Mud Review (2013)

Mud Review 

 

   Let me start off by saying that the actor who played Ellis (Tye Sheridan) was GREAT. Usually I hate kid actors but this guy totally nailed his role. With his parents on the verge of divorce, Ellis just wants to believe that love can work and that is the motivation for helping Mud.
  If you go into this not knowing what to expect then you may be disappointed by all of the praise it's getting. Mud is not a tense, edge of your seat, action thriller and if anything is rather slow (Sometimes even too slow). If you go into it knowing that, then I think you will like this little indie. The brilliant directing and the effortlessly stunning performances from the cast are the only thing that kept me in my seat, especially when the plot runs thin. Is it over-hyped? Yes, but it's not awful. 2 out of 5 stars. (It's Okay)

The Wolverine Review (2013)

The Wolverine Review

 

   I'm going to be totally honest in saying that I haven't enjoyed too many superhero movies this summer, but Wolverine definitely revived that inner fangirl. Most of the time it is hard to relate to characters that can't die *cough* *cough* superman *cough*, but the story of Logan makes you want him to go all the way. 
  The fighting scenes were intense, but not overdone. Some may argue there are not enough action sequences to which I kindly disagree. There was an especially cool scene atop a bullet train that really caught my eye. The camera work was excellent and I was entertained the whole way through. While the story structure is simple minded and can casually be watched, the characters are colorful and Hugh Jackman does an excellent job as Logan (duh). One of the villains, Viper, was a bit weak and unnecessary in my opinion, but overall I award the Wolverine a 3.5 out of 5 stars. I couldn't quite get it to four. (Worth Ticket Price)

World War Z Review (2013)

 World War Z Review

  World War Z is what summer movies are all about. It was extremely entertaining, quickly paced, and intelligent. I was afraid when watching the trailers that the zombies would look very CGI, but thankfully they didn't, they were actually pretty cool. 
 Brad Pitt has a solid performance as Gerry Lane who's character I liked a lot although really anybody could have played him. The rest of the actors were also solid. I wouldn't say that anyone stood out, but I don't have any complaints as far as the acting goes. 
  Overall I'd say that it worked and I enjoyed the heck out of it. It didn't lag, it ended where it needed to and definitely was far better than Febuary's Warm Bodies. Yikes... World War Z is a thrill ride ranking right up there as a less scary version of I Am Legend. I give it a 4 out of 5 stars. (It's Great)

Man of Steel Review (2013)

Man Of Steel Review

 

  In Man of Steel, Zack Snyder tries to reinvent the origin of superman. Do they suceed? Well...

  We start off in Kyrpton and spend quite a bit of time there before Kal-el is even sent off to earth. Kyrpton looks pretty cool and Russell Crowe did the best he could with the time he had there but once little Kal-el is sent off in his ship, the movie hits the ground hard. 

  Clark is shown as an adult and we get to know him in a series of very choppy, badly directed flashbacks. While the casting for Clark as a child was pretty good, the actors themselves I wasn't very impressed with. 

  My hopes for this movie were REALLY high. I wanted to like it very badly despite the bad critic reviews, but honestly, I just didn't. What kept going through my mind was, "Why should I care?" and "When will this end?". The end half of the movie is overwhelmed with a lot of boring action while the character development is nowhere to be found. Lois and Clark had NO chemistry whatsoever and I didn't understand why they cared so much about each other. 

  No one really killed it in their roles and the plot was EVERYWHERE! I am very disappointed with this film and honestly I doubt there ever will ever be a good superman movie. Again, I really wanted to like this and really tried to find the good in it, but everything was just so bad that I couldn't even be entertained by it. Sadly, (and it pains me to do this) I give Man of Steel a 1 out of 5 stars because it really was just a hot mess. But hey, on the bright side, Henry Cavill is really good looking. (Hate It)

The Purge Review (2013)

The Purge Review


  Going into this movie I was excited because I LOVED the concept. It was original, intriguing, and seemingly a perfect world for our story to take place in. 
  While I must admit the story line could have been taken to more extraordinary levels, I quite enjoyed this movie. Granted some of the characters, mainly the children, got on my nerves quite a few times, and then there were a few obvious jump scares in the beginning, but there was something fresh about the concept of this film that I really liked. Is it for everyone? Not at all. Some may find this movie more amusing than scary and I will admit, a lot of the problems they faced could have been avoided if the characters showed a little more common sense. 
  Also The Purge failed in the area of horror. It seemed like more of a thriller to me and was kinda forgettable. It's not great, but it's entertaining. A little forced perhaps, but bearable. Overall I give The Purge a 3 out of 5 stars. If you don't want to have to think very much and just enjoy the movie, this is for you. (Rent It)

After Earth Review (2013)

After Earth Review

 

  I went into this film with very very low expectations and enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Is that saying much? Not really... After Earth is probably the best I've seen of M. Night Shyamalan but I've pretty much hated all of his movies. While Will and Jaden smith do the best they can with such little plot to work with, some of the journey seemed a bit tedious at parts. Jaden has a lot of potential but I don't know if working with a director like Shyamalan can help him in his skill. That being said, the movie had it's moments and I had more fun with it than I thought I would due to all of the horrible reviews it's gotten. 

  Will Smith's character is supposed to be fearless but comes across sometimes as a stiff, emotionless, jerk. Again, he did the best he could in a role that wasn't very endearing.

  I thought this movie was decent and that if it had a better director it could have been even more decent, unfortunately we were stuck with Shyamalan. If this didn't interest you from the trailer, than you will probably hate it.

  I will be gracious and give After Earth a 2.5 out of 5 stars. (Watch If Free)

Now You See Me Review (2013)

Now You See Me Review

 

  Let me start off by saying that Now You See Me is not the modern day Prestige. So don't go into this thinking that it will even be the same caliber. That being said, I had a blast with this movie despite all of the bad reviews. 

  The cast had great chemistry, it kept you thinking, it was funny, fastly paced, clever, and fun. I think that it did bite off a little more than it could chew by the end, but if you accept this film for what it is, you will find yourself really invested. 

  Now You See Me has an all star cast including: Jessie Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, Melanie Laurent, Morgan Freeman, and Michael Caine who all suited their roles very nicely. Could this movie have happened in real life? Not likely. But it worked for me. I'll give it 3.5 out of 5 stars! Good way to start off the Summer! (Worth Ticket Price)