Movie Review: Lucy

Lucy (2014)


A woman, accidentally caught in a dark deal, turns the tables on her captors and transforms into a merciless warrior evolved beyond human logic.  Short synopsis of Lucy taken from IMDb.com  

The review: The same day I watched Gone Girl was the same day I watched Lucy.  In truth, Lucy was the object of my rental money on that day, when I stopped at the Redbox and saw it was available.  My wife had remarked before it released in the box office that she thought it looked good, but was both uncertain about watching an "R" rated film and also wasn't sure she wanted to spend big theater bucks to go see it.  She's the better of the two of us in regards to adult-type fare, on the norm.  There are exceptions (see my review of We're the Millers as an example).

Movie Review: Gone Girl

Gone Girl (2014)


With his wife's disappearance having become the focus of an intense media circus, a man sees the spotlight turned on him when it's suspected that he may not be innocent.    Short synopsis of Gone Girl taken from IMDb.com   

The review:  I saw the trailer for this one when I went to the cheap seats to see Fury, and thought "Hmmm...  That looks mildly interesting."  So when I stopped by the Redbox on my way home from work on a Saturday afternoon, and they flashed that, "Wait, you can get another rental today for only fifty cents more"-bit, I decided to try it.  When I started to watch the film, I noted the part at the beginning where the content rating info is shown, and the list of reasons why it was rated that way.  I hadn't placed the film as being an "R" rating when I got it from the box, and I thought to myself, "Oh my."  We've got strong sexual stuff, nudity, language and graphic violence. 

Dual Review: The Host (book and movie)

Dual Review: The Host: A Novel, by Stephanie Meyer

Source: Amazon.com

First off, I'll cover The Host in novel form, and then move to the movie.

From the book’s cover:

Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of human hosts while leaving their bodies intact. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, didn't expect to find its former tenant refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

As Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of Jared, a human who still lives in hiding, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she's never met. Reluctant allies, Wanderer and Melanie set off to search for the man they both love.

Featuring one of the most unusual love triangles in literature, THE HOST is a riveting and unforgettable novel about the persistence of love and the essence of what it means to be human.

Movie Review: We're the Millers

We're the Millers (2013)



A veteran pot dealer creates a fake family as part of his plan to move a huge shipment of weed into the U.S. from Mexico.  Short synopsis of We're the Millers taken from IMDb.com

My wife commented halfway through this that there were parts of We're the Millers that were painful to watch (she despises scenes in shows/films in which people act asinine or ridiculously cliche), but the rest of it was so funny that she was enjoying it.  I think that is a pretty decent summation of We're the Millers.  Parts of the film are ridiculous, but other parts are so genuinely comedic that they near make up the difference.

Movie Review: The Wolverine

The Wolverine (2013)

When Wolverine is summoned to Japan by an old acquaintance, he is embroiled in a conflict that forces him to confront his own demons.  Short synopsis of The Wolverine taken from IMDb.com

You know, I actually didn't hate this movie.  I thought I would at the most take pity on it, but no.  I thought the juxtaposition of martial arts Asian film with the mutants of X-Men would be a weird mix, but The Wolverine actually didn't come off too bad here.  Sure, it was predictable.  When the little red-headed future-seeing Japanese girl (Logan's bodyguard, she styled herself) said that she hadn't foreseen the old man's death, it was obvious he was gonna end up being a bad guy.  Had he not been?  Now THAT would have been a surprise, and a really decent red-herring.  But then it didn't come off as too much of a "oh please" moment when he was revealed, so it turned out OK.