"The East" is an independent film about an agent for a private intelligence firm and her "adventure" as she goes undercover to infiltrate an eco-terrorist group. The group goes after major corporations that have caused harm to others through use of their products.
The movie was pretty good. It involved some "spy stuff," a little action, and some drama. I wasn't that happy with the ending; they (the creators) did a really good job building up the storyline and the characters and then kinda left me hanging on the end. Decent ending, but, definitely could've been better.
Rating: 3/5 stars
Really getting into independent films these days. This one starred Alexander Skarsgard (Eric Northman in "True Blood" series), Aldis Hodge (Hardison in the "Leverage" series), Jason Ritter (Mark Cyr in "Parenthood" series), and Ellen Page ("Juno," "X-Men: the Last Stand," and "Inception"). Also, produced by Ridley and Tony Scott).
Friday, June 28, 2013
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Monsters University
Mike & Sully are back! Well actually, this is before they were actually friends, co-workers of Monsters, Inc., and before Mike was as short as he is now. Ok, you get the point. Anyway, Mike's dream is to become a "Master Scarer" and the only way he can do that is to attend Monsters University. Not too much adult humor but I totally laughed out loud (literally, perhaps even louder than some of the kids that were in the theater), and once again, NO SONGS!!!! (I'm starting to like cartoon movies more and more :-)
So, the movie goer in me noticed a whole lot of similarities between this movie and some "non cartoon" (real) movies:
1. The dean of the Scare School looks like Professor McGonagall and acts like Professor Snape (both from Harry Potter movies)...I liked that character, lol.
2. The letters that Mike and team received looked very much like Harry Potter's invitation to join Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry.
* Definitely a Harry Potter theme here, maybe its just me??*
3. One of the professors was EXTREMELY similar to the Economics teachers from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" (played by Ben Stein).
Anyway, I liked the cartoon, thought it was cute. And I can NOT WAIT for "Smurfs 2" and "Despicable Me 2!!!" :-)
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
P.S. There's a little something special for you "Cheers" tv show fans. Loved it!!
So, the movie goer in me noticed a whole lot of similarities between this movie and some "non cartoon" (real) movies:
1. The dean of the Scare School looks like Professor McGonagall and acts like Professor Snape (both from Harry Potter movies)...I liked that character, lol.
2. The letters that Mike and team received looked very much like Harry Potter's invitation to join Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry.
* Definitely a Harry Potter theme here, maybe its just me??*
3. One of the professors was EXTREMELY similar to the Economics teachers from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" (played by Ben Stein).
Anyway, I liked the cartoon, thought it was cute. And I can NOT WAIT for "Smurfs 2" and "Despicable Me 2!!!" :-)
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
P.S. There's a little something special for you "Cheers" tv show fans. Loved it!!
Monday, June 24, 2013
The Bling Ring
It has been said that kids say the darndest things; apparently, they do the darndest things as well. In "The Bling Ring," spoiled kids that live near the superstars in LA, decide that if the door is open, its ok to walk right in, make yourself at home, and take whatever tickles your fancy. Based on a series of true events, this independent film re-enacts some of these events. The film stars Emma Watson (plays Hermione in Harry Potter movies) as one of the rebellious teens, and she does a pretty good job at her attempt of an American accent.
I missed this in the news when all this took place, I was really tripping at the stuff the kids thought they could get away with!!
Rating: 2.5/5 stars - plays like somewhat of a documentary, as one of the teens narrates throughout the movie. It was relatively entertaining though.
I missed this in the news when all this took place, I was really tripping at the stuff the kids thought they could get away with!!
Rating: 2.5/5 stars - plays like somewhat of a documentary, as one of the teens narrates throughout the movie. It was relatively entertaining though.
Friday, June 21, 2013
World War Z
Another apolcalyptic zombie movie has been added to the countless numbers of those done previously. This time, Brad Pitt takes the lead in defending the good 'ole US of A (and the world) against the "undead." This movie though, was just a tad bit different.
Apparently, the movie is supposed to be based on the novel (same title) by Max Brooks, and after reading some of the reviews online, fans of the writer and novel were disappointed with the adaptation. I didn't read it, but, I liked it, a lot! I didn't know the movie was supposed to be suspenseful, but it was. I jumped, several times. I cringed, held my breath once, yup, it was definitely a different type of zombie movie. Not as extreme as "Dawn of the Dead," but, not as slow moving as the television show "The Walking Dead." If you are not a fan of scary/suspenseful movies and/or zombie movies, don't do it. If you are though, I think you'll enjoy this one.
Rating: 3.5/5 - I am a fan of zombie, vampire, scary, suspenseful, etc. movies, so, this one was right up my alley w/ a decent bit of action too.
Apparently, the movie is supposed to be based on the novel (same title) by Max Brooks, and after reading some of the reviews online, fans of the writer and novel were disappointed with the adaptation. I didn't read it, but, I liked it, a lot! I didn't know the movie was supposed to be suspenseful, but it was. I jumped, several times. I cringed, held my breath once, yup, it was definitely a different type of zombie movie. Not as extreme as "Dawn of the Dead," but, not as slow moving as the television show "The Walking Dead." If you are not a fan of scary/suspenseful movies and/or zombie movies, don't do it. If you are though, I think you'll enjoy this one.
Rating: 3.5/5 - I am a fan of zombie, vampire, scary, suspenseful, etc. movies, so, this one was right up my alley w/ a decent bit of action too.
Thursday, June 20, 2013
The Kings of Summer
Nationwide release: June 21, 2013
This indy film is about 3 boys who tired of living by their parents rules, take the plunge and go off to the woods to live on their own. Filled with tons of sarcasm and wit, the film stars Megan Mullally from the tv show Will & Grace (Karen) and Nick Offerman from the tv show Parks & Recreation.
The movie reminded me of the movie "Stand By Me," another movie about friends coming into their own. Both movies definitely teach the boys lessons, however, Stand By Me was only a short trip for a weekend.
Rating: 3/5 stars - if you love sarcasm, this is definitely a movie for you. Just remember, nothing fancy about this movie (it is independent).
This indy film is about 3 boys who tired of living by their parents rules, take the plunge and go off to the woods to live on their own. Filled with tons of sarcasm and wit, the film stars Megan Mullally from the tv show Will & Grace (Karen) and Nick Offerman from the tv show Parks & Recreation.
The movie reminded me of the movie "Stand By Me," another movie about friends coming into their own. Both movies definitely teach the boys lessons, however, Stand By Me was only a short trip for a weekend.
Rating: 3/5 stars - if you love sarcasm, this is definitely a movie for you. Just remember, nothing fancy about this movie (it is independent).
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Man of Steel
And yet, another movie I can describe in one word: WOW!!!!!
Seriously, the.best.super.man.movie.EVER!!!!!!!!
Ok, now that I got that out, let me slow down and back up some. Everyone knows the story of Superman, from the planet Krypton, planet blew up, sent to Earth by parents, blah blah blah. But, THIS version was just wow! (I am seriously at a loss for words here). This version was different because it looked at dear Kal-El's (sorry, Clark Kent) life story from a totally different angle. Picture Superman 2 with much better cinematography, special effects, story line, (just as good looking Superman though - as Christopher Reeve, that is), and no predictability. I honestly and truly had no idea what would happen next.
Even if you're not a fan of super hero movies, Superman, etc., go see it. I PROMISE you will NOT be disappointed!!
Rating: 4.5-5/5 stars (its really hard for me to give any movie a perfect score lol)
So, random thought: everyone from Krypton has a name that ends in "Al," or "El." So I would be "Nneka-El." Like I said, random.
Seriously, the.best.super.man.movie.EVER!!!!!!!!
Ok, now that I got that out, let me slow down and back up some. Everyone knows the story of Superman, from the planet Krypton, planet blew up, sent to Earth by parents, blah blah blah. But, THIS version was just wow! (I am seriously at a loss for words here). This version was different because it looked at dear Kal-El's (sorry, Clark Kent) life story from a totally different angle. Picture Superman 2 with much better cinematography, special effects, story line, (just as good looking Superman though - as Christopher Reeve, that is), and no predictability. I honestly and truly had no idea what would happen next.
Even if you're not a fan of super hero movies, Superman, etc., go see it. I PROMISE you will NOT be disappointed!!
Rating: 4.5-5/5 stars (its really hard for me to give any movie a perfect score lol)
So, random thought: everyone from Krypton has a name that ends in "Al," or "El." So I would be "Nneka-El." Like I said, random.
Thursday, June 13, 2013
White House Down
Release date: June 28
The White House is compromised, and the President must be saved, at all costs. Enter wanna-be Secret Service agent, John Cale (Channing Tatum), and the leader of the free country (Jamie Foxx). The two make an incredible team taking on the bad guys.
I'm not exactly sure why Hollywood decided to release this movie so soon after the release of Olympus Has Fallen", since both are SO closely related. As in the past with "Armageddon" and "Deep Impact," as well as "Dante's Peak" and "Volcano," the plot or point of each set of movies is similar, however, each movie addresses the issue differently. So, lets talk about "Olympus" and "White House Down." Both are about the White House being attacked, and the POTUS needs to be saved/rescued. I think of "Olympus" as the "serious, save-the-world version," while "White House Down" is "save-the-world w/ a side of comic relief."
Rating: 3.5/5 - Did I like the movie? Yup, I sure did! I liked "Olympus Has Fallen" as well, for different reasons. Jamie and Channing are hilarious, and do a great job in all of their scenes together. Jamie really resembled President Obama in so many ways, and the action scenes were great. I realize it was just a movie; about 95% of it was pretty credible. That remaining 5% were hilarious and "just wow" moments when I caught myself (literally) asking the screen, "SERIOUSLY?" (And not in a good way, I might add). :-/
The White House is compromised, and the President must be saved, at all costs. Enter wanna-be Secret Service agent, John Cale (Channing Tatum), and the leader of the free country (Jamie Foxx). The two make an incredible team taking on the bad guys.
I'm not exactly sure why Hollywood decided to release this movie so soon after the release of Olympus Has Fallen", since both are SO closely related. As in the past with "Armageddon" and "Deep Impact," as well as "Dante's Peak" and "Volcano," the plot or point of each set of movies is similar, however, each movie addresses the issue differently. So, lets talk about "Olympus" and "White House Down." Both are about the White House being attacked, and the POTUS needs to be saved/rescued. I think of "Olympus" as the "serious, save-the-world version," while "White House Down" is "save-the-world w/ a side of comic relief."
Rating: 3.5/5 - Did I like the movie? Yup, I sure did! I liked "Olympus Has Fallen" as well, for different reasons. Jamie and Channing are hilarious, and do a great job in all of their scenes together. Jamie really resembled President Obama in so many ways, and the action scenes were great. I realize it was just a movie; about 95% of it was pretty credible. That remaining 5% were hilarious and "just wow" moments when I caught myself (literally) asking the screen, "SERIOUSLY?" (And not in a good way, I might add). :-/
This Is The End
This movie is basically about a bunch of Hollywood guys (Seth Rogen, James Franco, Jay Barucho, Jonah Hill, & Craig Robinson), having a party in LA, when the "apocalypse" hits. Due to the level of craziness outside, they are stuck in a house, with just a little bit of food, water, but lots of drugs and alcohol. There are a lot of cameos from other Hollywood stars such as Rihanna, Emma Watson (Harry Potter), Kevin Hart, and others.
I can sum up this movie in one word: RAUNCHY. That's not to say it isn't funny; it has its moments. But, if you are looking for "for real" comedy, this ain't it. If however, you are a fan of "Project X," "Movie 43," "Pineapple Express," or even "Hangover 2 (not 1 or 3)," then you will definitely love this one.
Rating: 2/5 stars - I think the movie was ok, but, sometimes, they (the directors/creators/writers) can sometimes take things too far.
I can sum up this movie in one word: RAUNCHY. That's not to say it isn't funny; it has its moments. But, if you are looking for "for real" comedy, this ain't it. If however, you are a fan of "Project X," "Movie 43," "Pineapple Express," or even "Hangover 2 (not 1 or 3)," then you will definitely love this one.
Rating: 2/5 stars - I think the movie was ok, but, sometimes, they (the directors/creators/writers) can sometimes take things too far.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Epic
I am not a huge fan of cartoon movies; its hard to fathom paying for a cartoon, instead of some action packed, jump-out-of-your-skin scary, or full-of-laughs comedy. But, I've had some pretty good luck this year w/ cartoon movies (Wreck-It Ralph was SO good!!!!), so, I took a chance on Epic. In Epic's defense, the previews were really good, so, I was actually really excited about it.
Plot: An adventurist/explorer father has dedicated his life and his life's work to discovering a world of tiny beings that he is convinced live in the forest, and searches for them while ignoring the "real world," including his daughter. Once the other world is discovered, an adventure begins that teaches a lesson to everyone about life. Favorite quote: "Just because you haven't seen something, doesn't mean its not there."
Rating: 4/5 stars - I absolutely loved it!!! It wasn't sappy, there weren't a bunch of songs (thank goodness it was not a musical), and it was a great story.
Plot: An adventurist/explorer father has dedicated his life and his life's work to discovering a world of tiny beings that he is convinced live in the forest, and searches for them while ignoring the "real world," including his daughter. Once the other world is discovered, an adventure begins that teaches a lesson to everyone about life. Favorite quote: "Just because you haven't seen something, doesn't mean its not there."
Rating: 4/5 stars - I absolutely loved it!!! It wasn't sappy, there weren't a bunch of songs (thank goodness it was not a musical), and it was a great story.
Friday, June 7, 2013
The Purge
Background: America in the future has little to no unemployment, low crime rate, and things are good. Supposedly, this is due to "the purge," during which one day a year, for 12 hours, citizens are free to commit whatever crime they choose without any coincidence. This movie stars Ethan Hawke as the head of a family that goes along with these "rules." Unfortunately, everyone in the family doesn't agree with this new order and terror follows.
I really didn't expect much since the premise of the movie is already unbelievable. As far as horror films go, it was pretty decent (not great, just decent). I jumped a few times, but, I think I like story lines that deal with the unknown in regards to why something is happening to the people in the movie, rather than everyone (including the characters) already know bad stuff is going to happen. Reminded me a lot of the movie "The Strangers." Very similar in regards to some of the things that happen in the movie.
The question is, "What would you do???"
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
I really didn't expect much since the premise of the movie is already unbelievable. As far as horror films go, it was pretty decent (not great, just decent). I jumped a few times, but, I think I like story lines that deal with the unknown in regards to why something is happening to the people in the movie, rather than everyone (including the characters) already know bad stuff is going to happen. Reminded me a lot of the movie "The Strangers." Very similar in regards to some of the things that happen in the movie.
The question is, "What would you do???"
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
The Heat
Release date: June 28, 2013
Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids) and Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side) team up and take on the bad guys in this comedy full of non-stop wisecracks. Sandra Bullock has reprised her role as an uptight FBI agent similar to her roles in Miss Congeniality 1 & 2, and Melissa McCarthy plays a Boston detective who creates fear in everyone.
Despite seeing a lot of the funny parts in the previews, this movie does not disappoint! I laughed (a lot), and will probably have to see it again to hear some of the jokes. (I missed a few because the entire theater laughed as well, lol). I was surprised to see Marlon Wayans and Michael Rapaport as part of the cast, and there was a newcomer who goes by the name "Spoken Reasons." Apparently, he is known as a professional "youtuber" (yes, I had to look that up :-) Anyway, he did a really good job as well.
Rating: 3/5 stars
Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids) and Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side) team up and take on the bad guys in this comedy full of non-stop wisecracks. Sandra Bullock has reprised her role as an uptight FBI agent similar to her roles in Miss Congeniality 1 & 2, and Melissa McCarthy plays a Boston detective who creates fear in everyone.
Despite seeing a lot of the funny parts in the previews, this movie does not disappoint! I laughed (a lot), and will probably have to see it again to hear some of the jokes. (I missed a few because the entire theater laughed as well, lol). I was surprised to see Marlon Wayans and Michael Rapaport as part of the cast, and there was a newcomer who goes by the name "Spoken Reasons." Apparently, he is known as a professional "youtuber" (yes, I had to look that up :-) Anyway, he did a really good job as well.
Rating: 3/5 stars
The Internship
Billy (Vince Vaughn) and Nick (Owen Wilson) are two middle-aged men in need of a job and in their search, become the oldest ever interns at Google! Co-written by Vince Vaughn, there are tons of laughs and entertainment!
Release date: June 7
Rating: 3/5 stars - Vince was hilarious as usual! Loved that it wasn't slapstick humor, just pure funny. There was one setback though; if you've seen more than one preview for the movie (and I think I saw all of them since they started showing them), you have already seen 75% of the funny parts, but there are still a few left. Also it is a little long for a comedy, at 2 hours (and you can tell lol). Funny yet heartwarming, good job!!
Release date: June 7
Rating: 3/5 stars - Vince was hilarious as usual! Loved that it wasn't slapstick humor, just pure funny. There was one setback though; if you've seen more than one preview for the movie (and I think I saw all of them since they started showing them), you have already seen 75% of the funny parts, but there are still a few left. Also it is a little long for a comedy, at 2 hours (and you can tell lol). Funny yet heartwarming, good job!!
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