Change Your Image
kdorsey321
Reviews
Killing Them Softly (2012)
Killing Them ???
This movie review is on the film "Killing Them Softly," starring Brad Pitt, Ray Liotta, and James Gandolfini. As simply as I can put this, this film is about a hired gunman that is hired to kill three men that robbed a mob card game. Also, there is some kind of deep message about what America actually is.
Honestly, this wasn't a bad film but I would rush to see this again. This film had a lot of dialog. At times I felt there was too much dialog. Plus, the dialog itself was okay, but not that interesting. I thought Brad Pitt's acting was good! He was without question the highlight of the film. I just wanted to watch Brad Pitts parts and see what he going to do mid way though the movie. Throughout the film there were clearly notified political viewpoints being shared. It was like the film itself was just a cover up for some kind of message the director wanted to get across. Jackie (played by Brad Pitt) say's a quote, at the end of the movie, which I'm not going to give away because I'd feel like I would have given the movie away in a sense. Was that the message the director wanted to get across??? Overall, don't go see this film in the movie theaters. I know Brad Pitt, Ray Liotta, and James Gandolfini is in it, but don't see this film. "Killing Them Softly" is not a film worth spending your money to go see unless you're a really huge Brad Pitt fan and you just have to witness all of his films on the big screen. I'm giving this film a 6 out of 10.
Man on a Ledge (2012)
Well
My next review is on the movie "Man On A Ledge," starring Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, and Ed Harris (great actor!). I wanted to see this movie in the movie theater, but I didn't get the chance too.
I thought the movie wasn't bad, but I didn't think it was great either. I thought it could have been done better. Things in this movie were predictable and there weren't any surprises in this film. I felt I this movie could have used a surprise or two. Maybe this film needed some more characters. I just felt like there were things missing and there were things that were need for this film to at the least hit a nine on my rating scale.
On a lighter note this is a watchable film. I was able to watch this all the way though and be somewhat entertained. A man being on a ledge getting ready to jump is interesting in itself. Interesting for anyone to want to know what is going to happen in the end.
With that said I'm giving this film a 7 out of 10. This film had solid execution, interesting plot, and it keep you watching. This is one of those movies that you see once or twice in your life. I'd say it's worth renting once, but I'm not buying it on DVD. Hope y'all enjoyed the review!
Drive (2011)
Whoa!
"Drive" is the next film I'm doing a movie on. This movie stars Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, and Albert Brooks.
This movie is wild, with a capital W! This film brings you surprising kills, gruesome violence, and insane action all because a random driver wanted to help a neighbor. With that said, I thought the film was pretty good. Ryan Gosling's character's personality in this film is unexplainable, but I like it. You can't really pin point who he is and I thought that was important in this film.
For the record, this is not a film for everyone. There gruesomeness in this film that is simply not for everyone's eyes. The one knock on this that is a little baffling to me is that the plot in this film has nothing to do with the title of the movie. For whatever reason, that bothers me.
This is a solid film with eye gluing execution. I'm giving this film a 7 out of 10. This movie came out in 2011 and I didn't get a chance to see it in the movie theaters. I'd say this is worth seeing once and definitely worth renting. Hope you guys enjoyed the review!
Think Like a Man (2012)
Solid
For my next review, I'm reviewing the movie "Think Like A Man," starring Kevin Hart, Meagan Good, Michael Ealy, and Regina Hall.
There was big anticipation for this film to come out and be a very good movie and they didn't disappoint. "Think Like A Man" was a breathe of fresh air for romance comedies. Every year we get about 8 to 10 romance comedy films and usually there good, but "Think Like A Man" is better than average.
They did an excellent job of centering this film on the book "Act Like A Woman, Think Like A Man" (written by Steve Harvey). They centered around the book to the point were it wasn't overwhelming. I was afraid they were going to bring the book in the film too much, but they maintained it well. Kevin Hart and the rest of the comedians in this film did an excellent job of keeping the comedy coming. Its getting to the point were I can't even look at Kevin Hart and not laugh.
This film had solid execution, solid acting, good plot base, and showed romance comedy versatility. I'm giving this film an 8 out of 10. Can't wait to buy it on DVD. I don't think this film is still in theaters, but you have my blessing to buy it, or rent it. Hope y'all enjoyed the review! Have a blessed day!
Ted (2012)
Only Ted
For my next movie review, I'm doing a review on the movie "Ted," starring Ted, Mark Wahlberg, and Mila Kunis.
There was a lot of fuss about this movie and whether it would be good or not. I'm here to tell you that it was a pretty descent film. You have to remember that the main character in this film is a talking bear and it's a comedy. So you have to open your mind a little and bare with it. With that said, I can also see why people wouldn't quite enjoy this film.
The movie "Ted" is a solid comedic movie that is guaranteed laughs. Sometimes you just have to have a little fun with movies and the film "Ted" definitely represents that. I also have to admit that Mark Wahlberg was pretty funny in this film. He hasn't dazzled me before with his attempts to be funny, but in this film he gave me a couple of laughs too.
I'm giving this film a 7 out of 10. This film could have been awful, but they put together a descent plot and made numerous attempts to keep the comedy coming. This isn't a "rush to the movies and see film," but if you're bored and you need a couple laughs, this would be a solid matinée treat. Hope y'all enjoyed the review!
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
Brilliant
Up next I'm doing a movie review on the movie "The Amazing Spiderman," starring Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, and Rhys Ifan.
A lot of people were saying this film came out too fast. They should have waited a couple more years to revamp this film. I'm not going to lie to you, I was so excited that it was coming out in July; I didn't even care about how fast it came out. It's crazy how they messed up the third Spiderman movie so bad that they had to revamp the whole series.
I loved this film! "The Amazing Spiderman" was simply brilliant! I felt that they did a great job of showing Spiderman's origin. I like how they made it so Spiderman had a little bit more of a personality and wasn't too nerdy. In the comics, he wasn't ready that nerdy/shy. Nothing wrong with those qualities, but Spiderman was a regular guy that was just very intelligent.
I also thought The Lizard was done well too. The Lizard was a good bad guy to choose. I like how they showed how The Lizard was a good person that was just looking for a cure and got addicted to the cure. I also loved how they put Gwen Stacy in the film. Peter Parker and her love story was fun to watch. Emma Stone did an excellent job as usual. There are so many things I love about this film, I could go on forever.
I'm giving this film an 8 out of 10. This film had great execution, good acting, and it's just an all out awesome film. If you're a Spiderman fan and, you followed the comics you are going to enjoy this film more than anyone. Definitely see it in the theaters if you have a chance. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed the review!
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Awesome Trilogy
My next movie review is going to be on the highly anticipated film "The Dark Knight Rises," starring Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Michael Caine, and Anne Hathaway.
"The Dark Knight Rises" is simply amazing! It made the last Batman series of its time a golden trilogy. It had a tough task of following up the epic movie "The Dark Knight" and it followed it well. It wasn't better than "The Dark Knight" (I didn't expect it to be) but it was definitely a great film in its own right.
Anne Hathaway did a great job playing Catwoman. Christopher Nolan put her in a position to play Catwoman gracefully. Get job on Christopher Nolan and Anne Hathaway's part. Bane was awesome! I had a little problem understanding what he was saying at times, but overall I loved his character in the film.
I'm giving this movie a 9 out of 10. This is a great film, with a great plot, and solid execution. If you are a Batman fan of any kind you will appreciate this film more than anyone. Definitely go see it and enjoy the film! I hope you enjoyed the review!
The Watch (2012)
Watch out now!
Got a chance to check out the movie "The Watch," starring Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill, and Richard Ayoade.
Wow, I'm saying "wow" because this movie was different. Overall, I felt like this was a descent film. I liked it and I enjoyed. This film was an entertaining wrecking ball filled with comedy, laughter, and hilarious thrills. This comedic film was so different and that's one of the main reasons I enjoyed this film. Not to mention Ben Stiller, Jonah Hill, and Vince Vaughn is this movie. When I seen that these three guys were in the movie there was no way I wasn't going to see this film. Jonah Hill and Vince Vaughn were the funniest out of the four main characters.
Good film, Good acting, crazy plot (loved that about the film), so I'm giving it a 7 out of 10. If you need a good laugh and you're a fan of any of the main characters in this film it would be worth seeing it in the movie theaters. Enjoy the film and I hope you enjoyed the review.
Step Up Revolution (2012)
Not bad
For my next movie review, I am doing a review on the movie "Step Up: Revolution," starring Ryan Guzman, Kathryn McCormick,and Peter Gallagher.
This wasn't a bad film at all for what kind of film it is. People have to understand that this is not a film that is going to win "Best film of the year award" and its not a movie that is dipped in a high degree of intricate.
With that said "Step Up: Revolution" picks up the movie dancing magic and keeps it flowing in its own unique way. There were things about this film that I simply loved. The Dancing was on point, like it usually is for these types of films, but the uniqueness in this movie made it grand. I'm not going to give away what is different, because I feel as though I would give the film away.
Solid film, solid plot, dancing was on point...so I'm giving this film a 7 out of 10. I really enjoyed watching this. I enjoyed it more than I though I would. If your into these kind of films you are going to love this one. Go to the theaters and see it (If your into these types of films)! The only knock I would have on the film is that the acting wasn't the best (I didn't expect it to be) and the plot was predictable. Besides that good film, hoped you enjoyed the review.
Prometheus (2012)
Not bad, but not great either
My next movie review is on the movie "Prometheus": starring Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, and Logan Marshall-Green. Honestly, this wasn't a bad film. You have to understand that this movie is a prequel to what is to come. With that in mind, you really can't say this is a bad film. I thought the execution is this film was great! In an introduction form, this film gives you a very good understanding as to what happen and how the aliens came about.
I also thought the technology is this film was awesome. It was just great to look at. This movie definitely reminds you of what is to come in the future and how advance things can be one day. I love when a movie shows off outstanding technology and this movie definitely did that. Just a reminder, there are some gross scenes in this movie that are not easy on the stomach so if you are a person that has stomach problems, you might want to watch this film at a certain time.
Now with all of that said, I'm giving this movie a 7 out of 10. Deep down I felt like this movie was okay at best and I wanted more action. This movie had plenty of opportunities to bring action into it and it didn't cease the moments. Overall, I even felt as thought the movie could have been done better. You don't have to go to the movies to see this film. This movie won't be in my DVD collection unless, the next movies in its series to come are so good that it wouldn't make since not to get this one. What for this one on Redbox!
Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)
Vintage Snow White, well sought of
Got a chance to check out the movie Snow White and The Huntsman, starring Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, and Charlize Theron. I've wanted to see this movie for a long time. In the simplest form, it just looked very interesting to me. What we have here is the classic Snow White story with a little twist.
Honestly, my thoughts about this movie are all over the place, but overall I liked this film. One of the things that I liked the most about this film was Charlize Theron's role as Queen Ravenna. I thought she did a great job acting wise. I really felt how awful and atrocious the queen was in this film. I felt like that was important. Some of the things they had her doing in the film were gross and gruesome, but appropriate for her character. It just added to the queen's wickedness. For a second I thought I was watching a Tim Burton movie.
I also enjoyed how they designed the places Snow White and the huntsman had to visit in their journey. The creativeness in the extra characters that were portrayed was excellent too. People have to understand that this Snow White film is a little different.
On the bad side, there were things about this movie that didn't make sense. I mean that in a sense of what was happening at certain parts and the story itself. There are things that happened in this film that made me say, "they couldn't have thought of something better than that." I also felt like there were certain parts and scenes that could have been taken out. Sometimes these directors have to know when to play the ace (spades). Kristen Stewart and Chris Hemsworth need to work on there acting skills a little bit more. I felt this way about Kristen Stewart in the "Twilight" series. I love seeing her in films, but she needs to step her acting up.
Now for "The Huntsman;" Here are some questions you ask yourself when you see a character this different but pivotal in this kind of a film. "What is his purpose?" "Does he fit in this film?" He's part was meaningful in my opinion. They really could have messed his character up, but his role made since. There are things about this movie that didn't make since, but the huntsman role in this film was fine.
In the climax of this film you have a woman versus a woman. I thought was great. The fate of the county rested on the heart of Snow White and the main boss that was in her way was an evil Queen. Usually, you see a man (whether on the good or bad side) being the deciding factor in the saving of a movie. It was nice to see something a little different. In the battle Snow White (Kristen Stewart) had one braided ponytail going right down the middle. When they showed a profile view of her fighting in the battle, I thought she looked really cool, awesome stuff!
When Queen Ravenna and Snow White fought in the final battle I thought it was excellent. It was a like a classic 90's movie battle. It reminded me of the final battle in the movie "The Last Dragon." (classic stuff)
In conclusion this was a good film. Just for the record, there aren't really any "great" action scenes. So if you're going to the see this film for the action, you might as well not go. I'm giving this film the rating of a 7.5 out of 10. I wouldn't rush to see this movie in the movie theater, but when you get it chance it worth seeing once. You could also wait for this to come out on DVD. I'm personal not going to purchase this on DVD, but if someone did I wouldn't blame them. Not saying its not DVD worthy, I just don't buy DVD's that I know I'm not going to watch.
Dark Shadows (2012)
Could have been better
Got a chance to check the movie "Dark Shadows," starring Johnny Deep, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Chloe Grace Moretz. When I first saw the trailer for this movie, I was under the impression that it was a comedy. I believe this film tried to get the best of both worlds, meaning funny and serious, but just didn't succeed.
When this film tried to be serious, there was so much corny entered into it before the seriousness of the movie arrived. It made it hard to take the movie seriously. When the film tried to be funny, it just wasn't really funny at all. There were very few parts of this movie that I felt were funny even a little bit and I'm not a hard person to make laugh. Maybe I'll watch it again one day and I'll say something different.
I'd say one of the bright spots of this film was that Johnny Deep was in it and he didn't do a bad acting job. It was also nice to see Michelle Pfeiffer in a movie again too. I thought it was nice to see Chloe Grace Mortez in another movie too. I've been a fan of hers ever since the movie "Kick Ass." Besides that I really didn't feel as thought there were any other good things about this film. Which is a shame because I heard that this was once a television show and the television show was pretty awesome.
With that said I'm giving this film a 6 out of 10. I'm not saying this is the worst film that I've ever seen, but I can't give this movie a rating of anything higher than a six. I believe this film is still out in the movie theater, but don't see it. I'm not getting this film on DVD. If you're curious about the movie feel free to get it on Redbox for a "dollar" or wait for it to come on Netflix/TV. It's at least worth that.
The Raven (2012)
Detective Poetry
This review is on the movie "The Raven," starring John Cusack, Luke Evans, and Alice Eve. When I saw the previews for this film I was automatically hook. I haven't read any of Edgar Allan Poe's novels, but I have heard a lot of great things about them. The previews made the movie look real catchy with a writer (Edgar Allan Poe) going after a murderer that is mimicking his novels. Looked like a descent film and I was excited to see it.
This film is about a writer (Edgar Allan Poe) who has an admirer. The problem with this admirer is that this admirer is willing to bring the deaths in Edgar Allan Poe's novels to life. In the mist of this the murder starts to play a game and challenges Edgar Allan Poe in a battle of wits. To make sure he plays the game, the murderer takes something very valuable to Poe.
I thought this was a very good film. "The Raven" picks up the mystery/thriller ball and doesn't get any scratches on it. I love the way John Cusack character was. I love his passion for his writing and how he felt nothing anyone else was going was better than what he was writing. I also like how just about everything Poe said was dipped in poetic form. The screen writing was simply brilliant in this movie. The ending wasn't typical either. I liked that about this movie. There's nothing like a movie you can't predict. This movie was gruesome though. If your stomach doesn't do well with gruesomeness, you might want to sit this one out. This isn't a difficult movie to follow, but you have to pay attention though. You may have to see the movie two or three times to fully understand how Poe and Fields (detective in movie) figure out the murderers scheme.
Overall, I felt like this was a pretty descent film and I'm giving this film an 8.5 out of 10. You have my blessing to see this film in the movie theaters. I will purchase this movie on DVD.
Safe (2012)
Not Bad
The next movie I'm reviewing is called "Safe," and it stars Jason Statham, Catherine Chan, and Reggie Lee (Prison Break). When I first saw the previews for this movie I saw Jason Statham fighting and automatic I said to myself; "I have to see this movie." It was just that simple.
This film is about a girl with a phenomenal gift. This gift she possess is so grand that the Triads and the Russians are doing anything they can to get their hands on her. A man by the name of Luke Wright notices that she is in trouble and he does whatever he can to keep her safe.
I really enjoyed watching this film. This is an action film that has a solid plot and has solid execution. Technically, this isn't a plot that we haven't seen before, but in its own way it has things about it that is different. The fight scenes were very good. Even though at times, the fight scenes were in super fast mode. The fight scenes weren't too fast that it was totally difficult to kept up with them. You have to watch carefully though, so you won't miss good parts of the fight scenes. If your a person that likes a lot of killing/shooting in a movie. Your gonna love this movie. There's a lot of killing/shooting in this film. If your not a fan of a lot of killing/shooting, you might not want to see this movie. Overall, its a pretty descent "action" film though.
There are some things that could have been done differently. There was too many subtitles in the movie for me and some of the subtitles went away too fast. I'm not the fastest reader in the world, but I know its going to be very difficult to be able to read all of those subtitles in this film on the first try. You could miss some vital parts to this movie, due to the fact that the subtitles are leaving too quickly. I also felt like the subtitles wasn't needed for this film. (just my opinion) Don't worry too much, the subtitles are not going on though out the whole film, but they do appear a good portion of it. I also felt like they could have slowed down a little on the fight scenes. It was just a little too difficult to tell what was going on (fight wise) at some points and I know they can make it so that its a little easier to see the fight scenes play by play. Besides them two points I just made it was a very good "action" film.
If your a fan of Jason Statham movies or you want to see a descent action film I will say it is worth it to pay the money to see this film in the movie theater. For the most part I enjoyed it and I'm giving this movie a 8 out of 10. Hope you enjoyed my thoughts on the movie.
Assassination Games (2011)
I liked
"Assassination Games" is the movie I'm reviewing in this movie review. This movie stars Jean- Claude Van Damme and Scott Adkins. This movie came out in 2011. I believe it was some time in the last quarter of 2011. I happen to watch this movie on Netflix. I don't think this movie came out in the movie theater. When I saw the previews for it and saw that Van Damme was in the movie I was eager to see it. Judging from the previews it looked like the makings of a descent film.
This movie is about two of the world's greatest assassins that don't know each other, but work together to achieve both of their personal goals.
This was very good film to me. This film had a good plot. This film had a good story and the execution was on point with the film. The action was good and it was enough to fit this type of film. I felt like that was important. Lots of movies that are consider action movies have a problem with not putting enough or the right amount of action in the film. This film doesn't have that problem. The fight scenes were very good and believable. There's this one scene in the movie were the assassins are trying to kill the same guy and they bump heads. (didn't know each other at time) I thought that was pretty cool. Their mistakes on both of their behalf's were do to the fact that they were both excellent at what they did. You have to keep in mind (while watching the film) that this is an "assassination movie," not transformers. All in all, this was a descent film.
A can't really say anything bad about this film. Don't expect Oscars acting performances either. As a fan of Van Damme, it was nice to see him in a movie again.
My final rating for this film is going to be an 8 out of 10. Solid film, very good execution and is well deserving of it high score. If you have a couple of hours to burn and you like these kinds of movies, you have blessing to see this one. You won't be disappointed. Currently, this film is on Netflix, so watch it on there of course, but if I see this film in the movie store for fewer than ten dollars. I'm going to purchase it.
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2011)
Nice try, buy no!
The movie I am now reviewing is called, "Ghost Rider 2: Spirit of Vengeance," and its starring Nicolas Cage, Johnny Whitworth (played in "Limitless"), and Idris Elba. This movie came out on February 17, 2012. I actually got the chance to watch this movie in the movie theater. Honestly, I thought the first Ghost Rider movie wasn't bad. Even though a lot of people I talked to really didn't like it. When I saw the previews for this film (Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance). I was thinking to myself, "I have to see this." I thought the first one wasn't bad and it looked like the second coming of the Ghost Rider series was going to be even better.
This movie is about a dare devil named Johnny Blaze. Johnny Blaze has made a deal with the Devil, and he is trying to figure out how he can save humanity from the Devil and not kill everyone in the process as he does it.
To break this movie down and come up with a couple sentences or a paragraph to describe it was way more difficult for me then it was suppose to be. This movie is a mess! There were just too many things going on that had me confused. I, to a strong degree, almost didn't understand the plot to the movie. Granted I wasn't a big fan of Ghost Rider comics, there may be something's that I need to understand about the Ghost Rider. I don't think all the understanding in the world could have this film. There isn't a "we are the world" song we could sing to save this film. This could have been a movie that could have had a basic plot and my have been successful. This movie needed more action! People want to see what the Ghost Rider can do. There were very little action scenes and the one that they gave us wasn't really that great. There's moments in this movie were I'm still trying to figure out what is going on. Then they threw a kid in the mix. Not a good idea to me. Unfortunately, what ended up happening (that I saw coming) was the kid was getting to much attention in the movie. I think I could have come up with a plot better than this and I didn't even read Ghost Rider comics as a kid. It simply sucked and it even sucks more that Nicolas Cage had to be apart of this awfulness.
Some things that I did like about the movie (besides the previews) were there were some cool scenes in the movie. Seeing Ghost rider on fire and a chain rapidly coming out of his mouth was awesome. There was one scene in the movie that I liked and thought was funny. It was the scene when Johnny Blaze was trying to get some guy in the hospital to corporate. Being though he was Johnny Blaze just started going crazy and transforming back and forth between Ghost Rider and himself. I also thought some of the camera views were nice. You could tell the director put a lot of work into that.
My final rating for this movie is going to be a 4 out of 10. This is an extremely low rating for me. Its very rare I rate movies this low. That should tell you something right there. Don't see this movie on anything. If your super curious or a big Ghost Rider fan than you have my blessing to catch this on Netflix, or borrow it from one of your friends. That's if your friends collect enough nerve to purchase it.
Wrath of the Titans (2012)
Wrath incomplete
This movie review is on the movie: "Wrath of The Titans," starring Sam Worthington(Perseus), Liam Neeson(Zeus), and Ralph Fiennes(Hades). This movie came out on March 30, 2012. I actually was able to watch this movie in the movie theater. When I saw the previews to this movie I was a little skeptical. I was skeptical because the first movie of its kind ("Clash of The Titans 2010") also looked great when it came to the previews, but it ended up being a little disappointing (my opinion). The previews to "Wrath of The Titans" look great! Despite my doubts due to the first of it kind, I still decided to give this movie a honest fair shot to be great and rated fairly.
To my misfortune, this movie ended up basically giving me the same feeling the first of its kind gave me. This movie was a little confusing to me. I thought they could have done a better job of clearing up what was going on in the movie. At times I wasn't even sure who Perseus was fighting. I'm not a genius, but this movie shouldn't have been to complicated for me to figure out. There were times were I just wasn't sure what exactly was going on. I also felt like the story/plot could have been better. After I read the description of the movie, I was finally able to piece everything together. I felt like I shouldn't have had to do that to know what was going on in this type of movie. Usually, when there is a second coming of a movie that involves action like this series, there is more action in the second movie. I look for that. I felt as though the action level was pretty much on the same level as the first movie (Clash of The Titans). I wanted more action. When that big lava creature came out at the climax of the movie, I was just praying it wasn't going to go down as easy as the "Kraken" did. My prayers was answered....but only just a little. This big lava creature lasted about five seconds longer than the Kraken. What's the point of having a creature that huge if its not going to last long?? I also thought the acting was average at best. This movie was a subpar action/fantasy movie all the way around to me.
There were some things that I did like about the movie. I thought some of the action scene that we received wasn't too bad. I really like the creatures in the film. I thought the creatures were pretty cool! The big one eyed monster that was in the forest was interesting to look at and two headed beast seemed like a creative monster to be induced in the movie series. The two head monster (Chrimera) had a horn on one of its heads, wings, and an incredibly long, for no reason tail and it was cool!
Overall, I'm not going to say it was the most horrible action/fantasy movie I've seen, but wasn't good enough to get pass a 6 on my radar. I'm giving this movie a 6 out of 10. I wouldn't see this movie in the movie theater. Its still in the movie theater and I'm telling you not to see it! I wouldn't buy this on DVD unless you are a huge fan of the series. I would say its worth a shot to see this when it comes out on Netflix if you have Netflix. If you have Netflix, wait for it to come out on Netflix. If you don't have it on Netflix and your really curious to see for yourself if it was good or not, wait for it to come out on Redbox for a dollar.
21 Jump Street (2012)
Funny as expected
Checked out the movie "21 Jump Street," starring Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, and Ice Cube. This movie is about two guys that were not cool with each other in high school, but ended up being best friends, as they got older though helping each other become cops. When they became cops they ended up having to team up to stop a high school drug lord from selling illegal drugs to students within the school.
Yes, this movie is as funny as you expect it to be. I will admit that I was scared that the only funny parts would have been the parts we seen in the previews, but that wasn't the case in this film. Just about everyone that participated in this movie gave you something to laugh about. This movie was funny pretty much the whole way though. You could tell they had a great time filming this movie. This movie wasn't just funny, it also has an enjoyable plot that wasn't over the top. The plot fit very well and the extra character in this movie made sense. This movie is a "great time" for a hour and a half.
Even Channing Tatum was funny. I point him out specifically because it was a little hard for me to see him playing a funny role in a film. Being though in other movies he usually played a more serious role. Besides that, look at him. He doesn't quite strike you as the person that is going to make you laugh. All in all, he has some parts that were pretty funny.
Overall, I felt like this was a movie that was meant to be funny. I felt as though this was a movie that you wanted to escape life for a hour and a half and just laugh as much as you could, and this movie provides that. This movie has good laughs, good plot, and its a good movie! I give the movie the rating of 8 out of 10.
John Carter (2012)
Different
Got a chance to check out the movie "John Carter," starring Taylor Kitsch (John Carter), Lynn Collins, and Mark Strong. This movie is about a Civil War veteran that is in the middle of saving two lives, (one of those lives includes himself) and some how gets warped to another planets. On this planet he discovers different life forms and life forms that are similar to him. He ends up in the middle of another war and falls in love with a princess.
I have quite a few things I could say about this movie. For one there were parts that were a little confusing to me. The movie felt a little rushed and incomplete at times. I also felt as though some of the enemies in the movie that seemed to be a formidable challenged died to quickly. I felt as though I could defeat them. I also wanted more action. Looking at the preview it felt like a nice action packed movie. There was action of course, but not enough for me. John Carter is going into different worlds and interfering in different life form's wars. I expected a little more on the action tip.
With that said, it wasn't a horrible movie. I've seen movies that were way worse! One of the things that I did like about this film were that it is different. It has it things that are different about it. There was a few Sherlock Holmes "like" parts to the movie that I kind of enjoyed. There were also parts that felt Star Wars "like." That was also enjoyable to have moments that reminded you of Star Wars. There were some things I thought were cool about the movie too. There was blue blood in the movie. I thought it was interesting. Being though they were on Mars, maybe if there were life forms on that planet they would bleed blue...I thought the alien dog in the movie was cool. The other planet in the setting of the movie being "Mars" was pretty cool to me too. Last put not least this movie also had its funny parts.
Overall, I'm going to give this movie a 7 out of 10. This movie just wasn't good enough for me to rate it an 8. In the second paragraph of my review I break downs something's about the movie and off of that break down I can't give this movie past a 7 rating. If you gave this movie less than a seven I would understand. This is going to sound a little crazy, but I would still say this is a solid movie to see in the movie theater. This is not a movie I'm going to rush to buy on DVD though, and if you want to wait and catch it on Redbox or Netflix, you have my blessing. If you really are eager to see this movie, see it! If not, catch it on Netflix or Redbox. If I caught it in the movie store for $10.00 or less, I would buy it.
In Time (2011)
Nice Concept
Checked out the movie "In Time," starring Justin Timberlake, Cillian Murphy, and Amanda Seyfried. This movie is about time actually being the currency of a world instead of money being the currency of a world. Two people are doing whatever they can to save time and save as many people as possible from the dominating wealthy people who want all the time in the for themselves. A very interesting concept to me!
I really love the concept of this film. I feel like it was simply nice to see something other than money be the motivational key to why someone is rich or poor. This movie is a solid action thriller. The fight scenes are done pretty well. That is always nice to witness in a action movie. There's just something about this movie that I really like, but I can't quite put my finger on it. I thought Justin Timberlake did a very good acting job. I can tell that he'll be in more films and I look forward to that. I also feel like this movie hit all cylinders. I felt like there was nothing missing.
I give this film a 8 out of 10. This was a solid film that I think everyone should give a try at least once. I plan on getting it on DVD one day, but its definitely worth a Redbox or Netflix's purchase!
Safe House (2012)
No Safety Net
Got a chance to check out the movie "Safe House," starring Denzel Washington(Training Day), Ryan Reynolds(The Green Lantern), and Vera Farmiga(Up In The Air). This movie is about two guys that have some kind of ties to the CIA. Its a crazy tornado were no one is safe and anything can happen.
Overall, I think this was a very good movie! This movie is suspenseful, awesomely surprising...a keep you on edge tornado that doesn't end politely. This movie has a way of gripping your attention though out most of the movie. It's unpredictable, and I love unpredictable movies! There's parts of this movie that you simply can't guess. The plot my take a little time to figure out for some, but its not to the point were your in the dark for too long. Daniel Espinosa(director) did a great job of making a very good "theatrical" movie. I was also impressed with some of the screen writing in this movie. Denzel delivers another great acting job that reminds you why Denzel is so great. Ryan Reynolds did a good job of acting as well.
If there was a down side to this movie, it was that there was moments were the towel wasn't damp. What I mean by that is that, there was moments that were a little dull. It was also hard to tell what was "exactly" going on in some of the fight scenes, even though overall, the fight scenes were pretty good.
Good acting...good plot...good action...good movie. I'm giving this movie a 9 out of 10!
Chronicle (2012)
Excellente
Checked out the movie "Chronicle," starring Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell, and Michael B. Jordan(The Wire). My first thoughts on this film are that it would be interesting and cool. I was just hoping the movie wouldn't be too cliché. These are kind of my type of movies so I was more than happy to give it a shot.
This movie was a breath of fresh air! It was cool, fun, funny, and the plot was original. The plot of this movie is not predictable, which is a great thing, but the story does have some things that we as movie fans are familiar with. I liked this movie a whole lot! I think this was a flat out great film! I felt like they did a great job in picking Andrew(Dane DeHaan). When the viewers are watching any antagonist, the antagonist has to give you a certain amount of ruthlessness that makes you feel the character in a unique way and Dane DeHaan does a great job of that playing Andrew. I felt like Andrew's character was pivotal in this film.I also like how real it felt. Even though there are clearly fictional things going on in this movie, this film still gave you a real feel that you can't deny.
I'm giving this movie a 9 out of 10! I feel like this was a great film and a film that was needed in its genre. This movie has a very good acting, very good plot, and excellent execution! If your into these kinds of movies and you get a chance, definitely see this film! I'm definitely buying this movie on DVD!
Abduction (2011)
Nice try...
Checked out the movie "Abduction," starring Taylor Lautner(Twilight), Lily Collins, and Alfred Molina(Spiderman 2). At first sight, I honestly thought it was going to be a good movie. It looked like it had potential and I felt like it was a good time to break out Taylor Lautner, beings though the end to the "Twilight Saga" is near.
I'm not sure were to start with this movie. There are so many things wrong, awkward, or just plain mind boggling that I'm just not quite sure were to begin. For one, there wasn't a whole lot of "good" action in this film. The action scenes made me feel like Taylor Lautner didn't do enough or he didn't do enough personal training. Some action parts of this movie just make you shake your head. Then he(Taylor Lautner) needs to work on his acting. There were just some parts were he made you feel like he could have just simply done better. This movie feels like it was a little rushed. The plot wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. The plot definitely could have used some work. Even the sub plot is suspect. I know they could have thought of a better way for the two love birds to link up in this movie. I'm a little surprised this movie came to theater.
I'm giving this movie a 5 out of 10. You don't need to see this movie. You don't need to Redbox; buy it on DVD, or Netflix this movie. Hopefully, Taylor's next movie is a better one!
Contagion (2011)
plain bagel
My next review is on the movie "Contagion," starring Laurence Fishburne, Matt Damon, and Jude Law. My first thoughts, when I saw the preview for this movie was...it looked like your typical thriller/drama about a disease that has figured out how to attack humans and they have to figure out how to solve the problem.
This movie is as typical as I thought it would be. Granted it is good to come out with movies like this every now and then, this one is just as typical as any other movie of its kind. Your pretty much are going to know what is going to happen as you watch the film. They throw a little relationship drama in the mix, but I felt like it wasn't needed. It was a descent sub plot, but it didn't have nothing to do with the movie as a whole. I felt like it was unnecessary drama.
If you are a big fan of these kinds of movies, than by all means buy it on DVD. If not, you don't need to see this. I'm giving this movie a 7 out of 10. I'm giving this movie seven points because with the exception of one sub plot the movie was consistent. What you see is what you get with this movie. If your real curious, feel free to Redbox it. I'd say its worth a Redbox copy, if your curious.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
questionable camouflage
Checked out the movie "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo," starring Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, and Christopher Plummer. When I first saw the previews with this movie I was very intrigued! I was like thinking to myself, "what is going on in this movie?" There's a cool looking girl with wild hair and tattoos all over the place. Plus the title of the movie is "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo." I thought it was one of the most intriguing movie titles I had ever heard. It just made me wonder. Then I remember looking at other titles like "The Girl That Kicked The Hornet's Nest" and "The Girl That Plays With Fire," and I was thinking, "is this a trilogy or something?" Then I find out its an international best selling trilogy novel! Even though I didn't see the other movies and I didn't read the novel I just had to look at this movie. It was wearing on me. I just had to know what all the excitement was about.
Now that that is out of the way, I honestly felt like the movie was okay. I didn't feel like it was one of the best films of the year and I felt a little confused...and empty. As far as twist goes this movie was kind of like dangling a carrot in front of a rabbit, but not quite letting the rabbit have the carrot. When it seemed like it was time for the rabbit to have the carrot, the carrot was still not delivered to him. Then what I felt like was an awesome climax was even a climax. There was still more to the story that wasn't bad, but they could have let Henrik be the one to give Mikael the evidence for the Wennerstrom case. I felt like there wasn't a need to show how Lisbeth got the evidence and eventually got him killed due to financial swapping. I understand she loved him and love will make you do some crazy things but he warned her and I thought the movie was suppose to be about solving a case that deal with a woman that was missing for 40 years.
Then the sub plot...I'm just going to call it Lisbeth versus Nils was questionable. I say questionable as far as, should this have even been in the movie. Its not about the gruesomeness of it at all, I just felt like there could have been a different sub plot of a different way to show that Lisbeth just has bad luck with things...
Okay, it is also important to keep in mind that there is a lot of dialogue in this movie. So there are going to be moments were you might get a little bored, but at the same time you have to pay attention to understand the little details and clues that are giving to you though out the film. Its also important to know that there are going to be some parts of this film that are going to be hard for the eye to see. There are some disturbing parts and gruesome parts in this film! So if you're not a fan of that, you might not want to watch this film. I say that because I know there are people that do not like to watch stuff like that.
I tell you what I do like about this film. I did like character Lisbeth(main female character) in this film. She was sharp, smart, different, cool looking, and interesting to watch though out the whole film. I will say it was interesting to see how she handles things and what her response would be to certain things that happened in the movie. I also like the fact that she got some revenge and you will know what I'm talking about once you watch the film. I also enjoyed the different feel of the movie too. This movie felt different for reasons I can't quite explain, but enjoyed.
I'm giving this film a 6.5 out of 10. This film is overrated to me, too much hype. There's no real twist in the movie. Plus I felt like there were things that could have been done different and things that didn't need to be in this film. I love different just like the rest of the world, but when you put in it movie form, the movie has to gel and be delivered properly.