Getaway

So.very.disappointed.  Then again, maybe I'm not, I really didn't have high expectations.

Wait, sorry.  I'm doing it again.  I'm telling you how I feel and I haven't even told you about the movie yet.

Ethan Hawke plays a former race car driver.  His wife is kidnapped, and he is forced to drive while someone tells him what to do and where to go.  If he doesn't follow instructions, they will harm his wife.  Oh yeah, Selena Gomez is in this movie too, she plays the passenger.

Thats all.  There is nothing else to tell you because thats all there is to it.  All 90 minutes of it.

Rating:  2/5 stars - Big yawn on this one.  If you like car chases, you might enjoy it; maybe (and that is a very big maybe).   But thats all there was, just car chase after car chase after car chase.  Have you ever seen the movie called Phone Booth, where Colin Farrell answers a call in the phone booth and is threatened if he leaves the booth without doing whatever the caller says?  Well, that is exactly what this movie is like except the main character is in a car.  If you throw in the last 30 minutes from Gone in 60 Seconds, you have the entire movie.  Another disappointing movie from Ethan Hawke.  Selena Gomez' lines felt forced, especially when the writer decided she needed to curse.  SO glad this was a free screening.  SIGH.

Blackfish

I checked out this film over the weekend, and I'm really glad I did!  You may be familiar with the Orca (Killer Whale) named Tilikum at Sea World that in 2010 killed it's trainer by dragging her in the water by her ponytail.  I heard about it on The Today Show one morning and was totally shocked.  I never thought that the animals may not like their environment or that they were mistreated, I mean it is a "family park" after all, right?

This documentary explains how Sea World and other water parks/aquariums acquire Orcas and other animals, and how they are taken away from their families and their natural habitats and put into seclusion.  Several former Sea World animal trainers are interviewed and they discuss not one, but MULTIPLE deaths (and what actually occurred vs. what was reported) of trainers caused by these giant whales.  They also discuss the lawsuit and subsequent court trial that OSHA brought against Sea World.


Rating:  4/5 stars - while short (83 minutes), it appeared SO much longer.  It was very moving and thought-provoking.  After viewing, I am no longer a fan of parks that mistreat animals and remove them from their natural habitats just to make money.  I'd much rather visit them in the ocean.  I know everyone can't do that, but, is it worth the misery of animals just to make people happy?

Paranoia

Paranoia stars Liam Hemsworth (The Last Song, brother of Chris Hemsworth, BKA Thor).  That about sums it up.

No seriously, the movie is about a young IT professional who finds himself in trouble, and while attempting to get out of trouble, he ends up in the middle of a "technology war" between two CEOS (Harrison Ford and Gary Oldman) of huge money making technology (cell phones primarily) companies.  

Rating:  2/5 stars - needless to say (but, I will say it anyway), I didn't love this one.  The last 20 minutes or so were good; but, otherwise, the movie dragged on.  I really felt like I was watching another made for tv movie, or an after school special.  Save your money on this one too :-(

You're Next

You're Next is about a family that goes from celebrating a momentous occasion to fighting for their lives as they are terrorized by a group that is identified only by the animal masks (sheep, wolf, and tiger) they wear.

This movie reminded me a lot of the movie, The Strangers; similar plot, the killers wore masks, the home was in an isolated area, etc.  So, here are my takeaways:

What I loved:

1.  The parts that made me jump (after all, that is the point of a scary movie, right?)
2.  The parts that made me laugh.  I mean laugh, for real.  Weird, right?
3.  The family wasn't completely defenseless (sorry, to tell you more would give it away).

What I didn't love:

1.  Way too predictable (yeah, all "scary movies" are these days, but, this one REALLY was).
2.  Not much of a plot (again, I know I was reaching, but still).

Rating:  2.5/5 stars - This is more of a horror movie to me vs. scary.  There was a bunch of gore and violence (and laughter, gotta mention that again), but, outside of a few jumping moments (which were really good), there were more "ewwww" and "yuck" moments to me.

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

Loosely based on the 1st in a series of novels w/ the same title, The Mortal Instruments:  City of Bones is a movie filled w/ magic, special effects, werewolves, vampires etc etc etc.  Anyway, the gist of the movie (in a nutshell), is good vs. evil.  So, the main character becomes aware of "an alternative world" within her own and discovers a past that she is a part of unbeknownst to her.

Rating:  2.5/5 stars

I think I will describe this movie as "cheesy."

I was so not impressed w/ this movie.  There were some scenes that really drew the line for me; some things are just taken too far.  The first 1/3rd of the movie started off pretty good, then, it became more and more unbelievable.  Yeah, I know, its a movie, its not real.  But, I at least want to think it COULD be, and this one didn't do that for me.  And before you ask, No, I didn't read the series; I honestly didn't even know it was a book series.  This reminded me a lot of other "tween" series; "The Host" and "Beautiful Creatures."  I didn't care for either of those movies either, maybe I should stay away from these types of movies, huh? :-)

P.S.  I checked w/ some of the moviegoers that were at the screening with me (some that read the book and some that hadn't), and they didn't like it either.

Jobs

Jobs stars Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs, the mastermind behind and the creator of the technology giant, Apple.  The movie begins with Steve Jobs in college and shows some of the intricacies of his mind, his differences and viewpoints.  From there, we learn how Apple came to be and some of the challenges Jobs is faced with when his creativity and ideas are limited due to financial constraints and differences in minds.

Rating:  2.5-3/5 stars - ok, while I enjoyed the movie; and Ashton Kutcher did a great job re-enacting Steve Jobs (no pun intended), I was disappointed.  I expected the movie to really dive more into Jobs' life, not just the fact that he was the creative genius behind Apple.  There were a ton of loose ends, and when it ended, there were no "where are they now snapshots" with details regarding what happened to some of the people that were involved in Apple's history.  There was also no mention of how Jobs died.  While I (and probably 75% of people viewing the movie), already know what happened, the person that doesn't know who Jobs was would only learn that he was creative, thought outside of the box, and created Apple.  If you've seen Pirates of Silicone Valley on tv, you've pretty much seen this movie.

Lee Daniels' The Butler

The Butler (starring Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, Cuba Gooding Jr., Lenny Kravitz and a host of others, including Mariah Carey), is a true story about the life of Cecil Gaines, a White House Butler who served 8 presidents during his tenure.  Included in Cecil's story are the struggles between he and his oldest son, Louis, as well as a view into history; the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, etc.

Rating:  4/5 stars - the movie was great; great story, great ensemble of actors - (especially Forest, he  blew his part out of the water), just all-around great!  As many times as the '60s has been discussed or portrayed in movies, this movie gives another view (a fresh look, if you will) that didn't make me feel like, "here we go again."  Definitely recommended for the family, will lead to many thought-provoking discussions!

Elysium

Elysium is the name of a habitat created to provide a "home" for the rich and powerful, away from overpopulated, diseased, and the poor that live on Earth.  As the "privileged," the inhabitants of Elysium enjoy clean, fresh air, upscale living, and the benefits of the latest, state-of-the-art, advanced medical technology.  This is a sci-fi action thriller movie, set in the year 2154, starring Matt Damon and Jodie Foster.

Elysium shares 2 of the same producers, the same cinematographer, and director of District 9, (another sic-fi futuristic movie where the Earth is taken over by aliens); and it shows, I was constantly comparing the 2 movies.  While not a fan of District 9, I really enjoyed Elysium.

Rating:  3.5/5 stars - The movie starts off slowly, however, gains momentum within the first 30 minutes, and doesn't slow down!  Lots of action, good acting, and "edge of seat" moments; however, it was rather violent at times.  As a Matt Damon fan, he does not disappoint.

P.S.  I enjoyed seeing Faran Tahir (Captain Robau - Star Trek, 2009) and William Fichtner (The Lone Ranger, Armageddon) as well.

2 Guns

"2 Guns" is a movie about 2 men (Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg) that are undercover, get set up, and end up working together trying to figure out who set them up and why.

Now, you can't go wrong w/ either of the main characters starring together b/c both are good looking, there's great drama (Denzel), and great action/slightly comedic (Mark) actors.  The movie was definitely a mix all of the above. 

So, here's what I liked:

 1.  Both good looking (I know I said it already, but, it doesn't hurt to mention it again, it is the truth, after all :-)

2.  Good action, and Mark was definitely the comic relief in the movie.

3.  Good story line/plot.

Rating:  3/5 stars

I expected more from what was shown in the previews.  The previews made ME think that it was much more comedy than there actually was.  This movie reminded me a lot of "Safe House," which stars Denzel, had great action, but, had very little comedy.  So, it was way more serious than I expected.  I'm definitely not complaining, it was a good movie and I think Mark & Denzel make a great combination.

It was also good to see Paula Patton and Denzel together on screen again ("Deja Vu").  Edward James Olmos also stars.

We're The Millers

What do you get when you take 4 people from all walks of life that have absolutely nothing in common, and throw them together for an adventure of a lifetime?  You get "We're The Millers," and let me tell you, it was a great combination of characters, real-life actors, and the perfect formula for non-stop laughs!!

The movie is about a drug dealer (Jason Sudeikis), the fake family he creates so he can safely (and without drawing any suspicion) cross the Mexican/American border with a RV full of illegal substances, and the journey/adventures they encounter as a result.  Enter the wife (Jennifer Aniston) and his fake kids (Will Poulter and Emma Roberts).  

Rating:  3.5/5 stars

I will warn you now if you have sensitive ears; as there is definitely some serious profanity and middle finger usage in this movie (but not nearly as bad as in "The Heat.")  And, the more previews you see before the release date (8/7), the more jokes and funny scenes you'll see.  BUT, even after the previews that I saw, the movie still had a LOT of funny moments and lines, and I was looking forward to the parts I already knew about.  And I was really glad that the movie didn't go in a "sappy" or unpredictable direction.  The movie also stars Ed Helms (Stu from Hangover), and he was funny as usual.  I was reminded a lot of "The Hangover" with some of the scenes.  

Yup, good job on this one, Hollywood!! :-)