Reviews

Every day is a fight to survive in a harsh and unforgiving post-apocalyptic landscape. In Citadel, one of the few cities still standing, a ruthless overlord maintains an iron grip over every resource and human being. When Furiosa (Charlize Theron), one of his top soldiers, steals his "wives" and flees, all hell breaks loose. She crosses paths with Max (Tom Hardy), a man haunted by past failures who's reduced to a single instinct: survival. Together, they just might be able to restore order to the world. Mad Max: Fury Road is a reboot of the franchise from the late 70s/early 80s, but knowledge of the original films isn't necessary. The best way to describe the world of Mad Max to the uninitiated is as follows: engines roaring, guns blazing, people jumping from vehicle-to-vehicle, sandstorms; in short, complete insanity.

From Citadel, to the desert, to the action sequences, everything about Fury Road is massive and well-crafted. Most modern directors choose to make huge action films like this with copious amounts of CGI for the sake of ease. George Miller (director of the original Mad Max trilogy) went to painstaking lengths to ensure the film's authenticity, and it makes a world of difference. The stunts were real, there's very little CGI, and the props were fully functional, even a flame throwing guitar hooked up to a truck full of amps (a type of post-apocalyptic war trumpet, if you will). The high-octane action sequences, which take up a large portion of the film, are awe-inspiring, gritty, and imaginative. However, they are precise enough where they never feel like they are too over-the-top or overstay their welcome.

Because the focus of the film is on the action, there isn't as much room for story or character development. Max and Furiosa's pasts and motivations are compelling, but most of their time is spent kicking ass (not necessarily a bad thing). The world that Fury Road is set in is full of fascinating details concerning how humanity continues to survive in such a harsh and unforgiving world, which makes up for the fact that the plot isn't as unique as it could be.

Bottom Line: Mad Max: Fury Road is one of the best action movies in recent memory. 8/10

During World War II, the Nazis used a complex coded communication method that reset every 24 hours, making it seemingly impossible to decode. Alan Turing, a socially-handicapped Cambridge professor and legitimate genius, led a team of brilliant mathematicians whose mission was to crack the code and win the war. The Imitation Game is sure to become a classic in the coming years, as it's one of the best biopics you will ever see.

Benedict Cumberbatch (BBC's Sherlock) knocks it out of the park with his highest profile leading role to date. He earned an academy award nomination for his focused, at times funny, sympathetic, and tragic portrayal of Alan Turing. The Cambridge professor may have gone on to become the father of computer science, but that doesn't mean he was easy to get along with, or even likable. His unconventional methods and behavior drew the ire of his fellow mathematicians, in addition to the stern and intimidating Commander Dennison (Charles Dance, Game of Thrones). Eventually, he tempers his arrogance and wins over his colleagues (the commander excluded), who (contrary to his initial belief) provide invaluable assistance in breaking the Nazi code and winning the war. Turing's time at Bletchley Park is fraught with conspiracy, agonizing decisions, betrayals, secrets, and the end of his story is sure to leave the audience legitimately heartbroken.

To give each member of the supporting cast individual praise would take up too much space in this review, but it's safe to say that all cast members, especially Turing and his friends/colleagues, have excellent chemistry and are each given ample time to shine. Aside from Charles Dance, the most notable supporting roles come from Allen Leech (Downton Abbey) and Kiera Knightley (Pirates of the Caribbean). Leech nails his first major film role as John Cairncross, a mathematician on Turing's team who shows his loyalty to him right off the bat and sympathy for his struggles. The feisty Joan Clarke is seemingly the best of both worlds (a genius and socially adept), but Knightley's portrayal, while delightful, may not quite convince the audience she had a double first in mathematics at Cambridge.

Despite covering a complex and intellectual topic, the film gracefully glides between the main story and two other plots. Thanks to its Oscar-nominated editing, The Imitation Game keeps audiences equally invested in the main story, Turing's troubled time at boarding school, and when he's under investigation for "indecency" (the term used when homosexuality was illegal) a few years after the end of World War II.

The Imitation Game is possibly the best film of 2014. 10/10

In Hollywood, nothing is sacred. The well of original film ideas has been practically dry for years, so any franchise is fair game to receive a reboot. While the quality of said reboots can vary widely, the knee-jerk reaction to the announcements are usually eye rolling or teeth grinding. Such is the case with The Peanuts Movie. When 20th Century Fox announced it would make a new film based on the adventures of Charlie Brown and his friends, many longtime fans were terrified. Would Snoopy do a rap number? Would Charlie Brown wear a snapback and play with an iPhone? This was the same film company that allowed the excruciating pop culture-filled Alvin and the Chipmunks films to happen. The Shultz family, fortunately, assured the world that they were working closely with the distribution company and Blue Sky Animation (makers of Ice Age, among other films), and they would not let such abominations come to pass. As promised, The Peanuts Movie is delightfully simple, beautifully animated, and most importantly, 100% true to the spirit of the classic comic strip.

Is anyone unfamiliar with Peanuts at this point? Just in case, the premise of the Peanuts comic strip, TV specials, and films center mostly around Charlie Brown, a young boy who lacks self-confidence, and his friends as they navigate holidays, sports games, love, school, and more. It's a testament to a bygone era when the world was a much simpler place. It's also the most popular and influential comic strip of all time.

Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus, Schroeder, Peppermint Patty, Marcy, Woodstock, and the rest of the Peanuts gang have all returned for their first theatrical adventure in 35 years. Blue Sky Animation did a beautiful job bringing the characters into the 21st century without sacrificing their simplicity. Perhaps the most satisfying part of The Peanuts Movie is that there's not a single pop culture reference. The story lines are what we come to expect from the franchise: we follow our favorite blockhead as he struggles to finish a book report, prepares for a talent show, learns to dance to impress "the little red-haired girl", tries to fly a kite, and more. The film earns a rare "G" MPAA rating, despite some thrilling dogfights (pardon the pun) between everyone's favorite dog, Snoopy, and the Red Baron.

Some fun facts: the film's original release date (Nov. 6, 2015) marks the 65th anniversary of the first Peanuts comic strip and the 50th anniversary of the beloved TV special A Charlie Brown Christmas. There's also a surprise after the credits, so be sure to stick around.

It's hard to think of any reason why a fan of the franchise wouldn't love the new film from Blue Sky Animation. Charlie Brown's first theatrical adventure in 35 years is everything a Peanuts fan could hope for. 8/10

In the year 2020, a dimensional portal opens up in the Pacific Ocean, and our world is besieged by giant monsters called Kaiju (Japanese for 'strange creature'). In response, humanity created large robots called Jaegars (German for 'hunter') to fight these creatures. Unfortunately, the Kaiju are winning, and it's up to a washed-up former pilot and a rookie to save humanity from being annihilated. Pacific Rim is the brainchild of Guillermo Del Toro, visionary director of such visually striking films as Hellboy and Pan's Labyrinth. Pacific Rim isn't a remake or a movie 'based on anything' (aside from Del Toro's love of old-school monster movies), which is refreshing considering Hollywood's nauseating obsession with sequels, remakes, and superhero comic adaptions.

First, and foremost, the CGI in Pacific Rim is some of the best you will ever see. The Jaegars and Kaiju look awesome, especially when they are beating the tar out of each other (and destroy cities in the process). It is definitely worth the 3D upcharge. Del Toro's film also features a well-developed and colorful cast that keeps the film from being 'all-style no-substance', like similar big-budget action films like Transformers and Battleship. A noteworthy performance comes from Dr. Newton Geiszler (played by Charlie Day of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia fame), a very enthusiastic and easily-excitable scientist that provides some big laughs and crucial insight into the Kaiju and how to defeat them. Ron Perlman has a memorable, but brief role as the Black Market Kaiju organ dealer Hannibal Chou (whose name comes from his favorite historical figure and his second-favorite Chinese restaurant). Details like how the robots operate, where the monsters come from and some of their biological facts (often provided animatedly by the aforementioned Doctor) are not only clever, but they give the world a certain degree of plausibility, another feature often absent from similar films. There is also a quick scene mid-credits which is worth sticking around for.

Pacific Rim is not without flaws, though. At points, the dialogue was hard to hear, although this may have been the theater's fault. A few moments in the film will cause viewers to think "Why didn't they just do that before?" For example: towards the end of the second act, the Jaegar piloted by the two main heroes suddenly unveils a blade attachment that can slice a Kaiju with ease, clearly more effective than punching and throwing said beast for 10 minutes (though admittedly less exciting). The fight scenes in the second act are so thrilling and over-the-top that the third act feels short and weak in comparison. While the cast is strong and there are surprisingly few cliché/cheesy lines, the rookie and the washed-up pilot (the two main heroes) are not as well-developed as some of the other characters. All of the battle scenes are a treat to watch, but they take place either in the pouring rain or underwater. This doesn't deter from the enjoyment of the film, but to watch the two opposing forces duke it out on a sunny day (or even a cloudy one) would've be nice, so we could see them more clearly.

The good far outweighs the bad when it comes to Pacific Rim, and you probably won't ever see a more fun or intelligent monster movie. 7 Robots out of 10

I'm sure you know the basic premise so i'll get straight to the point.

Pros: Surprisingly funny, superb animation, pretty good story (darker than I expected when it was billed as "from the creators of Happy Feet").

Cons: First half of the movie is pretty jumpy, and its also cheesy at some points.

I've only seen it once, so my review isn't as thorough as it could be, but overall this is a pretty good family movie, (not just for kids). I'm 21 and while I thought it looked good, I had feeling it was going to be bad. Its a shame they probably won't be making another one because of poor box office performance. I may see it a second time in theaters and will definitely get it on DVD.

PS: Before the movie begins (almost pixar-esquire) there is a Wile E Coyote and Roadrunner cartoon (well, 3D animation) which is a pleasant surprise.