Movie Review: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part I

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 (2014)


When Katniss destroys the games, she goes to District 13 after District 12 is destroyed. She meets President Coin who convinces her to be the symbol of rebellion, while trying to save Peeta from the Capitol.  Short synopsis of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 taken from IMDb.com

Whoa.  Shakey cam attacks again! 

This review will be slightly longer than my short piece on Catching Fire.  The question, of course, is: Did I think Mockingjay was worth the price of regular theater ticket admission?  Of course that is usually the question, or some iteration of it.  Was the film worth the dough shelled out?  Piggy-backed on this review would be the question: "Was it as good as Catching Fire?"  Stay tuned, and I'll tell you my thoughts on both those, soon enough.

This time I'm going with the good up front.  I thought Mockingjay's filmmakers did a good job of keeping to the source material.  Actually, I am cheating here, as I don't recall much from the third Hunger Games book, having read it years ago.  But my wife, whose memory is better for such things than mine, said it was.  And I'd believe her.  After all, if you think this reviewer reads/watches a lot of material, you should see what his wife goes through.  If I could just get her to jot down a few notes on some of the things she reads and watches...  well, I've tried, and got stone-walled.  So that's a big NO.

Movie Review: X-Men: Days of Future Past

X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)


The X-Men send Wolverine to the past in a desperate effort to change history and prevent an event that results in doom for both humans and mutants.  Short synopsis of X-Men: Days of Future Past taken from IMDb.com

"Days of Future Past."  What a clever title.  Wish I'd thought of it.

I am, as is so very often the case, of two minds on this film.  Yes, I am often of two minds on a lot of things I review.  Ironic too, as the mind is a major plot point of Future Past.  Specifically, Wolverine's mind is used as the conduit to go back in time to a pivotal moment to stop a lone assassin from killing a key military-industrial complex leader, who, due to his death at her hands, sparks an arms build-up of weapons called "Sentinels" that can hunt mutants and, using the power of the mutant who was the assassin in question (the blue-skinned Mystique, played aptly by Jennifer Lawrence), change themselves into whatever they need to in order to kill off all those of non-standard bloodline.  It's a cool premise in many ways.  If you followed my description, that is.

Movie Review: As Above, So Below

As Above, So Below (2014)


When a team of explorers ventures into the catacombs that lie beneath the streets of Paris, they uncover the dark secret that lies within this city of the dead.  Short synopsis of As Above, So Below taken from IMDb.com

So the first fifteen minutes or so, I was wondering if Perdita Weeks’ right shoulder was going to play a prominent role throughout the whole film. She wears stuff that is consistently showing her right shoulder. A sweater, a shirt… Anyway, it was funny.

Movie Review: Edge of Tomorrow

Edge of Tomorrow (2014)


A military officer is brought into an alien war against an extraterrestrial enemy who can reset the day and know the future. When this officer is enabled with the same power, he teams up with a Special Forces warrior to try and end the war.  Short synopsis of Edge of Tomorrow taken from IMDb.com   

"Edge of Tomorrow."  What, you couldn't come up with a title that didn't sound any more like a soap opera series?  Like maybe "Groundhog Day 2: Edgier Tomorrow"?

As for the film itself, I thought it was an interesting take on the alien invasion theme.  It was actually pretty cliche until the whole "aliens can manipulate time and that is how they plan to win the war against us"-bit.  That was very clever, I thought.

Movie Review: Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Captain America - The Winter Soldier  (2014)


Steve Rogers struggles to embrace his role in the modern world and battles a new threat from old history: the Soviet agent known as the Winter Soldier.  Short synopsis of Captain America: The Winter Soldier taken from IMDb.com   

So.... can we have a superhero movie where the subtitle is a bit more abstruse? I mean, here I was hoping that maybe the titular “Winter Soldier” was some Cold War metaphor or something that made the viewer think. No, it’s the film’s bad guy. Or at least one of the film’s multitude of bad guys, that is.

Movie Review: The Other Woman

The Other Woman (2014)


After discovering her boyfriend is married, Carly soon meets the wife he's been betraying. And when yet another love affair is discovered, all three women team up to plot revenge on the three-timing S.O.B.  Short synopsis of The Other Woman taken from IMDb.com  

My wife rented this one and we watched it together late one evening.  The Other Woman was amusing as a premise, but the execution was a bit flatter than I had expected from the movie trailer. The cheating husband villain character was so one-dimensional as to be almost a caricature of what this sort of guy should be, I thought.

Movie Review: Transformers: Age of Extinction

Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)


Autobots must escape sight from a bounty hunter who takes control of the human serendipity: Unexpectedly, Optimus Prime and his remaining gang turn to a mechanic and his daughter for help.  Short synopsis of Transformers: Age of Extinction taken from IMDb.com  

I will attempt to avoid berating this film simply because it is a stereotypical Michael Bay film. That said, this movie was long, sometimes incomprehensible, and full of action sequences that didn't do much for me. And I mean that in the sincerest possible way.

Movie Review: The Amazing Spiderman 2

It's an all-video clip review!  No simple still images here, kids.

The Amazing Spiderman 2 (2014)


When New York is put under siege by Oscorp, it is up to Spider-Man to save the city he swore to protect as well as his loved ones.  Short synopsis of The Amazing Spiderman 2 taken from IMDb.com  

Won’t write much in the way of review for this one.  Amazing Spiderman 2 was fairly standard stuff, and ultimately somewhat forgettable. Jamie Foxx as Electrode was… well, the performance I’m sure was as good as he could manage, but the character himself annoyed me. The whole reasons to flip his emotions and go from loving to hating Spiderman seemed a bit forced.  And the way the character utilized his super power was dumb too. We have a big set-piece battle at the end involving Electrode and Spiderman that Electrode obviously didn’t want to win. I don’t care how super-spiffy Spiderman is, electricity moves faster than spiders, or even spider-enhanced men!

Movie Review: Divergent

Divergent (2014)


In a world divided by factions based on virtues, Tris learns she's Divergent and won't fit in. When she discovers a plot to destroy Divergents, Tris and the mysterious Four must find out what makes Divergents dangerous before it's too late.  Short synopsis of Divergent taken from IMDb.com

I actually liked this movie. I said I wouldn’t watch it. After all, we have another boy and girl in post-semi-apocalypse-like harm’s way and they eventually discover that they are just perfect for each other. Oh please. But Divergent's story actually kept my interested.

Movie Review: Dredd

Dredd (2012)

In a violent, futuristic city where the police have the authority to act as judge, jury and executioner, a cop teams with a trainee to take down a gang that deals the reality-altering drug, SLO-MO. Short synopsis of Dredd taken from IMDb.com  

Surprisingly enough, Dredd has a rating of 7.1 on IMDb.com (when I checked it fro this review, that is).  Just goes to show that there are people out there who will say nice things about anything.

I'll get the name-associated pun out of the way right off the bat and say that this film wasn't entirely Dredd-ful, but it wasn't that great for me.  Nothing I'd watch again.  In fact, let's spoil the ending of this review and admit that I fell asleep before it ended.  Not because the film was boring, though it could be considered that; after the non-stop uber-violence and predictability wore through my already tired senses (I watched it at 2 AM on a Saturday night/Sunday morning) and stopped having any real meaning.  No, it just didn't do anything for me personally.

Movie Review: Ender's Game

Ender's Game (2013)

Young Ender Wiggin is recruited by the International Military to lead the fight against the Formics, a genocidal alien race which nearly annihilated the human race in a previous invasion.  Short synopsis of Ender's Game taken from IMDb.com  

My reviews lately are pretty short.  Much of that probably has to do with the fact that I write them, but have not polished and uploaded to the blog in quite some time.  I ask myself, why do I still write?  But for whatever reason, I still do.

Movie Review: Gravity

Gravity (2013)

A medical engineer and an astronaut work together to survive after an accident leaves them adrift in space.  Short synopsis of Gravity taken from IMDb.com. 

Well call me crazy, but I liked it.  The plot of Gravity was interesting, the special effects were mind-blowing in places (well most of the film is one big special effect - I kept wondering if some of the zero G stuff was done on what is semi-affectionately known as the "Vomit Comet," i.e.: the big cargo aircraft that goes way up and then drops toward earth in roller coaster maneuvers, inducing weightlessness for its passengers, so as to prepare them for the real deal when they leave Earth's... well, gravity).  Yes, there were some silly parts, such as the lack of enough clothing on Sandra Bullock when she gets out of her spacesuit while on board the ISS.  And the fact that space structures and vehicles are not armored enough to withstand some of the pelting from space debris that they are shown doing in this film.  And the sheer luck of hitting water in a re-entry capsule with no pre-planned window (water landings being a necessity for capsule-type orbital re-entry vehicles).

Movie Review: Iron Man 3

Iron Man 3 (2013)

When Tony Stark's world is torn apart by a formidable terrorist called the Mandarin, he starts an odyssey of rebuilding and retribution.  Short synopsis of Iron Man 3 taken from IMDb.com

A micro review, of sorts.  Really I mention Iron Man 3 only because I try to make note of films I have seen that deserve a review.  Of course, by the time I do post this, it will probably be out on video for some while.  I saw it in the cheap seats myself, and that after it had been there a few weeks.

Movie Review: Looper

Looper (2012)

In 2074, when the mob wants to get rid of someone, the target is sent 30 years into the past, where a hired gun awaits. Someone like Joe, who one day learns the mob wants to 'close the loop' by transporting back Joe's future self.  Short synopsis of Looper from IMDb.com 

I liked Looper, for the most part.  The idea of not instantly teaming up with your future self is interesting.  Our hero actually is consistently trying to kill his future self throughout the movie, which was rather unique to see.  But both of their motivations were well spelled out.  The younger version especially - though he doesn't know it at the time - has his reasons.  The crime boss grabs the guy's friend who fails to "close his loop," and starts carving him up.  Just enough so that his older self is debilitated bit by bit, and still isn't killed, so all the work he's done won't be undone.  This doesn't make sense, as killing the kid would kill the older version, since all the post loop-close work was done when this guy (Seth) meets his own self and fails to kill him.  But the idea is interesting, i.e.: what happens to your past self affects your future self instantly, by changing the linear flow of the space-time continuum.  Speaking of the space-time continuum, now I feel like watching Star Trek TNG.  And if I haven't confused you already by my remarks, then please, by all means, continue to read the review.

Movie Review: Maleficent

Maleficent (2014)

 A vengeful fairy is driven to curse an infant princess, only to discover that the child may be the one person who can restore peace to their troubled land. Short synopsis of Maleficent taken from IMDb.com

As is so very often the case, I am of two minds on Maleficent.  On the one hand...  well, do I have to say it?  Why did Disney have to go and take a really wickedly evil villain and make her a "misunderstood soul"?  Take the portrayal of Maleficent in the original 1950s Disney version of Sleeping Beauty.  That line at the end; her last speaking line other than "ouwwwwwww!!!" (her real final line being a death scream, after ole' princey-butt throws his sword into her guts and she dragon-flops to her death)  They go like this: "Now you shall deal with me, oh prince.  And all the powers of hell!"  There is no ambiguity in that.  This chic is all business.  And her business is evil.

Movie Review: Man of Steel

Man of Steel (2013)

A young itinerant worker is forced to confront his secret extrastellar origin when Earth is invaded by members of his own race.  Short synopsis of Man of Steeltaken from IMDb.com

Man of Steel...  I was not impressed.  In fact, in keeping with my short reviews of late, I'll keep this one tight and say that all the bad things I heard about Man of Steel were true.  Yes, I listened to the negative press on it, which you shouldn't do if you want to give a fair review, but I thought, "maybe they're off base, or maybe I will disagree."  I did not.

Movie Review: Now You See Me

Now You See Me (2013)

An FBI agent and an Interpol detective track a team of illusionists who pull off bank heists during their performances and reward their audiences with the money.  Short synopsis of Now You See Me taken from IMDb.com

Now You See Me's content was quite exciting, but the problem was that I kept watching to see what the trick was.  I saw some things coming, but not the actual end.  I actually thought the French Interpol gal might be in on the magic act/big time theft, but no (sorry to blow that surprise).  And I think I see why people like French accents; her accent was quite fetching.  Rowrr!

Movie Review: Pacific Rim

Pacific Rim (2013)

As a war between humankind and monstrous sea creatures wages on, a former pilot and a trainee are paired up to drive a seemingly obsolete special weapon in a desperate effort to save the world from the apocalypse.  Short synopsis of Pacific Rim taken from IMDb.com

First off, the things I liked.  I liked that Pacific Rim didn't seem to star any regular big name faces (or at least any I know, that is).  The change of face was nice, given most films can't stand without one big name on the billboard.  And I liked the basic idea of aliens coming through an interstellar gateway deep under the ocean.  I especially liked that the plot wasn't heavily American-centric.  There were Russians (of course I'd like that), Chinese, Japanese, Aussies, etc...  I also enjoyed the basic premises of alien monsters having to be taken down after great effort, and the fact that the world pooled its efforts together in order to fight said aliens.

Movie Review: Pompeii

Pompeii (2014)

A slave-turned-gladiator finds himself in a race against time to save his true love, who has been betrothed to a corrupt Roman Senator. As Mount Vesuvius erupts, he must fight to save his beloved as Pompeii crumbles around him.  Short synopsis of Pompeii taken from IMDb.com

In 3......   D........!  At least that was how my wife and I viewed Pompeii when we went out for a rare date night.  It was my birthday, and I wanted to spend some time with her, as we see each other a grand total of about fifteen minutes a day on an average day.  The joys of a busy life!

Anyway, back to the film.  When I saw the trailer for Pompeii while attending The Monuments Men with my mother (say that three times fast), I thought: "hmmm, that could be interesting."  So as I relaxed in my comfy theater seat during the opening credits of Pompeii, I was hopeful.  Then I saw Paul W.S. Anderson's name flash across the screen.  "Oh boy," I muttered.  My wife noted my reaction and replied, "Is that a good 'oh boy' or a bad 'oh boy'?"

Movie Review: R.I.P.D.

R.I.P.D. (2013)

A recently slain cop joins a team of undead police officers working for the Rest in Peace Department and tries to find the man who murdered him.  Short synopsis of R.I.P.D. taken from IMDb.com   

RIPD had a feel of a mix between Men In Black and Ghostbusters.  This might seem a good thing, but really RIPD didn't pull it off as successfully as one would hope.  Basically, we have a simple bad-cop-kills-good-cop story (well kinda good, but good cop did a bad thing and ended up in "purgatory" when he was just trying to take care of his family... more on that momentarily).   Ryan Reynolds plays the good cop-gone-to-death-before-his-time and then put in the "Rest In Peace" Department because he stole some gold while at a drug bust.  Kevin Bacon is his bad guy partner who, while involved in a high-octane shoot out early in the film, kills Reynold's character.  And he seemed like such a nice character, Bacon's guy did.  Yeah, right.  You could see that bullet to Reynold's cranium coming a long ways off here.  So much for surprises, I thought as I watched RIPD.

Movie Review: Red 2

Red 2 (2013)

Retired C.I.A. agent Frank Moses reunites his unlikely team of elite operatives for a global quest to track down a missing portable nuclear device.  Short synopsis of Red 2 taken from IMDb.com

Hmmm...  I didn't think they could keep up with the first one, but somehow they managed it.  Red 2 was a bit hyper-violent for its rating in places (disturbed my wife), but overall, the humor and the non-stop thrills never left me feeling like "oh please."

Only real kick for me was the red mercury weapon and the scientist bad guy (played by Anthony Hopkins) were too cliche for words, but it wasn't a game-killer.  And Mary-Louise Parker, in the female lead role, really sold it this time around.  Oh, I do have to say that, despite the fact that she seemed to be playing it up, I felt like Catherine Zeta Jones was just phoning it in here.  But maybe it was just the weak nature of the character she played coming through.

Movie Review: Red Dawn (2012)

Red Dawn (2012)

A group of teenagers look to save their town from an invasion of North Korean soldiers.  Short synopsis of Red Dawn taken from IMDb.com

I avoided watching this one for a long time, as I didn't believe it could be any good.  After all, Hollywood is enamored with the '80s right now, and so the slew of remakes gets a bit tedious at times.  My wife quipped while watching Red Dawn that it's a shame that they can't do anything original, as there are so many good ideas out there that aren't be tapped (she referred to books that could be made into movies).  And I agree.

Movie Review: Skyfall

Skyfall (2012)

Bond's loyalty to M is tested when her past comes back to haunt her. Whilst MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.   Short synopsis of Skyfall taken from IMDb.com  

A short review for this one.  I'll skip the overall story, not because Skyfall is so good that I think it should be saved for the viewer (though by the time this goes on the blog, it'll probably have been out on DVD for months, or even perhaps years), nor because it was so bad it wasn't worth re-telling (which is not my opinion).  The plot is fairly simple compared to some recent spy-thriller-type films I've seen.  There's a bad guy who wants revenge, and James Bond, who has had a bad set-back after being shot by a fellow agent, is after said bad guy.  Everything else is fairly ancillary to the plot.

Movie Review: Robocop (2014)

Robocop (2014)

In 2028 Detroit, when Alex Murphy - a loving husband, father and good cop - is critically injured in the line of duty, the multinational conglomerate OmniCorp sees their chance for a part-man, part-robot police officer.  Short synopsis of Robocop taken from IMDb.com

Another micro-review.  The remake of Robocop...  I liked it.  I usually don't like the re-imagining's of good (or some might even argue "great," though you'd have to be a bit odd to say that about 1987's Robocop, I think) 1980s films, but this one worked out fine for me.  I liked the way they took an action flick and threw a cerebral bent to it.  And I enjoyed the addressing of modern issues, such as the persistent uncertainty about the need for a "man in the loop" when a combat decision should be made. The first film touched on this, but this reboot really addressed it heavily.

Movie Review: The Conjuring

The Conjuring (2013)

Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren work to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in their farmhouse.  Short synopsis of The Conjuring taken from IMDb.com

The Conjuring was pretty good for a mainstream Hollywood horror flick.  It builds at a slow but spooky pace, and doesn't rely on the over-the-top fright moments that are obviously there just to elicit "jump" scares.  For the most part, the lack of those adrenaline-based shock moments is nice. 

 

Movie Review: The Guilt Trip

The Guilt Trip (2012)

As inventor Andy Brewster is about to embark on the road trip of a lifetime, a quick stop at his mom's house turns into an unexpected cross-country voyage with her along for the ride.   Short synopsis of The Guilt Trip taken from IMDb.com 

"Does that say Tapas?  I love Tapas." Of course, I'm referring to the scene where Streisand and Seth Rogan pull off the road at the topless bar in Tennessee when they think they have a flat tire.  The Guilt Trip is full of little touches like these, that anyone who has a older Jewish female relative will immediately relate to.  In my case, it is my mother-in-law.  But I got it worse, because she is of Jewish ancestry, Italian, and Mexican.  Talk about the triple threat.

Movie Review: The Hunger Games - Catching Fire

Since the next Hunger Games movie just came out in theaters, it seemed relevant to me to post this belated review of the second film.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)
 

Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark become targets of the Capitol after their victory in the 74th Hunger Games sparks a rebellion in the Districts of Panem.  Short synopsis of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire taken from IMDb.com

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire was everything I hoped the first one would be.  They ditched most of the shaky cam.  They gave the vistas more scope.  It didn't feel quite so "shot on the cheap," as the first one had.  And the involving plot of the book is held close to, which really does the film in good stead. 

Movie Review: Interstellar

Interstellar (2014)


A team of explorers travel through a wormhole in an attempt to find a potentially habitable planet that will sustain humanity.  Short synopsis of Interstellar taken from IMDb.com

Interstellar.  When I first saw the trailer awhile back, I thought...  "well that looks interesting."  But I didn't mentally note it down as a "must-see" film either.  I figured I'd catch it if it was any good, but I was in no hurry.  After all, Christopher Nolan has a talent for film making.  On the other hand, I'd say The Dark Knight Rises, though pretty good, proves he is certainly not infallible.

So it was a "why not?" moment, going to see Interstellar on my wedding anniversary with my sweetheart.  She said she had heard it was good, both from official critic-type sources, and from regular folks too.  And I thought to myself: "hey, my wife's opinion has been proven valid on at least two or three occasions.  Might as well go see it, since we have time."

So, having now spent eighteen bucks to see the movie in the regular big box theater, the question remains: was Interstellar worth that much money?

Movie Review: Guardians of the Galaxy

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)


A group of space criminals must work together to stop the fanatical villain Ronan the Accuser from destroying the galaxy.  Short synopsis of Guardians of the Galaxy taken from IMDb.com

Another movie review.  This one is still in theaters too, and judging by the crowd at the cheap seats, I'd say it must have been popular.  I had heard it was good myself, and was excited when it finally arrived at the local 'three buck house.'

So up front, I think Guardians of the Galaxy was good.  I quite enjoyed it.  If you want the recommendation without having to read through my rantings, then stop here, go get a ticket (or rent it from "da box," if it's out there yet), and enjoy.  This one was fun, funny, and just regular 'ole great popcorn entertainment fun.

Movie Review: Elysium

I'm way behind on movie reviews, so I'm going to be guilty of just shoving some down the pipe.  Sorry for that. 

Elysium (2013)

In the year 2154, the very wealthy live on a man-made space station while the rest of the population resides on a ruined Earth. A man takes on a mission that could bring equality to the polarized worlds.  Short synopsis of Elysium taken fromIMDb.com

Where to start?  Hmmm...  The violence in Elysium was definitely the R rating here, as well as language.  Seems redundant to say it was R rated and then tell you why, but some R ratings beat the socks off of other R ratings for their "R-ness," in my opinion.  And in this case, I was actually a bit annoyed by it.  Seemed like they had money in the budget and so decided to show things that otherwise could have been done without.  The violence usually didn't serve much specific purpose here.  We live in a world where that sort of dismemberment and severe gunshot /explosive wound trauma happens every day somewhere, and often to U.S. GIs.  I guess it just didn't work for me.

Movie Review: Dracula: Untold

For my first movie review for the re-started blog, and coincidentally for my Halloween film entry this year, I'm jumping ahead of the entire que of movies seen over the past couple years and going straight to something still in theaters right now.

Dracula: Untold (2014)


As his kingdom is being threatened by the Turks, young prince Vlad Tepes must become a monster feared by his own kingdom in order to obtain the power needed to protect his own family, and the families of his kingdom. Short synopsis of Dracula: Untold taken from IMDb.com

Ok, I’m a Dracula nerd.  I admit it.  So if I say that I didn’t hate this movie, would you also forgive me for saying I didn’t love it either? 

What was good about Dracula: Untold?  Well, I liked the idea.  I’ve long toyed with the notion of how the historical Vlad and the Bram Stoker character Dracula could be the same person, and so when I saw the trailer for Dracula: Untold, it was a foregone conclusion that I’d be seeing this film.  The question was only: “will it be worth my movie-going dime?”