The Hobbit: Battle Of The Five Armies Review (2014)

The Hobbit: Battle Of The Five Armies

  I didn't go into this movie with high expectations because, well, they made a 3 hour movie out of the last 40 pages of the book. If we're all honest, we'll admit that those last 40 pages were pretty boring. 

  When the film started, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it! And not for the reasons you might be expecting.

  Martin Freeman should win an award for best facial expression ever. He makes Bilbo such a likeable character and really nails that loveable, possessed, loyal, thief. Luke Evans and Richard Armitage also do a great job in their roles. Thorin's character arc is super engaging and Armitage does excellent at making it believable. 

  Now here are my gropes. There is this character called Alfrid in the film (the villager with the unibrow) that is meant to be there for comic relief and ends up with more screen time than Bilbo. Anyway, this guy changes the entire mood of the movie as we go from him being incredibly stupid to a death scene in one take. He gives this lightness to the film that really took me out of it and had me laughing at parts that weren't supposed to be funny. The execution of certain scenes took themselves so seriously and could have been avoided so easily that they were honestly just laughable. 

  I can't say that this made the movie bad, because I enjoyed laughing my head off, but if I had tried to take it seriously, I would have probably just felt like those parts were stupid. 

  As you can see, I have mixed feelings for this film. I'd have to give it a 2.5 out of 5 stars. (Watch If Free)

Exodus: Gods and Kings Reveiw (2014)

Exodus: Gods and Kings

 

  This film was a very mixed bag for me. While the cinematography, battle sequences, and scale of the sets were all extraordinary, you could just feel the bitter Atheism of Ridley Scott through his work. You could feel it as he made God a whiny, demanding, 11 year old, blonde, British boy. You could feel it as he attributes every single one of the plagues to science except for the death of the first born because of course God gets the credit for killing the children. You could feel it as he made Moses's character act like a barbaric, entitled, schizophrenic who hit his head a little too hard on a rock before seeing God and the burning bush. 

   Blasphemy aside, when you take away the very core of the Moses story, it loses all of the things that make it a great story in the first place. The best, most emotional parts were the ones accurate to the bible, like the last plague. Scott tried so hard for the red sea parting to look naturalistic that it ended up being just unsatisfying and anticlimactic in light of the rest of the story. It also bothered me that Ramases used a line from Gladiator twice. "He sleeps so well because he's loved" I get that it's the same director, but really? 

  It was a technically solid film, but it could have been sooo much better. The white-washed cast was very distracting (as much as I love the actors). It really took me out of the story. On top of all that, it didn't seem like the film focused enough on the horrors of being a Hebrew slave. If anything, I sympathized more with the Egyptians. I wanted to feel that intense motivation to free the Jews and it falls flat in it's delivery. A lot of potential, but it is ultimately uninspiring. I don't know what audience Scott was trying to market this film too. Bible readers who don't read the bible? 2 out of 5 stars. (It's Okay)

The Theory Of Everything Review (2014)

The Theory of Everything 

 

  First I'd like to congratulate Eddie Redmayne on the Oscar he will for sure receive with his performance of Steven Hawking. The pretty boy of Les Miserables loses himself in this less than refined role that defines his career. Felicity Jones might also be looking at some nominations for her great performance. Both actors have this chemistry that you really buy and you genuinely care for them.

  This movie manages to make flawed character without villainizing anybody. The characters feel so real and we can relate to each and every one of them.

  The cinematography is gorgeous to look at as we are immersed into the classy late 50s. 

  I was genuinely moved by this film and the life of Steven Hawking, though I do not agree with his theories, it is amazing how resilient the bodies are and what we can achieve if we don't give up. 4 out of 5 stars for this inspiring film. (It's Great)

Interstellar Review (2014)

Interstellar 

 

  I now take time to review the most anticipated movie of the year as a massive Christopher Nolan fangirl. 

  Nolan takes us to planets we've never been before with this incredible ambitious masterpiece about the bonds of love through time and space. 

   Nolan's decision not to use lots of CGI makes for one of the most beautiful films I've seen since James Cameron's Avatar. The sets are big, the planets are gorgeous and then being taken back to remote earth provides such a cool contrast in color and richness. 

  Let's also talk about Hans Zimmer's score. Just wow. The atmospheric beauty of the organ and unorthodox sound mixing may even win him an Oscar.

  Matthew McConhaughey, Jessica Chastain, Anne Hatheway, Michael Caine, and everyone else do excellent in their roles, really masterfully creating that emotional bond between audience and character. A few times I even felt myself tearing up during the heart-tugging scenes.

  Christopher Nolan takes huge concepts like time relativity, gravity, wormholes, and black holes, and really explains them in a way that is engaging. 

  Like most of Nolan's movies, Interstellar is intensely complex and if you miss something, you may be confused for the rest of the movie. Some of the science talk may bore casual movie goers, and Nolan's crazy, ambitious, twilight-zone-like ending might leave some people feeling unsatisfied. Regardless of what you end up thinking at the end of the movie, it is (A Must See). Love it or hate it, this movie will be talked about for coming years. 5 out of 5 stars.

Mockingjay Part 1 Review (2014)

Mockingjay Part 1

  Jennifer Lawrence is back as Katniss Everdeen to fight against the capital in Mockingjay Part 1. 

  If you go into this looking for a lot of the same stuff you liked the first two movies, you're going to be disappointed. There are no hunger games, not a lot of action, but there is a lot of politics and propaganda. In fact, most of the movie is the rebellion putting propaganda out against the capital and the capital putting propaganda out against the rebels. 

  As a fan of the book, I expected it to be the slower of the two parts, similar to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I think fans of the book will appreciate the extra part to fill in all of the details that really build it up for part 2. 

  I thought this film was very powerful and was even moved to tears at certain points. All of the cast does wonderful, especially Woodey Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Jennifer Lawrence, Donald Sutherland, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. 

  If I had any problems with the film, it would have to be with the CGI used toward the end. It felt a little bit like the CGI used in the first Captain America movie. That aside, I anticipate Mockingjay Part 2 very highly! 4.5 out of 5 stars. (I'd Buy It)

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

  I feel like the title alone should take a star off this movie...

  I expected this to be somewhat like the Diary of a Wimpy Kid films given all of the great reviews. Unfortunately, it wasn't half as funny. While the acting from most of the cast is solid (with the exception of Jennifer Garner who felt out of place) the characters just weren't that interesting and I didn't really care whether or not their day sucked.

  It took it's punches, sometimes landing and sometimes missing very embarrassingly. It's not a terrible film if you have young children, if you're a fan of the book series, or if you just want to watch something lighthearted, but for me at least, I didn't find it very memorable.

  I wanted to like it more than I did which is always unfortunate. 2 out of 5 stars. (It's Okay)

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Review (2014)

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

  Being a big fan of Rise of the Planet of the Apes, I went into this with high expectations. Thankfully, those expectations were met. 

  Andy Serkis returns as Caeser in the second installment of the Planet of the Apes franchise, and it really feels like the Dark Knight of the series. Not only does it blow the first movie out of the water, but it really does take you places that you don't expect.

  The director really knows his way around the setting of his world and has established Caeser as leader. When Andy Serkis is gone, you really feel yourself missing his presence.

  The entire cast is fabulous, the story keeps your attention, it's emotional where it needs to be, and it really leaves you looking forward to the second one. 

  Only gripe is that the end feels a little long. By the end of it, you start to really feel the run time which makes it a hard movie to watch over and over again. 3.5 out of 5 stars. (Worth Ticket Price)

Maleficant Review (2014)

Maleficant 

  This movie was very stunning to look at. The use of color and lighting, the beautiful creatures and forests. Unfortunately, a pretty film isn't enough to keep me invested. 

  It starts out with Maleficent as a little girl. If you don't already know this, I'll tell you now. I hate child actors. The little girl is terrible and before the Angelina even makes an appearance, I want to turn it off.

  When she does appear, the movie gets a little better, but not by much. The whole tone feels so childish and silly. Sleeping Beauty, played by Elle Fanning, is good, but a lot of bad things could have been avoided if characters were just a little smarter.

  The little fairy creatures (that were great in the original cartoon) were so stupid in this movie for the sake of laughs, that I literally felt my IQ lowering. 

  Another thing that bothered me was the powers of Maleficent. Even the film makers didn't seem to know the boundaries of her magic, let alone audience. 

  This isn't a very good film. I give it 1. 5 out of 5 stars. (Skip It)

The Maze Runner Review (2014)

The Maze Runner

  As a huge fan of the book, I really looked forward to seeing this movie. Was it everything I hoped for?

  Well, let me start off by saying that the massive scale of the maze was super impressive. The director, Wes Ball, started off as a Cinematographer and designer so the maze looks absolute amazing. 

  Dylan O'brien does excellent as Thomas. His range of acting expression is really impressive for such a young guy. Ki Hong Lee and Thomas Brodie Sangster also did great in their roles.

  I do have some problems with the film however. While most of it stuck to the book, the ending felt very rushed and seemed to be achieved way easier than it was in the book.

   Because of the time limit some of the characters couldn't be developed as well such as Alby, Chuck, and Gally.

  Watching it for a second time, the movie also felt a little long. I wish they'd had taken out some of the less relevant parts that weren't in the book like Gally fighting Thomas, instead of rushing through the important stuff.

  Overall, it's a solid film that you can have a lot of fun with. I look forward to Scorch Trials. 4 out of 5 stars. (It's Great)

Million Dollar Arm Review (2014)

Million Dollar Arm

  This is a great story that I recommend you take the whole family to see. Not only is it charming and funny at times, but it has real heart. 

  John Hamm plays a rich, flawed, desperate man, and it is fun to watch his character grow. I will also be looking out for Saraj Sharma in the future, I think he'll have a bright career in Hollywood.

  The scenes in India are really fun and beautiful to look at. I love seeing more of this diversity in Hollywood. 

  Have you see this type of story before? Probably. But this film knows what it is, and it works it. 4 out of 5 stars! (It's Great)

The Hundred-Foot Journey Review (2014)

The Hundred-Foot Journey

  I went into this thinking it would be a boring, predictable, Hallmark-ish movie about food. Boy was I surprised.

  This delightful story packed a real punch with it's delicate storytelling and endearing characters. Hellen Mirren and Manish Dayal are great in this film. The character's passion for cooking is so infectious that you want to go home and cook yourself. From the way they talk about food, to the way they treat their job like an art––It really gave the movie so much flavor.

  While it did drag on a bit at the end, and everything did seem to work out a little too perfectly, I really enjoyed this and would love to see it again. 4 out of 5 stars! (It's Great)

The Fault In Our Stars Review (2014)

The Fault In Our Stars 

  Wow. This is by far one of the best movies of 2014. This adaption of John Green's novel really nails the book to movie thing in a way that most film makers can't. It will have you weeping, laughing, weeping again, and then weeping some more. My point? Bring tissues.

  Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort do such a good job with their characters, you won't even realize how much you loved them until you have to leave the theater. 

  It has all of the thought provoking philosophies of the book, as well as the charm.

  As a person who isn't big into romance movies, The Fault In Our Stars has a way of telling a story about cancer and love, in a brutally honest but tactful way. You will leave the theater a changed person. 5 out of 5 stars for this piece of perfection. (A Must See)

Dracula: Untold Review (2014)

Dracula: Untold

  Having never seen any of the original Dracula movies, I came to this with a clean slate, expecting an entertaining action movie. That is exactly what I got.
  Behind the curtain, not much is happening in this film, but I certainly enjoyed it none-the-less. Luke Evans plays the kick-butt vampire of Transylvania, and he really tries to do a lot with his role! While we all know where the story is going to go in the end, it's nice to see him make the journey.

  My favorite aspect of this movie was actually the CGI. His bat powers were absolutely amazing to see on the big screen, I'd watch it again just for that. 

  By the end of the movie, it starts to fall a part a bit and the last scene is confusing, but I was never bored. 3 out of 5 stars. (Rent It)

God's Not Dead Review (2014)

God's Not Dead

  It's that time of year again where we get another Christian film that is full of bad acting, bad production, and sappy plots. We've come to expect that now.

  God's Not Dead has an interesting premise, God verses Atheism. Dealing with a lot of Atheists myself, I know their arguments and for the most part I know how to rebut them. In God's Not Dead, the arguments for God feel like they could have been improved upon. I also with they'd had focused on moral authority instead of "scientific" proof. On top of that, there were way too many subplots going on. I felt like I was watching the Christian version of New Years Eve. 

  It really annoyed me how the main character listened to his annoying girlfriend like she was his mother, and when she dumps him (it should have been the opposite) he's sad about it. Seriously? Now I just kind of hate you.

  The movie is predictable, like most Christian movies and in the end tries to be moving. Unfortunately, it doesn't make much of an impression. 1.5 out of 5 stars. (Skip It)

The Giver Review (2014)

The Giver

  My overall, consensus of the giver is that it is a really good story that game out at the wrong time.

  Jeff Bridges owned the rights for the film for 19 years in hopes of his father playing the giver. When his father died, he decided to play him. For audiences who don't know much about the source material and how old it is, they may feel that The Giver is unoriginal. I mean, how many more movies about a oppressive government and a chosen teen do we need? Well considering the book came out in 1993, it is technically one of the original dystopians and a lot of books are actually copying this one. Unfortunately, it is coming out at a time where that genre is trending and so it feels as if we've seen everything it presents before. Most likely we have.

  What I like about this film, is that it really has a strong message about why we should feel and why we should feel strongly. Living in shadows, without extreme pain and extreme joy are like living in a world that's black and white. 

  For half of the movie, the movie is like an old 50s film, then gradually it's starts to fade to color the more Jonah sees. This was a really unique choice in cinematography and I think it really worked. 

  Brenton Thwaites, does excellent as our lead and reminds me a bit of Andrew Garfield. Meryl Steep and Jeff Bridges also do great jobs!

  While they took some artistic liberty with the ending of the book to make it more dramatic, most of it was pretty similar. It was hardly perfect, but it was really beautiful. 3.5 out of 5 stars. (Worth Ticket Price)

X-men: Days of Future Past Review (2014)

X-men: Days of Future Past

  Brian Singer brings X-men back with the best Marvel movie since Iron Man 1. 

  There is a lot of good things to say about this film. It is clever, it has a great theme, it's quirky, it's funny. I absolutely loved this film.

  The cast does a great job, specifically, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Hugh Jackman, and Jennifer Lawrence. It was also fun seeing the old versions of the characters in the same movie with the new versions. They really feel like the same people. 

 There are scenes that are moving and scenes that are action packed. You can really see the correlation between the future of the mutants and the Holocaust, which is cool since the comic books were written during a time where racial acceptance wasn't very common.

  I will definitely be looking forward to X-men: Apocalypse. Everyone should see this in theaters. 5 out of 5 stars! (A Must See)

 

Edge of Tomorrow Review (2014)

Edge of Tomorrow

  If you like Tom Cruise movies, this is one you won't want to miss. Edge of Tomorrow is funny, exciting, deeper than you'd think it would be, and intelligent.

  Unlike Tom Cruise in most of his films, we get a reluctant hero who will do anything to stay out of the war, but is forced to fight. This creates a funny tone of humor and action as he learns to become a leader. 

  Emily Blunt does a really good job in this film as well. Her and Cruise have great chemistry, and it's fun to watch the two of them bounce off of each others performances.

  This movie can feel a little long because of its Source Code/Groundhog Day type of repetitiveness, but I found it really enjoyable and would definitely watch again! 4 out of 5 stars! (It's Great)

The Amazing Spiderman 2 Review (2014)

The Amazing Spiderman 2

  I didn't want to see this in theaters because I didn't think it would be that good, but I'm glad I did.

  The Amazing Spiderman 2 really takes time to focus on its characters so that we can relate to them. In this film, we really buy Peter and Qwen's relationship. We want to see Peter succeed and when he doesn't, we feel that with him. 

  One thing that really made this movie for me was Dane Dehaan's performance as the Harry Osbourne/Hobgoblin. Not only does he manage to get his character through all 5 arcs as the plot progresses, but he does it in a way that is quite refined for an actor so young.

  At the end of this movie, there was a scene that was absolutely unexpectedly tragic and beautiful at the same time. It was my favorite part and the way it was film was heartbreaking. 

  The Amazing Spiderman 2 is very very good, but it is hardly perfect. Like a lot of the Spiderman films, Sony forces the directors to jam pack their movies with villains. Sometimes these villains are very cartoony and annoying. 90% of the time, they are a waste of a cool character like Rhino. Electro looked really cool, but they tried so hard to make us empathize with his misunderstood character that it was just kind of lame at times.

  Overall, The Amazing Spiderman 2 is a lot of fun and made me look forward to the third movie. 3.5 out of 5 stars! (Worth Ticket Price)

The Purge: Anarchy Review (2014)

The Purge: Anarchy

  I must admit, the first Purge movie was a guilty pleasure of mine. Sure the characters are stupid, sure the plot is convenient, but hey, it was fun to watch.

  The Purge: Anarchy steps it up with better characters, better production, better plot lines, and more killing! I really enjoyed this movie and watching the purge go down on the street. You felt a real sense of danger, that these new character might not make it. 

  While it didn't have that same horror element that the first one had, it was just as thrilling. Frank Grillo really gives depth to what could have been a one dimensional character and I really liked him as the lead. 

  Sometimes the movie tries to be more profound than it actually is, but I'll give it a pass because the action is so cool to watch. A generous 4 out of 5 stars. (It's Great)

The Lego Movie Review (2014)

The Lego Movie

  Much like Frozen, the hype for this movie was insane and made me not want to see it at all, but also like Frozen, I gave in.

  The opening scene made me confident that I wasn't going to like the film with its cheesy jokes and slapstick humor, however, by the time Bad Cop (Liam Neeson) came in, and Batman, I really started to enjoy myself. 

  There were some really funny parts, and there were some really stupid parts. For me, the worst part was the ending. It felt so cheesy and really took me out of the movie. 

  I'd have to give The Lego movie, a 2.5 out of 5 stars. Still overrated and that everything about that one song is historically not awesome. Which was kind of the point. Seemed like America missed that. (Watch If Free)

Into The Storm Review (2014)

Into The Storm

 

  Into The Storm is the modern version of Twister except it's terrible. The film looked like it was shot on an iPod, the acting was terrible, Richard Armitage couldn't keep his American accent, you didn't care about a single character, it was boring, the exposition felt forced.

  The only thing that made this movie bearable was the only thing anyone seemed to take time on, the tornadoes. The special effects on those bad boys were pretty neat. Especially in a particular scene (you'll know what I'm talking about if you see it) toward the end. So if you want to see it for just that, then by all go for it. I won't stop you.

  I, however, went in with low expectation and it didn't even meet those. This movie is an absolute waste of time. My advice is to skip it and maybe watch the tornado scenes on Youtube. 1.5 out of 5 stars. (Skip It)

Transformers: Age of Extinction Review (2014)

Transformers: Age of Extinction

 

  Michael Bay is at it yet again with this fourth Transformers movie. Oh boy, where do I even begin?

  By now, it is widely apparent that Bay films are going to be filled with explosions, overtly sexualized young girls, American flags, sports cars, and off beat humor. Here in Age of Extinction, we get almost 3 hours of all of that with 2 minutes of dinobots.

  Most of the audience knows what they're getting into when they go see a Michael Bay film, but I must say that this has to be one of the worst films I've ever seen by him.

  The acting is terrible, even Mark Walhberg can't make his stupid character interesting. The exposition is lazy. The plot is all over the place. The humor is ridiculously stupid. I'd never thought I'd say that I miss Shia Lebouf.

  Not only that, but it's wayyyy too long. In the word of Cinemasins (A YouTube channel dedicated to mocking and picking movies apart) "Bay takes more time to justify why the underage girl in this movie is in a relationship with an older guy, than he does to justify any of his plot."

  There is so much wrong with this shallow, stupid film that it's not even worth going on. If you like explosions and cars, maybe you'll enjoy this. But for everyone else, don't waste your time. It'll make you lose faith in cinema. 1 out of 5 stars. I'm honestly embarrassed that I paid to see this in IMAX. (Hate It)

Godzilla Review (2014)

Godzilla

 

  I went into Godzilla expecting two things: awesome monster fights, and entertaining, plot-driven action. I didn't get any of those things.

  Instead I get, a boring, character-driven (with uninteresting characters) drama with a monster at the end of it. Not only was the movie long winded, it was boring as heck! By the last thirty minutes I was tempted to just get up and leave. I wasn't entertained, I wasn't moved. I don't know what the director was going for, but for me, it didn't do much of anything.

  The only saving grace of this film was Bryan Cranston acting, and he wasn't even the main character.

  I give this film a 1 out of 5 stars. (Hate It)

Captain America: The Winter Soldier Review (2014)

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

  Most of my friends know that I'm not a big fan of Captain America, however, I must say that the Winter Solider is much better than the first. The origin story has been developed and now we can move onto the story.

  I know this movie has received a lot of critical acclaim, but this didn't really resonate with me.

  Steve is a very one-dimensional character. He's the goody two shoes with no room for improvement. As a person who enjoys watching flawed characters like Tony Stark, learn their lessons and grow, I find these perfect, holy characters quite annoying.

  Steve's character aside, Marvel can't seem to let any of their characters go. No matter how many times people are shot at and killed, they always seem to have a way of coming back. This makes me feel safe as an audience member. I know nobody is going to die and at the end they'll save the world, so why watch at all?

  Captain America isn't a terrible movie, but it's not very good either. 2.5 out of 5 stars. (Watch If Free)

Divergent Review (2014)

Divergent

  Much like the Divergent book, if you start to analyze the plot too much, the entire foundation falls apart. However, if you are able to suspend belief of the unoriginal plot, than you might enjoy this film.

  Shailene Woodley gives a really good performance as Tris in this film, really capturing her character. Theo James, is decent, but feels a little wooden at times. I also felt like Kate Winslet was a waste, she didn't have much to work with.  

  As far as accuracy, the movie is a lot like the book until the very end. If you liked the book, than you will probably enjoy this. 

  The film itself was very pretty to look at. The Cinematography was on point, the soundtrack was absolutely amazing. 

  For me, it was entertaining, but it isn't for everyone. If I don't think about it too hard 3 out of 5 stars. (Rent It)

Transcendence Review (2014)

Transcendence 

  Wally Pfister makes his directing debut with his highly ambitious film, Transcendence. As Christopher Nolan's cinematographer, he seemed to pick up on Nolan's big cinematic concepts, and ambitious plots. While I am appreciative of this, I believe that Pfister's execution is still quite amateurish. 

  While the first act of this movie was quite good, the rest of the movie seemed to fall apart by acts 2 and 3. Suddenly, it feels like we're in a whole different movie and it becomes this unbelievable drama with these crazy ideas that even he doesn't seem to fully grasp, let alone the audience. 

   Johnny Depp and Rebecca Hall are the leads in this film and they are really really great as is the rest of the cast. 

  Sadly, I didn't enjoy this movie as much as I wanted to. 2 out of 5 stars. (It's Okay)

Belle Review (2014)

Belle

  Belle is the true story of a biracial girl who is adopted into an aristocrat family. 

  This story is quite a different one and it is really interesting to see into the life of a biracial girl in the 1900's. 

  Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who plays Belle, has this real feminine strength and charm that really works in favor of her character.

  It's directed beautifully, extremely layered, and has a great cast. It's one of those timeless movies you can watch over and over again and still feel fully effected each time. 

  Belle is a real winner for those who enjoy period films and are looking for something a little different. 5 out of 5 stars. (A Must See)

Gimme Shelter Review (2014)

Gimme Shelter 

 

   Gimme Shelter has moments where it moves and it has moments where it's laughable. Venessa Hudgins shows some acting chops here, but sometimes it feels like she's a little inconsistent in her delivery, especially with the accent she was trying to pull off. 

  Gimme Shelter had good qualities and themes, but the tone was uneven. A lot of potential, a lot of tugging at the heart strings, but ultimately it ends up being a really well done lifetime movie.

  2.5 out of 5 stars. (Watch If Free)

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit Review (2014)

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

  This movie was surprisingly better than I thought it would be. Chris Pine and Kiera Knightly show some good acting chops in this safe spy thriller. 

  I will say one thing, you're not going to see anything new in this film, but that doesn't mean it's bad. The plot is interesting, the characters are interesting. You do get invested and you do want to know what will happen. 

  I'd say that Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit is actually a pretty solid movie. Only problem, is the ending. It was very anticlimactic and unsatisfying which makes it not as memorable. Unfortunate, but it happens.

  I give this film a 3 out of 5 stars. (Rent It)

Non-Stop

Non-Stop

  Non-Stop's trailer gives you exactly what you're going to get in this film. A fun, nail-biting experience with an interesting plot and a sub-par ending.

  Like most Liam Neeson films, we get a little deeper plot than we expect out of these kind of films, we get to watch his character beat the living daylights out of people, we get to watch him figure out some kind of mystery, and we get to watch him be the hero. Over all, it isn't a bad film, but it is quite mediocre if you're looking for quality cinema. 

  If you like Liam Neeson movies, than I do suggest seeing this entertaining popcorn flick. 2.5 out of 5 stars. (Watch If Free)

Pompeii Reveiw (2014)

Pompeii 

  Now to review one of the most laughable movies of 2014! Pompeii. This pile of poop took itself soooo seriously, and it was so terrible, that I literally watched it as a comedy. 

  The acting was so bad, the dialogue was ridiculous, the plot tried to copy aspects of Gladiator and even used some of the same lines, and the characters are so dang annoying that you want them dead by the end of it. 

  This film has no redeeming qualities, it is absolute trash. 1 out of 5 stars. Wasn't even worth the Redbox dollar. (Hate It)

Monuments Men Review (2014)

Monuments Men

  As an art lover, I really wanted to like this film. It had everything going for it. A great cast, a great director. Seriously, why this movie ended up being a flop is really beside me.

  Not only was it boring as heck, but it was soooo long. It had moments, where it tried to move you, but you're just not enough attached to the characters to actually feel anything. Everything felt so one dimensional.

  I really wish I good things to say about Monuments Men, but this won itself a measly 1.5 out of 5 stars. Save yourself wasted time and (Skip It)

3 Days To Kill Review (2014)

3 Days To Kill

  I didn't expect very much from this, but it was actually a lot better than I expected. Kevin Costner and Steinfield do a good job in their roles and I found myself laughing quite a bit at the unexpected humor. It wasn't trying to be something it's not, which I could appreciate it, and it took itself lightly. 

  The plot was incredible great, it wasn't very memorable, and we've seen most of this stuff before, but I had a good time with it. Would recommend on Redbox. 3 out of 5 stars. (Rent It)

 

Grace Unplugged Review (2013)

Grace Unplugged

  Like most Christian movies, Grace Unplugged is a good effort, but lacks greatly. The acting isn't very good, the story is predictable, the filming is mediocre. It's just not great movie making, and as sad as it for me to say that, it's the truth. 

  While it is slightly better quality than some past Christian films, it really just falls flat in areas of character development, dialogue, and story. 

  I look forward to the day when we have a Christian movie that really takes its audience as seriously as it takes itself. 1.5 out of 5 stars. (Skip It)

Lone Survivor Review (2013)

Lone Survivor

  Lone Survivor was an excellent film with excellent performances.

  I really liked how the film didn't portray every Arabs as a villain, but has flawed people. I liked how it showed a different side of the middle east, while remaining truthful to the actual story.

  You could really feel the brutality of the situation and it was amazing to see these soldiers protect each other. I have so much respect for these military men and the people who worked to put this movie together. 4 out of 5 stars! (It's Great)

The Book Thief Review (2013)

 The Book Thief

This film was very very good! The little girl was a great actress, the story was intriguing, and it was nice to see World War 2 through the lens of a child's eyes. Similar to The Boy In The Stripped Pajamas, this story handles topics like death, war, and the racial hatred of the Nazi's in a very tasteful way. I appreciated the ambition of this film, and my only gripes with it, is that sometimes it was a little slow and sometimes I wish it'd have shown the brutality of the German's in a less safe, kid friendly way. Having not read the book, I can only compare it as a movie and as a movie, I really enjoyed it! 3 out of 5 stars! (Rent It)

All Is Lost Review (2013)

All Is Lost

  The reviews for All Is Lost set my expectations real high. All I heard was great things. So, I got in on Redbox while I was sick, and that was the worst decision I've ever made.

  This movie is absolutely boring. Literally nothing happens the entire time. We aren't given any background of the character, there is only one line of dialogue in the 90 minute movie, and the only thing this guy has to deal with is a storm. This is by far the worst movie of 2013 and I have nothing else to say about this piece of garbage. 1 out of 5 stars. If I could give it a 0, I would. (I Hate It)

Frozen Review (2013)

Frozen Review

   Here I review the most overrated movie of 2014. Frozen. If I had gone into this theater knowing nothing about the film, I perhaps would have enjoyed it more. 

  Unfortunately, all I heard was how great this movie was. Was it actually great? No. But it wasn't bad either. 

  Frozen's animation is absolutely gorgeous, the songs are catchy (a little too catchy for my taste), the characters are cute, but it's nothing you haven't seen before with Disney. 

  There isn't a lot to the plot of this, nor is there a lot to the characters. It has odd beats of humor that I didn't really find amusing, but the popularity of this film suggest that audiences obviously thought otherwise. For me, this movie was mediocre at best. 

  2.5 out of 5 stars. (Watch If Free) Tangled was way better.