Movie Review: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)



Ten years after a pandemic disease, apes who have survived it are drawn into battle with a group of human survivors.  Short synopsis of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes taken from IMDb.com

So I kinda liked this film.  Which is funny, since I slept through it on my first attempt at viewing.  It was late, and I was tired, but I was going to try and watch it Saturday night around midnight-ish.  My, how times change.  When I was working night shift, I used to not start getting tired until around 3 AM or so.  Now I can't make it until... let me see, I lost track of the film's events somewhere around the twenty minute mark, so that'd be 12:20 or so.  Or earlier.  It wasn't later, as it wasn't THAT late when I awoke to the DVD menu music endlessly looping over and over, and stumbled upstairs to bed.  I watched it the next day from where I had lost track.

Movie Review: Argo

Argo (2012)

A dramatization of the 1980 joint CIA-Canadian secret operation to extract six fugitive American diplomatic personnel out of revolutionary Iran.  Short synopsis of Argo takenfrom IMDb.com

This will be a quick review.  Most people who are going to see this one have already done so, I'm sure.  It's been on DVD for some time.  Why hadn't I watched it yet, even though I heard it was really good from someone I consider to be a reliable source?  Well, I kind of wanted to read the book associated with it and then do a dual review.  But as I am so far behind on all my reviews, and my enthusiasm for getting caught up isn't quite what I wish it to be, I am going to just cut to the chase and do this one up.

Movie Review: The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner (2014)


Thomas is deposited in a community of boys after his memory is erased, soon learning they're all trapped in a maze that will require him to join forces with fellow "runners" for a shot at escape.  Short synopsis of The Maze Runner taken from IMDb.com  

To be honest...  I wouldn't have thought a film with such an interesting premise could be so...  uninteresting.  And predictable.  And have so little actual maze running!

Movie Review: The Equalizer

The Equalizer (2014)


A man believes he has put his mysterious past behind him and has dedicated himself to beginning a new, quiet life. But when he meets a young girl under the control of ultra-violent Russian gangsters, he can't stand idly by - he has to help her.  Short synopsis of The Equalizer taken from IMDb.com

I'm old enough to remember seeing the series The Equalizer on TV.  You know, I recall as a kid thinking that this particular vigilante crime drama was somewhat unique for its time.  Granted, it wasn't my favorite TV show, but I did like it.  So when I saw the previews for this modern take on the show, I was a bit excited.  And when I saw Denzel Washington was the lead, I was impressed.  After all, Denzel brings it.  He does earnest and dead-eyed real well.

So having seen the film, did I feel it did the idea justice?  Well, yes, and no. 

Movie Review: Fury

Fury (2014)


April, 1945. As the Allies make their final push in the European Theatre, a battle-hardened army sergeant named Wardaddy commands a Sherman tank and his five-man crew on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. Out-numbered, out-gunned, and with a rookie soldier thrust into their platoon, Wardaddy and his men face overwhelming odds in their heroic attempts to strike at the heart of Nazi Germany.  Short synopsis of Fury taken from IMDb.com

You know, I wanted Fury to be based on real events.  I'm not sure if it is, though I have heard of circumstances that are similar.  But the movie is so visceral and unrelenting, I kinda wanted it to have more than a passing touch of reality to go from. 

Movie Review: Big Hero 6

Big Hero 6 (2014)


The special bond that develops between plus-sized inflatable robot Baymax, and prodigy Hiro Hamada, who team up with a group of friends to form a band of high-tech heroes.  Short synopsis of Big Hero 6 taken from IMDb.com

So what else was there to see in the theater right now, besides kid flicks?  I could have gone to the latest Hobbit movie, but anyone who knows me or has read much of my reviews could tell you that wouldn't have happened.  I liked the Lord of the Rings trilogy, despite its flaws.  But after seeing Jackson and Del Toro's nuisance of a film, Desolation of Smaug, in the big box theater, I vowed I'd not be taken in again at that price.