tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74420913136833943692024-03-05T03:46:30.862-08:00Mike the Movie GuyMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341684601746841511noreply@blogger.comBlogger420125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7442091313683394369.post-77177391203384208952015-06-05T15:20:00.003-07:002015-06-05T15:20:53.424-07:00Spy - 2 1/2 stars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ltijEmlyqlg/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ltijEmlyqlg?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Melissa McCarthy plays Susan Cooper, a CIA agent who sits
behind a desk and radios instructions to a spy out in the field. She’s basically doing the same job Simon Pegg
did in Mission Impossible 3. Or Tom
Arnold in True Lies. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The spy she works with is Bradley Fine (Jude Law). Things go wrong, agents are killed,
identities are compromised, and she’s the only one their enemy won’t
recognize. So she’s sent to Rome to stop
Rayna Boyanov (Rose Byrne) from selling a stolen nuke.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was getting tired of Melissa McCarthy playing the same
type of character. Between Heat,
Identity Thief, and Tammy, she played loud, obnoxious characters who were
basically buffoons. So it was really
refreshing this time to see her play a likable, competent character. Susan is a fully trained CIA agent, and even
though she’s stuck behind a desk and doesn’t have any field experience, she’s
smart and knows how to take care of herself.
And the humor doesn’t come at her expense. The movie doesn’t make any fat jokes, and she
doesn’t save the day through sheer luck.
She’s no Paul Blart.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I just wish the movie was funnier. I really didn’t laugh very much, and it was
especially painful watching Jason Statham try to be funny. The movie tries too hard to be a serious spy
story, and the story itself just wasn’t compelling enough. Maybe if they cut 20 minutes or so it would
have worked better. But as it is, I
couldn’t sit through this movie again. <o:p></o:p></div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341684601746841511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7442091313683394369.post-91476648232307981532015-05-22T12:40:00.003-07:002015-05-22T12:40:26.391-07:00Tomorrowland - 2 1/2 stars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/lNzukD8pS_s/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lNzukD8pS_s?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tomorrowland is kind of a mess. As far as I understood it, Tomorrowland is a
place that exists in another dimension.
It was either discovered or created by people like Nikola Tesla, Thomas
Edison and Jules Verne. It was
established as a place where the brightest, most creative thinkers and
inventors could let their imaginations run wild without the problems of
bureaucracy or politics. For some time,
it thrived with amazing things like jetpacks, rocket ships, and swimming pools
suspended in mid-air (those were really cool).
Then something happened and now it’s deserted and run down. At the same time, the end of the world is
coming unless one person can do something to stop it. The movie never explains what that one thing
is, but then I don’t think that’s the point of the movie.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The movie opens with Frank Walker (George Clooney) narrating
his part of the story. When he was a
boy, he went to the 1964 New York World’s Fair where he enters a competition
for inventors. The jet pack he created
doesn’t really work, but he meets a mysterious girl named Athena (Raffey
Cassidy). Athena gives young Frank a
special pin and leads him to Tomorrowland, a place where anything is
possible. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The look of Tomorrowland is incredible. It’s hard to be impressed by digital effects anymore
but the imagination on display just blew me away. If the movie had stuck with young Frank for a
while, it would have been much better.
Instead we immediately shift to Casey (Britt Robertson) who starts
narrating her part of the story. We jump
to the present day and watch as Casey tries to sabotage the cranes that are
demolishing the Cape Canaveral launching pad.
She gets arrested and when she gets out, she finds a Tomorrowland
pin. When she touches it, she’s able to
see Tomorrowland and this is where the movie takes off.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For a while, the movie gets pretty interesting. Casey starts investigating, meets Athena (who
hasn’t aged a day) and the old Frank, who doesn’t want to get involved in
whatever’s going on. There are
mysterious robots out to kill them and gun fights ensue. Bit by bit, Frank tells Casey about
Tomorrowland and what it all means.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Basically the first half of the movie is really fun and
interesting. Then we get to the halfway
point and it all goes downhill. The more
things are explained, the less interesting it seems. And the movie starts to get overly preachy
with its message about not giving up hope and nurturing imagination and
creativity. Those are good messages, but
it’s just too on the nose and overly melodramatic.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are also too many details left out. I really wanted to learn more about what
happened between young Frank and Athena, or why Frank was kicked out of
Tomorrowland, or what day to day life is like there. Are people living there and raising families,
or are they just working? As cool as
Tomorrowland is, too much of the movie is set on Earth. It’s like the movie kept building and
building the anticipation, then instead of delivering it just started to
drag. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
At the same time, it’s hard to hate this movie. Its heart is in the right place and there is
a really good story in there somewhere.
I feel like one or two rewrites and some tighter editing could have made
this something special. Director Brad
Bird just wanted to do too much with this story and he made the movie
overstuffed and uneven. So I guess it’s
not a bad movie, just a disappointing one.<o:p></o:p></div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341684601746841511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7442091313683394369.post-63335596141718793062015-05-22T12:39:00.002-07:002015-05-22T12:39:21.760-07:00Poltergeist (2015) - 2 stars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/fhr8d1yxSP8/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fhr8d1yxSP8?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The original 1982 movie was the first movie that really
scared me. I think I was 7 or 8 when I
first saw it, and I remember being so freaked out that I couldn’t sleep that
night. One of the things about that
movie was that it felt so real to me.
Like other Spielberg movies from the 80s, the characters were so well
developed and the suburban setting so realized that it felt like everything
happening in the movie could really happen anywhere. Of course the fact that I was so young could
have had something to do with that too …<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyway, they remade Poltergeist. After movies like The Conjuring and
Insidious, this one feels like a knock-off.
The original does a great job of first establishing the characters and
slowly ratcheting up the tension. This
one wastes no time and jumps right into the scary stuff, which doesn’t work as
well.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The best thing about this movie is Sam Rockwell. He’s always interesting to watch, and he has
a few really funny scenes. But once <s>Carol
Anne</s> Madison is kidnapped by the ghosts in the TV, Rockwell has nothing
interesting to do. It’s surprising how
quickly the parents accept the haunting as normal. Aside from being confused about what’s going
on and what to do, it doesn’t really seem like they’re ever freaked out or
amazed that they live in a haunted house, or that spirits have kidnapped their
daughter. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Just like in the first movie, the family first enlists the
aid of paranormal researchers from the local college. And once again, they need help from a
spiritual medium to help get Maddie back.
But instead of Zelda Rubenstein, we get Jared Harris playing Carrigan
Burke, a celebrity medium who hosts a reality show where he ‘cleans’ haunted
houses. And it’s quite a coincidence
that the researcher from the local college just happens to know Carrigan Burke,
and is able to get him there on the same day.
It’s even harder to believe that he’s so willing to help them when they
tell him that they don’t want this filmed for his show. He’s got a successful cable reality series –
you would think he has a pretty full schedule.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyway, there are a few good scares in this movie, but then
that’s easy to do. Just show a character
standing there in an empty room, move the camera away for a second, move it
back to show a ghost standing there and have a loud boom on the soundtrack, and
the audience jumps. It’s much harder for
a movie to create a real sense of dread, and this movie never really does
that. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
It also feels too short.
It’s at least twenty minutes shorter than the original, and it feels
rushed. When they get Maddie back from
the other side, I looked at my watch because I couldn’t believe how quickly
that was resolved. Once again, another
unnecessary remake that will be forgotten in a week.<o:p></o:p></div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341684601746841511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7442091313683394369.post-57606932827860824462015-05-15T08:14:00.001-07:002015-05-15T08:14:36.778-07:00Mad Max: Fury Road - 3 1/2 stars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/hEJnMQG9ev8/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hEJnMQG9ev8?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t think I’ve seen the first three Mad Max movies all
the way through. I know I rented the
first movie once. I vaguely remember
bits and pieces of it – I know there’s a scene where Mel Gibson handcuffs a guy
to a motorcycle that’s about to explode and leaves him with a hack saw. I don’t remember hardly anything from The
Road Warrior, but Beyond Thunderdome was on HBO all the time when I was a
kid. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fury Road is the fourth Mad Max movie, and it’s just
incredible. The movie drops you right in
the middle of this post-apocalyptic world without giving us hardly any
backstory. All we know is that there is
no more system of government, and gas and oil are hard to come by. Max (now played by Tom Hardy) is captured by
the War Boys, an army ruled by the tyrannical King Immortan Joe, who has a
really cool breathing mask that looks like the grin of a skull. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For the first half hour or so, Max is a prisoner. He wears this iron mask over his face and he’s
being used to supply blood to Nux (Nicholas Hoult). When the War Boys head out to capture Furiosa
(Charlize Theron), Max is tied to the front of Nux’s car like a hood ornament. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The movie is basically one big chase, and it’s the most
thrilling chase I think I’ve ever seen.
Furiosa and her War Rig are being chased by an army of War Boys led by
King Joe. Eventually Max will team up
with Furiosa and help her try to get away.
The stunts in this movie were mostly practical rather than CGI, and it
shows. This movie was exhilarating and I
saw things that I have never seen in a movie before. The level of creativity and imagination used
to bring the movie to life is just off the charts – the design of the vehicles,
the look of the army, everything is just amazing to look at. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another thing I loved is the music. It’s over the top at times but that just adds
to the fun. It’s got this old fashioned
sweeping musical score with some heavy metal guitar added in there. Make sure you see it movie on the biggest
screen you can with the best sound possible.
<o:p></o:p></div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341684601746841511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7442091313683394369.post-79151260101003629132015-05-15T08:13:00.001-07:002015-05-15T08:13:36.812-07:00Pitch Perfect 2 - 1 1/2 stars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/6bh4mvJ5jUg/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6bh4mvJ5jUg?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m not in the target demographic for either of the Pitch
Perfect films, but I still enjoyed the first one. It poked fun at the concept of college a cappella
groups without making fun of them. Beca
(Anna Kendrick) was a good lead character, and it was a typical underdog
movie. We got to know Beca and the rest
of The Barden Bellas and we rooted for them.
And there was a lot of funny stuff in that movie.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But the sequel isn’t half the movie the original was. I didn’t laugh much and I didn’t care about
what happened to the characters. At the
start of the movie, the Bellas are performing at the Lincoln Center for the
Performing Arts for President Obama. Fat
Amy has an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction, and the Bellas are kicked out of
the national a cappella league or something like that. Even though they won the competition at the
end of the previous movie, this infraction prevents them from going on the rest
of their victory tour. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But they still get to go to the international competition
for some reason. If they win that, they’ll
be back in the good graces of the a cappella judges and their suspension will
be over. But of course no American team
has <i>ever</i> won the international
competition, so the odds are against them.
It doesn’t make sense that the color commentators (John Michael Higgins
and Elizabeth Banks) are the ones who get to decide on their suspension, but whatever.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Beca has taken an internship at a recording studio but she’s
keeping it a secret from the rest of the Bellas. She’s still dating Skylar but he only pops up
in a couple scenes. Fat Amy (Rebel
Wilson) is seeing Bumper but keeping it a secret from everyone. And Benji has a crush on the new Bella, Emily
(Hailee Steinfeld), but the movie doesn’t do much with their relationship.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That’s probably the biggest problem with the movie. There are some good ideas but they’re not
fully developed. Just when the Benji and
Emily relationship is starting to get interesting, the movie doesn’t know where
to go with it. By the time they’re
comfortable enough with each other to have a conversation at a party, it’s just
shown in a montage. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
This movie just bored me. Fat Amy didn’t make me laugh, and neither did
the color commentators. The music was ok
but I don’t think the soundtrack will sell anywhere near as much as the first
one did. This is one of those sequels
that we didn’t need. The only reason it
was made is because the first movie was an unexpected hit. Hopefully this one doesn’t do as well and we
won’t have to sit through a third one.<o:p></o:p></div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341684601746841511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7442091313683394369.post-12195864670148240972015-05-08T14:38:00.005-07:002015-05-08T14:38:50.512-07:00Maggie - 3 stars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/AQ5Vz8qE8R8/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AQ5Vz8qE8R8?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
There was a time when zombie movies were straightforward
horror movies about people killing zombies and trying not to be eaten. Now zombies are so main stream that you can
have a romantic comedy about them (Warm Bodies), a buddy comedy (Shaun of the
Dead) or a number one rated network series (The Walking Dead). <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This movie is about Wade Vogel (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and
his daughter Maggie (Abigail Breslin).
She’s just been bitten by a zombie.
When Wade picks Maggie up from the hospital, the doctor tells him that
she will start to show signs of aggression.
She’ll lose her appetite … and then she’ll get it back …<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Instead of being a horror movie, this movie is more of a
drama. There are a couple of scenes of
zombie killing, but most of the time we are just observing how Wade and his
family deal with this tragedy. Watching
it I really felt the horror that Maggie was experiencing. She keeps picking at her bite like it’s a
sore. We watch as her eyes start to turn
a milky white and her veins turn black. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the movie, the zombie outbreak has been going on a
while. Society hasn’t broken down like
in The Walking Dead – there are still police officers and working hospitals –
but there are stores and gas stations left empty. It’s somewhere in between normal society and
The Walking Dead. When someone is
infected and is close to turning, they are sent to a quarantine zone. There’s a really great scene where Maggie
goes camping with her friends and they try to pretend that life is normal. They sit around a campfire talking about what
it’s like in the quarantine, but they could be sitting around talking about
normal high school stuff.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Arnold Schwarzenegger has never been known for his acting
abilities, but he’s pretty good in this movie.
He gets a couple of zombie killing scenes, but for the most part he’s
just a dad trying to keep his family together.
If you go in looking for an exciting zombie movie, or a typical
Schwarzenegger action movie, you’ll be disappointed. I enjoyed the movie for what it was. It creates a great sense of dread and
suspense as you wait for the moment when she’ll turn on her family.<o:p></o:p></div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341684601746841511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7442091313683394369.post-13169989654454387672015-05-08T14:37:00.002-07:002015-05-08T14:37:56.653-07:00Hot Pursuit - 2 stars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/fUeOBdxSjc8/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fUeOBdxSjc8?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I think the filmmakers were inspired by The Heat. Cooper (Reese Witherspoon) is a lot like
Sandra Bullock’s character – she’s uptight, by the book, and nobody likes
her. But the heat was a funny movie with
well-developed characters and an intelligent script. Hot Pursuit has none of those things.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I chuckled now and then, but I don’t think I ever laughed
out loud. There’s a running gag where
every time they reference Cooper and Daniella Riva (Sofia Vergara), Cooper’s a
little shorter and Riva’s a little older.
That was ok, but the physical comedy just didn’t work. Things like Cooper and Riva trying to climb
out of a bathroom window, or driving a bus and shooting out the window while
handcuffed together, those scenes are just obvious and not funny.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The movie also has the requisite dumb disguises. When Cooper is sneaking into a drug lord’s
house, she’s dresses as Justin Bieber.
Then five minutes later, she changes and dresses like a waitress. Why abandon the first disguise? Because costume changes are funny,
right? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Even the outtakes during the closing credits aren’t
funny. Save your money and wait for
Netflix.<o:p></o:p></div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341684601746841511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7442091313683394369.post-31476706074212959312015-05-07T17:34:00.003-07:002015-05-07T17:34:52.221-07:00Welcome to Me - 2 1/2 stars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/r0KEe-hMsLg/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/r0KEe-hMsLg?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Kristen Wiig stars as Alice Klieg. Alice has borderline personality disorder and
she has just stopped taking her meds. As
the movie begins, she has just won $86 million in the lottery. So she moves into a room at an Indian casino
– don’t ask why – and she pays $15 million to a small TV station so she can
star in her own talk show. The station
is losing money fast, so the owners – brothers Rich (James Marsden) and Gabe
(Wes Bentley) - agree to all her demands.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is a really quirky movie. Alice obviously needs help, but the only
person trying to help her is her therapist Daryl (Tim Robbins). Daryl tries to get her to go back on her meds
but there isn’t much he can do. The crew
at the TV station rolls their eyes but they go forward and agree to every one
of Alice’s requests, which include things like singing her own theme song and
riding into the studio in a swan. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Kristen Wiig is always hilarious, but this is maybe the most
serious work she has done. At first we
laugh at this character making a fool of herself on TV, but as the movie goes
on we realize how messed up she is.
There’s a scene late in the movie when she hits rock bottom and wanders
naked through the casino and we really get a sense of how lost and alone she feels. Even her best friend Gina (Linda Cardellini)
leaves her when she can’t put up with Alice’s narcissism anymore.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The movie made me laugh at times, but as her talk show went
on it just got tedious. The stuff she
does on her show is only funny for about two minutes. I got tired of the bits where she has actors
re-enact painful moments from her past, like the time someone stole her makeup
at camp. As good as Wiig is, the movie
just didn’t work for me.<o:p></o:p></div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341684601746841511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7442091313683394369.post-91778287016563579092015-05-07T17:30:00.005-07:002015-05-07T17:34:02.987-07:00The D Train - 2 1/2 stars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/A4vqHV44eZE/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/A4vqHV44eZE?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dan Landsman (Jack Black) is the self-proclaimed chairman of
his high school’s alumni committee. He
takes his job very seriously, and we get the impression that the rest of the
committee doesn’t like him very much.
When they go out for a drink after a meeting, they don’t invite
him. They’re working on planning their
20<sup>th</sup> reunion and they’re not having much luck getting people to
RSVP. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But one night, Dan sees a Banana Boat commercial. The actor in the commercial is Oliver Lawless
(James Marsden), the most popular guy in their graduating class. Dan decides to make it his life’s mission to
recruit Oliver to come to the reunion.
He figures if Oliver says he’s coming, the rest of the class will follow
suit. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is a pretty interesting role for Jack Black to
play. Dan has a wife, two kids and a
good job, but he doesn’t really have any friends. And he tries <i>really</i> hard to get Oliver to like him - so hard that it gets
awkward and uncomfortable to watch. First he calls Oliver, who barely remembers
him. Then Dan flies to Hollywood to hang
out with Oliver, and I won’t spoil what happens, but it messes up Dan’s head
quite a bit.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As good as Jack Black is in this movie, James Marsden is
even better. He does a great job of
playing the cool guy and it’s easy to see why everyone in the movie wants to be
his friend. But the best performance in
the movie comes from the great Jeffrey Tambor.
He plays Dan’s boss, and I just love the way he’s a total luddite when it
comes to the internet and cell phones.
Dan lies to his boss early on and spends the rest of the movie trying to
cover it up. His boss doesn’t trust the
internet as it is, so it’s easy for Dan to evade every one of his boss’s
questions by invoking Google or something like that. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
So why am I only giving this 2 ½ stars? This was a tough call, but I really didn’t
enjoy the movie very much. Even though
it’s an interesting story and the performances are good, I was just so
uncomfortable watching Dan be so pathetic and annoying around Oliver. It gets to the point where he yells at his
wife and son for daring to talk while Oliver is telling a story. I like awkward humor sometimes – most of
Ricky Gervais’s best stuff is cringe humor – but this movie wasn’t funny enough
to make up for it. I really felt bad for
Dan and wished someone would just take him aside and knock some sense into
him. So it’s a close call but I’m not
recommending the movie. <o:p></o:p></div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341684601746841511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7442091313683394369.post-84723878674082305742015-02-20T12:01:00.000-08:002015-02-20T12:01:00.550-08:00Hot Tub Time Machine 2 - 1 star<div class="MsoNormal">
The first Hot Tub Time Machine was a good movie. Three friends – Adam (John Cusack), Lou (Rob
Corddry) and Nick (Craig Robinson) – along with Adam’s nephew Jacob (Clark
Duke) are magically transported back to 1986.
Unlike other time travel movies like Back to the Future, there is no
danger of them running into their 1986 selves.
When they look in a mirror they see the young versions of themselves,
except for Jacob who wasn’t born yet. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The movie was funny and the filmmakers knew the premise was
ridiculous. By the end of the movie,
they had all improved their lives. Lou would
use his knowledge of the future to invent Lougle (instead of Google) and become
the father of the internet, and Nick became a successful musician. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the sequel, Lougle isn’t doing well and everyone hates
Lou. Nick became successful by recording
hit songs himself before the original artist has a chance to record it. We see him filming the video for Stay (I
Missed You) and he runs into Lisa Loeb, who is working as the cat
wrangler. Lou’s story makes sense, since
he stayed behind in 1986 at the end of the last movie. But Nick went back to 2010, so I don’t
understand how he could have the future knowledge to write and record all these
songs. Not to mention that Stay was
recorded in 1994, not 2015.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But details like that aren’t important in a movie like
this. What is important is the laughs, and
there are none in this movie. I chuckled
here and there, but this movie really isn’t funny. The only funny moments are things they repeat
from the first movie, like when Nick and Lou sing about Jacob being a
nerd. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The plot concerns someone coming back from the future and
shooting Lou. Nick and Jacob drag him
into the hot tub intending to go back in time to prevent him being shot. Instead, they end up in 2025 where Jacob is
rich, bald and married to the hot girl who wouldn’t give him the time of day in
2015. She also hasn’t aged a day in 10
years, but whatever. Lou is now a
homeless drunk and Nick has become a joke.
It seems he recorded an original song that nobody liked and his career
never recovered.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jacob figured out that someone from the future went back to
2015 to kill Lou, so now they have to figure out who that is and stop
them. Since the hot tub is the only form
of time travel, it would seem like a good idea to stay near the hot tub and
make sure nobody else uses it, but that doesn’t occur to them. They decide to find Adam, thinking he might
be the killer. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They don’t find Adam – John Cusack either wanted too much
money or he got a look at the script – but they do find Adam’s son, Adam Jr.
(Adam Scott). They arrive just in time
for Lou to get Adam into drugs and mess up his wedding. I wonder who the killer turns out to be?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The filmmakers throw a lot of futuristic ideas in this
movie, like holographic phones and really cool transparent iPad things. There are smart cars that drive themselves
and have personalities, and the most popular game show involves contestants
being forced to do humiliating things to themselves and other people. None of these things are written with any wit
or humor. It’s like the screenwriter had
a bunch of ideas but didn’t bother to develop them in any way. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve gone on far too long about this stupid movie. It might be worth watching on Netflix one day
if you can’t find anything else to watch, but don’t waste money on this movie.<o:p></o:p></div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341684601746841511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7442091313683394369.post-70742997050612527882015-02-20T10:53:00.005-08:002015-02-20T10:53:51.568-08:00Kingsman: The Secret Service - 3 stars<div class="MsoNormal">
This is a really unique movie. It’s kind of a parody of James Bond movies,
but at the same time it’s also a pretty serious action movie. For the first 45 minutes or so, the tone
wasn’t working for me at all. But then
the movie got more and more fun, and by the end I was loving it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Kingsman is a secret service organization. The members are all named after members of
King Arthur’s knights – the trainer is even named Merlin. Their headquarters is a tailor shop on Savile
Row, because even when fighting for your life and saving the world, a spy
should look and act like a gentleman.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The movie mostly focuses on Eggsy, a young troublemaker
whose father was a kingsman. Years ago
his father was killed saving the life of fellow agent Harry Hart (Colin Firth),
and Harry recruits Eggsy to join the service.
The training program is over-the-top ridiculous, involving things like
their room suddenly filling up with water while they sleep. They have only a minute to figure out how to
escape or they’ll be drowned. Another
exercise involves them jumping out of a plane and one of them doesn’t have a
parachute.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While Eggsy is being trained, internet billionaire Richmond
Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson) is threatening to unleash something that will
kill like 99% of Earth’s population.
Jackson speaks in a weird lisp that was kind of off putting at first,
but it grew on me. Valentine has a
henchwoman with mechanical legs loaded with machetes, which is just awesome.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As the movie gets closer to the climax, it gets crazy. I couldn’t believe how far it was going, and
it was hilarious. I won’t spoil it, but
just wait until the sequence in the church.
It brought the house down at the screening I attended.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Overall I liked the movie.
It took a while to get enjoyable for me, but the last half hour or so
more than made up for the weaknesses in the first half. <o:p></o:p></div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341684601746841511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7442091313683394369.post-82886833040095505612015-02-20T10:53:00.002-08:002015-02-20T10:53:19.810-08:0050 Shades of Grey - 1 1/2 stars<div class="MsoNormal">
I admit I had reservations going in. I haven’t read the book, but I heard that
this series started out as Twilight fan fiction. Two reasons to worry right there.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is the story of how Anastasia, a virginal college
student, begins a very messed up relationship with Christian Grey. Christian is rich, good looking, runs his own
company, and he’s also into BDSM. Rather
than date women, he likes to just have kinky bondage sex with them. Since Anastasia hasn’t even had sex before,
this is a big eye opener for her.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There isn’t much story here.
The screenwriter doesn’t sweat the details. We don’t learn anything about Christian’s
business or how he got so successful. We
don’t know much about Anastasia’s friends or family. Even the two main characters aren’t developed
very well. The dialogue is bad and the
characters’ motivations make no sense.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At times, the story did interest me. It is interesting seeing Anastasia get more
self confidence and stand up to Christian.
And I was curious to see where their relationships would go. But I got tired of them having the same
conversations over and over again. She
keeps asking why they can’t have a normal relationship, and all he’ll tell her
is that that’s what he’s into.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
This could have been an interesting story if it was written
better. But most of the time I was just
bored. Some of the lines were
unintentionally funny, and even the 50 Shades fans who were there laughed quite
a bit. This movie is critic proof,
meaning the people who want to see it will go no matter what I say. But if you’re not a fan and you’re just
curious, don’t bother. <o:p></o:p></div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341684601746841511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7442091313683394369.post-25145491635052910282015-01-26T09:39:00.001-08:002015-01-26T09:39:08.170-08:00Sundance review: A Walk in the Woods - 1 1/2 stars<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'proxima nova', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Robert Redford plays an author of travel books. After attending the funeral of a friend, he gets restless and decides to hike the 2,100 mile long Appalachian Trail. His wife (Emma Thompson) insists that he can't do it alone, so he brings along an old friend, played by Nick Nolte.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'proxima nova', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'proxima nova', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">It's kind of like Wild crossed with Sideways, but poorly written. Redford and Nolte have good chemistry together, but they don't have anything interesting to say to each other. There are no real stakes and no consequences. They just go from one encounter to the next and by the end, the journey felt kind of pointless.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'proxima nova', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'proxima nova', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">I was bored watching this movie.</span>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341684601746841511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7442091313683394369.post-8121318392667646602015-01-25T10:49:00.002-08:002015-01-25T10:49:53.411-08:00Sundance review: Best of Enemies - 3 starsFrom the Sundance film guide:<br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i><br /></i></span>
<i style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">In the summer of 1968, television news changed forever. Dead last in the ratings, ABC hired two towering public intellectuals to debate each other during the Democratic and Republican national conventions. William F. Buckley, Jr. was a leading light of the new conservative movement. A Democrat and cousin to Jackie Onassis, Gore Vidal was a leftist novelist and polemicist. Armed with deep-seated distrust and enmity, Vidal and Buckley believed each other’s political ideologies were dangerous for America. Like rounds in a heavyweight battle, they pummeled out policy and personal insult—cementing their opposing political positions. Their explosive exchanges devolved into vitriolic name-calling. It was unlike anything TV had ever broadcast, and all the more shocking because it was live and unscripted. Viewers were riveted. ABC News' ratings skyrocketed. And a new era in public discourse was born.</i><br />
<i style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></i>
It's a lot of fun watching these two insult each other. They have such a command of the English language that their insults almost sound like poetry. Besides watching their debates, we get political scholars and other experts commenting on Vidal and Buckley's history, the political landscape at the time, and ABC's ratings. One commentator said if they wanted to end the Vietnam War, all they had to do was put it on ABC and it would be canceled within a few weeks. They also said there were only three networks at the time but somehow ABC was still fourth.<br />
<br />
I enjoyed the movie for the most part, but I don't think it's for everyone. It helps if you're a political junkie. As much fun as the debates were, by the end of the movie I felt underwhelmed. But Dick Cavett is one of the interview subjects, so that makes it worth watching right there.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341684601746841511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7442091313683394369.post-33644919814810932192015-01-25T08:02:00.002-08:002015-01-25T08:02:43.397-08:00Sundance review: The Tribe - 3 stars<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">From the Sundance film guide: </span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i>Sergey, a new student at a boarding school for the deaf, must navigate through the institution’s social hierarchy, led by a gang of students reveling in crime and prostitution. Initially shunned, he is eventually initiated into the crew, inheriting the role of pimp to two giddy best friends. After saving up money for a sexual encounter with Anna (notable both for its explicit nature and cinematographic restraint), Sergey begins to fall in love, risking the rest of the tribe’s wrath.</i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">This movie is a unique cinematic experience. A title card at the beginning prepares us: there are no subtitles and no voiceover narration. The characters communicate by sign language, and there isn't even a musical score. So the movie is almost completely silent. Even though we can't understand exactly what the characters are saying to each other, we start to understand what's going on. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I admit there were times I would have loved subtitles to explain a few things. I was a bit thrown when at first, the gang makes Sergey strip and give them his money, then all of a sudden he's friends with them. And when the gang goes outside to rob and beat up homeless people, I couldn't help but be reminded of Alex and his droogs in A Clockwork Orange. You would think that people would figure out that it's dangerous to walk by the school at night after several people were mugged there.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The movie did drag at times. Ukranian director Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy likes long, unbroken takes and there were times where I wish he had done a little more editing. I got a little tired of watching the characters walk from their dorm room to the outside, or watching the prostitutes and Sergey walk around the lot full of parked semi trucks looking for customers. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It's not a movie I'm eager to see again, but it was a unique accomplishment and I'm glad I saw it.</span>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341684601746841511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7442091313683394369.post-79126546244643047772014-12-22T16:46:00.003-08:002014-12-22T16:46:35.245-08:00The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies - 1 1/2 stars<div class="MsoNormal">
The third movie in the Hobbit trilogy is like watching
someone else play a video game. It’s
maybe 20 minutes of story stretched into a two and a half hour movie. Most of the running time consists of a giant
battle between dwarves, elves, humans, and orcs. The entire time, I just kept wishing Bilbo
Baggins would just quietly sneak away and go home. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When we left Bilbo and company in the last movie, The
Desolation of Smaug, they had found their way into the mountain and awakened
the dragon Smaug. Now Smaug is attacking
nearby Laketown and killing everyone he can.
Bard the Boatman is the only one who can stop Smaug, and he’ll have to
break out of prison first. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The fight with Smaug is the most exciting part of this
movie. Unfortunately, Smaug is dealt
with in the first 10 minutes. After
that, the survivors of the town need a place to stay. Bard decides that the Lonely Mountain is the
best place for them. Also, Thorin
promised them he would split the treasure with them so they want some of that. But Thorin is starting to develop dragon
sickness, which basically means he’s paranoid and thinks everyone else wants to
steal the treasure for themselves. So he
refuses to let the humans in. Then the
elves show up, and they want some of the treasure too. Just as the humans and elves are about to
attack the dwarves, an army of orcs show up.
They fight for a couple of hours and then the movie mercifully ends.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Remember how cool the Battle of Helm’s Deep was in The Two
Towers? That was something we’d never
seen before. The scale of it was
incredible, and the special effects were amazing. But it didn’t go on for too long, and we
cared about what happened to Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli. Then Peter Jackson thought he had to top that
battle in Return of the King. So we got
the battle for Minas Tirith which went on way too long But once again, we knew and cared about the
characters involved. And the movie was
about more than just that battle. We had
Sam and Frodo’s journey to get back to.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In this third Hobbit movie, there’s nothing else going
on. The battle is it. And Bilbo was just in the background most of
the time. It’s hard to care about the
outcome of a battle when you barely know the characters involved. I’m not even sure who the five armies
are. There are humans, elves, dwarves,
and orcs. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m sure Peter Jackson wants us to care about the love
triangle between the dwarf, the female elf, and Legolas. And I’m sure he wants us to care about Thorin
Oakenshield and whether he’ll come to his senses. But I didn’t.
I just wanted the movie to end.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As with the first two Hobbit movies, the laws of physics
don’t apply. Characters jump and swing
30 feet in the air and land safely. If
something big is about to fall on our heroes, it misses them by a few inches. At one point, Legolas is on a collapsing
bridge. As he runs, blocks are falling
out underneath his feet, but he is still able to run and jump to safety. The blocks are suspended in the air just long
enough for him to step on them. You’ll
know it when you see it. The movie has
turned into Super Mario Bros.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I remember an interview where Peter Jackson was talking
about the challenges of writing The Lord of the Rings. He said whenever they were unsure how to
structure the movies, they just focused on Frodo. His quest to destroy the ring was the central
focus of the movies. Bilbo Baggins
should have been the focus of these Hobbit movies. But it seems like he was just a supporting
character, which is a shame because Martin Freeman was a great choice for
Bilbo. I would love to see all three of
these movies edited down to a 100 minute movie with Bilbo as the focus. I’m sure someone will create a fan edit on
youtube that will be way better than this trilogy.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The more I think about this movie, the more annoyed I
get. The first two were overly long, but
at least the characters were on a journey.
There was a story there, and I wanted to find out what was coming
next. This time, the story feels wrapped
up when Smaug is killed. Then we have to
sit there for two hours and watch these armies fight. I’m not anxious to watch the first two movies
again, but I could never sit through this one again.<o:p></o:p></div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341684601746841511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7442091313683394369.post-52040794566939400932014-12-22T16:45:00.007-08:002014-12-22T16:45:57.181-08:00Annie - 2 stars<div class="MsoNormal">
Instead of the 1930s, this Annie is set in Harlem in
2014. Annie (Quevanzhane Wallis) is a
tough kid living in a foster home with several other girls. The foster home is run by Miss Hannigan
(Cameron Diaz), who doesn’t do much but drink all day and yell at the
kids. Instead of Daddy Warbucks, Annie
is taken in by cell phone tycoon Will Stacks (Jamie Foxx), who’s also running
for mayor. His staff thinks that taking
in a foster kid will help his image.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the things that bugged me in this movie was the music. First of all, they didn’t include very many
of the songs from the original. A few
are there, but they’ve been remixed and given more of a hip hop beat. Most of the songs were written for this
version, and they aren’t very memorable.
And none of these actors should be doing a musical. Wallis is cute and sounds ok, and Jamie Foxx
has a good voice, but the rest are embarrassing. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The story isn’t bad, and the scenes between Annie and Will
Stacks are sweet. Of course he starts
off as kind of a jerk, and by the end he loves Annie. Their scenes together have heart and there
are some genuine laughs. But aside from
that, the movie doesn’t have anything else going for it. Stacks’ assistant (Rose Byrne) has a crush on
him for some reason, and his campaign manager (Bobby Cannavale) is a boring
jerk. When a couple pretends to be Annie’s
parents show up and take her away, it takes like five minutes before she’s
rescued.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
But the worst thing about this movie is the casting of
Cameron Diaz as Miss Hannigan. Diaz is a
good actor when she’s given the right material, but she’s all wrong here. Anyone they cast would have had a hard time comparing
to Carol Burnett, but Cameron Diaz? Really?<o:p></o:p></div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341684601746841511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7442091313683394369.post-33880765743314807002014-12-22T16:45:00.004-08:002014-12-22T16:45:26.637-08:00Wild - 3 1/2 stars<div class="MsoNormal">
Based on the bestselling memoir <i>Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail</i>, this is about
how Cheryl Strayed hiked 1,100 miles by herself as a way to overcome her
demons. After losing her mother to
cancer, she became a heroin addict and ruined her marriage. So the hike was like a form of therapy or a
spiritual cleanse for her.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Reese Witherspoon gives her best performance in years as
Cheryl. As the movie opens, she’s
sitting on a mountain and taking her boots off.
Her boots are too tight, and one of her toenails is almost completely
ripped off. She accidentally loses a
boot, and after yelling a very appropriate obscenity, she hurls the other boot
down the mountain.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As she hikes along the Pacific Coast Trail, we learn about
her past through flashbacks. We see her
relationship with her mother, and we see how devastating a loss that was for
her. We see her starting to hook up with
random guys and getting into drug use, and the effect that has on her husband. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She wasn’t an experienced hiker when she began the journey,
and she does things like bringing the wrong kind of fuel for her camp stove or
running out of water. But the most
dangerous encounters are with other hikers.
Some are friendly and happy to help, others not so much. As a man, I don’t normally give much thought
to what it must be like to be a woman and on your own. But watching this movie, I felt her fear
whenever she encountered a man and had to figure out his intentions. The encounter that sticks with me the most is
when she ran into two hikers right after running out of water. A couple of simple jokes about her being by
herself and very attractive make her nervous and uncomfortable, and she can’t
relax until she’s sure they have left her alone.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The movie did a good job of showing Cheryl’s transformation
without hitting you over the head with it.
There’s no big emotional moment where the soundtrack swells and she has
some profound realization, like in <i>Eat,
Pray, Love</i>. Although to be honest, I
don’t remember <i>Eat, Pray, Love</i> that
well but I’m pretty sure there was some sappy over the top stuff like
that. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
In this movie, I don’t even remember much of a
soundtrack. Sometimes less is more, and
this movie has a stripped down quality, that makes it even more profound and
life-affirming. This is a really good
movie.<o:p></o:p></div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341684601746841511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7442091313683394369.post-4413455850615831872014-11-20T17:44:00.002-08:002014-11-20T17:44:20.934-08:00The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 - 3 1/2 stars<div class="MsoNormal">
This is the third movie in the Hunger Games series. Based on the first half of the third book –
the second half, and fourth movie, will be released in a year – this is the best
Hunger Games movie so far. The games are
over and now the rebellion is preparing to go to war against the capital.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I wasn’t a big fan of the first movie. I thought the story idea was good and I
enjoyed the buildup to the games, but once they got to the actual games, I
started to lose interest. The games just
weren’t exciting enough to live up to all the buildup. The second movie was ok, but once again, the
second half of the movie was just more games.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In this movie, things start to get really interesting. Katniss has been saved by the rebels after
she destroyed the arena in the last movie.
She’s taken to District 13 where the rebels have been living and hiding
under the direction of President Coin (Julianne Moore). The rebels are trying to mobilize the
districts to unite and fight against the capital, and they want Katniss to be
the Mockingjay, the symbol that will unite and inspire everyone to fight.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At first, it doesn’t go well. Katniss realizes they want to use her the
same way President Snow used her, as propaganda. She hates President Snow, but she’s more
concerned about the safety of her friends and family than she is with the
upcoming war. More than anything, she
wants to rescue Peeta, who was captured after the events of the last movie. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After giving President Coin some terms, she finally
agrees. One of my favorite scenes in the
movie is when Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is trying to direct
Katniss for a propaganda video. She’s
supposed to be holding a flag and giving a speech after being in a battle, and
it just doesn’t feel authentic. Katniss may
have been through hell, but she can’t really act. Heavensbee soon realizes that they’re going
to have to film her in actual dangerous situations in order to get what they want
out of her. As the message gets out, the
districts start fighting back. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I really enjoyed this movie, and I wasn’t expecting to. Once again, Jennifer Lawrence does a great
job of carrying the movie. Katniss is an
interesting character and it’s easy to empathize with her situation. And even though this is only the first half
of the last book, it has a beginning, middle, and end. It doesn’t feel like they stretched it into
two movies just to make more money off the franchise.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
For the first time, I am looking forward to the next Hunger
Games movie. I just hope MockingJay –
Part 2 can live up to expectations.<o:p></o:p></div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341684601746841511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7442091313683394369.post-65135310446211116862014-11-13T17:39:00.001-08:002014-11-13T17:39:15.444-08:00Dumb and Dumber To - 2 1/2 stars<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s hard to review a movie like Dumb and Dumber To. I like the first movie, but partly that’s
because I’ve seen it so many times over the years. The characters and their lines are familiar
to me. I don’t know if I would like it
as much if I hadn’t watched it over and over with friends. It’s one of those movies that my friends and
I can quote to each other. It’s kind of
like The Big Lebowski in that respect.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Supposedly the studio wanted to make a sequel in the early
2000s, but Jim Carrey wasn’t willing. So
instead we got Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd. Remember that movie? Me neither.
So now we finally get to see Jeff Daniels and Jim Carrey reprise their
roles as Harry Dunn and Lloyd Christmas.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Harry needs a new kidney, and at first he turns to his
parents to see if they’re a match. To
his surprise, they tell him that he’s adopted.
They’re Asian, you see. Then he
finds out that he has a daughter he never knew about. So he goes to find his daughter to reconnect,
but also to ask for a kidney. So we have
another road trip, and Harry and Lloyd get mixed up with a scientist whose wife
is trying to kill him. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But the plot doesn’t really matter. Did you ever care about whether Mary
Swanson’s husband was alright? No, we
just want to see Harry and Lloyd do and say funny things. There is a lot of that in this movie, but not
as much as there should have been. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I thought Carrey and Daniels did a good job. They still look like these characters,
although Jeff Daniels looks like he’s aged more than Jim Carrey does. They throw themselves into these parts and
it’s nice seeing these characters again.
But there were too many scenes where I was waiting to laugh and the
jokes just didn’t land. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I guess I can’t quite recommend this movie. If you love the first movie, you’ll probably
like this one. It isn’t as good, but
there’s fun to be had here. Just lower
your expectations a little. But if you
don’t like the first movie, I don’t think you’ll like this one much either.<o:p></o:p></div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341684601746841511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7442091313683394369.post-661464725125569752014-11-13T17:38:00.002-08:002014-11-14T12:59:57.507-08:00Force Majeure - 2 stars<div class="MsoNormal">
A Swedish family is on a skiing vacation in the French
Alps. One day during lunch, they’re
caught in an avalanche. The mother grabs
the two kids while the father grabs his cell phone and sunglasses and runs for
it. It turns out it was a controlled
avalanche, and they weren’t in any danger.
What they thought was a mountain of snow coming towards them was mostly
snow dust which dissipates within a minute.
But the damage is done. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After the event, the family is quiet. No one says anything, but they all know
something big just happened. It’s not
until the parents are having drinks with another couple that the wife says
what’s been on her mind. She can’t
believe that her husband’s first instinct was to save himself rather than his
children. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For the rest of the movie, they continue to discuss what
happened. There are long stretches of
beautiful scenery – this movie really makes me want to visit the French Alps –
but nothing much happens. Sometimes
there’s a good five minutes with no dialogue.
At some point, I started to get really bored with this movie. It seemed like I was watching them have the
same conversation over and over without really getting anywhere.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The performances were good.
It’s really interesting to watch these characters change. At the start of the movie, they looked like
the perfect family. By the end, both
parents are a mess. At one point, the
mother wants to go spend the day skiing by herself so she can get away from her
husband and think. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I feel like this would have made for a good short film. There’s maybe enough here to sustain 10 or 15
minutes. But the movie is two hours
long, and it was really a chore to get through. <o:p></o:p></div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341684601746841511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7442091313683394369.post-24093447280965358412014-11-13T11:06:00.000-08:002014-11-13T11:06:02.075-08:00Interstellar - 3 stars<div class="MsoNormal">
In the near future, Earth is slowly becoming
inhabitable. Dust storms seem to happen
all the time, and it’s getting harder and harder to grow crops. Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) used to be a
NASA test pilot but now he’s a farmer.
His wife died some years before, and now his father in law (John
Lithgow) helps him raise his kids. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One day Cooper and his daughter Murph discover the secret
location of NASA. It seems in this future
society, all resources are devoted to growing crops, so the public isn’t
interested in funding for NASA. They
also aren’t interested in electronics anymore, so Apple is probably no longer a
going concern. Anyway, NASA asks Cooper
to join their mission of going into space and looking for a new planet. They know it won’t be long before all life on
Earth is dead, so if the human race is to survive, it needs a new planet to
inhabit.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
First off, I’ll mention what I didn’t like about this
movie. The first half hour felt really
clunky to me. It would have been nice to
learn more about what life is like for these people. Cooper lives in what looks like a small
farming town in the Midwest. But what is
life like in big cities? What was the
transition like from the early 2000s to life in this movie? How far in the future is it? It seems like it’s only 20 years or so, since
Cooper can remember a time when people were interested in things like
electronics and looking up to the stars.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Also, the people don’t look like they are living in any kind
of a dystopian future. Their clothes are
clean and look brand new, and their teeth are white and straight. Besides discussing what crops won’t grow, it
seems the only problem they have to deal with is wiping dust off the table now
and then.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The dialogue was bad and the first part of the story was
very rushed. The way they discover NASA
and their plan seemed way too simple.
NASA already has a plan for the mission, and when Cooper shows up, they
say “Oh, you were the best pilot we ever had.
Now that you know what’s going on, you need to lead the mission.” If it was so important to have him on board,
wouldn’t NASA have tried to find him and ask him to join? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once they leave Earth, the movie gets much better. They plan to use a wormhole to get to another
galaxy, and they already have potential planets in mind that they’re supposed
to visit. They don’t really know where
the wormhole came from, but they know where it’s going to take them. In order to get to the wormhole, which is
located near Saturn, they’ll have to travel for two years. I won’t spoil anything that happens after
that. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The effects in this movie are incredible. The scene where they pass through the
wormhole is just cool. It made me think
of 2001: A Space Odyssey. In fact, there
were a lot of things in this movie that made me think of 2001. I’m sure that was a big inspiration to
Christopher Nolan, and while this movie isn’t up to that level, it’s still
pretty well done. It’s a very
intelligent science fiction movie. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have my reservations, but I’m still recommending the
movie. It really demands to be seen on
the big screen. I’m reminded of the way
I felt the first time I saw Avatar. It’s
an incredible achievement, but the story could have used a little work. It’s long and exhausting, but I’m glad I saw
it.<o:p></o:p></div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341684601746841511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7442091313683394369.post-64742553365988976032014-11-13T11:05:00.002-08:002014-11-13T11:05:18.049-08:00Big Hero 6 - 3 stars<div class="MsoNormal">
Based on the Marvel comic, the story is set in the
futuristic hybrid metropolis called San Fransokyo. A young robotics prodigy named Hero and his
robot Baymax uncover a criminal plot and pull together a team of inexperienced
crime-fighters to defeat a masked supervillain.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s an interesting idea to make a Marvel superhero movie as
a Disney animated movie. If it were live
action, I’m sure Baymax would not be quite so cute and huggable. But Disney knows that Baymax will be a huge
selling point to young kids. For
slightly older kids, they’ll get a kick out of the action and technology. The members of the team don’t have
superpowers. Instead, Hero invents suits
they wear that give them their abilities.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As a superhero movie, it wasn’t terribly original. After all the super movies we’ve been getting
over the last several years, I felt like I’ve seen the movie before. It’s no surprise who the villain turns out to
be, or what his plan is. However, I did
like the twist that the heroes were kids.
I think kids will be able to identify with Hero and his friends easier
than someone like Tony Stark or Bruce Wayne.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The powers they get are pretty cool. One has these discs she uses as wheels and as
weapons. One has laser swords that come
out of his arms, and they look like the sword in Halo. And one has a suit that looks like Godzilla,
with claws and fire breath.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As an animated movie, it worked. It had a good amount of humor and
action. I took my nieces and nephews
(ages 5 to 10), and they all loved the movie.
Personally I have a hard time getting that into animated movies, but
this one kept my interest. Probably my
biggest complaint was that it was too long.
It was two hours, and animated movies usually work best when they’re
under 90 minutes.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Overall I enjoyed the movie.
It’s definitely a good choice if you’re taking the whole family.<o:p></o:p></div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341684601746841511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7442091313683394369.post-14620364848688005162014-10-30T17:40:00.004-07:002014-10-30T17:40:41.391-07:00Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) - 3 stars<div class="MsoNormal">
Riggan Thompson (Michael Keaton) is a washed up Hollywood
actor. He played the superhero Birdman
but walked away from the franchise after three movies. Now he’s trying to reinvent his career by
writing, directing, and starring in a Broadway adaptation of a Raymond Carver
story. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The movie takes place over a few days while the play is in
previews. When a cast member is injured,
he brings in the famous method actor Mike Shiner (Edward Norton), who Riggan
can’t stand. He’s also dealing with his
girlfriend who may be pregnant, his high strung agent (Zach Galifianakis), and
his daughter (Emma Stone), who resents him for being an absent father most of
her life.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are a lot of things I liked about this movie, most of
all Michael Keaton’s performance. He’s
appeared in some supporting roles over the years, but this is the first big
starring role he’s had in years. And
he’s great in this movie. He has a lot
of emotions he gets to play. Sometimes
he talks to himself, and this is portrayed by his Birdman character talking to
him. Sometimes we just hear the voice,
sometimes Birdman appears in the scene with Riggan. It could easily look ridiculous, seeing him
having a serious conversation with a guy in a bird costume. But Michael Keaton pulls it off.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I also liked the behind the scenes stuff. Most of the action in the movie takes place
in the dressing rooms or backstage, so we get to see a lot of the actors
walking around the sets and rehearsing the play. The fights between Riggan and Mike were also
pretty funny. Mike is such a method
actor that if he’s drinking in a scene, there better be real alcohol in his
glass. If Riggan points a gun at him in
a scene, he better not be able to tell it’s a plastic gun.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I did have some reservations though. For one thing, the movie is shot in such a
way that it looks like it’s all one take.
It was actually a bunch of long takes cut together, but those shots
sometimes get tiring. We’ll be in the
dressing room with Riggan, then he walks out into the hallway and the camera
follows him through the hallways. Then
we might pass by Mike walking the other direction and the camera will start
following him. It will stay with Mike as
he enters another room and starts talking to someone else.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is all very cool, but after a while it distracted from
the story. It feels too much like the
director was trying to show off and cover for the lack of plot. There’s enough plot for a 90 minute movie,
but this was just over two hours, and it could have been shorter. I got bored a few times, and I was ready for
the movie to end at least 20 minutes before it did.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Also, I think the movie was made to be really grand and
dramatic. The music, camera angles, and
the stuff that happens at the end is supposed to be really emotionally
impactful, and it didn’t have that effect on me. The movie is nowhere near as deep as it’s
trying to be, and I wish the director hadn’t tried so hard to make it so
big. I think the word I’m looking for
here is pretentious. I guess in the end,
the movie just left me cold.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s a close call, but I’m still recommending the movie
despite my reservations. It’s original
and interesting, and Michael Keaton’s performance is enough to make it worth
watching.<o:p></o:p></div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341684601746841511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7442091313683394369.post-50720699559426000832014-10-30T17:39:00.001-07:002014-10-30T17:39:10.327-07:00Before I Go To Sleep - 1 1/2 stars<div class="MsoNormal">
Every morning, Christine wakes up with no memory. She doesn’t know where she is, and she
doesn’t know the man in the bed next to her.
Each day, her husband Ben explains to her that she has a form of
amnesia. Every night when she goes to
sleep, she loses that day’s memories.
It’s been like this for 10 years, since she had a bad accident.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When he goes to work, she gets a call from a doctor. He explains that he’s been treating her. He tells her to go to the closet and find the
camera. She’s been recording a diary for
herself every day so she can bring herself up to speed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is a good story idea, but it’s terribly executed. The movie really drags and it has no good
scenes. I kept waiting for something
interesting to happen. The only thing
that kept my interest was wanting to know how it turns out. As she learns more about her situation, she
starts to think that her husband may be lying to her. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One thing that bugged me was the doctor’s role in all
this. Where did he come from? Who hired him? More importantly, who’s been paying him? He doesn’t seem to know anything about
[leaving out the spoiler] so how did he get involved? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Think about that if you see the movie. But don’t see the movie. It isn’t very good.<o:p></o:p></div>
Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341684601746841511noreply@blogger.com0