Dances with Wolves (1990) Review

Dances with Wolves is epic in many ways, but certainly didn't not deserve top honors of 1990 over goodfellas. While the relationships in this movie is everything, there really needed to be more action and excitement. The plot and characters were good, and surprisingly, I was fine with the 181 minute runtime, but it is too slow at certain and would benefit greatly from action between Indians and Indians, or Indians and Soldiers. Goodfellas should have taken home the Oscars, not Dances with Wolves.
Movie Rating: B+

This film is very similar to The Last Samurai.

The Equalizer (2014) Review

The Equalizer is like the bad sequel to Man of Fire. They both star Denzel Washington as a badass vigilante who kills literally everyone to save a girl. The difference is the location and the villains. And the quality. The Equalizer seems good at first with it's thrilling plot and great action, but eventually you realize that it's just another mindless action picture. It's unoriginal. It's borrows so many action clichés, and takes original ideas from other action movies. Denzel Washington's great performance and his great character distinguish this from the garbage Stallone and Statham are making nowadays, but it doesn't quite reach the greatness of Taken, Man on Fire, or The Bourne Ultimatum. It's not as bad as some critics say, but it's a movie that really didn't need to be released.
Movie Rating: B-

How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014) Review

In many ways How to Train Your Dragon 2 improves and expands upon the original. The great cast returns, and even is strengthened by Cate Blanchett, Djimon Honsou, and Kit Harrington. The characters have become even greater. A villain is introduced, something the first movie didn't really have, and he's a great one at that. The action and adventure is much greater, and it's so good it could be the best action animated film. Like all sequels should, How to Train Your Dragon 2 tries to be original from it's prequel, and it is. But, it's totally different and strays too far from the original movie, and doing so, it loses what made How to Train Your Dragon so great, it's heart and emotion. How to Train Your Dragon 2 is too concerned with it's action, adventure, and originality that it forgets to add heart and emotion into the film, which separates it from animated greats. How to Train Your Dragon 2 comes close to perfect, but unfortunately, it forgets the main ingredient.
Movie Rating: B

Hiccup's Character improves so much in the sequel

How to Train Your Dragon (2010) Review

Disney seems to have all the animated greats, but occasionally DreamWorks Animation creates something just as good, or even better. How to Train Your Dragon is a great example of a modern DreamWorks great. The cast is great, the animation is perfect, the characters are fun, it's full of action and adventure, it's emotional, and of course, it's family-friendly. It's also unique and original, and DreamWorks doesn't produce something like this everyday.
Movie Rating: B+

Open Range (2003) Review

Open Range is a perfect example of a great modern Western. It doesn't outdo 3:10 to Yuma, but it's certainly a quality movie. I never realized how great of an actor Kevin Costner is. I don't see many of his movies, and he seems to be one of those actors who used to be good, but everything new falls flat. Not quite to the extent of Nicolas Cage, who makes terrible movies these days, but Kevin Costner doesn't seem to have the magic he did earlier on. Sure, Robert Duvall is great in the movie as well, but his performance is overshadowed by Costner's performance. Everyone's performance comes together perfectly and makes great characters, especially Costner as the badass action hero. The plot is perfect, tension and tension builds between the two sides for along time, and it all leads up to the one of the most epic shootouts in movie history. Costner not only acted well, he proves he's a actor-director bargain, and movie was a great set-up for a movie I've been wanting to see for a long time, Costner's true Western masterpiece, Dances with Wolves.
Movie Rating: A-

The Proposition (2006) Review

The Proposition is missing every element that a great western has. It falls flat on every level. But instead of just being mediocre, it has to put in all the things that make a movie terrible. On Imdb the description is "A lawman apprehends a notorious outlaw and gives him nine days to kill his older brother, or else they'll execute his younger brother." Now that sounds like a good movie. But, it isn't like that. First of all, the characters are terrible. Guy Pearce isn't the badass hero he should be. I don't care at all what happens to his whining, annoying younger brother. His other brother isn't the badass villain I expected. And his sidekick is extremely annoying. The movie takes time to focus on John Hurt, which usually is a good thing, but not when he's playing Jellon Lamb, who can't stop shouting terrible dialogue and ruining modern westerns. Ray Winstone gets it right though, he plays the misunderstood police captain, and I'd side with him. Out of all the lousy, half-assed performances by too many unknown actors and miscast actors, Ray Winstone is the only one who was any good. His wife is also annoying, and I'd rather see her die than listen to her complain for the rest of the movie.

Second of all, there is no action. In other westerns, we are treated to epic gunfights, brawls, and even a simple shot in the head. A few bullets move, but most of the movie is spent on the awful characters that we can't bear to see. This makes the movie boring. Lastly, there really is no plot. Or a really simple plot. Or a very unexciting plot. On the way to kill his older brother, Guy Pearce encounters nothing to move the plot forward. Sure, it moves forward at the end, but we're bored out of our minds by then. It's unoriginal, terribly acted, miscast, no fun, and a really awful movie.
Movie Rating: D

My Top 10 Films of 2014

My Top 10 of 2014

Honorable Mentions- Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, Hercules, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Transformers: Age of Extinction

10. Non-Stop

Non-Stop was a fast-paced, enjoyable, thrilling mystery that successfully brought Liam Neeson back into the Action Genre.

9. Million Dollar Arm

Million Dollar Arm was a surprise. A great Disney sports movie? Yes, it is. It’s very entertaining to watch, filled with talented actors, and you couldn’t be happier with the ending. Also, McFarland, USA looks to be even better.

8. Chef

While I disliked another May 9^th release, Neighbors, for its inappropriate and disgustingly boring comedy, Chef was a much more mature film. While it is certainly funny at time, Chef is much more than just another comedy, it’s an entertaining ride with human emotions.

7. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes has a brilliant cast, but it’s Andy Serkis as Caesar the Ape who steals the show. It’s full of great human drama, entertaining, and a great action-packed finale.

6. Edge of Tomorrow

No one saw this one coming. Tom Cruise, who has failed to make a decent film since Mission: Impossible- Ghost Protocol, is trying out another sci-film despite having a huge flop in the sci-fi genre. And it looked terrible, too. But, it’s smart, funny, and offers fantastic action with great effects. It’s an awesome ride, and it tops Groundhog Day in every possible way.

5. X-Men: Days of Future Past

To me, X-Men: Days of Future Past was a disappointment. I expected the best of the best of the best, but honestly, I still like X-Men: First Class and many other marvel films better. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great movie. The characters are entertaining to watch as usual, and the action-packed scenes are awesome.

4. Snowpiercer

If you’re reading this list, you thinking “What? That doesn’t belong here!” But the reason Snowpiercer isn’t a beloved film is not because it’s bad, but because no one has seen it. Actually, it’s the opposite of bad, it’s fantastic. Snowpiercer offers great action and great effects, much better than many films of 2014. The characters are awesome, and it is irresistibly entertaining. The end could have been better, but the film is a masterpiece that unfortunately many haven’t seen.

3. Guardians of the Galaxy

Like Edge of Tomorrow, no one saw this film coming. It’s amazing. The performances are great which makes even greater characters. It works as an action movie, and adventure movie, and a comedy.

2. 22 Jump Street

22 Jump Street was the hilarious film of the year that gets better and better, funnier and funnier, and tops the already-great 21 Jump Street.

1.       Horrible Bosses 2

Like 22 Jump Street, Horrible Bosses 2 doesn’t start out strong, but quickly manages to become great. Also like 22 jump street, it manages to be completely unique and standalone while being extremely similar to the prequel.

(I have not seen How to Train Your Dragon 2, Boyhood, The Drop, The Maze Runner, A Walk Among the Tombstones, The Equalizer, Gone Girl, Alexander(…), Kill the Messenger, The Judge, Whiplash, Fury, Birdman, John Wick, Nightcrawler, Interstellar, Foxcatcher, The Imitation Game, Exodus: Gods and Kings, The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies, Top Five, Big Eyes, American Sniper, The Cobbler, Selma, Inherent Vice, Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, Unbroken, or The Interview)

(I will remake this after seeing those films)

My Top 25 Most Anticipated Films of 2015

1.       Avengers: Age of Ultron

2.       Mission: Impossible 5

3.       Jurassic World

4.       Kingsman: The Secret Service

5.       Ted 2

6.       Ant-Man

7.       Spectre

8.       Silence

9.       McFarland, USA

10.   Jupiter Ascending

11.   The Fantastic Four

12.   Star Wars 7

13.       Unfinished Business

14.       Furious 7

15.       Black Mass

16.       Mortdecai

17.       Insurgent

18.       Untitled Cameron Crowe Project

19.       The Martian

20.       Minions

21.       Pixels

22.   Crimson Peak

23.   Everest

24.   Selfless

25.   Terminator: Genisys

Planet Terror (2007) Review

It's entertaining, stylish, action-packed, and has plenty of great characters, but Planet Terror's over the top violence is too-over the top, and lacks the terror of a true zombie movie. The zombies are completely ridiculous, and the plot is even more ridiculous. There is zombie-horror, or zombie-comedy, but Planet Terror can't really pick one and it's too far into the middle to be great or memorable. Although it doesn't work as a zombie film, it can still be shown as an action film, and it's stays okay that way. The only true problem with this movie is that Naveen Andrews has such little screen time, and it's genre mislabeled.
Movie Rating: B

Dawn of the Dead (2004) Review

I never really cared for old movie, so I decided to watch the remake of Dawn of the Dead instead of the original. And I'm glad I did. In summary, Dawn of the Dead was a fun, action-packed, thrilling, enjoyable adventure with a well-acted ensemble cast of characters. From start to finish, Dawn of the Dead never disappoints, hitting the perfect level of excitement, and I really doubt the original had that.
Movie Rating: B+

28 Weeks Later (2007) Review

I really expected nothing from 28 Weeks Later. I had just seen its' prequel, and it was a huge disappointment. After watching it, it was much worse, but was better as a zombie movie. Because, while 28 Days Later is mostly a bonding moment between survivors, 28 Weeks Later is actually about survival from the Zombies. The majority of 28 weeks later is filled with zombie chases, zombie fights, and people becoming infected. 28 Weeks Later does have a stronger cast, but they are wasted on terrible, weak, annoying, helpless characters. (With the exception of Doyle). 28 Weeks Later was also slightly scarier. But, it's ruined by its' terrible characters. The kids are so annoying and helpless, I almost root for the zombies. In the end, far too many people die, and I just am not satisfied. Oh, and in the end, what do we see? A set up for 28 months later? No, I wouldn't want that. I'm convinced Zombie-Comedy is much greater than Zombie-Horror.
Movie Rating: C-

I'm pretty sure this as*hole should died a long time ago.

28 Days Later (2003) Review

28 Days Later is not a terrible movie. Far from it, actually. But, it does not live up to expectations. On the imdb cover it says "scary as hell", and on my dvd cover "the scariest film since the exorcist". I am not one to watch horror films, because I get scared easily. So technically, this was my first horror movie. (Imdb counted Zombieland, Shaun of the Dead, and Interview with the Vampire as Horror but I didn't). At the end of the film, how scared was I? Not scared at all. Also, many people consider it not to be a zombie movie. And while I ultimately disagree with them, I can kind of their point. Most of the movie is not people running from zombie or fighting zombies. There are only 2 or 3 short scenes and 1 long scene about zombies. Most of the movie is about survivors bonding with other survivors, which became boring eventually, because besides Jim, I didn't like any of the characters. And with very little action, it's not the exciting, scary, thriller I was promised. The effects are awful, and the picture is very unclear. It was okay, but was it worth the watch?
Movie Rating: C+

Does this look clear to you?

Chef (2014) Review

Chef is a great film, it works as a comedy like expected, but is actually more of a drama. There are plenty of laughable moments, but the film makes the audience more interested in the family bonding moments, and the success of the food truck.
Movie Rating: A-

Rush (2013) Review

I believe that Rush was adapted from its' true story perfectly. Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl give such great performances. The chemistry between the two characters makes the whole movie and it's interesting to see who will come out on top. The drama of racing injuries puts on edge and makes the movie more exciting. The only reason it's not the best movie is that while it is a good story, there could be something more interesting.
Movie Rating: B+

Neighbors (2014) Review

Seth Rogen always seems to have his dumb comedy of the year. Plenty of the time, the only goal is to be hilarious, but that's enough to be good movie. Sometimes, it's more of an actually movie, with a side of drama to it. But, neighbors fits neither description. Neighbors was less funny than a serious. I did not laugh once. That would be okay, but Neighbors is too dumb of a movie to actually have anything for me to like. It wasn't funny because the inappropriate jokes are getting too old. Dave Franco, Zac Efron, Seth Rogen, and Rose Bryne are all good, likeable actors, but they give really crappy performances and make themselves hateable and annoying in Neighbors. Sure, it's entertaining, but what comedy isn't?
Movie Rating: C+

This Robert DeNiro Party was much lamer than it seemed in the trailer.

Snowpiercer (2014) Review

I expected a lot out of Snowpiercer. Most critics gave it a good review. Entertainment Weekly gave it an A, which is the best rating a modern movie gets, and 95% of RT critics liked it. As for other websites, I don't really follow them, but I can imagine that most people liked Snowpiercer. The only rating that was mind-boggling was IMDB's. IMDB stands for Internet Movie Database, and I like the site because it offers a huge database on pretty much every movie ever, and I usually agree with their ratings. Often, the ratings change. For example, Neighbors, a May 2014 comedy that I wanted to see started out high at about a 7.8 or 7.9, and ended up dropping to a 6.5. Rarely does it go into the other direction. The strange thing is, Snowpiercer was at 7.0 a few months before the release, and it never changed once to this date. So, I thought Snowpiercer would be a great film. I also liked the cast and the trailer. And fortunately, Snowpiercer did not disappoint.

Snowpiercer was entertaining the entire 126 minute runtime. At the beginning of the film, we are interesting in hearing the history of this new sci-fi idea, we're meeting the great characters, and the brutal violence from the upper class forces us to watch. Chris Evans plays Curtis, a perfect action hero. He's greatly skilled, smart, and has a dark history. I think he's good enough to compete with legends. There is no clear villain at first, but the entire upper class is intimidating and clearly evil. Excitement brews into he audience during talk of a revolt. And when it happens, its movie magic. The scenes are basically battles after battles between the two classes. They are great battles. Completely full of violent, bloody action, Snowpiercer has some of the finest action I've ever seen.

Now I'd like to go into detail about the rest of the plot, but that would spoil it for those who haven't seen the movie. But, the action and excitement increases and increases as they move up the train. I wasn't a big fan of the huge twist and the ending, but the revolution was amazing and breathtaking. Each room in the front of the train is unique and backed by outstanding special effects. Snowpiercer is a bloody, relentless action movie with as many deaths as a war film, but it is able to stay a really intelligent, thought-out, confusing masterpiece. Each actor plays their part perfectly, and Snowpiercer is original, and near-perfect.
Movie Rating: A+

The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) Review

The Pursuit of Happyness changed two of previous thoughts. I always thought Will Smith was lame and couldn't act, and no movie ever made me extremely sad. The Pursuit of Happyness is the saddest movie I have ever seen, narrowly beating out Million Dollar Baby, and Will Smith was the perfect choice for the role. The film was also extremely entertaining; my eyes never left the screen. And not only all that, it provides many messages about the real world.
Movie Rating: A-

Pan's Labryinth (2006) Review

Before Pan's Labyrinth, I had seen one film in another language. That film was Apocalypto. And before watching I was sure the fact that the characters weren't speaking in English would make it much worse. I was wrong, it made the film greater. So, when I went to watch Pan's Labyrinth, I knew the Spanish wouldn't make me dislike it. It was an entertaining, unique film. But, it was a little too violent and none of the characters were very likeable. This film has been compared to Lord of the Rings because they are both Fantasy films. But, Pan's Labyrinth is too different. They both have terrible, evil villains, but Pan's Labyrinth is the completely opposite. I liked Lord of the Rings much better, but you can't compare the too films. One is happy, fun fantasy, and the other is dark and evil. I can't say I loved Pan's Labyrinth and instead of pointing out pros and cons, I only compared it to other films. I don't have a good reason for not liking the movie.
Movie Rating: B

This scene was tense.

Elf (2003) Review

Elf is very similar to home alone: it has great, enjoyable, fun moments, but is actually a very lame, and too family-friendly. But, elf is a step up from home alone: it's much funnier, and once you realize that it's fantasy, it's not as ridiculous. Oh, and the characters are better.
Movie Rating: B-

And who didn't love Peter Dinklage?

Home Alone (1990) Review

Home Alone has its moments, but is ultimately ruined by trying too hard to be family-friendly. I enjoy the gangster movie replay scenes, and the traps he uses to beat the crap out of the robbers, but there are far too many lame family stuff, and most of the characters are annoying and unlikeable. The great moments don't make up the majority of the film, but its replaced with bad dialogue and screaming. That, and the ridiculousness of the plot (honestly, every detail is so incredibly unrealistic) make it just another mediocre film.
Movie Rating: C+

And why was he screaming here?

Coach Carter (2005) Review

Coach Carter isn't just a basketball movie, it's also a fascinating look into people's lives and a great drama. It's backed with fantastic performances, Samuel L. Jackson is great as always, Channing Tatum takes on a minor role, and some newbies are given a shot. From the beginning to end, Coach Carter is a entertaining, fascinating movie. It looks into racism, crime, drugs, and poverty. It also gives off many positive messages, many about the importance of academics, but it still is able to maintain its status as a sports film. It's a great and true story that ends up be very inspirational.
Movie Rating: B+

Surf's Up (2007) Review

Surf's Up is quick enjoyable fun. It's filled with decent humor, strong casting, a moving story, and even a little adventure. But, when it's over, it's not great. It wasn't memorable. It won't stick in your mind. Nothing in the movie was original enough, funny enough, or sad enough to want to watch it again. It wasn't an impressive story. It seemed like it when you watched it, but it's really not one of the finer animation we see today in films like Finding Nemo, Frozen, The Iron Giant, etc. This movie seems like it was done poorly, and this can't be an accomplishment in the movie world.
Movie Rating: C+

Battleship (2012) Review

Earlier today, I watched and reviewed the Other Guys. I started the review with the words "The Other Guys surprised me". Yes, it did. But, it was nothing like the surprise of Battleship. Going into watching battleship, I almost knew I would hate it. All major movie sites declared it awful, and it just looked like a failure. I expected ridiculous, over-the-top action that could be mistaken for a Michael Bay film.

Starting out the movie wasn't very good either. I am immediately introduced to bad acting, but at least I know there is comedy in this action film. Guardians of the Galaxy is one of my favorite movies of all time. It has some the finest action in any movie ever, but it really wouldn't be the same without all the comedy between the characters. My point is, there is no great action film without comedy. After 30 minutes into the film, I haven't seen any action or sci-fi, which is clearly a huge part of the film. I have only been impressed by one actor and one character. Taylor Kitsch as Alex Hopper. His brother is annoying and unlikeable. Liam Neeson is supposed to be scary, but I certainly wasn't convinced. And the two female leads don't establish themselves as good characters. Fortunately, the movie swung in a positive direction shortly after.

After Stone dies, and all the boring training is done, the plot finally moves forward. We see some aliens, learn about their weaknesses, and fail to beat them in battle. It got better, but I'm not loving yet. Meanwhile, Brooklyn Decker is having her own side story, and it's turning out to be quite good. When Alex establishes himself as Captain, the film is great for the rest of the runtime. I start to like all of the characters. They become more helpful and meaningful to the plot. We start to see some relation to the game Battleship, and the humans start to win. The action gets really exciting and thrilling. And in the side story, it is just as thrilling. The action gets better and better through the rest of the movie, and eventually it's over with a satisfying final battle. It's starting to get lame again, but a line from Liam Neeson concludes the film with a acceptable ending. The credits were pretty good, too.

Now, I am by no means calling Battleship a excellent movie. It had many, many flaws, was a little cheesy, and really wasn't that original. But, battleship was a good movie. It is criminally underrated. And the great action, comedy, and characters made up for the flaws.

Movie Rating: B+

Would you confuse that for Michael Bay?

The Other Guys (2010) Review

The Other Guys surprised me. I expected a bland, unfunny, lame, comedy and I never really was a fan of Will Ferrell. I loved him in anchorman, but he goes a little over the top too much. But, the other guys works in so many ways. It was very, very, funny, which is surprising for a PG-13 movie, I loved the two lead characters (who were played perfectly, and joined by Keaton and Coogan), and it interested me. Those three characteristic make a great comedy for me. So, just those three facts would make it a good movie for me. But, it has much more to it. The action is very impressive, with tons of explosions, shooting, and car chases. But that's not it. The other guys is also a drawn-out crime-mystery that makes you satisfied at the end when it is solved. So a movie that works greatly in comedy, action, crime, and mystery? That is the other guys. Quite an accomplishment.
Movie Rating: B+

Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg had perfect chemistry.

Stripes (1981) Review

Coming into Stripes, I knew Bill Murray was great. Stripes was certainly no exception. He totally and completely steals the show from other late greats: Harold Ramis and John Candy. The movie couldn't be more successful in making you laugh, but, to be honest, it was a little boring. And the rule is, no great comedies are boring. While the act was great at first, halfway through the movie, it got old. Stripes is enjoyable, but isn't enough.
Movie Rating: B-

Lighten Up, Francis

Finding Nemo (2003) Review

Finding Nemo is a masterpiece. Disney has had it's share of garbage movies, but Finding Nemo is on the other end of the Disney quality. It offers come the greatest animation of any movie ever, and it is the underwater world is stunning. The characters and the voices playing them are fantastic, and the movie is filled with great dialogue, and awesome, epic adventure. The soundtrack is inspirational. The story is brilliant (and even moving, and finding nemo is nothing short of a perfect movie.
Movie Rating: A-

Did you know Eric Bana plays as Anchor (far right)?

or that Geoffrey Rush plays as Nigel?

 



They even got Willem Dafoe to be Gill!

Blackhat Trailer

I don't want to rabble on about how bad this movie looks. It's almost a guaranteed fail. Chris Hemsworth is the entire cast (not really, but only good cast member). It's directed by Michael Mann, who makes a good movie about once a millennium. And I don't know, it looks terrible. Sure, this trailer is certainly an improvement over the 27 others, but it's nothing special.
Predictions:
Imdb: 6.5
RT: 47
EW: C
Trailer Rating: B-

Insurgent Trailer

The first trailer for Insurgent was more a really shitty preview that no one was satisfied with. The second trailer, however, was the complete opposite. It was completely action-packed (impressive action, and not the shit from the first movie), showed better acting, and was backed off by a great soundtrack. I'm sold.
Predictions:
EW: A-
Imdb: 7.8
RT:  94
Trailer Rating: A

The Gunman Trailer

The Gunman could possibly be a great movie. Look at the facts. The cast has a two-time Oscar winner, a one time Oscar winner, and a one-time golden globe winner. Based on that, chances are the movie is going to have some great acting. Based on the trailer, I would say the genre of the film is crime-thriller. A dark crime-thriller. And that fits each actors resume, too. With perfect parts for each, solid casting, and strong action, it looks good.
Predictions:
Imdb: 8.1
RT: 87
EW: A-
Trailer Rating: B+

Brad Bird Animation: The Iron Giant, The Incredibles, and Ratatouille

The Iron Giant
The Iron Giant is one of my favorite animated films ever. At first, it doesn't seem too great, but that's because you haven't met the character who makes the entire film. The Iron Giant is an awesome, and he fills the story with emotion and adventure. But, great characters don't stop there. Hogarth, Dean, and the villain of the story, Kent Mansley, all play together perfectly and are enjoyable to watch. The story is brilliant, and filled with (inappropriate for an animated film) comedy, action, and adventure.
Movie Rating: A-

The Incredibles
I think the Incredible is overrated. There was really only one thing incredible about it: the amazing action. The action is just as great or even better than a great modern action summer blockbuster. But the rest of the film is so-so. The cast is mostly unknown, and the characters are very likeable, especially Elastigirl. I liked Mr. Incredible and Frozone, though. The villain is good, but the movie itself just isn't great.
Movie Rating: B

Ratatouille
Out of the animated films about animals and how they live, Ratatouille is the one the most original and one the best. Who would ever think to do it on rats? At first it's a funny, enjoyable ride into a rat's life. And it gets even better when he becomes a cook. The characters are great, it's funny enough, and the ending couldn't be better.
Movie Rating: B+

Limitless (2011) Review

What movie's entire plot is based off a very specific idea? The answer is: lots of them. In fact, there are too many to count. Plenty of them are science fiction. I'm not sure Limitless qualifies as Sci-Fi, but IMDB says it is, so why not? The idea in Limitless is that a drug called NZT exists and it lets you access one-hundred percent of your mind. It was a good movie, but it could have been done better. A similar idea, in the film Lucy (2014); a girl gets chemicals in her stomach and accesses 100% of her mind, was far too ridiculous and extremely weird to be a good movie. Limitless, however is an intelligent, fantastic view of Eddie Morra's mind. We get to see him move up the ranks, make tons of money and enjoy himself. Also, his life of crime and his neediness of the drug make the story even more interesting. The cast is great: Bradley Cooper has one of his best performances, and DeNiro is just as good as the hateable villain (?). But there are a few more things to would have liked to see. He could have done more with his increased intelligence, and I would have liked to see what happened in the year before his book came out. It's a fun, interesting, story that's lacks in a few ways.
Movie Rating: B+

Million Dollar Arm (2014) Review

After seeing the first few trailers for this movie, I wanted to see it in theaters. And it got decent enough ratings at the time of release as well. I ended up not seeing in theaters because I'm lazy. So I decided I'd see it when it came out on DVD. But, due to me watching less and less movies, I didn't watch until 2 months after it came out. I loved it. The entire film was so incredibly interesting and entertaining. All the characters worked perfectly together, and even produced a little comedy. The story/plot is great and it's even cooler to know that it was based off a true story. Disney sports movies are usually disasters, but this one is their best. I'm just not sure how great it will be for multiple viewings.
Movie Rating: A-

Terminator: Genisys Trailer

I've been waiting for this movie to come out. While all the Terminator films were disappointing to me when I watched them this summer, Terminator: Judgment Day was good. Also, I'm a huge fan of modern action reboots with ensemble casts. Some great examples are: Star Trek (2009), Star Trek: Into Darkness, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Prometheus, The Dark Knight Trilogy, X-Men: First Class, X-Men: Days of Future Past, and The Amazing Spider-Man. I liked those films much better than the original films, even those considered to be classics. There can be bad reboots, though. The Bourne Legacy, Rocky Sequels, A Good Day to Die Hard, Superman Returns, The Matrix Sequels, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and The Hobbit Trilogy (I still loved it) weren't quite as good as their predecessors. I thought Terminator: Genisys would be on the better reboot side. It has a strong cast to back it up; Jason Clarke proved himself in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and in supporting roles in other films, Jai Courtney is becoming a next generation action star in each new movie he does, Emilia Clarke looks great on Game of Thrones (I've haven't seen it, but that's what I've heard), Arnold Schwarzenegger returns, and J.K. Simmons plays some in role in it too. The trailer didn't completely kill every positive thought I had about the movie, but it was definitely less than I expected. The action and cast looks good, but not as great as I hoped, and it looks too much of a Judgment Day remake. Also, I don't know if you noticed, but it has the exact same music as Jason Clarke's big action blockbuster of 2013 "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" trailer #2. With my new doubts about the trailer, I'm no longer thinking that this reboot can save the franchise. But, it is just a trailer.
Predictions:
EW: B+
Imdb: 7.9
RT: 84
Trailer Rating: B-

Groundhog Day (1993) Review

Before I watched Groundhog Day, I had only seen two Bill Murray movies. I watched Zombieland online in Spring 2014, and then again on DVD in Fall 2014. I didn't hate Bill Murray, but he didn't impress me much. I also watched Ghostbusters later in Fall 2014. Bill Murray was fantastic in Ghostbusters. He delivered a great performance and made his character loveable. In Groundhog Day, he delivers an even greater performance. Bill Murray deserved an Oscar Nomination and Golden Globe Nomination, but didn't receive either. I've told you about Bill Murray, but what about the rest of the film? There isn't much else. Bill Murray carries the whole film, and without him, it a complete piece of junk. The story was incredibly original, extremely entertaining, but never truly impressed me. It wasn't funny. It wasn't memorable. I liked the movie, but it wasn't the greatness I expected.
Movie Rating: B 

Unfinished Business Trailer

Vince Vaughn doesn't usually impress me. He did in a few films, though. I loved the way he took charge in the internship and made himself the only memorable character in the film. In the watch, he also stole the show. But, he's made his share of completely forgettable, lame performances as well. Now, he's impressed me with a trailer. He shows us what a great comedian he is. Having Dave Franco and Tom Wilkinson can't hurt either. They all played great together and this could be the comedy of the year.
Predictions:
EW: A-
Imdb: 7.7
RT: 89
Trailer Rating: A-

Penguins of Madagascar (2014) Review

I liked Madagascar, but it wasn't great. Ice Age, Finding Nemo, Kung Fu Panda, and many other animated films were so much better. It was a last-second decision to watch this movie. But no, it was not worth it. It wasn't even as great as Madagascar, which isn't a great film itself. There are too many things wrong with Penguins of Madagascar. John Malkovich and Benedict Cumberbatch can really act, but they played wasted, lame, characters who are completely unforgettable. The only characters we liked were the four penguins. Penguins of Madagascar is also lame and childish. Nowadays, animated movies are funny. There were a few laughs, but it does not do a good enough job with it. understand it's harder with a PG rating, but Despicable Me, both Kung Fu Panda's and frozen pulled it off. It's interesting, but interesting enough to draw me in. I will not be seeing this film again.
Movie Rating: C-

I don't know about you, but I sure didn't like these characters.

Horrible Bosses 2 (2014) Review

After I watched the first Horrible Bosses about half a year ago, I was very surprised in how great it turned out to be. The comedy trio had such great chemistry, the movie was downright hilarious, and the situations they were in were entertaining. I was excited for the sequel because the first one was good, but I was even more excited when I found out Christoph Waltz and Chris Pine were joining the cast. Then I saw the first trailer for it. Then the second. Then the third trailer. They were all bad. And the reviews were even worse. So going into the movie, I was definitely thinking it would be much worse than the first one. The movie didn't start out so great either. I already hated Chris Pine and Christoph Waltz, and Dale, Nick, and Kurt just weren't as great in the movie. Fortunately, that quickly changed. Some entertaining situations in the first movie were the several break-ins. They were funny and interesting. And they were even funnier and more interesting in the sequel. The rest of the movie was great. The elaborate plan was great, and produced even greater comedy. The return of Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Aniston and Kevin Spacey was successful. And the twist, although similar to the prequel, was very shocking and awesome. All the characters worked perfectly, expect maybe Christoph Waltz's (similar to Colin Farrell's in many ways, as Chris Pine's character was to Kevin Spacey's) who I just don't think brought anything to the movie. But, I loved the movie more and more as it went on, and it finished greatly too. Horrible Bosses 2 is my new favorite movie of all time.
Movie Rating: A+

Jurassic World Trailer

I'm going to tell you that I hated the first Jurassic Park. It was so bad I never watched the sequels. It suffered from bad acting, bad casting, too kid-friendly, not enough action, and too boring at points. The new Jurassic world trailer promises the elements that kept the original from being any good. Chris Pratt proved himself in Guardians of the Galaxy, and he will shine as an action star. Also, that kid from Iron Man 3 will probably be good. The dark, scary tone of the trailer will make it more thrilling and create less lame, stupid family moments. And it promises plenty of action and adventure. I'm sure it will have fantastic action sequences, and will be talked about for years.
Predictions:
Imdb: 8.4
RT: 93
EW: A-
Trailer Rating: A

 

In case you missed the teaser, its below

Pan Trailer

The pan trailer was released today, and it did nothing but disappoint. The main character was unlikeable and played by some dumb kid. Also, nothing impressed me, and Hugh Jackman was put to waste. This seems like a career damaging movie that won't display any of the epic fantasy, action, and adventure a peter pan story should have, and instead is a lame family movie.
Predictions:
Imdb: 5.7
RT: 48
EW: C
Trailer Rating: C-

Godzilla (2014) Review

Before the theatrical  release of Godzilla, everyone movie viewer including me was extremely excited and expecting an amazing movie. Many people probably ditched their plans of seeing it in theaters after they saw the review, also what I did. And they were 100% percent right to do that. Godzilla features a decent cast; Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen, who have proved themselves to be good in action movies, Ken Watanabe, who is in a lot, and of course the great Bryan Cranston. The first problem with Godzilla is that this good cast is not used to effect. Bryan Cranston is far too minor, and Ken Watanabe and Elizabeth Olsen become useless losers that don't really affect the plot. We aren't treated to any action until at least 45 minutes into the movie, and nothing before that is really too interesting. The Honolulu scene is fun and exciting and whenever Godzilla shows up, it's awesome. But, over the rest of the movie Godzilla doesn't show up much. Instead, we're treated to far too many human drama stories and never enough action. Also, the film never has a fun tone like most modern PG-13 action blockbusters. All the superhero movies are fun, and even films not part of a series, like Hercules, are much better because of all the joy it brings you. This fun and joy is absent in Godzilla. Before I finish this, I'll compare it to last year's pacific rim. They are similar in many ways, they both are about monsters destroying earth and trying to stop them. But, pacific rim is a much better film. The Jaegers created much better action, the cast is used to much greater effect, and it's one of the most fun movies ever made. I can't wait for the Pacific Rim sequel, but I can't say the same for the Godzilla sequel.
Movie Rating: B-

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part One (2014) Review

I didn't except much of the movie before I came in, nor was I very excited to see the movie. It started out with Katniss waking up from her bed, gasping. Huh, haven't we seen this enough? After a while into the movie, the plot actually moves forward and Katniss is elected the Mockingjay. I already don't like Julianne Moore's character, and the quality of the late Philip Seymour Hoffman's character has gone down as well. And instead of bringing interesting characters to assist Katniss like in the previous films, we get a bunch of boring losers. And to make matters worse, Gale is back. But at least he's being played by a great actor, Liam Hemsworth, who has won a few Oscars. Oh, wait. He's completely awful. Katniss leads the group and gives some lame-ass speeches that the writers probably thought would be great, but were terrible. Finnick erases everything that made us like him in the previous films. And for the rest of the movie, Peeta becomes a complete psycho freak murderer and Katniss, again, breaks down and starts crying every five minutes. Also, the two characters that helped the story, Haymitch and Effie, are turned completely minor and forgettable. I wasn't a huge fan of the first, but I will admit that it was good compelling and had good action, and the second one improved upon both and made for a great film, but the entire 2 hours is not spent with any enjoyable, or even any action at all. Completely forgettable and certainly bad, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part One is not only a mouthful to say, but it has completely destroyed the tension, anticipation, and  the completeness the first two films brought.
Movie Rating: C

Night at the Museum 3 Trailer

The new night at the museum 3 trailer improved upon the original, but still featured the lame humor that made the franchise fail. I never laughed once during the trailer, and none of the characters were likeable. Unfortunately, Night at the Museum 3 will probably be unsuccessful like its 2 prequels.
Predictions:
EW: C
RT: 54
Imdb: 6.6
Trailer Rating: C-

Ghostbusters (1984) Review

From the start to finish, Ghostbusters was a fun, enjoyable ride. Bill Murray's Peter Venkman was great, with his comedic dialogue, and the other supporting characters fit right along with him. It wasn't action packed or funny enough, but there was a good amount of each. It got a little too weird and off-topic for a little bit, but it's good enough to become a classic, beloved, sci-movie movie.
Movie Rating: B+

The Cobbler Trailer

It started out okay, but  it got great when they introduced the main idea. It looks fun, original, and it looks like an R rating. It also featured a decent cast with Sandler, Buscemi, and Dustin Hoffman. Adam Sandler hasn't made any good movie in a long time, but this looks fantastic.
Predictions:
Imdb: 7.1
RT: 74
EW: B+
Trailer Rating: A-

First Poem Review

I understand this is a movie blog, and poems aren't very exciting, but in English class today I had to read a poem so stupid and awful that I had to call attention to it. Here it is.

Slam, Dunk, & Hook

By Yusef Komunyakaa b. 1947 Yusef Komunyakaa

Fast breaks. Lay ups. With Mercury's

Insignia on our sneakers,

We outmaneuvered to footwork

Of bad angels. Nothing but a hot

Swish of strings like silk

Ten feet out. In the roundhouse

Labyrinth our bodies

Created, we could almost

Last forever, poised in midair

Like storybook sea monsters.

A high note hung there

A long second. Off

The rim. We'd corkscrew

Up & dunk balls that exploded

The skullcap of hope & good

Intention. Lanky, all hands

& feet...sprung rhythm.

We were metaphysical when girls

Cheered on the sidelines.

Tangled up in a falling,

Muscles were a bright motor

Double-flashing to the metal hoop

Nailed to our oak.

When Sonny Boy's mama died

He played nonstop all day, so hard

Our backboard splintered.

Glistening with sweat,

We rolled the ball off

Our fingertips. Trouble

Was there slapping a blackjack

Against an open palm.

Dribble, drive to the inside,

& glide like a sparrow hawk.

Lay ups. Fast breaks.

We had moves we didn't know

We had. Our bodies spun

On swivels of bone & faith,

Through a lyric slipknot

Of joy, & we knew we were

Beautiful & dangerous.

 

Okay, that was terrible. I don't any negative feeling about basketball, but the entire poem was a huge mess. It drags on for way too long, and there is no structure. It's basically a way of saying: We're winning the game, we're still winning the game, we're still winning the game, we won the game. Instead, the author uses words no one understands and the way he uses them doesn't clarify the words, it makes the poem more confusing. It also isn't a story and make no sense, and there is no theme or anything a poem should have. Couldn't he have just watched a movie instead of writing the poem?

I don't give poem ratings, because nothing would get an A, but i'll make an exception for this piece of sh*t. Poem Rating: F---

Insurgent Teaser

Does tris have short hair in the insurgent book or does she in the movie because Shailene Woodley cut her hair for the fault in our stars? Either way, its retarded. No one like Tris in the first film, and now everyone will hate her. Also, is the trailer telling us the entire plot is Tris saving her mom, who already died in the first films so it makes no sense at all, out of a burning building. I certainly hope not, because that sounds like a boring-as-sh** movie. And are there 2 people in the film? I really expected Four to return, even though he was acted terribly. I also expected Miles Teller to return, who was the only one who did the right thing and call Divergent what it is: an awful movie. The chances of Insurgent being any good are pretty much -400%, and will anyone enjoy this movie?
Predictions:
EW: B-
RT: 26
Imdb: 6.4
Trailer Rating: F

Apocalypto (2006) Review

Apocalypto is a 2 hour 20 minute long movie that features completely unknown actors who don't speak a word of English and to top it off, it's directed by Mel Gibson. That's one way to look at it. But, that's pretty much the only bad way you can view it. In reality, Apocalypto is a surprisingly great film that is realistic, features plenty of action and adventure, and is very, very, very interesting. For the entire runtime, I could not keep my eyes off the screen because the movie drew me in, and kept me awake. At the beginning, we are introduced to the characters, and some inappropriate comedy. Soon enough, it turns into a complete nightmare for the heroes, which is what keeps us interested. It is a sad, evil, dark experience, but we get hope as one man, gets out of it. His escape is about 40 minutes, and is possibly the greatest action sequence ever made. It is so incredibly exciting, and every moment and decision Jaguar Paw makes could result in death. It is great, seeing the imaginative ways he picks his opponents, and it creates very satisfiying villain deaths.  We're rooting for Jaguar Paw the whole way, who is a true badas* action hero, and a great movie character. Now, that's the way you should look at Apocalypto.
Movie Rating: A

Jaguar Paw

Gangs of New York (2002) Review

After watching Gangs of New York, I was surprised how good it turned out to be. I liked the beginning with Liam Neeson. Unfortunately, the rest of the first half went downhill from that. The next hour of the movie was completely uninteresting and terrible, and I waited until the next day to finish it. The second half was an very interesting, revenge-driven, even exciting finish to the movie. The butcher got scarier and scarier, and I was pleased when Amsterdam had his revenge. The acting was great, and it was a good movie. But, the boring and awful first half of the movie prevents it from becoming great. 167 minute runtime is too long.

Movie Rating: B

Tropic Thunder (2008) Review

Perhaps the greatest thing about this movie is the brilliant cast. There are greater casts, such as The Dark Knight Trilogy, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The X-Men Franchise, and other superhero or some comedies too. My point is, very few movie have the great cast with 5+ recognizable members. Tropic Thunder includes Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, Bill Hader, and they even threw some better actors in there: Matthew McConaughey and Tom Cruise. There are also, a few other recognizable people, Brandon T. Jackson, Nick Nolte, and Jack Black (but do we really need him?) So, this movie is already great because of the ensemble cast, but not that's not all. The entire 107 minute runtime (which is perfect for the movie) is filled with laughs, the music accompanied the film perfectly, great performances (especially RDJ and Tom Cruise), and better dialogue. Tropic Thunder is a movie Ben Stiller can be proud that he directed.
Movie Rating: A-

My favorite part of the movie, RDJ deserved that Oscar nom.

 

Also, with the exception of 22 Jump Street, this is the greatest end credits scene ever.