Smurfs 2

The little blue creatures that live in the hidden part of the forest are back!!! 

Gargamel is up to his usual tricks.  This time, he intends to use what makes Smurfs smurfy to carry out his sinister plan.  Smurfette plays a key role in this movie; we learn about her origin, and of course, the humans (Neil, Grace, and their family) come to the Smurfs' aid, as in Part 1.

Even if you're not a fan of Papa Smurf, Grouchy Smurf, Hefty Smurf, Greedy Smurf, Smurfette, Painter Smurf, Brainy Smurf, Clumsy Smurf, Jokey Smurf, etc etc etc, you can't help but enjoy this one.  Plenty of laughs (seriously, I laughed out loud quite a few times), some adult humor, one hand clap to the beat moment (seriously, kids were clapping to the beat of one of the background songs), and only a few morals.  I guarantee that you will catch yourself singing the Smurf song (La la la la la la...)!

Rating:  3.5/5 stars - I liked the 1st better, but it was still good.  Shaquille O'Neal is trying to become quite the actor I see (he actually plays Smooth Smurf).  Make sure you stay to the VERY end of the credits, for just a little bit more of the movie! :-)

P.S. I didn't like it in 3D.

Fruitvale Station

Fruitvale Station is an independent film documentary that follows the last day in the life of a young man trying to make it.

Oscar Julius Grant III, 22 years old.  Murdered by a BART police officer at Fruitvale train station in the Bay Area of California. 

What I loved about the movie was that Oscar was not portrayed as a "saint," he had issues, he wasn't perfect.  This film simply showed who he was and the kinds of things he dealt with.  That turning your life around is not the easiest thing to do, but can be done, and life comes with challenges, good times, and bad times. 

Rating:  4/5 stars - Stars Michael B. Jordan (Red Tails) and Octavia Spencer (The Help), and produced by Forrest Whitaker.  There were some cheerful moments, definitely some sad ones, and some moments that just make you think.  I'm still thinking about it.

The Wolverine

Release date:  July 26, 2013

Logan, AKA Wolverine, is back.  And this time, (as with "X-Men Origins:  Wolverine), we get another glimpse (albeit small) into his past, and learn a little but more about his background.  Logan gets offered an "opportunity of a lifetime" and with it, a new adventure, a new nemesis, new alliances, well, you get the picture. 

Highlights: 1.  Special effects were great (as always)
                   2.  Some serious (and I mean SERIOUS) action scenes took place!

Low lights: 1. Way too many slow moving talking scenes (I got bored, twice; is that even possible??)
                    2.  Not enough mutants and not enough action scenes


Rating:  3.5/5 stars - 1st, let me say I am a HUGE fan of the X-Men, ALL of them.  So, I was REALLY looking forward to seeing another one on the big screen again, even if it was only going to be the Wolverine all by himself.  But, (and I really hesitate in writing this part), I wasn't as impressed with this one as I was with others.  This was one of my least favorite of all previous X-Men movies (original, stand, united, 1st class, and wolverine).  Way too slow in parts, and not enough action.  Don't get me wrong, I liked it, but, didn't love it.  Oh yeah, don't waste your money on 3-D, there wasn't enough stuff jumping out at you to pay for it.

Finally, make sure you stay for the first 5 minutes of the credits.  Trust me, you do NOT want to miss it.  (I actually liked this part better than the entire movie, seriously).

Well, one more thing (sorry), a lot of the cast of "The Last Samurai" was in the movie, loved seeing them again!! :-)
 

Grown Ups 2

I was really enthusiastic about seeing this one, only because the 1st one was entertaining; good cast, decent jokes and story line.  So, I took a chance since some (key word, some) sequels (Terminator 2, RED 2, Transformers 2), have been as good as the 1st, sometimes better.  Yeah, not so much with Grown Ups 2.  To say I was disappointed is an understatement.

This time, almost all of the cast is back (Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, David James, Kevin Spade; Rob Schneider didn't make an appearance this time, can't really say I blame him), living now in their childhood town that they visited in part 1.  That's about the highlight.  No true storyline, the movie just follows each of the characters in their day-to-day activities.  The humor was much too raunchy (and overkill to me) this go 'round and I just wasn't amused, plain and simple.  There were some laughs, but they were few and far between.

Rating:  2/5 - Save yourself some money on this one, unless you are or were truly a fan of the 1st one. It may be pretty good in the dollar theater or the Redbox.  I must admit though, Shaquille O'Neal did a good job :-)

Girl Most Likely

This independent film stars Kristen Wiig (SNL), a troubled playwright that can't seem to make it "big," suffers a severe meltdown when her boyfriend breaks up with her.  As a result, she has to live with her mother Annette Bening (American Beauty), who has her own crazy issues and her boyfriend, Matt Dillon (There's Something About Mary), with his secret spy life, and her "interesting" brother.

Rating:  3/5 stars - this is a quirky, yet funny film.  Kristen Wiig does not disappoint with her sarcasm and wit.  I enjoyed it, yet, the ending reminded me of a Lifetime movie; it just stops, no "for real" wrap-ups, conclusions, just ends.

The Way Way Back

Being a child of divorced parents is hard.  Its even harder when your mom is dating a boyfriend that is a jerk.  Welcome to the life of Duncan.  As a teenager, he is already dealing with enough, and his mom's boyfriend and the way he treats him isn't helping; that is until he meets Owen and the staff of a water park and begins a fun-filled summer.

This independent movie stars Maya Rudolph (SNL, Up All Night, and Bridesmaids), Steve Carrell (The Office, Despicable Me 2), Sam Rockwell (Iron Man 2), Toni Collette (The 6th Sense), and a host of other great actors.

Rating:  3.5/5 stars - I absolutely loved this movie!  I went through the entire "emotion spectrum;"  I totally empathized with Duncan, was angry with the way he was treated, laughed at the extremely sarcastically crazy neighbor and employees of the water park, and almost let a tear drop at one point.  This is definitely a feel good type of movie; "The Way Way Back" was "way way good!!" :-)

The Conjuring

Release date:  July 19, 2013

"The Conjuring" can best be described in one word:  SCARY.

Based on a true story, the setting for "The Conjuring" is early '70s in New England.  Much like a modern day "Poltergeist" or "Amityville Horror," the movie is about a house that is possessed, and the poor family that moves in and ends up dealing with it.   A husband/wife team of paranormal investigators are enlisted to help.  The movie stars Vera Farmiga ("The Orphan" and "The Departed"),  Patrick Wilson ("The A-Team"), and Lili Taylor ("Say Anything")

Rating:  4/5 stars - VERY suspenseful!!!! - If you're not a fan of scary don't do it.  But for those that are, this is a good one!!  There were a few moments of "seen that before," but the other scary AND suspenseful moments FAR outweighed those!!!!  WHEW!

Mannnn, I'm not 100% sure why I continue to talk myself into seeing these types of movies, as I'm always mad at myself as soon as it's over.  Sure, I enjoy scary movies, however, as I get older, I feel like Brad Pitt in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons,"  like my life is going backwards.  Let me explain.  When I was kid, I was TERRIFIED of scary movies, yet, I wanted to see them, already knowing that they would cause much heartache at bedtime.  Now, I'm starting to feel like that kid again; can't get the images out of my head, even though I liked it.

Pacific Rim

Pacific Rim stars Idris Elba, who is the leader of a group of a special forces Rangers team put together to defend the Earth.  I need to back up though, because there is more to the movie than that; clearly though, Idris is a HUGE part of the movie for me :-)

Anyway, the Earth gets attacked by some aliens and the defense against these aliens are these huge robots run by men.  I'm starting to feel like a broken record lately (perhaps more like a robot, how appropriate lol) with these posts; all these movies are starting to run together (well actually, its just stuff that has been done already).  So now that you know the gist of the movie, I'll tell you what I liked and disliked about the movie.

Likes:

            1.  Idris Elba (wait, I said that one already.  Well, it (he, rather) was worth mentioning again.
            2.  Great action scenes
            3.  Interesting (not blow your mind interesting, but good) concept
            4.  Great special effects

Dislikes:

            1.  It was a little cheesy (the acting, mostly)

Rating:  2.5-3/5 stars

Ok, so here are my true thoughts.  This movie was like 7 different movies put together.  Here goes, you ready?  "Pacific Rim" is like "Godzilla" meets "Jurassic Park" meets "Real Steel" meets "The Matrix (Reloaded & Revolutions)" meets "Prometheus" meets "Iron Man" meets the "Rock 'em Sock 'em" robot game.  The movie would definitely be even better if you can see it in IMAX.  Like I said, good action, plenty of special effects and sci-fi stuff, w/ a few edge of your seat moments.  My 2 cents anyway. :-)

P.S.  Make sure you stay for the beginning of the credits, there is a special treat.  AND, I absolutely LOVED the name of one of the robot teams - they have a special relationship w/ CRIMSON!! 

Coming Soon: RED 2

Release date:  July 19, 2013

The infamous old retired assassins are back in a brand new adventure! 

But, in case you missed the first, let me give you some background.  'RED' stands for:  "Retired, and Extremely Dangerous."  This is what the CIA labels you when you are too old for the "killing, super spy game."  {This originated from a DC comic strip (I only know b/c I pay attention to the credits, I have never read one of the comics :-)}.  So, in the 1st one, we learn who the RED agents were and what they did in their prime when they become a target, and have to show their pursuers that they are not yet "out of the game."

In RED 2, the retired agents are once again under attack, and they have to figure out why, while trying to remain alive.  Equally as funny as the first, and several new characters are introduced in this one.  Bruce Willis and John Malkovich make an incredible team, and John Malkovich steals several scenes w/ his lines and facial expressions. 

Rating:  3.5-4/5 stars - It felt longer than it was (just under 2 hours), but, very entertaining!!

P.S.  It was very nice to see the guy that played Remus Lupin in the Harry Potter movies (I'm such a fan :-)

Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain

Kevin Hart is definitely one of the funniest comedians around!  This movie was filmed all over the world, however, the actual show was filmed during his performance to a sold out crowd at the Madison Square Garden in Manhattan.  I enjoyed the performance, despite the cursing.

I really hadn't paid much attention to Kevin Hart or attended any of his shows until he recently hosted Saturday Night Live.  As I was watching his silly antics and listening to his jokes, I definitely understood what all the "fuss" was about, and didn't want to miss this movie when it was released. 

Kevin Hart is like a cross between Eddie Murphy (with the clothes and the jokes) and Chris Tucker (with the voice), in my opinion.

Rating:  3.5/5 stars - My only complaint was that it was MUCH too short!!!  The movie was only 1 hour, 15 minutes.  Then again, it kinda matches Kevin's height. Before you say it, it's not mean, he acknowledges his vertical challenges all the time, and I'm only 4'11", so I can make short jokes/comments if I want to! :-)

Despicable Me 2

The Minions are back!!!  Well, actually Gru, Margo, Agnes, and Edith are back with them, but, I REALLY like the Minions and they are just as funny this go 'round as the last!

This time, Gru is recruited by the "Anti-Villain League to put away a really evil villain.  And in the meantime, he is doubly challenged with the girls growing up and with that, all the interesting things that kids like to talk about. 

I would love to see a Minion movie, but, they would have to have closed captioning, or something because I have no clue what they are saying.  I think I would still go see it, even without the closed captioning.  They sang a few songs and did some performances of some famous singing groups.  If you liked the first one, you will like this one too.  And if you didn't see the first one, you should seriously consider it.  Seriously.

Rating:  4/5 stars  - Yeah, I'm a fan :-)

 

The Lone Ranger

Ahhh..The Lone Ranger.  I'm really not going to go into detail about the background of the movie.  It was a television show, back in the day, about ummm a single (lone) ranger (sorry, there really is no other way to explain it) and an Indian (Native American) named Tonto (played by Johnny Depp) and their fight for justice.  Oh yeah, there was also a horse, named Silver.  Anywho, Disney and the money man (Jerry Bruckheimer) behind "The Pirates of the Caribbean," "Bad Boys," "Days of Thunder" etc., got together and turned the show into a movie.

The movie took quite awhile to create/develop the character of the Ranger and the relationship between him and Tonto (and at times, moved rather slowly).  Johnny Depp added comic relief throughout and did a rather good job (in my opinion, anyway).  The movie did pick up though and of course there was a great finale.  (Be prepared to sit for 2 hours, 41 minutes).

Rating:  3/5 stars - Enjoyed it, didn't love it.  I wasn't a true fan of the tv show, but, I did watch it and like it (from what I remember anyway).  So, if you are a fan, I'm sure you'll find something wrong with it, but, it is a movie after all.  Reminded me a lot of the remake of Zorro and it's sequel; of course Hollywood had to add something to it.  I say, if you like Johnny Depp and his movies as well as a glimpse into how a tv hero came to be, and Disney movies, go see it. ** Parents, while technically a "kid like" theme, some scenes were a bit much (kinda graphic).  Just a heads up.

Oh yeah!  Sit tight after the credits start rolling, there is a little more to see.  (Just a little, nothing extravagant).

P.S.  Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange, Harry Potter movies) starred in this as well.  She was also in Sweeney Todd with Johnny Depp.  I don't know if I'll ever be able to see her in a movie w/o seeing Bellatrix though :-)