way you look at it and a total waste of time.

Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Dog Days

Based on author and cartoonist Jeff Kinney's fourth Wimpy Kid book - this one covers Greg's worst summer ever.

There really isn't much of a synopsis necessary for this one because it's pretty much just more of the same story and characters.  If you liked the others and the characters - like I do.  Then you will like this one as well.  It's pretty much the same laughs and the same morals for a third go round.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who like the previous Wimpy Kid movies.  I have read all the books and seen the movies and enjoy them for being simple, family movies that are not in 3D and don't go over the top.  These are the kinds of movies that you can take your kids to and not worry if it's okay for them to see it.

The Watch

The Watch is a sci-fi comedy about a suburban "neighborhood watch" group that serves as a front for dads to get some male-bonding time away from their families. The group finds itself in over its head when it uncovers a plot to destroy the world.

This movie was pretty much garbage.  It's a damn shame to say that considering the collective comedic talent in there and the ads did look kind of good.  Unfortunately, most of the laughs were in the commercial and Ben Stiller's characters was so annoyingly straight laced that it didn't mesh well at all with Vince Vaughn (who was overly hyper than normal) and Jonah Hill (who was the only one that actually made me laugh) and most of the humor was lamely sophomoric. 

I wouldn't recommend anyone bothering to check this out.  This was a very disappointing summer comedy that wrapped up what has not been a good year for them at all.

Step Up: Revolution

Step Up Revolution is the next installment in the Step Up franchise, which sets the dancing against the vibrant backdrop of Miami. Emily, the daughter of a wealthy businessman, arrives in Miami with aspirations of becoming a professional dancer, but soon falls in love with Sean, a young man who leads a dance crew in elaborate, cutting-edge flash mobs. The crew, called the MOB, strives to win a contest for a major sponsorship opportunity, but soon Emily's father threatens to develop the MOB's historic neighborhood and displace thousands of people. Emily must band together with Sean and the MOB to turn their performance mobs into protest mobs, and risk losing their dreams to fight for a greater cause.

Let's face it.  Who gives a rat's ass about the stories in these movies?  You go to see the dance sequences.  Even Stinka said after the movie that "the dancing was cool but the rest was crap".  I was literally busy playing games on my phone any time it wasn't one of the choreographed scenes.  I will say that some of the scenes were actually pretty cool.  This Step Up franchise has literally morphed into a Mr. Cinco/Stinka tradition and this wasn't nearly as painful as the last one because I found the dances much more entertaining than the last one.

Would I recommend anyone checking this out?  Absolutely not if you haven't seen any of the others or if you didn't like the others.  If you did/do - then you will enjoy this one.  I thought it was better than entry three.

The Dark Knight Rises

It has been eight years since Batman vanished into the night, turning, in that instant, from hero to fugitive. Assuming the blame for the death of D.A. Harvey Dent, the Dark Knight sacrificed everything for what he and Commissioner Gordon both hoped was the greater good. For a time the lie worked, as criminal activity in Gotham City was crushed under the weight of the anti-crime Dent Act.  But everything will change with the arrival of a cunning cat burglar with a mysterious agenda. Far more dangerous, however, is the emergence of Bane, a masked terrorist whose ruthless plans for Gotham drive Bruce out of his self-imposed exile. But even if he dons the cape and cowl again, Batman may be no match for Bane.

Brace yourselves because this is going to be a long one.  Let me start by saying this is an amazing movie.  It fell in line exactly with where my expectations for it were.  I kept saying that this would be more of a sequel to Batman Begins than to The Dark Knight.  Heath Ledger's performace was a once in a lifetime type of thing and to think that they would be able to top that would be ridiculous.  That being said - Christopher Nolan (best director out there - sorry, Fincher) was so fair to everyone in this movie.  He was fair each actor that has been throughout all the trilogy.  Gary Oldman got his due.  Morgan Freeman got his due.  Michael Caine got his due.  And most importanly - Christian Bale got his due after pretty much just being a distant third fiddle to Ledger and Eckhardt in the last one.  Besides them, he worked in Catwoman very well and Anne Hathaway was great with the sleekness needed delivering her lines.  Tom Hardy is the man.  Love this guy and he was awesome as Bane.  And Joseph Gordon-Levitt was great as the new cop getting introduced.  Much more on him later.  As for the fans - he could not have done us more justice.  This movie trilogy wrapped up in the most phenomenal of ways.  I can't really go into it without giving too much away.  I will go over some stuff later but with spoiler warnings.  I am just so happy with how I felt walking out of the theater and didn't realize how much this telling of Batman really meant to me as a movie fan until that point. 

All of the awesomeness being addressed, there were some things that left a bit of a blah taste in my mouth.  The first 30-45 minutes of the movie seemed a little choppy and forced having to introduce Bane, Catwoman and the new cop guy.  Luckily, just when it was getting to the point where it could really take away from the movie - it smoothed out and because awesome from then on.

SPOILERS AHEAD!   SPOILERS AHEAD!  SPOILERS AHEAD!  Only read if you don't care with things being mentioned. 

Bane was so badass and was such an awesomely developed villain, yet he became completely inconsequential after the swerve of Thalia A'Gul being revealed and his demise was almost done in passing and for comic relief.  That bothered me alot.  I felt like the character deserved better than that.  As for the aforementioned swerve - I'm being generous when saying swerve because I saw that coming months ago when they announced the casting and saw it coming the whole movie.  That was very un-Nolanesque.  The only two other things that didn't sit well with me was A - the flying away with the neutron bomb (Did they have to drag it on the ground and bang it all over the place?  It's a bomb.  I feel as if something would have happened in the realm of blowing up prematurely by doing that?  It just looked kind of silly.) and B - a major editing snafu with the getaway from the Wall Street attack.  The chase started in total daylight and they went under some tunnel and it was total nightime when they came out?   Again - just kind of hit me as un-Nolanesque. 

Now on to my praise of the ending - STILL SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

Wow!  Christopher Nolan not only gave every character what they wanted to have a happy ending, but he gave Warner Brothers the biggest gift ever if they really want to try and do the Justice League thing.  I've been ranting with my friend about how they would never be able to pull it off because The Avengers was a work of advanced mastery in marketing and WB would basically just be throwing Justice League on the screen having to have a new Batman too soon and no advance hype whatsoever.  Then Nolan goes and has Joseph Gordon Levitt acknowledged as "Robin" and has the movie end with him going in to the batcave.  HOLY $HIT!!!   I felt the same way after seeing Sam Jackson at the end of Iron Man.  Now all they have to do is have JGL show up in the relaunched Superman next year and they already have the legwork for Justice League.  Please let the powers that be at WB not screw this up and run with the absolute gift that Nolan has given them. 

I feel as if I have written enough here.  You have probably guessed that I would recommend this movie by now.  It's easily one of the best trilogies of all time - probably behind only the original Star Wars and Lord Of The Rings for me.  I would say it's by second favorite of the trilogy behind The Dark Knight and I would say it is my second favorite movie of the year only to The Avengers for pulling all of that together.