The Incredible Burt Wonderstone

ATTENTION:  MOVIE SPOILERS INCLUDED!! 

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone

March 16 2013

My opinion:

2.5  out of 5 bags of popcorn for the overall movie

2  out of 5 boxes of milk duds for my personal entertainment

My suggestion:   DVD

The gist:   Burt Wonderstone and Anton Marvelton are superstar magicians headlining for Bally’s in Las Vegas.  They are hugely successful until a rival magician named Steve Gray begins performing his innovative act drawing away fans.  In a last desperate hope to revive their stale careers, Wonderstone and Marvelton concoct a scheme to show that they can still entertain.  The life-long friends soon lose everything including their friendship and must try to put it back together.

My Take:

This movie was like watching one long SNL skit.  It was entertaining for a while, but the problem is that it went from moderately funny, to annoying about half way through.  Steve Carrell played Burt Wonderstone and he was fine.  Steve Buscemi played Anton Marvelton and he was fine.  The best character of the film was by far Steve Gray played by Jim Carrey.  His character seemed to be loosely based on Criss Angel (think Mindfreak) and his act was called Brain Rape.  He was great, but even he couldn’t salvage this film.  The other notable performance was given by Alan Arkin who plays Rance Holloway, an elderly magician who inspired Wonderstone to become a magician.  As usually he was interesting to watch and brings an unspoken humor to his character. 

The whole thing is totally predictable and there were not enough funny moments to keep me interested in what was going to happen.  I really didn’t care if the two became friends again or revived their act.   All I really cared about was what Jim Carrey’s character was going to perform to outdo himself in his final performance and even that was a bit stale.

I can see how some viewers might enjoy this film especially if they like comedies and are Steve Carrell fans.  I think the idea for this film could have been really great, it just couldn’t break through the stupid barrier to get to the hilariousness I was wanting!  It was funny….in parts….but not enough for an entire film.  

Gangster Squad

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Gangster Squad

January 20, 2013

3.5 out of 5 bags of popcorn for the overall movie

4 out of 5 boxes of milk duds for my own personal entertainment

My Suggestion:  Theatre or DVD

The Gist:  This film is set in Los Angeles in 1949.  Sgt. John O’Mara (Josh Brolin) puts together a secret crew of police officers working outside the law to bring down mob boss Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) who is sick with power and set on taking over all of the city’s criminal activities.  The lines between legal and illegal are blurred, as things get dirty and the squad cuts into Mickey’s profits in a major way.    

My take:

Talk about an incredible cast!  Josh Brolin, Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling (one of my personal favorites) and Emma Stone.  Doesn’t get much more Hollywood then that!  With a powerhouse cast like that I think the expectations for this movie were high!  A little too high!  I must admit I was a bit shocked by all the BAD reviews on this film AND for all the praise of Sean Penn’s performance. 

The downfall of this film was two-fold, first and surprisingly, was Sean Penn’s performance as mob boss Mickey Cohen.  On paper and in the trailers he seems perfect for the role, but for some reason it just didn’t work for me.  The only thing I could put my finger on was that I think he over acted the role.  His painfully slow and slurred speech, along with his overly surly attitude just played off as fake.  Secondly, was the fact that there was really nothing different about this film than any other gangster film out there.  If you are looking for something entertaining this will work, if you are looking for something new and exciting this doesn’t quite fit the bill.  That is why I feel the reviews have been so negative.  

For my part, I liked it.  Sure it had a bit of a been there done that feel, but there is plenty of action and a few overly gruesome kill scenes which kept it entertaining.  Once the action picked up it was easy to get into the film.  I loved the depth to most of the characters and I felt I got to know and care about what happened to each one of them.  If you like action films with a gangster-type feel then I predict you will enjoy this movie as much as I did.

And the Globe goes to......

And the Globe Goes to……..

With the People’s Choice awards tomorrow and the Golden Globes on Sunday I figured I better get some of my pick’s out there.  I am only going to pick my fav’s on a few of the most important categories.  As I looked through the list I felt it was important to note that I have not seen The Life of PI or Zero Dark Thirty yet.  (both are on my list so hopefully I can see them before the Oscar’s)

In the list below, the first will be my prediction of who/what I think will probably win and then the second will be my choice of who/what I want to win.

BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA

My Prediction – Lincoln

My Choice – Argo

BEST MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL

My Prediction – Les Miserables

My Choice -  Moonrise Kingdom

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE COMEDY OR MUSICAL

My Prediction – Hugh Jackman

My Choice – Hugh Jackman

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA

My Prediction – Daniel Day Lewis

My Choice – Daniel Day Lewis

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA

My Prediction – Jessica Chastain

My Choice – Helen Mirren

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE  COMEDY OR MUSICAL

My Prediction – Jennifer Lawrence

My Choice – Judi Dench

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE

My Prediction – Anne Hathaway

My Choice – Anne Hathaway

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE

My Prediction – Tommy Lee Jones

My Choice – I would LOVE to see any of these amazing actors win.  This was the toughest category for me as I truly thought that each of these actors outperformed their leads.  As I looked back at my blog entries for the films in almost every case I enjoyed these actors’ performances tremendously!  There was someone left off this list in my opinion and that was Javier Bardem for his supporting role in Skyfall. 

BEST DIRECTOR – MOTION PICTURES

My Prediction – Steven Spielberg

My Choice – Ben Affleck

It is going to be a great awards season.  I can hardly wait!  I am not sure what will happen but it is fun to guess J

Django Unchained

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Django Unchained

January 2, 2013

3.5 out of 5 bags of popcorn for the overall movie

4.5 out of 5 boxes of milk duds for my own personal entertainment

My Suggestion:  Theater

The Gist:  Quentin Tarantino wrote and directed this western film about revenge, vengeance and the lengths a person will go to get it.  When a bounty hunter frees a slave to assist him in capturing a gang of brothers wanted for reward they form a partnership of sorts.  Once the task is complete, the bounty hunter makes a deal with the slave to help him free his enslaved wife from the hands of a plantation owner. 

My take:

Wow…wow…wow!  I loved this movie.  The acting and story were both captivating and fascinating.  I am a huge Quentin Tarantino film lover and it definitely met my expectations and then some.  I will start off by talking a little about the movie itself and then get into the actors performances. 

This is a Tarantino film so going into it you need to expect to hear language (the n-word was used to the point of oblivion), see graphic detailed squirting blood kill scenes (brains, blood, bowels, nothing is off limits to this guy) and some very gut wrenching, cringe worthy moments.  If you are a Tarantino fan you will get it, if not, than prepare to be shocked.  The film was long, a bit too long in my opinion.  I had heard that they were considering making the movie a 2 part film which it easily could have been, but I believe they made the right decision to keep it all intact as one.   It is still too long which didn’t bother me that much, but it could be overkill for some.  There were several scenes that could have been eliminated without taking away from the film itself.  Such as, the KKK scene with Jonah Hill.  I didn’t mind it, but thought it was a waste of the movies time.  On a positive note, I was captivated by the story of a slave trying to free his beloved wife and his sheer bravery to do whatever it took to free her.  This movie has everything, a love story, an evil villain, a hero to cheer for, a loveable and smart sidekick, a disgusting but amusing band of bad guys and good guys all with interesting personalities and characteristics.  Sometimes it is hard to tell the good guys from the bad.  Very few writers can tell a story like Tarantino.  He can take a simple concept and expand it by adding his vision and details and it comes out as a work of genius.  This is one of his best films since Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2.  It is no Pulp Fiction, but it’s not far behind. 

The acting was spectacular.  Jamie Foxx who plays Django, the freed slave doesn’t miss a mark.  You are instantly in his corner and routing for him.  He is the most humble, bad-ass ever!  You could feel his pain and need to rescue his wife and seek revenge on those who had wronged him.  Christoph Waltz plays Dr. King Shultz, an ex-dentist turned bounty hunter who frees Django and partners up with him.  He is such an amazing actor and he adds a smart, wit to the film that is extremely enjoyable.  Samuel L. Jackson (love seeing him in another Tarantino film BTW) was great.  So good!  He plays the head house slave to Calvin Candie.  His character is quickly loved and hated up until the end.  No one is better at delivering powerful lines them him.  Leonardo DiCaprio gives one of the best performances of his career.  He plays an evil plantation owner who deals in slave fighting.  I loved seeing him in this bad guy role.  He was easy to hate after the first few scenes and he never let up.  He portrayed enough arrogance in him to fill his entire plantation in Mississippi.  Bravo to the cast for an excellent job.  It will be interesting to see what Oscar thinks of this film and cast.  

This is 40

ATTN:  MOVIE SPOILERS INCLUDED

This is 40

December 2012

3 out of 5 bags of popcorn for the overall movie

4 out of 5 boxes of milk duds for my own personal entertainment

My Suggestion:  DVD

The Gist:  Mike and Debbie are a married couple with 2 girls, careers and a beautiful home but their lives are about to go into major shock as they prepare to turn 40.  All sorts of chaos ensues leading to some drastic, ill-conceived changes to their lives. 

My take:

I liked this movie, because let’s face it….I am pretty much their target audience.  (I am 38 with a husband and 2 children)  There were countless moments in the movie when I said to myself, oh yeah, that seems about right.  The characters were all so interesting and crazy.  One important question to ask yourself before seeing this film is…….Do you like the f-bomb?  If you do, then this movie is definitely for you!! 

All joking aside, I enjoyed the movie and although I wasn’t laughing out loud the entire time, the conversations and relationships were interesting to watch unravel.  There was a ton of dialogue between the main characters Debbie and Mike, most of which is very enjoyable.  There are some cringe worthy moments and some very tacky scenes, but for the most part is works as a mid-life crisis adult comedy.

Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann have great chemistry together and they seem to understand how to engage the audience with their outlandish comments towards each other.  Megan Fox plays an employee at Debbie’s store and she is in her typical young, hot, SEXY role.  Pretty perfect for her.  Jason Segal plays a cheesy and sleazy personal trainer which is perfect for him as well.   The cast is great and really works for this type of film.

Overall I laughed, I cringed, I shook my head, and I empathized so it was enjoyable to me.  I am not sure the older crowd, or younger crowd would appreciate the story line.  This is 40 is perfect for us soon to be forty somethings. 

Jack Reacher

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Jack Reacher

December 2012

3 out of 5 bags of popcorn for the overall movie

3 out of 5 boxes of milk duds for my own personal entertainment

My Suggestion:  DVD

The Gist:  This film is an adaptation from the novel “One Shot” by Lee Child.  After 5 random people are shot the police arrest an ex-military sniper who claims his innocence and asks them to call in “Jack Reacher”.   Jack Reacher is an ex-army policeman who sees a report on the news about the shooting and makes his way to investigate the case for himself.  He teams up with the defense attorney to find out the details of the shooting and prove the accused guilt or innocence. 

My take:

I have not read any of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher novels, but I am told that in the books Jack Reacher is 6’5” tall with blonde hair.  The casting director for the film must have known this and decided to look for the exact opposite when he/she cast Cruise.  If I had been an avid fan of the books I think this would have bothered me.  I am not sure what age Reacher portrays in the books, but Tom Cruise is a DAMN fine looking 50 year old so they can slide on that one. 

I was so excited for this movie, and had such GREAT hopes after watching the previews.  Maybe I built it up in my mind to be another Mission Impossible/Bourne type movie and it didn’t follow through in those respects.  I wanted to really know who Jack Reacher is and this film didn’t clear things up for me at all.  If anything it just confused me.  One of the tag lines for the movies is “the law has limits, he does not”.  I wanted that kind of grit and hard core element to the movie that just wasn’t there.  Reacher’s character was definitely a tough guy, and highly intelligent, along with being good looking, but let’s face it, every action movie hero has those things in today’s films.  He was very Ethan Hunt to me, which is a good thing and a bad thing.  See, I was just confused.  Cruise’s acting was good, he plays this type of character well (he should after playing it for so many years in the Mission Impossible franchise).  I wanted more and didn’t get it.

There are some things I did like about the movie.  The entire first ½ hour of the film is non-stop and thrilling to watch.  It kept me guessing which I really enjoyed.  I also liked how the story played out and the conclusion of the film.  Adding Robert Duvall as a shooting range owner and part vigilante was brilliant.  He was my favorite character in the movie.  I loved the scene where the police decide they need to find Jack Reacher and he walks up and introduces himself to them.  One of the great moments in the film for sure.

It can be difficult to adapt a novel of a beloved character into a film.  In books you have 300 plus pages to explain in depth the different characters and plot points.  I think they were reaching (no pun intended) with this film and it lacked that extra push to get the audience to truly love Jack Reacher.  If you like a good action flick that will keep you guessing but not get you too involved with the characters then this film is for you!

Hitchcock

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Hitchcock

December 2012

4 out of 5 bags of popcorn for the overall movie

4.5 out of 5 boxes of milk duds for my own personal entertainment

My Suggestion:  DVD or Theatre

The Gist:  This is the story of Alfred Hitchcock and his wife Alma as they go through the process of making the movie Psycho in 1959.  Alfred is determined to get the movie made and produced despite the negative opinions from friends and fellow Hollywood veterans.  Through the course of making the movie Alfred becomes obsessed with everything involved with Psycho.  As Alma drifts away from the film, Alfred becomes overly agitated with her.

My take:

I really liked this movie a lot.  I wasn’t sure what to expect as I had read mixed reviews from the critics (some good, but mostly mediocre or bad).   I have not seen the movie Psycho, although I am familiar with the infamous shower scene.  I was worried that this might ruin the movie for me, but instead it made me want to go and rent Psycho.  There were a few slow parts throughout the film, but the charisma of the actors made up for those lulls.

With regards to the actors, I thought that Anthony Hopkins was incredible.  He was captivating as he always is in his roles and I couldn’t wait to see what he was going to do next.  I will be hoping to see his name on the list of best actor nominees.  Helen Mirren was wonderful as Alma Reville.  She is spunky and beautiful and plays her role as the woman behind the GREAT man very well.  Toni Collette plays the role of Peggy Robertson, Hitchcock’s assistant and she is great.  She brought a great energy to the movie I loved.  I thought Scarlett Johansson, Jessica Biel and the rest of the cast were very good too, but their roles were just not big enough to compete with Hopkins or Mirren’s characters. 

Overall, this film was very enjoyable.  I loved the history of the making of the movie Psycho and also an interesting view point into the twisted mind of Alfred Hitchcock.  The film was a bit slow in spots which I found to be one of the major downfalls.  The momentum of the film seems to stop and start several times which can be a bit tiresome.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

December 2012

4 out of 5 bags of popcorn for the overall movie

4 out of 5 boxes of milk duds for my own personal entertainment

My Suggestion:  Theatre

The gist:  The prequel to the LOTR trilogy, this is the story of Bilbo Baggins and his journey to help a group of Dwarves reclaim their home.  His adventure starts with a visit from the wizard Gandalph the Grey who convinces Bilbo to join their quest.  During his journey he meets the creature Gollum and gains possession of a “precious” ring of great power.

My take:

I saw this movie in 3D which I normally do not like, however, this is one movie that really shines in that medium!  As a LOTR fan I was nervous about Bilbo’s character and if I would grow to love him as much as Frodo.  I did not need to worry at all, not only was Bilbo completely unassuming and lovable but all the characters were wonderful. 

I enjoyed the very beginning of the movie and the interactions between Bilbo Baggins and Frodo.  Within about 20 minutes of that time I began to lose interest as the dwarves descended on Bilbo’s house and things got VERY cheesy and childish VERY quickly.  Just as I was starting to get annoyed the dwarves got serious and so did the movie (thank gawd!!)  The scenery was beautiful and breathtaking as the travelers began their journey and throughout the entire movie. 

The meeting of Bilbo Baggins and Gollum was definitely a powerful moment.  As they began interacting I was literally getting chills because of all the history of Gollum’s character and watching Bilbo gain courage was truly one of the most commanding moments in the entire film.  I began to get annoyed again as their conversation went on and on and on and on.  That interaction in my opinion needed to be about half as long.

There were many parts of the film that reminded me of watching a video game.  This was confusing and in my opinion added very little to the movie.  (for example the scene where the dwarves are being chased through the mountainous caverns by the orcs)

I did like this movie, but thought it was WAY too long.  That definitely affected my opinion of this film.  As I left the theatre I kept trying to figure out how much I liked the movie.  Because of my love for the LOTR trilogy I think I was able to love this movie more than I think most people would.  It was great in parts and not great in others.

Killing Them Softly

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Killing Them Softly

December 2012

2 out of 5 bags of popcorn for the overall movie

2.5 out of 5 boxes of milk duds for my own personal entertainment

My Suggestion:  DVD

The gist:  This film is set in New Orleans during the financial crisis and 2008 presidential election where the economy is bad, even for criminals.  When a mob protected card game gets robbed by a couple of amateurs a professional hit man (Brad Pitt) is hired to take them out.    

My take:

I was not happy with this movie at all.  It was like the film was trying too hard and it just missed the mark completely.  The 3 most notable actors in the film were all playing characters I had seen before.  Brad Pitt was a grungy version of his character from Fight Club, James Gandolfini was a Tony Soprano-esque hit man and Ray Liotta plays an older version of Henry Hill from Goodfellows.  The acting is fine, but come on, you’ve got to give us a little more here!  I do appreciate all three of these actors and their craft, it just didn’t work here.

One of things that really bothered me about the film was the amount of drawn out, LONG conversations between the characters.  A few were clever, but most were overkill.  I can see what they were trying to accomplish here but it didn’t work at all.  The dialogue has to be interesting if it is going to go on over 5 minutes.

Also, the whole premise of the film is “killing them softly” which Pitt’s character explains as not getting too close to his targets and taking them out somewhat gently.  He then proceeds to completely ignore his own rule and becomes friendly with his final victim while shooting him at point blank range.  Not sure how that is “killing them softly”?  Actually, all of the killings are very brutal including the scene where Ray Liotta’s character is beaten.  Nothing “soft” about that either!!

There are a few redeeming qualities in this film.  For one, the setting in New Orleans was perfect and the constant debate telecasts in the background between Obama and McCain added nicely to setting the scene for the hard times the world was going through. 

I was surprised by the good reviews this film has been getting….those people must have seen something that I clearly missed.  

Silver Linings Handbook

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Silver Linings Playbook

December 2, 2012

4 out of 5 bags of popcorn for the overall movie

4.5 out of 5 boxes of milk duds for my own personal entertainment

My Suggestion:  Theatre or DVD

The gist:  Pat Solatano (Bradley Cooper) moves back in with his parents after spending time in a mental institution.  He is determined to reunite with his wife by staying positive and showing that he has rebuilding his life.  Along this journey he meets a woman named Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) who has mental issues of her own.   What follows is an interesting relationship between the two.  Pat’s father , Pat Sr. desperately want him to focus on himself and their family obsession (Philadelphia Eagles football). 

My take:

I loved this movie.  One of the reasons is because everyone in this movie was an INTERESTING character and it poked fun at the fact that all of us are a little bit crazy.   In order to make a subject matter as real as this work, there has to be an element of comedy relief.  There were many laugh out loud moments mostly provided by Cooper and his strange conversations with Lawrence, DeNiro and Tucker. 

In my opinion the acting was very solid, both Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence gave good performances and brought a lot of depth to their characters.  Chris Tucker plays Danny, another institutioned patient and friend of Pat’s and he is absolutely hilarious.  The shining star of the movie was Robert DeNiro in his role as Pat Sr.  He gave a very real and heart felt performance of a father who doesn’t know how to bond or even talk to his troubled son.  You can’t decide whether you love his character or hate it until you realize he is just doing the best he can.

This movie put a real smile to my face and it also warmed my heart.  It is a must see for this Oscar season.  I am not sure about the actors nominations except that DeNiro should definitely be considered but I wouldn’t put it past TWC to pull off another win this year for best movie.  We’ll have to see how the cards fall.

Lincoln

Lincoln

November 23, 2012

4 out of 5 bags of popcorn for the overall movie

3.5 out of 5 boxes of milk duds for my own personal entertainment

My Suggestion:  DVD

The gist:  This is the story of President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War.  He is caught between trying to negotiate a peace agreement to end the war and trying to pass a constitutional amendment to abolish slavery.  He is torn between the two as he knows it is an impossibility to have both. 

My take:

I want to start off talking about my favorite part of this film and that was the acting.  I am guessing there will be at least 3 Oscar nominations for Daniel Day-Lewis, Tommy Lee Jones and Sally Field who were all incredible.  Daniel Day-Lewis portrays Abraham Lincoln as a shrewd leader full of charisma.  I enjoyed his performance a lot but not as much as I enjoyed Tommy Lee Jones portrayal of Thaddeus Stevens.  I found myself smiling every time Jones’ character was on screen.  He embodies grumpy old man and it really works.  Sally Field was inspired as Mary Lincoln and her performance brought a real truthfulness to the movie.  There were several other notable performances including:  David Strathairn as William Seward and Joseph Gordon Levitt as Robert Lincoln and Gulliver McGrath as Tad Lincoln.  All gave great performances.

I enjoyed the character building in the first half of the film, we really got to know all the main players and their loyalties.  I was enjoying the performances so much but then something happened about an hour and a half into the film, it started to drag on and on.  Okay we get it, Lincoln is witty and full of personality and stories.  He is a genuinely good person with a true passion for the country.  We didn’t need 150 minutes to figure that out.  I love Stephen Spielberg, but what is it with the 2 ½ hour movies??  The movie centers around the civil war, but we didn’t see any war.  In my opinion a little action may have saved this film.  If you are someone who enjoys action movies, this film may not be for you.  If you like long, drawn out period pieces…..go for it!  In my opinion the acting was superb but the film was lacking something important.   

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2

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The Twilight Saga:  Breaking Dawn Part 2

November 18, 2012

2.5 out of 5 bags of popcorn for the overall movie

3.5 out of 5 boxes of milk duds for my own personal entertainment

My Suggestion:  DVD

The gist:  Bella begins exploring her new world as a mother to Renesmee and as a vampire.  She enjoys her new family and new powers, but when it becomes threatened by the Volturi she must take action to save her daughter.  The Cullen’s began rallying their vampire allies to convince the Volturi that Renesmee is part human and part vampire and therefore not a threat to their power.  Jacob, who imprints on Renesmee, also rallies the wolves to fight to protect her.

My take:

I will start off by saying I am a HUGE Twilight fan; I have read all the books and seen all the movies.  Some of the books I liked more than others and that is also the case with the movies.  This movie was alright.  I really enjoyed the first half hour of this film and the last half hour but the rest was a jumbled mess.  The beginning when Bella is learning about being a vampire and bonding with her daughter was great.  The ending scenes with the battle with the Volturi is great too, l love the twist they added.  At the very end of the film they played a recap of the past films and Bella and Edward’s love story which was also wonderful.  The sucky part was the middle (which unfortunately takes up most of the movie).  Once the Cullen’s discover the threat posed by the Volturi they began rallying their vampire friends together to stand with them.  There is a mish mosh of vampires who come from all different countries.  The problem is we don’t get to know or care about any of them deeply and after a while it becomes a parade of new vampires that gets boring.  I realize this was all building up to the final battle but it was uninteresting.  There also wasn’t much in the movie about the wolves and I found that I missed Jacob’s presence throughout the film.

The acting was as it always is, although I thought that Kristen Stewart did a great job as the confident, beautiful, vampire Bella.  Robert Pattinson was great and gorgeous!  The rest of the cast is pretty forgettable as far as acting is concerned.

I am not sure the general public will like this film as much as I did and like I said, I thought it was just alright.  I would watch the last half hour again if given the chance, but wouldn’t want to sit through the rest of the film to get to the good stuff.

Skyfall

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Skyfall

November 17, 2012

4.5 out of 5 bags of popcorn for the overall movie

4.5 out of 5 boxes of milk duds for my own personal entertainment

My Suggestion:  Theatre

The gist:  Bond is back and this time his mission comes close to costing him the ultimate price, his life.  When his associate takes a shot at their enemy and hits Bond instead he is believed dead.  When M16 and M herself are attacked Bond feels obliged to return to the job to help save the agency and M’s life.  Through his search to find the attacker he meets the villain, Silva, an ex-agent with a personal vendetta against M.  Things become personal and Bond goes on a one man mission to save M’s life before it is too late.

My take:

I absolutely loved this film; it was one of the best Bond movies I have ever seen.  It was on the same level as Casino Royale with the fast paced story line and it also played homage to the older Bond flicks.  My favorite part of the movie was the villain, Silva, he was truly evil!  The acting was wonderful and Daniel Craig outdid himself as the tough, no nonsense 007.  Javier Bardem who plays Silva is incredible.  He is scary and a MONSTER.  There is no one better to play a mad man then him.  I enjoyed the new Q who is played by the young Ben Whishaw and Ralph Fiennes has a great role and I have a feeling we will be seeing more of him in the future Bond films.  The new Bond girls were great, but the true female star of the show was of course Judi Dench.  She brings a hardness to her character that few others could deliver.

There were many tongue in cheek references to vintage Bond films which I enjoyed thoroughly.  (think shaken not stirred, Bond…..James Bond and Astin Martin’s) The car he drives in the last part of the movie is amazing as is Skyfall (don’t want to give too much away so I won’t say exactly what that is.) 

My only complaint about the film is that it was just TOO LONG!!  I love a great action flick but why do so many of them have to be 2 ½ hours long.  There were several scenes that could have been cut to bring the film to the 2 hour mark.  It is a must see for Bond fans and action junkies alike.

Flight

ATTN:  MOVIE SPOILERS INCLUDED

Flight

November 4, 2012

My Opinion:

4.5 out of 5 bags of popcorn for the overall movie

4 out of 5 boxes of milk duds for my own personal entertainment

My Suggestion:  Theatre or DVD

The gist:   When an airplane flight begins to go terribly wrong, but is miraculously landed by pilot Whip Whitaker (Denzel Washington) he is quickly regarded as a hero.  The investigation into the crash unveils alcohol in Washington’s blood and he goes from a hero to potentially being accused of manslaughter.   With the hearing looming Washington goes on a downward spiral as he tries to maintain his innocence and weaves a web of lies to protect himself.

My take:

This movie was very different from what I was expecting.  I am not saying that in a bad way, it was just not what I had imagined.  From the previews I envisioned Denzel Washington as a heroic pilot who had made an error in judgment, which lead to his accusations surrounding the plane crash.  BOY was I wrong!  This movie is about addiction and the lies one weaves to cover it up.  As the movie progresses you feel sorry for Washington’s character and also angry.

I have to mention that the plane crash scene was one of the most scary I have ever seen.  I found myself gripping the chair rails next to me and dreading the flight I have to take this coming Friday.  There were a few moments that I had to look away and I was grateful to have a friend there with me.

The cast is wonderful.  Denzel Washington is on the top of his game and comes across with just enough magnetism that you can’t help but kind of like the guy.  He also has a heavy dose of self-loathing which adds to his characters depth.  He is one of the best actors of this generation and it was amazing to see him shine in this role.  John Goodman plays Washington’s best friend, Harling and he adds the perfect amount of hippie, druggie, and humorous moments to keep his character very interesting.  Kelly Reilly who plays the character Nicole gives the performance of a life time.  She is raw and edgy and has us wanting to give her a BIG hug and tell her everything is going to be okay. 

I think that audiences on the whole will definitely love this movie.  The reason I rated it a 4 for myself is that I found the whole thing to be a little too depressing and that wasn’t what I wanted from the movie.  I still highly recommend this movie and wouldn’t be surprised if Washington is up for an Oscar for his amazing performance.   

Argo

ATTN:  MOVIE SPOILERS INCLUDED

Argo

October 28, 2012

My Opinion:

4.5 out of 5 bags of popcorn for the overall movie

5 out of 5 boxes of milk duds for my own personal entertainment

My Suggestion:  A must for the theatre

The gist:  After the US Embassy in Iran is raided, 6 American diplomats manage to escape to the Canadian Ambassador’s residence.  CIA Agent Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) is tasked with extracting the hostages and returning them safely to US soil.  He devises an intricate plan to pose as an Associate Producer for a fake movie and gives the 6 Americans false identities as his Canadian film crew.  This movie is based on a true story.

My take:

I usually start out discussing the cast, but in this case I have to start with the movie itself.  I was so excited when I read about this movie and put it on my MUST SEE list.  I was even more excited as the positive reviews began flowing in.  This movie is so intense and my heart was pounding the entire second half of the film.  Most Americans already know the story, or part of the story and we know that the operation is a success and the American’s escape Iran alive.  I thought that would partially ruin the film for me, because I already knew the ending, but it just made the process of the extraction all that more interesting.  The pace of the movie gets going and it builds to the final moments at the airport, which to me was one of the best, most intense scenes I have ever seen in a movie. 

The acting was superb.  Ben Affleck plays a rough around the edges, CIA agent who is completely dedicated to his mission.  He will do anything it takes to get these people out alive.  Ben is sporting a beard and mustache and longer hair to fit in with the era of the film.  He still looks quite good to me!  I was impressed with his very real and honest portrayal of the character and I could almost feel his anguish as things began to unravel on his mission.  To me there were two other stand outs in the film and that way John Goodman and Alan Arkin.  Both played Hollywood type’s trying to help Tony Mendez succeed in his plan to make a fake movie.   They both had some great one liners and they made the movie very enjoyable and gave some laughable moments.  Bryan Cranston was great too.  (just like he is in all his roles)

I highly recommend this movie and think it should be seen in the theatre.  My only complaint about the film (and this is minor) is that there were some elements that were not needed.  The audience was already captivated and anticipating the planes take off enough, we didn’t need the chase down the runway with the military militia.  Like I said, a very minor thing, but just a little too far over the edge.

Alex Cross

ATTN:  MOVIE SPOILERS INCLUDED

Alex Cross

October 21, 2012

My Opinion:

3 out of 5 bags of popcorn for the overall movie

3.5 out of 5 boxes of milk duds for my own personal entertainment

My Suggestion:  dvd

The gist:  Alex Cross, a detective (played by Tyler Perry) is trying to track down a psychopathic killer on a meticulous killing spree in Detroit.  The killer, called the Butcher (played by Matthew Fox) brings torture and pain to a new level for his victims.  When the chase becomes personal, Alex Cross is pushed to his limits to bring the Butcher to justice.

My take:

I am a huge James Patterson fan and have read, and loved every Alex Cross novel.  When I saw the previews for the movie I was so excited because I loved the two prior film adaptations (Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider).  My excitement quickly faded when I saw that Tyler Perry had been cast in the role of Alex Cross.  I just couldn’t picture it.  Morgan Freeman is an amazing actor and even he didn’t live up to my expectations for Alex Cross in the previous movies.  (guess I might have had my sights set too high)!  I went into it with an open mind and I am so glad that I did.

First, I want to discuss the cast.  Tyler Perry was actually quite good as Alex Cross.  He brought a sensitivity and edge to the character that was unexpected.  He managed to make Alex Cross a bad-ass and highly intelligent detective which was great for the movie.  Matthew Fox was absolutely incredible as the psychopath the Butcher of Sligo.  He was beyond believable as a sadistic and brutal killing machine.  I say machine because there were moments in the film that he didn’t seem at all human.  He was also lean, chiseled and tattooed up! He completely stole the show from Perry.  Edward Burns plays Alex’s life-long friend and partner Tommy.  He was fine in the role and very likable.

The film started off at a fast pace, then slowed down for about a half hour, then picked back up and didn’t back off until the end.  As with all the books, the end is never what you think and this movie doesn’t disappoint in that respect.  There were a few parts that were a bit too graphic for my taste but I can see why those parts were there to give the film a raw and brutal feeling.  One of my favorite parts was that Alex Cross actually makes a horrible mistake that costs his team dearly.  This is very reminiscent of the books where he is portrayed as a witty detective who is still human.

The reason that I didn’t give this movie 5 buckets of popcorn is two-fold.  First off, if you aren’t a huge Alex Cross and James Patterson fan most of the movie comes off as your typical cop chases bad guy flick.  There are some gasp-worthy moments but most are due to the brutality of the killer.  The second reason is strictly personal.  Because I am such a fan of the books I wanted things to be a little more like the books.  I understand that changes need to be made to adapt the novel to a movie but some things are golden and should not be messed with such as: 1)  I wish the location would have been in DC instead of Detroit (although there is a nice reference to Alex joining the FBI and moving to DC so that made me happy).  2)  I really missed John Sampson (Cross’ partner in the books)  3)  I wish he would have been driving his old, beat up Porsche.

This is an action paced and enjoyable movie, but with all the other great movies out right now I personally think it would be a great rental.

First Part of Summer Movies

So I have been a major slacker as far as writing reviews, but I have done a great job seeing a ton of movies.  I am sad about this because there were so many movies that I have LOVED!  I am going to do a quick list to get myself caught back up on everything.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel = 4 Buckets of Popcorn
Dark Shadows = 3 Buckets of Popcorn
What to Expect When You're Expecting = 3.5 Buckets of Popcorn
Men in Black 3 = 4 Buckets of Popcorn
Moonrise Kingdom = 4.5 Buckets of Popcorn
Snow White and the Huntsman = 4 Buckets of Popcorn
Rock of Ages = 5 Buckets of Popcorn
Magic Mike = 4.5 Buckets of Popcorn
The Amazing Spiderman = 4.5 Buckets of Popcorn

Basically I loved just about everything I have seen with the exception of Dark Shadows and What to Expect When You're Expecting.  I am still hoping to catch Abe Lincoln:Vampire Hunter, Savages, The Dark Knight Rises, Neighborhood Watch, The Bourne Legacy, Total Recall, The Odd Life of Timothy Green, and Lawless.  Looks like it will be a busy last half of summer at the movies for me too!!

The Avengers

ATTN:  MOVIE SPOILERS INCLUDED

The Avengers

May 13, 2012

A perfect Mother’s Day movie if you are into super hero movies!

My Opinion:

4.5 out of 5 bags of popcorn for the overall movie

5 out of 5 boxes of milk duds for my own personal entertainment

My Suggestion:  See it in the theatre on the biggest, fanciest screen possible

The gist:  The evil Loki (Thor’s adopted brother) has threatened the world’s safety.  A band of super heroes including:  The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Black Widow and Hawkeye are brought together by the peace keeping agency SHIELD to fight to save the world from disaster.

My take:

This movie is all about the cast and they are phenomenal. I want to start off by talking about Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/The Incredible Hulk.  I was very unhappy with this casting choice initially; I just couldn’t see him in this role.  After he completely stole the first few scenes he was in, I changed my mind completely.  He was so believable as the nice, down to earth doctor who has a VERY dark side.  The other stand outs were Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man.  He is just perfect in this role and has perfected it with each new movie.  Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, they were all brilliant and beautiful!  I am loving Jeremy Renner’s new acting persona as an action star. 

I am not a huge comic book fan and aside from super hero movies I don’t really know much about this genera, but I could tell that the director and producers certainly did.  All the characters had ties to one another in some form and they were all touched on in the film.  My only complaint was that I wished I could have found out more about each characters back story, however, I realize then the film would have been 4 hours long and that just wouldn’t have worked. 

I think the most exciting plot line of the movie was waiting for Bruce Banner to lose control and turn into The Incredible Hulk.  Let me tell you, this scene did not disappoint.  When he changed my heart was pounding and as he turned to look at Black Widow I was actually scared.  That scene made the movie.

Another thing I liked was that as the movie unfolded all the super hero’s had their own way of doing things and by the final scenes I was excited for them to all come together to fight in the war as a team.  There is nothing better than dark, scary super hero’s working together to save the planet and showing their human sides by forming bonds with one another.   I highly recommend this movie.  It was SUPER entertaining!

The Cabin in the Woods

ATTENTION: MOVIE SPOILERS INCLUDED!!

The Cabin in the Woods

April 15 2012

I am not a horror film buff by any means, but I really wanted to check this movie out given all the hype that it received.

My opinion:

3.5 out of 5 bags of popcorn for the overall movie

3 out of 5 boxes of milk duds for my personal entertainment

My suggestion: If you love horror and pithy dialogue then head to the theatre, if not, wait for the DVD

The gist: A group of 5 young, attractive college kids head out of town to a cabin for some R&R. They step right into a classic horror film or so they think, until one of them begins to unravel the secrets behind “the cabin in the woods.”

My Take: Let me start out by saying I didn’t LOVE this movie, but I certainly didn’t hate it either. Horror is not my preferred movie genera so I was pretty skeptical about the film from the beginning. As the film got started I could tell I was going to like it a lot more than a regular blood and guts type of film. First off, the film doesn’t try to make you believe it is something it’s not. There is no spooky music or plethora of lead in scary moments. You basically understand that something strange is going on at this cabin and most of these beautiful young adults are going to wind up with their blood and guts all over the place.

What I did enjoy about this movie was the twist. I don’t want to give too much away, but this was very different than your Freddy Kruger or Jason type horror films. As far as dialogue goes, it reminded me more of Scream than Friday the 13^th or Halloween or anything on that line.

The reason for my lower rating for personal entertainment is this: I think the movie was good but for me this just isn’t really my cup of tea. I enjoy Joss Whedon’s stuff so that is why I went. The actors/actresses in the movie are fine. They get the job done and that is the important part in a horror film.

Wrath of the Titans

ATTENTION: MOVIE SPOILERS INCLUDED!!

Wrath of the Titans

April 4 2012

I needed to get out of the house for a mid-week movie and I wasn’t sure what to see so I picked out this one.

My opinion:

2 out of 5 bags of popcorn for the overall movie

2 out of 5 boxes of milk duds for my personal entertainment

My suggestion: Skip it or if you LOVE special effects then see it in the theatre

The gist: Half-Man Half-Gold Perseus sets out to rescue his father, Zeus, who has been captured by his brother Hades and son, Ares. He must venture to the underworld to help free his father and prevent the Titans from being unleashed upon the world.

My Take: So I am going to have to disagree with my movie buddy who said “Liam Neeson” is always in good movies. Usually that is the case, but not this time. I feel like they just made this movie to make money off the Clash of the Titans success. I didn’t really understand why this movie was made. I enjoyed the Clash of the Titans very much, but this was honestly just a waste. I happened to see it in 3-D which I don’t particularly like, but there were some very good special effects while they were in the labyrinth of the underworld. That part I thought was pretty cool.

Sam Worthington was good. I like him as Perseus and he is a handsome fellow to boot. I am glad that he ends up with Andromeda in the end, just like the original Clash of the Titans.

There was a trailer for The Hobbit which previewed before the movie and that was one of the best moments of the whole movie. I was underwhelmed to say the least by the movie but it was still nice to get out of the house.