Ender's Game

Based on the sci-fi novel, Ender's Game takes place in the future, after aliens have attacked Earth and killed tons of humans.  The citizens of Earth swore they would never let that happen again, and devised a defense plan which consisted of training children to be skillful in combat and war strategy so that when the time came, they would lead the fight against and defeat the aliens.

Had to put my handy dandy lists together for this one.

What I LOVED:

1.  The special effects - they were GREAT!  (You have got to see this in IMAX)
2.  The training action scenes
3.  Asa Butterfield (who played the main character) did a really good job!

What I didn't necessarily care for:

1.  There honestly wasn't much.  Harrison Ford's voice was a little annoying, but, it was easy enough to ignore.

If you enjoy Star Wars, love sci-fi (well even if you don't love sci-fi), enjoy technology, then you will really like this movie!  But, I think that even if you're not a fan of all of the above, you'll enjoy it just because its cool to look at, the special effects were good, and it kind of just draws you in.  I could definitely see this one again.

Rating:  4/5 stars 

Enough Said

Enough Said is about the day (well, days really) in the life of a massage therapist (Eva, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus).   Eva is a divorced, single mother who spends her days going in and out of people's homes listening to their endless chatter about their lives while giving massages.

Fast forward (I don't want to ruin it by giving you every detail)....Eva has met someone that is charming and funny and things seem to be moving right along.  While working with a  new client (Marianne), Eva learns that this client is the ex-wife of her "Mr. Charming (Albert, played by James Gandolfini)," and listens to EVERY bit of information that Marianne shares about Albert.  As most people know, its not always a good thing to know "the good, the bad, and the ugly" details about someone that you just met and are dating. 

So, I'll have to end this here.  To tell you more as well as the ending would ruin it, and that's not gonna happen.  I can tell you that its not as predictable as you think :-), and I think it is a good movie.  It reminded me a lot of the television show, "The New Adventures of Old Christine," partly because Julia Louis-Dreyfus was the main character of the tv show, but also because the lives of the characters were the same; divorced, dating single mother with interesting comical adventures.  Yeah, would definitely consider it a chick flick (I cried once), but, it was really funny too.  And it was nice to see James Gandolfini, although a bit surreal.  Anyway, check it out.  I think you'll enjoy it.

Rating:  3/5 stars

The Counselor

Well, I would tell you what this movie is about, but, unfortunately, I can't.  I can't because I honestly have no idea.  Yes, I was in the theater, and my eyes were open (for most of the movie anyway), but, yeah...

So, here's my attempt at a summary.  The Counselor is about an attorney who has a plan.  It takes about 1/2 of the movie before you put two and two together to figure out exactly what the plan is.  There's a love interest, (Penelope Cruz) and a few other characters (Brad Pitt, Javier Bardem, Cameron Diaz) that are involved.  Once I sort of figured it all out, the plot goes a totally different direction and I was left asking myself if I really just wasted almost 2 hours of a perfectly good day.  I seriously could've been spent that time watching grass grow, I'm almost sure I would have enjoyed that more.

So, I'll add this to my list of "not so enjoyable movies of 2013."  This ranks right up there next to Getaway.  (See review here).  Save your money.Seriously.

Rating:  1.5/5 stars

Last Vegas

As childhood friends, Billy, Paddy, Archie, and Sam were inseparable and enjoyed great times together.  Fast forward to 2013 (some 65 years later), and their adventures continue.  4 old guys (there words, not mine) go to Vegas for one (several actually) unforgettable experiences, and show their family, friends, doubters, and the world that just because you get older doesn't mean you stop living.

This movie was awesome!  I LAUGHED (at some parts more than others), but, this was true enjoyment!  Morgan Freeman.  That's all, there is no need to elaborate, as he is "The Man" (as usual).  Robert DeNiro did a great job at comedy (even with his usual straight, no nonsense face), and I was actually impressed with Kevin Kline too (I never looked at him as old, but, he definitely held his own w/ this cast).  Yup, if you're looking for something different to see that you will enjoy, check this one out.

Rating:  4/5 stars

Escape Plan

Sylvester Stallone plays a guy (Breslin) who makes a living breaking out of prisons to expose the weak areas and links in the penal system.    Somehow, Breslin gets double-crossed and ends up in an unknown, sophisticated, high-tech, impenetrable prison, that is run by a warden whose main goal is to maintain order, no matter the cost. 

Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a convict (Rottmayer) who wants to get out of this particular prison.  The two meet, and the rest is history.  Well, not quite, there is more to the story.  But, you can kind of put two and two together :-).

Anyway, I thought I would do an oldie but goodie, and insert some lists at this point:

What I loved:

1.  Huge fan of watching Breslin work.  Its always neat to see one make something out of nothing.
2.  Stallone & Schwarzenegger make a good team.  Took me back to 'Tango & Cash.'

What could've been better:

1.  The movie was too long in parts.  I didn't get bored, but, I did want it to speed up some.
2.  It had a "been there, seen it before" kind of feel.  Can't quite put my finger on it, but, it did.
3.  I was not a fan of the warden (Jim Caviezel - High Crimes) - but wait, that means he actuallly did a good job and shouldn't be in this list huh?

Rating:  2.5-3/5 stars - I only score it kind of low because of what I already stated.  The action scenes were decent, and like I said S & S made a good team, but, I probably won't be adding it to my dvd collection, and I would recommend seeing it at matinee cost.

Just my two cents :-)

The Fifth Estate

I think I will classify The Fifth Estate as an "informational thriller;" contains a bunch of information and is thrilling, but, not suspenseful.  It could probably be classified as a drama, too, but, not really to me.  Ok so anyway, the movie is about Wikileaks; it's founder, how the organization works, what the concept/purpose of it is, etc.

Before seeing this, I had heard of the organization and heard of some of the information that was leaked (most recently, Snowden), but other than that, I was pretty clueless.  After seeing this however, I think I have a better idea about it.  Based on a novel written by one of the former Wikileaks employees, the movie follows Daniel Berg (a techie) as he begins to get involved in the world of secrets and life as a journalist, and the fine line of what information should actually be released no matter the cost.

Rating:  3/5 stars - I enjoyed it.  The movie held my interest from the beginning and I always like to see "true stories" brought to life on the big screen.  It was also really cool to see Daniel Bruhl on the screen so soon after he played the role of Niki Lauda in Rush.

The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete

The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete is about an 8th grader named Mister (don't ask).  This is a kid that faced a struggle in every aspect of his life; school (he was failing miserably), home (he lived in public housing, didn't have much food, and his mother was a heroin addict), socially (zero friends), and yet, he managed to keep it all together, (on the surface anyway).

During the Summer, Mister's struggles become real (as if they weren't already) when his mother is taken away, and he is forced to take care of himself and his young naive neighbor, Pete. 

First, let me just say WOW!! I had sort of an idea what I was getting into when I went to see this, but, yeah.  Some parts were very hard to watch, but, I admired what young Mister was able to accomplish on his own.  The movie definitely made me reconsider before throwing food away, going out to eat, and what I spent money on.

Executively produced by Alicia Keys and others, Jennifer Hudson did a dynamite job playing Mister's mother.  I was also pleasantly surprised to see Anthony Mackie, Jordin Sparks, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (The Mummy Returns), and Jeffrey Wright (007's Casino Royale).

Rating:  3.5/5 stars

Runner Runner

Runner Runner is about a cheater that gets cheated, in a nutshell. 

But, its so not that simple.  Richie Furst (Timberlake) is just trying to pay his way through school, by playing internet poker, and after he is cheated out of his money by Ivan Block (Affleck), Richie decides that this "wrong must be righted," and goes after Ivan in an attempt to retrieve his money.  Ivan gives Richie an opportunity of a lifetime to make more than he could possible imagine, and of course, that is never as good or as easy as it seems.

I liked this one.  I'm a fan of JT and Ben Affleck, but, they both seriously did a good job.  Sometimes, I thought I had it all figured out, but, there's always something that I didn't consider.  I loved that Justin played an extremely intelligent character, and Anthony Mackie did a great job as well (as usual).

Rating:  3/5 stars

About Time

If you were given the ability to go back through time and change or relive it, would you?  Well, at the age of 21, Tim learns that he can do just that.  Tim, a young man living a boring life, decides to take this "gift" and use it in search of that which is sometimes the hardest thing to find:  true love.  Of course through his adventures, Tim learns some hard lessons, and that sometimes, some moments should be enjoyed exactly as they are.

Totally a chick flick, but, a VERY good one!  Don't worry guys, I promise you won't be bored if you are "chosen" to attend this one w/ a special someone :-) And yes, I laughed, cried, and totally enjoyed this one!

About Time stars Rachel McAdams (The Notebook, The Time Traveler's Wife), who once again does NOT disappoint, Bill Nighy (Underworld, Valkyrie), and Domhnall Gleeson (Harry Potter's Bill Weasley).  If you loved The Notebook, this one will become a favorite as well.

Rating:  3.5/5 stars

Thanks For Sharing

Thanks For Sharing is a movie about a group of people going through Recovery.  Not from alcoholism or drugs, but, from sex.  Yup, you read that correctly, sex addicts.  Now, I didn't know that when I went to see it.  I had read in the brief synopsis posted on one of the movie ticket purchase sites that it was about a group of addicts and saw that Mark Ruffalo, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Tim Robbins were starring in it.  So, I figured with a cast like that, it had to be good.

Well, I gambled correctly.  And, there was a surprise member of the cast (surprise to me anyway), Alecia Moore AKA Pink, who did a really good job (by the way). 

To recap, Thanks For Sharing is about a group of sex addicts and their journey to recovery.  A romantic comedy (although I don't know if I would label it as that - more of a "light drama with some comedy" I think).  And FYI, the whole movie does not consist of a bunch of people sitting in group meetings), I definitely found myself rooting for each of the characters, especially Dr. Banner.  Oops, I mean Mark Ruffalo :-)

Rating:  3.5/5 stars

Gravity

Gravity stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, who portray two U.S. astronauts on a mission in outer space when something goes terribly wrong.  What follows is 90 minutes of intensity that truly made me ok w/ not adding space travel to my bucket list.

So, let me share my thoughts:

1.  I was hesitant to see Gravity because in every single one of the previews, all they ever showed was Sandra Bullock floating into space asking for anyone to respond to her.  I thought that was all it was going to be about.

2.  The movie is slow for all of 5 minutes.  The remaining 85 minutes will have you on the edge of your seat.  Yup, I actually talked to the movie this time, sorry, but, it was so necessary.  I just know I helped out the characters in the movie.

3.  The special effects and cinematography are out.of.this.world!  I mean, it is space after all.  So, spend the extra few dollars and see it in 3D, and even in IMAX 3D, SO TOTALLY worth it!

Rating:  4/5 stars