Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

Jack Ryan is back on screen.  The main character in many of Tom Clancy's novels (The Hunt For Red October, Patriot Games, Sum Of All Fears, Clear and Present Danger, etc), has returned for another action packed thrill ride.  This time, we learn more about Ryan's past as he once again defends the US against foreign threats, showcasing his brilliance in the field and his inability to simultaneously balance his personal life.

Rating:  4.5/5 stars

I am a fan of all the Jack Ryan movies.  This one, blows them all away.  This was a "nonstop, action packed, adrenaline rush, roller coaster of a ride," and my heart was in my throat for 75% of the movie.  Great, great, GREAT action scenes, terrific acting (you can never go wrong w/ Chris Pine and Kevin Costner), you name it.  So, I guess you can say I liked it! :-)

Oh yeah, and if you get to see it in IMAX, go for it!!

Ride Along

Ben (Kevin Hart), an aspiring police officer, is in love w/ and wants to marry Angela, the sister of James (Ice Cube).  James is a hardcore Atlanta police detective who thinks no one is good enough for his sister, especially Ben.  To win James over and to receive his blessing to marry Angela, Ben agrees to spend the day w/ James on a ride along, to experience a day in the life of a police officer.

Rating:  3/5 stars

I saw a bunch of previews for this movie so I wasn't really expecting that much.  I figured I already saw all the funny parts and it would be really predictable.  I'm glad I was wrong.  It was still predictable, but, the laughs helped out in that department.  Kevin Hart is a nut.  Funny, but, not "over the top slapstick funny," (which was great, by the way), and Ice Cube and Kevin Hart make a good team.  The cameo spots (Gary Owen and Laurence Fishburne) were good too.

American Hustle

So, I'm sure you've seen all the buzz lately for this movie from the previews, the Golden Globe Awards, and now, the Oscar buzz.

American Hustle is about some small-time hustlers (Christian Bale, Amy Adams), who are caught in the act by FBI Agent (Bradley Cooper), and are used to catch some corrupt politicians.  Its supposed to be somewhat amusing, and I guess I would say intriguing.  Key words (in case you missed it), supposed to be.

Rating:  3/5 stars.  I'm being generous on this one.  The acting was good, the movie, not so much.  I mean, don't get me wrong, it had its moments, and Jennifer Lawrence was the most amusing to me, out of all of the stars, however, I really don't get what all the "hoopla" is about.  Spend your money if you want to, but, don't say I didn't warn you.

Frozen

 

 

Disney's Frozen was adorable.  Seriously. 

Princess Elsa was born w/ a special "gift," however, due to its nature, it was treated as a curse, and as a result, Elsa grew up in seclusion, w/o any contact w/ her sister Anna and limited contact w/ her parents and everyone else.  Through a series of events, Elsa learns about herself, that all things aren't as bad as they look and/or seem, and even the coldest hearts have the ability to love.

Rating:  4.5/5 stars

This is the 1st cartoon movie (since like forever) where the (seemingly almost constant) singing wasn't annoying.  (And yes, I know that it was a kid's movie.  Don't judge me :-)  Anyway, the singing was rather appropriate.  The characters were cute, the snowman Olaf, was hilarious, and it was nice to see Disney bring back a "true princess story."  Even the adventure in the movie was great.  I went with a two year old that surprisingly made it through the whole movie without talking and/or getting up, even with the teeny tiny slightly scary part. 

Overall, I loved it!! :-)

Gimme Shelter

 

 

Apple had a troublesome life.  She was on the run from a drug abusing mother, was unwanted by a father who didn't know her, and to put icing on the cake, she was pregnant.  Faced with the choice of whether she should keep her baby, Apple had to learn the true meaning of respect, family, and love.

 

Rating:  4/5 stars

 

Such a great movie!!  Based on a true story, this indie movie was very inspirational.  It is definitely a "make you think" type of movie, and totally pulls at your heart strings.  Starring Vanessa Hudgens, Rosario Dawson, James Earl Jones, and Brendan Fraser.  The cast was PERFECT for this movie, it was cool seeing Dawson and Fraser playing different roles from their norm.  It was also good to see James Earl Jones on screen again.  He has such a cool, laidback presence!   The tagline on the poster, "Sometimes you have to leave home to find your family," sums this movie up perfectly.  Definitely "2 thumbs up," and a must see when it comes out at the end of this month!

Out of the Furnace

Christian Bale portrays a man working in a blue-collar job living a pretty simple life.  His younger brother played by Casey Affleck, tries to solve his money problems by gambling, ends up owing the wrong people (led by Woody Harrellson), and goes missing (I know that is totally the wrong use of English, but, it works :-).  Anyway, big brother becomes involved in the search.

Rating:  2.5-3/5 stars

This was just ok.  Not a lot of action (not that I was looking for any, but, you can't go wrong w/ action, usually), moved pretty slowly.  I was disappointed that Zoe Zaldana didn't play a bigger role, and Christian Bale sounded like Batman throughout the entire movie.  (Maybe its just me, but, I thought he had a different voice in previous roles)?  Ah well, I wouldn't recommend this one.

Homefront

Jason Statham stars as a retired DEA agent trying to live a normal life with his daughter in a quiet country town.  What he doesn't know is that the town is quietly run by a meth making and dealing thug (James Franco).  Sometimes, its not so easy to walk away from your former life.

Rating:  2.5/5 stars

I was interested in seeing this b/c I'm a fan of Jason Statham.  Still a fan of Statham's, however, NOT a fan of this movie.  There really wasn't much to the plot, a lot of it felt like it had been done before. Predictable (and yes, I know, all "man vs. world" movies are - Seagal, Statham, etc, but still), and seemed low budget.  So, if you're looking for something similar to Statham's work in The Transporter movies, keep looking, this ain't it. :-)

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

 

 

In Catching Fire, the second chapter in the Hunger Games trilogy, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) begin their first year as victors of the Hunger Games.  While performing their victor duties and obligations, they learn that there is much more going on behind the scenes as well as in each of the districts than what they are allowed to see and are being told, and that they are responsible for a lot of it. 

 

Rating:  3/5 stars

 

I enjoyed the movie, however, like with most novels turned into movies, there was some stuff missing.  Not enough that made a significant difference, as the creators did a very good job in sticking close to the book, however, it seemed that some scenes were much shorter than they should have been.  In the creator's defense though, the movie would've been 4 hours instead of the actual length of 2.5 hours if they included everything.  If you are a fan of the first movie and/or have read any of the books, I think you will enjoy this one.  

Lone Survivor

 

Lone Survivor is based on the true life story of four Navy SEALS on a reconnaissance mission (Operation Red Wings) that goes terribly wrong. 

Rating:  4/5 stars

Very, very good movie!  The creators and actors did a very good job of pulling the viewer into the lives of the soldiers and their mission, and while I've never been in the military or Afghanistan, I certainly became tied to each character, and felt every fall, break, injury, etc. that they encountered.  Mark Wahlberg, was great as always, and I'm really glad that this soldier's story was told.  So often, we are clueless about what goes on during missions or what soldiers experience in the military.

Dallas Buyers Club

Based on the true life story of Ron Woodruff, an electrician who lived somewhat of a party lifestyle and was diagnosed with AIDS.  Unable to get the medication he needed due to restrictions of the FDA, Ron utilizes various schemes and methods to bring alternative, less harmful drugs from other countries for his use and other AIDS patients.

Rating:  4/5 stars

Very well done.  Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto (as well as Jennifer Garner) did excellent jobs!  Very insightful, and it was interesting to see the roles and involvement of drug companies and the FDA in regards to which drugs were released to the public for use and their regulations.

Diana

 

The movie Diana follows the life of the Princess of Wales after her divorce from Charles.  Some questions are answered about her love life as well as her issues with the paparazzi, which had a lot to do with her untimely death.

Rating:  2.5/5 stars

I wasn't blown away by this movie.  I thought the acting was good, however, I was a little bored.  I'm sure it will get an Oscar nod, due to content and it's star, Naomi Watts.  I thought it gave good insight to her life behind the scenes following her divorce, but, if you're not into the Royal Family, I'd stay away from this one.