Don Jon

Jon Martello (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a strong, handsome, good old fashioned guy. His buddies call him Don Jon due to his ability to "pull" a different woman every weekend, but even the finest fling doesn't compare to the bliss he finds alone in front of the computer watching pornography. Barbara Sugarman (Scarlett Johansson) is a bright, beautiful, good old fashioned girl. Raised on romantic Hollywood movies, she's determined to find her Prince Charming and ride off into the sunset. Wrestling with good old fashioned expectations of the opposite sex, Jon and Barbara struggle against a media culture full of false fantasies to try and find true intimacy in this unexpected comedy written and directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

I think this is one of those movies that I had heard/read too much great stuff about.  I kept asking myself why all the critics had raved about this.  It was definitely a good directorial debut by Godon-Levitt.  And it was not a bad movie by any means.  I liked a lot of the characters as well as the Italian family dynamics.  But about halfway through any funniness about the relationship life vs single life had kind of faded and the story progression kind of hit a wall.  

I would somewhat recommend people checking this out.  I think my viewing was ruined by high expectations.

Insidious Chapter 2

The famed horror team of director James Wan and writer Leigh Whannell reunite with the original cast of Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye, Barbara Hershey and Ty Simpkins in Insidious Chapter 2, a terrifying sequel to the acclaimed horror film, which follows the haunted Lambert family as they seek to uncover the mysterious childhood secret that has left them dangerously connected to the spirit world.

Insidious scared me more than any movie in a long, long time. Like lose sleep because of shadows in the corner kind of sleep. This movie was just as good as the first one, if not better because of the story development incorporating the first and even giving you more background information prior to that movie. The going back and forth between the three times was done very fluidly and actually made the movie, and the scary moments, that much better. I absolutely had to pull my hat down so I was only watching the bottom third of the screen numerous times because I was trying to protect myself from shitting my pants. It didn't even help 3-4 times because I still jumped in my seat. The only knock I'll make against the movie is that they did a great job providing closure but then threw on a pointless open ending since there will obviously be a Chapter 3 since Hollywood doesn't know how to leave well enough alone.

I would absolutely recommend anyone that liked the first one see this one. You will not be disappointed. If you have not seen either and like a good scare, you should definitely go check out both of them.

Lone Ranger

The Lone Ranger is a thrilling adventure infused with action and humor, in which the famed masked hero is brought to life through new eyes. Native American spirit warrior Tonto (Johnny Depp) recounts the untold tales that transformed John Reid (Armie Hammer), a man of the law, into a legend of justice—taking the audience on a runaway train of epic surprises and humorous friction as the two unlikely heroes must learn to work together and fight against greed and corruption.

Wow! This was pretty much garbage. Never thought I would say that about any movie that starred Johnny Depp playing a quirky character in it but I now can. The movie was way too long, you really didn't care at all about any characters outside of Tonto, and the narrative back and forth of the story was completely unnecessary. The timing and pacing was pretty much off throughout the movie making all the action scenes silly and making a lot of Depp's comedic scenes/lines fall flat.

I wouldn't recommend anyone wasting their time with this movie. The only entertaining part of the whole experience was that Armie Hammer's head was dragged through horseshit at one point while he is unconscious and I just kept commenting out loud that he still has shit in his hair. Seriously. That was all that I enjoyed from this movie.

The Family

In the dark action comedy The Family, a mafia boss and his family are relocated to a sleepy town in France under the witness protection program after snitching on the mob. Despite the best efforts of Agent Stansfield (Tommy Lee Jones) to keep them in line, Fred Manzoni (Robert DeNiro), his wife Maggie (Michelle Pfeiffer) and their children Belle (Dianna Agron) and Warren (John D’Leo) can't help but revert to old habits and blow their cover by handling their problems the “family” way, enabling their former mafia cronies to track them down. Chaos ensues as old scores are settled in the unlikeliest of settings in this darkly funny film by Luc Besson ("Taken," "Transporter").

Was this movie supposed to be a comedy? Or a drama? Or an action movie? It really couldn't decide and ended up going back and forth way too much. This pretty much ruined the movie and made it be one of those movies that are just kind of there. The climactic scene was great but the movie was way to scattered for the 90 minutes prior.

I wouldn't recommend anyone bothering with this movie. It had some decent moments but nothing but muddled mess outside of them.

Elysium

In the year 2154, two classes of people exist: the very wealthy, who live on a pristine man-made space station called Elysium, and the rest, who live on an overpopulated, ruined planet. The people of Earth are desperate to escape the crime and poverty that is now rampant throughout the land. The only man with the chance to bring equality to these worlds is Max (Matt Damon), an ordinary guy in desperate need to get to Elysium. With his life hanging in the balance, he reluctantly takes on a dangerous mission – one that pits him against Elysium's Secretary Delacourt (Jodie Foster) and her hard-line forces – but if he succeeds, he could save not only his own life, but millions of people on Earth as well.

The number one rule of a good sci-fi movie is that it makes its "world" seem real. This movie nailed that. It also nailed good vs evil, upper class vs lower class and how self sacrifice is good for the greater good story points with great pacing and performances. The action was awesome and Sharlito Copley as the crazy mercenary was so totally badass. He really stole the show.

I would definitely recommend people checking this movie out. It was a great sci-fi movie with awesome action and a great future line of thinking that can be compared to present day on a smaller scale.

Prisoners

Keller Dover is facing every parent's worst nightmare. His 6-year-old daughter and her young friend are missing, and as minutes turn to hours, panic sets in. The only lead is a dilapidated RV that had been parked on their street. Heading the investigation, Detective Loki arrests its driver, but a lack of evidence forces the only suspect's release. Knowing his child's life is at stake, the frantic Dover decides he has no choice but to take matters into his own hands. The desperate father will do whatever it takes to find the girls, but in doing so, may lose himself, begging the question: When do you cross the line between seeking justice and becoming a vigilante?

This was a great movie. Great acting across the board and a realistic story. You could relate to all of the characters reactions to this very traumatic event. You get very hooked and tuned in to the movie the whole time wanting to see how it will all play out. There were a couple of twists and turns that kept you on your toes although I was able to figure out the main twist way in advance. There are two big knocks against this movie though. First, the movie was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too long. There was no need for the movie to be two and a half hours long. Two hours maybe. Possibly even less. As much as you were hooked by the movie, you totally felt how long it was. Secondly, the movie literally ended in the middle of a scene. Won't give anything away but the detective hears something, turns to look and the credits begin. Very strange. Like I said - the movie was more than long enough and then they end it so abruptly? It made no sense.

I would still recommend this movie because of how good it was overall. Anyone who loves character dramas or procedural shows like Criminal Minds will undoubtedly enjoy this movie.

Percy Jackson: Sea Of Monsters

Based on the publishing phenomenon, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters continues the young demigod's epic journey to fulfill his destiny. To save their world, Percy and his friends must find the fabled and magical Golden Fleece. Embarking on a treacherous odyssey into the uncharted waters of the Sea of Monsters (known to humans as the Bermuda Triangle), they battle terrifying creatures, an army of zombies, and the ultimate Evil.

This was pretty much more of the same from the first one. I read all the books and enjoyed them so I was glad they decided to continue the franchise. It's got good characters, story and effects. It's like Harry Potter lite with Greek mythology instead of magic.

Anyone who enjoyed the first one is sure to enjoy this one as well. I definitely recommend this movie to those people.

Kick-Ass 2

When we last saw junior assassin Hit-Girl and young vigilante Kick-Ass, they were trying to live as normal teenagers Mindy and Dave. With graduation looming and uncertain what to do, Dave decides to start the world's first superhero team with Mindy. Unfortunately, when Mindy is busted for sneaking out as Hit-Girl, she's forced to retire—leaving her to navigate the terrifying world of high-school mean girls on her own. With no one left to turn to, Dave joins forces with Justice Forever, run by a born-again ex-mobster named Colonel Stars and Stripes. Just as they start to make a real difference on the streets, the world's first super villain, The Mother F-er, assembles his own evil league and puts a plan in motion to make Kick-Ass and Hit-Girl pay for what they did to his dad. But there's only one problem with his scheme: If you mess with one member of Justice Forever, you mess with them all.

This was mostly more of the same from the first. The main difference was that the first one was an "original" idea that went along with the over the top foul language and violence. So this one is much more campy with the language and violence playing out without the originality from the first one. It's still fun for anyone that enjoyed the first movie, but it's much more predictable and silly.

I would definitely recommend anyone who enjoyed the original to check this out. It's still funny/enjoyable and Hit Girl is still awesome. Just don't expect much in the line of a storyline or anything like that.

Despicable Me 2

In Despicable Me 2, Chris Meledandri and his acclaimed filmmaking team create an all-new comedy animated adventure featuring the return of Gru (Steve Carell), the girls, the unpredictably hilarious minions... and a host of new and outrageously funny characters.

I LOVE THE MINIONS!!!! Seriously. They might be my favorite animated characters of all time. These guys crack me up. Sure, the stuff with Gru wasn't as funny as it was in the first one. Sure, the cuteness of the girls wasn't as adorable as the first one (although Agnes really gets me with how similar she is to Stinka). Sure, the villain was nowhere near as good as Vector from the first one. But the minions were awesome/hysterical. And that really is all that mattered to me. I was straight up belly laughing at multiple points during the movie.

I absolutely recommend people checking this movie out. Respect the minions!!!!

Fast & Furious 6

Since Dom (Diesel) and Brian's (Walker) Rio heist toppled a kingpin's empire and left their crew with $100 million, our heroes have scattered across the globe. But their inability to return home and living forever on the lam have left their lives incomplete. Meanwhile, Hobbs (Johnson) has been tracking an organization of lethally skilled mercenary drivers across 12 countries, whose mastermind (Evans) is aided by a ruthless second-in-command revealed to be the love Dom thought was dead, Letty (Rodriguez). The only way to stop the criminal outfit is to outmatch them at street level, so Hobbs asks Dom to assemble his elite team in London. Payment? Full pardons for all of them so they can return home and make their families whole again.

How the hell does a franchise fall completely off the tracks three movies in, rebound and get better and better like this? I think I probably still liked Fast Five better but this movie was awesome and second best in the franchise. The action was awesome. The fights were awesome. The humor (especially from Tyrese) was hysterical. Vin Diesel and The Rock really are the greatest tag team of all time. But the most mind blowing part of it all is that the writing and continuity of it all was awesome. You are not supposed to be able to say that about mindless action popcorn flicks like this, but these guys even managed to tie in Tokyo Drift incredibly and make that pointless garbage entry matter and suddenly seem awesome like 6 years later. And I will go on record as saying this franchise is pretty much the only one that I prefer to see in a crowded theater so that I can geek out along with everyone else with the constant adrenaline oohs and aahs the movie delivers.

I would absolutely recommend everyone check out this awesome roller coaster ride of a movie. Brainless, action summer blockbusters are what made me love going to the movies in the first place. This movie was awesome like that.

Battle Of The Year

Battle of the Year is an international dance crew tournament that attracts all the best teams from around the world, but the Americans haven't won in fifteen years. Los Angeles Hip Hop mogul Dante (Alonso) wants to put the country that started the Sport back on top. He enlists his hard-luck friend Blake (Holloway), who was a championship basketball coach, to coach his team. Armed with the theory that the right coach can make any team champions, they assemble a Dream Team of all the best dancers across the country. With only three months until Battle of the Year, Blake has to use every tactic he knows to get twelve talented individuals to come together as a team if they're going to bring the Trophy back to America where it started.

This is a textbook underdog movie with dancing. It's pretty much Step Up 5 with an all guy dance crew. You have the troubled but excellent coach dealing with demons and a cast of guys that either have to work really hard, are crazy talented but need to embrace the team and Yada yada yada. It's formula in every way. Some of the dance scenes were pretty impressive but the movie really isn't anything to write home about.

I really wouldn't recommend anyone bothering with this movie. If you saw the trailer, you saw the movie.

The Wolverine

Based on the celebrated comic book arc, this epic action-adventure takes Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), the most iconic character of the X-Men universe, to modern day Japan. Out of his depth in an unknown world, he will face a host of unexpected and deadly opponents in a life-or-death battle that will leave him forever changed. Vulnerable for the first time and pushed to his physical and emotional limits, he confronts not only lethal samurai steel but also his inner struggle against his own immortality.

At first I was kind of not enjoying this movie. I wasn't too familiar with the comic book arc or the area that the story was taking place in. On top of that, the pacing was really slow. After a little bit, it picked up big time and ended up being a great ride with well developed characters with great chemistry. While some people may think this is getting stale at this point, I still think Hugh Jackman cast as Wolverine is one of the best casting calls of all time. He still has the ability to carry this character and the movies and I enjoyed this one a lot more than the X-Men: Origins offering a few years back.

I would recommend people checking this out. I wouldn't say it's a must see but it was more than entertaining enough to get my recommendation.

The Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones

Set in contemporary New York City, a seemingly ordinary teenager, Clary Fray (Lily Collins), discovers she is the descendant of a line of Shadowhunters, a secret cadre of young half-angel warriors locked in an ancient battle to protect our world from demons. After the disappearance of her mother (Lena Headey), Clary must join forces with a group of Shadowhunters, who introduce her to a dangerous alternate New York called Downworld, filled with demons, warlocks, vampires, werewolves and other deadly creatures. Based on the worldwide best-selling book series.

I expected this movie to basically be Twilightish because of the whole teen/young adult reading connection and what not. For the first half of the movie, I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't like that at all. They did a good job of setting up the story and the pacing was really good with all the information needed to properly establish everything. Then, about halfway through the movie, it flipped very hard core into the Twilightish realm I was expecting and it really slowed the movie down for about 1/2 hour before picking up again with tons of crazy action at the end with the shadow hunters and werewolves fighting the demons.

I would actually recommend people checking this out though. Even though there is the Twilight vibe for parts of it, the movie did a great job of creating this world with all the different supernatural types are involved and established a lot of connections between the main characters that could lead to some interesting payoffs be it in the books they are based on or future installments of the movie.

The Smurfs 2

In this sequel to Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Animation's hybrid live action/animated family blockbuster comedy "The Smurfs," the evil wizard Gargamel creates a couple of mischievous Smurf-like creatures called the Naughties that he hopes will let him harness the all-powerful, magical Smurf-essence. But when he discovers that only a real Smurf can give him what he wants, and only a secret spell that Smurfette knows can turn the Naughties into real Smurfs, Gargamel kidnaps Smurfette and brings her to Paris, where he has been winning the adoration of millions as the world's greatest sorcerer. It's up to Papa, Clumsy, Grouchy, and Vanity to return to our time, reunite with their human friends Patrick and Grace Winslow, and rescue her! Will Smurfette, who has always felt different from the other Smurfs, find a new connection with the Naughties Vexy and Hackus – or will the Smurfs convince her that their love for her is True Blue?

This was pretty much just an extension of the first one. It's a family movie for those of you with younger kids. It's not awful for the parents to sit through, but it's not really enjoyable for you either. It's just kind of there. There are some laughs sprinkled here and there but this one is really for the kids.

I would recommend anyone with kids 8 or under going to check this out. Can't go wrong with The Smurfs for the young ones. Enjoy it while you can.

RED 2

In RED 2, the action-comedy sequel to the sleeper hit, retired black-ops CIA agent Frank Moses reunites his unlikely team of elite operatives for a global quest to track down a missing portable nuclear device. To succeed, they'll need to survive an army of relentless assassins, ruthless terrorists and power-crazed government officials, all eager to get their hands on the next-generation weapon. The mission takes Frank and his motley crew to Paris, London and Moscow. Outgunned and outmanned, they have only their cunning wits, their old-school skills, and each other to rely on as they try to save the world-and stay alive in the process.

While I must say this will be on one of the why did they make this sequel lists, it was very entertaining. Just like the first one, it was funny watching these "seniors" kicking ass. The best part was that they decided to push the comedy more than the action. All the actors definitely came through with their deliveries and there were plenty of laughs.

While I wouldn't wholeheartedly recommend anyone rushing to see this because it definitely is not a "must see", it definitely is entertaining. If you liked the first one, you will definitely like this one.

JOBS

It only takes one person to start a revolution. The extraordinary story of Steve Jobs, the original innovator and ground-breaking entrepreneur who let nothing stand in the way of greatness. The film tells the epic and turbulent story of Jobs as he blazed a trail that changed technology and the world -- forever.

I am not sure how I felt about this movie. It wasn't bad. It was actually kind of good for what it was. But the moment the movie was over - there was nothing to really hold on to for me to even write here. Actually, the more I think about it - they didn't even get into the Iphone or I-anything for that matter . . . . . . or his battle with cancer. It pretty much got up to the late 80s. I felt like half the story was just kind of left out there. I think that they could have sped up the process and told more of a complete story.

I wouldn't really recommend anyone rushing to see this. Again - its not bad. Its a somewhat decent watch but incomplete for me.

Getaway

Getaway is an action thriller in which former race car driver Brent Magna (Ethan Hawke) is pitted against the clock. Desperately trying to save the life of his kidnapped wife, Brent commandeers a custom Shelby Cobra Mustang, taking it and its unwitting owner (Selena Gomez) on a high-speed race against time, at the command of the mysterious villain holding his wife hostage.

This was one of the most pointless movies I've ever seen. I got excited at first because the movie pretty much jumped right out of the gates with the driving and I figured that they would get to the backstory later. But . . . . . . there really wasn't any backstory. It all just happened randomly. And then Selena Gomez got in the car. She has pretty much catapulted to the top of my annoying actor/actress list. Her being in a movie is pretty much a guaranteed Bottom 10 of the year spot. She was just plain awful and the movie played out like a videogame while having to watch the two of them in the car. It's really a shame that Jon Voight (or basically just his voice) was in this movie because I'm loving him so much right now in Ray Donovan (anyone not watching that tv show REALLY should be) and this movie is the type of stink that will stick to to those in it for a long time.

I wouldn't recommend anyone bothering with this. It was incredibly painful and I was begging WW to leave twenty minutes in and for the rest of the movie.

We're The Millers

David Burke (Jason Sudeikis) is a small-time pot dealer whose clientele includes chefs and soccer moms, but no kids—after all, he has his scruples. So what could go wrong? Plenty. Preferring to keep a low profile for obvious reasons, he learns the hard way that no good deed goes unpunished when he tries to help out some local teens and winds up getting jumped by a trio of gutter punks. Stealing his stash and his cash, they leave him in major debt to his supplier, Brad (Ed Helms). In order to wipe the slate clean—and maintain a clean bill of health—David must now become a big-time drug smuggler by bringing Brad’s latest shipment in from Mexico. Twisting the arms of his neighbors, cynical stripper Rose (Jennifer Aniston) and wannabe customer Kenny (Will Poulter), and the tatted-and-pierced streetwise teen Casey (Emma Roberts), he devises a foolproof plan. One fake wife, two pretend kids and a huge, shiny RV later, the "Millers" are headed south of the border for a Fourth of July weekend that is sure to end with a bang.

This movie was really funny. Great casting on all of the "family" members. And although a lot of the humor was raunchy, it was still filled with huge laughs. The movie kept going into heartfelt/mushy territory but kept coming back with laughs so it stayed fresh. Jason Sudekis was great in playing off the other four and with his delivery on many different levels. Hopefully this movie really helps him breakout because I think he is great.

I would definitely recommend people checking this movie out. Be warned about the raunchy factor but its still full of tons of laughs.

2 Guns

For the past 12 months, DEA agent Bobby Trench (Washington) and U.S. naval intelligence officer Marcus Stigman (Wahlberg) have been reluctantly attached at the hip. Working undercover as members of a narcotics syndicate, each man distrusts his partner as much as the criminals they have both been tasked to take down. When their attempt to infiltrate a Mexican drug cartel and recover millions goes haywire, Trench and Stigman are suddenly disavowed by their superiors. Now that everyone wants them in jail or in the ground, the only person they can count on is the other. Unfortunately for their pursuers, when good guys spend years pretending to be bad, they pick up a few tricks along the way.

Every once in a while a movie has such chemistry between the actors that the movie is great simply because of that. 2 Guns is one of those movies. The chemistry between Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg was amazing. The craziness of the story and how many people were involved in trying to get the two of them got turned from totally implausible to completely entertaining because of the two actors.

I would definitely recommend people check this out. It was a hell of a fun movie with some of the best on screen chemistry I've seen in awhile.

The World's End

Director Edgar Wright and actors Simon Pegg and Nick Frost reunite for a third film following the successes Shaun of the Dead (2004) and Hot Fuzz (2007). In The World's End, 20 years after attempting an epic pub crawl, five childhood friends reunite when one of them becomes hellbent on trying the drinking marathon again. They are convinced to stage an encore by Gary King (Simon Pegg), a 40-year-old man trapped at the cigarette end of his teens, who drags his reluctant pals to their hometown and once again attempts to reach the fabled pub – The World's End. As they attempt to reconcile the past and present, they realize the real struggle is for the future, not just theirs but humankind's. Reaching The World's End is the least of their worries.

As a whole, this movie is beyond silly and completely pointless. However, I really like watching Simon Pegg and Nick Frost together. They just make me laugh regardless of what is happening in the movie or how over the top it goes. Their chemistry is priceless and always hits me as funny.

Breaking it down to recommendation - I would say that if you feel the same way as I do about their previous offerings - then you should check this movie out. If you never saw any of their previous offerings there really isn't a reason to start now and if you didn't like them - you will definitely not like this one.

Planes

From above the world of Cars comes Planes, an action-packed animated comedy adventure featuring Dusty (voice of Dane Cook), a plane with dreams of competing as a high-flying air racer. But Dusty’s not exactly built for racing—and he happens to be afraid of heights. So he turns to a seasoned naval aviator who helps Dusty qualify to take on the defending champ of the race circuit. Dusty's courage is put to the ultimate test as he aims to reach heights he never dreamed possible, giving a spellbound world the inspiration to soar.

This movie is basically the "stories" of Cars and Cars 2 mushed into one and they are flying instead of driving. That's really it. There is not much else to say about this. It was originally going to a straight to DVD release before Disney realized that they could make more money releasing this at the end of summer when there isn't much other family fare out there and make a bunch of money off of 3D pricing when parents have to take their kids to it. Pixar's name isn't even on this.

I wouldn't recommend anyone wasting their time with this movie. It's a blatant waste of time and just for young kids. Wait until its on dvd and put it on for them then so you don't get stuck having to watch it.

Paranoia

The high stakes thriller Paranoia takes us deep behind the scenes of global success to a deadly world of greed and deception. The two most powerful tech billionaires in the world (Harrison Ford and Gary Oldman) are bitter rivals with a complicated past who will stop at nothing to destroy each other. A young superstar (Liam Hemsworth), seduced by unlimited wealth and power falls between them, and becomes trapped in the middle of the twists and turns of their life-and-death game of corporate espionage. By the time he realizes his life is in danger, he is in far too deep and knows far too much for them to let him walk away.

This movie was pretty much a giant snoozer. I actually fell asleep twice during it. Needless to say this is very disappointing for a movie with both Harrison Ford and Gary Oldman in it. It was a suspense type of movie with pretty much no suspense. And the Liam Hemsworth guy pretty much brings absolutely nothing to the plate whatsoever.

I wouldn't recommend people wasting their time with this one. It's not horrible but it not really a good movie either.

Man Of Steel

A young boy learns that he has extraordinary powers and is not of this Earth. As a young man, he journeys to discover where he came from and what he was sent here to do. But the hero in him must emerge if he is to save the world from annihilation and become the symbol of hope for all mankind.

There are two parts to this review. First - the movie . . . . . . I loved it. It was easily the best Superman movie since Superman II. I thought Cavill, Shannon and Adams were greatly cast as Superman, Zod and Lois Lane. The back and forth between present and Clark growing up kept the pacing fresh. I did think the movie was a little bit too sci fi overall and I was stunned by something that happened at the end that kind of was different from everything I ever knew to be Superman. Won't spoil it but I was definitely thrown off by it . . . . and the lack of development on it after the fact. Maybe it will be a big part of the sequel? I'm glad that they were finally able to pull off relaunching a character that has always been so difficult to do for some reason. Second part - the epic failure of DC Comics yet again. This could have easily been their Iron Man to launch towards a Justice League and they epically failed. No mention of any of the other players in JL. No mention of Gotham City. Hell - you could have had Ryan Reynolds show up as Hal Jordan and just show some sort of a commitment to it that would have been similar to The Avengers. Who cares if you are following the same model!?! Just do it already. Do something. Now there are no other JL related projects in the pipeline except for a sequel to this that will be years off. This is pretty much one of the biggest ball droppings in movies as far as I'm concerned.

I enjoyed the movie very much and would definitely recommend people checking it out. It was a good reinventing even with the WTF moment towards the end and the failure to connect this to a possible JL timeline.

Turbo

From the makers of Madagascar and Kung Fu Panda, Turbo is a high-velocity comedy about an underdog snail whose dreams kick into overdrive when he miraculously attains the power of super-speed. But after making fast friends with a crew of streetwise, tricked-out es-car-goes, Turbo learns that no one succeeds on their own. So he puts his heart and shell on the line to help his pals achieve their dreams, before Turbo-charging his own impossible dream: winning the Indy 500.

This movie was watchable but there really wasn't much more to say about it. There were one or two good laughs. But that was it. The movie was really lacking the usual fun hook that Dreamworks animation has with its characters. And that was really necessary in a movie about snails.

I wouldn't really recommend people bothering with this. There are much better family movies out there than this one. Go see one of them again instead.

Grown Ups 2

The all-star comedy cast from Grown Ups returns for more summertime laughs. Lenny (Adam Sandler) has relocated his family back to the small town where he and his friends grew up. This time around, the grown ups are the ones learning lessons from their kids on a day notoriously full of surprises: the last day of school.

Wow. What a drop off. I'll be the first to admit that the original Grown Ups was not a "good" movie but for whatever reason I found it hilarious and entertaining as hell. It was one of Sandler's better movies since Big Daddy where it wasn't just the silliness of the movie but the family stuff made it fun to a broader audience. Since that movie he has made a couple of really horrible movies (except for Just Go With It). I was hoping that this would be more like the aforementioned movies and/or the original. Unfortunately, it was more like his potty humor that runs its course and ends up being more annoying than entertaining. As if that wasn't disappointing enough - there is the absence of Rob Schneider from this sequel. There is no mention of him whatsoever. Is he too busy or something? He has literally been in every Happy Madison Productions movie. That's like the extent of his career. But he couldn't be in this movie? And a major character (out of the 5 friends) gets no mention whatsoever? Strange.

I would not recommend anyone checking this out. It's pretty much a giant turd and not worth anyone's time. I'm praying the next time that I see the original - it won't be tainted by how lame the sequel was.

White House Down

In White House Down, Capitol Policeman John Cale (Channing Tatum) has just been denied his dream job with the Secret Service of protecting President James Sawyer (Jamie Foxx). Not wanting to let down his little girl with the news, he takes her on a tour of the White House, when the complex is overtaken by a heavily armed paramilitary group. Now, with the nation's government falling into chaos and time running out, it's up to Cale to save the president, his daughter, and the country.

This movie was a throwback action movie with lots of silly one liners and overdramatic action. It was watchable but not really much more that I can say than that. There was NO reason for this to be over 2 hours long. They spent way to much time developing a bunch of stuff that could have taken 5 minutes.

I would very lukewarmly recommend people checking this out. In the end, it really is just kind of there and formula/predictable in every way. There are much better options out there.

Monsters University

Ever since college-bound Mike Wazowski (voice of Billy Crystal) was a little monster, he has dreamed of becoming a Scarer—and he knows better than anyone that the best Scarers come from Monsters University (MU). But during his first semester at MU, Mike's plans are derailed when he crosses paths with hotshot James P. Sullivan, "Sulley" (voice of John Goodman), a natural-born Scarer. The pair's out-of-control competitive spirit gets them both kicked out of the University's elite Scare Program. To make matters worse, they realize they will have to work together, along with an odd bunch of misfit monsters, if they ever hope to make things right.

Redemption for Pixar. After Cars 2, I was afraid that part of Pixar had kind of mailed it in and they would start churning out less than par sequels just to make money off of their characters. In this prequel, the story was just as rich. It gave you even more depth to characters that you already loved from Monsters Inc and besides the entertainment value - it taught younger moviegoers that would see this so many important life lessons. And did I mention how funny it was? Just as great as the first entry with the monsters.

I would absolutely recommend everyone check this out. It was easily one of the best "origin" movies ever and Pixar has gotten back to their roots of great story and great laughs for both the children and the adults that take them . . . . . or go see it by themselves.

R.I.P.D.

Veteran sheriff Roy Pulsifer (Bridges) has spent his career with the legendary police force known as R.I.P.D. tracking monstrous spirits who are cleverly disguised as ordinary people. His mission? To arrest and bring to justice a special brand of criminals trying to escape final judgment by hiding among the unsuspecting on Earth. Once the wise-cracking Roy is assigned former rising-star detective Nick Walker (Reynolds) as his junior officer, the new partners have to turn grudging respect into top-notch teamwork. When they uncover a plot that could end life as we know it, two of R.I.P.D.'s finest must miraculously restore the cosmic balance...or watch the tunnel to the afterlife begin sending angry souls the very wrong way.

This movie is exactly what you would expect from the trailer. It is a wannabe Men In Block with the dead instead of aliens. Pretty much exactly the same story throughout. The effects were decent. The action was decent. The characters were decent. Really not much more to say. It was just a decent, wannabe Men In Black.

I wouldn't recommend anyone rushing to see this. There are much better options out there. You could pretty much just wait for this to show up on television for when you are just chilling and don't have anything else to do.

The Conjuring

Before there was Amityville, there was Harrisville. The Conjuring tells the true story of Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga), world renowned paranormal investigators, who were called to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in a secluded farmhouse. Forced to confront a powerful demonic entity, the Warrens find themselves caught in the most horrifying case of their lives.

This movie was just as creepy as advertised. There was great build up of suspense throughout so you never knew if you were going to jump out of your seat or laugh at how they messed with you. I will say I was surprised that I wasn't terribly terrified (except for the stupid creepy ass doll). Scared at points? Absolutely. Terrified or losing sleep? Not so much.

I would definitely recommend people checking this one out. It was a great watch and definitely scary enough for any fans of these type of movies.

The Internship

Billy (Vince Vaughn) and Nick (Owen Wilson) are salesmen whose careers have been torpedoed by the digital world. Trying to prove they are not obsolete, thet defy the odds by talking their way into a coveted internship at Google, along with a battalion of brillian college students. But, gaining entrance to this utopia is only half the battle. Now they must compete with a group pf the nation's most elite, tech-savvy geniuses to prove that necessity really is the mother of re-invention.

This movie was a decent watch. Totally formula across the board. Most of the funny parts were in the trailer and you pretty much have seen the movie just by seeing said trailer. But all that being said, I still enjoy Vince Vaughn. Even though I didn't laugh nearly as much as I would have liked to, I was still entertained by him, Wilson and their misfit group underdog story.

I wouldn't necessarily recommend people checking this movie out because its not great or even really a good movie. It was a decent and sometimes entertaining movie only if you are a fan of Vince Vaughn.

Only God Forgives

Julian (Ryan Gosling) is a former kickboxer and gangster living in Bangkok. When his brother is murdered by a ruthless Thai police lieutenant, Julian is forced to seek vengeance or risk his own death.

This was a strangely filmed movie just like Drive from a few years back by the same director/actor. There was a lot more closeups on people's faces or them thinking instead of actual dialogue. However, it was done in such a way that the intensity and anticipation bar for what was going to happen was pretty awesome. The Thai police lieutenant totally kept you dialed in every time he was on screen (kind of like Javier Bardem in No Country For Old Men) and Ryan Gosling's back and forth between intensity and deep thought was awesome as always. Besides the filming style and the score build up in the background, there were parts of the movie that were so violent, I had to look away.

I would definitely recommend people checking this movie out. It's pretty violent at times and very artistic/not mainstream, but I was surprised by how dialed in I was to this movie and enjoyed it alot.

Before Midnight

In Before Midnight, we meet Celine and Jesse 9 years on. Almost 2 decades have passed since that first meeting on a train bound for Vienna, and we now find them in their early 40's in Greece. Before the clock strikes midnight, we will again become part of their story.

How is this a three movie deep franchise at this point? I loved the first one and actually felt like you were there with the two of them while they were talking. I liked the second one to see what had become of them and them catching up. This one kind of lost the magic from the first two and it was a little too forced and strained when compared to the other two. Perhaps that was the point that the director was going for, but it just failed to hook me.

I wouldn't really recommend people checking this movie out. It's not nearly as enjoyable as either of the other two.

The Heat

Uptight and straight-laced, FBI Special Agent Sarah Ashburn (Sandra Bullock) is a methodical investigator with a reputation for excellence--and hyper-arrogance. Shannon Mullins (Melissa McCarthy), one of Boston P.D.'s "finest," is foul-mouthed and has a very short fuse, and uses her gut instinct and street smarts to catch the most elusive criminals. Neither has ever had a partner, or a friend for that matter. When these two wildly incompatible law officers join forces to bring down a ruthless drug lord, they become the last thing anyone expected: buddies.

At this point I think that it is pretty much official that nobody makes me laugh harder than Melissa McCarthy. She was beyond hilarious in this movie with her obnoxious bad ass character. Even the points in the movie that were supposed to be touching or heartfelt, she still managed to make you laugh your ass off a split second later. The combination of her with Sandra Bullock as the straight arrow is casting excellence. I literally laughed from the beginning to the end of this movie.

I strongly recommend everyone see this movie. Easily the funniest movie of the year. It's a must see for huge laughs.

Pacific Rim

When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity's resources for years on end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju. On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes—a washed up former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Rinko Kikuchi)—who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past. Together, they stand as mankind’s last hope against the mounting apocalypse.

This was a straight up throwback summer blockbuster. Crazy special effects. Insane action scenes. It pretty much oozes testosterone. The futuristic story is developed enough that you are hooked. Sure there isn't much deep substance to the story at all and there are a bazillion cliches but you enjoy those things in a movie like this. The characters are totally developed enough and it was awesome to finally see Jax from Sons Of Anarchy (favorite show on tv, people!!!) in a movie. And Charlie Day was perfect in the Rick Moranis from Ghostbusters kind of role.

I enjoyed this movie very much. I think that some of the over the top hype that went nuts the week before it was released may have set expectations too high. But it was still a very entertaining and enjoyable summer blockbuster type of movie.

Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain

Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain captures the laughter, energy and mayhem from Hart's 2012 concert tour, which spanned 10 countries and 80 cities, and generated over $32 million in ticket sales. Hart's "Let Me Explain" tour was one of the most successful comedy tours of all time, with more than 540,000 tickets sold. Both of his shows at New York's Madison Square Garden and his performance at London's O2 Arena sold out, as well as his appearances in Canada, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Amsterdam. The tour concluded this past New Year's Eve in Los Angeles by selling out the Staples Center and grossing over $1 million in revenue in one night. Only five other comedians – Andrew Dice Clay, Dane Cook, Chris Rock, Russell Peters and Eddie Murphy – have sold out Madison Square Garden where Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain was filmed.

I think that Kevin Hart is hilarious and his story telling on stage completely destroys me. This movie did not fail to do the same. There were numerous parts where I was laughing so hard I was in physical pain.

I absolutely recommend anyone looking for a laugh check this out. It's unfortunately only an hour long but it is one very funny hour.

The Hangover Part III

The Hangover Part III is the third and final film in director Todd Phillips' record-shattering comedy franchise. This time, there's no wedding. No bachelor party. What could go wrong, right? But when the Wolfpack hits the road, all bets are off.

This movie franchise has officially passed Transformers as the one that I would give anything for no sequels to be made. This movie was pretty much awful. They made Chow basically the main character. And Zach Galafanakis has gone from awkward/silly funny to just blatantly dumb not funny. They didn't even have the wild night thing from the first two movies. The few times I so much as giggled (since there really were no good laughs), it was at Bradley Cooper or Ed Helms who really didn't even seem to have major roles.

I would not recommend anyone waste their time with this. After the disappointment of the second one, my expectations were really low for this entry and it was still crappier than expected. So sad because the first one is one of the funniest movies of all time and everything since has been garbage.

After Earth

A crash landing leaves teenager Kitai Raige (Jaden Smith) and his legendary father Cypher (Will Smith) stranded on Earth, 1,000 years after cataclysmic events forced humanity’s escape. With Cypher critically injured, Kitai must embark on a perilous journey to signal for help, facing uncharted terrain, evolved animal species that now rule the planet, and an unstoppable alien creature that escaped during the crash. Father and son must learn to work together and trust one another if they want any chance of returning home.

I don't really know how to review this movie. I enjoyed it for what it is (a sci-fi survival of the fittest movie with dramatic family elements added in) while I was watching it. It wasn't a great movie. But it wasn't bad either. I didn't really have any expectations for it. Don't know if that made it more watchable. I will make one major knock against it though - Jaden Smith is no Will Smith.

I would sort of recommend people checking this out. Basically, it's just kind of one of those movies that is just there.

The Croods

The Croods is a prehistoric comedy adventure that follows the world's first family as they embark on a journey of a lifetime when the cave that has always shielded them from danger is destroyed. Traveling across a spectacular landscape, the Croods discover an incredible new world filled with fantastic creatures - and their outlook is changed forever.

This movie was great on so many levels. The animation was awesome. The family dynamics were so portrayed in both comedic and dramatic ways. The cave people seeing and learning about things for the first time was well scripted and hilarious. The whole family of characters was very well developed. This is definitely one of those movies where the adults can enjoy it just as much if not more than the kids that they are taking to see it.

I fully recommend that people check this out. It's easily one of the better movies to come out so far this year and was very entertaining and enjoyable for all ages.

This Is The End

The comedy This is the End follows six friends trapped in a house after a series of strange and catastrophic events devastate Los Angeles. As the world unravels outside, dwindling supplies and cabin fever threaten to tear apart the friendships inside. Once they discover that they are experiencing the Apocalypse, they must come to terms with why they were left behind. Eventually they are forced to leave the house, facing their fate and the true meaning of friendship and redemption.

I thought for sure that the premise of all these actors "playing" themselves would get old 15 minutes into the movie. However, I was dead wrong and this is one of the funnier movies that has come out in a while. While the movie was pretty raunchy at times (whether it be the dialouge or the physical stuff shown on screen), the comedy was based in that they were all famous people reacting to the situation and just blatantly making fun of each other. What made it even funnier was the random pop ups of the celebrities NOT in the poster above. Michael Cera totally stole every scene he was in. You can completely tell that all these guys are friends and really enjoyed making this.

I would definitely recommend people checking this out if you are looking for some great laughs. It's such a simple concept but handled in the right way that delivers the laughs throughout the movie.

Iron Man 3

Iron Man 3 pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy's hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him. As he fights his way back, Stark discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted him: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man?

This was a great movie for a third installment and a change of directors. Honestly, I liked it a lot more than Iron Man 2. The second one was a fun movie to watch but it was basically just a continuation of the story from the first one with a cooler villain. There was a definite lack of story substance. This movie had a lot more of that and built great off of The Avengers. The continuity that Marvel has created where that timeline is a vital part of this movie and what Tony Stark is going through is awesome. I also liked that they pretty much took him out of the suit for most of this movie. All of the action was still great and there was plenty of Iron Man battle scenes, but it was a great change of pace to see him have to get through stuff without being able to use the suit. As always, Robert Downey Jr's wit/delivery stole the show and this movie was downright hilarious at times. His reaction to a sad boy that he meets in this movie might be one of the out of the blue funniest one liners ever. There was one part of the movie that was equal parts impressive, disappointing and comical all at the same time. I can't go too much into it without ruining it but it has to do with the villain Mandarin. The only knock I can make against this movie would be the partial disappointment regarding that, but it was still very impressively done/marketed and provided some of the huge laughs in the movie.

I would absolutely recommend everyone check this bad boy out. It's another phenomenal entry in the Marvel universe.

The Purge

In an America wracked by crime and overcrowded prisons, the government has sanctioned an annual 12-hour period in which any and all criminal activity—including murder—becomes legal. The police can't be called. Hospitals suspend help. It's one night when the citizenry regulates itself without thought of punishment. On this night plagued by violence and an epidemic of crime, one family wrestles with the decision of who they will become when a stranger comes knocking. When an intruder breaks into James Sandin’s (Ethan Hawke) gated community during the yearly lockdown, he begins a sequence of events that threatens to tear a family apart. Now, it is up to James, his wife, Mary (Lena Headey), and their kids to make it through the night without turning into the monsters from whom they hide.

This was one of the cleverest (albeit creepy) premises for a "horror" movie in a while. I remember thinking holy $hit when I first saw the trailer. The movie definitely delivered on the premise. This was not just a horror movie. It had very heavy political/psychological themes throughout that at times worked out awesomely with the scary parts but at other times (unfortunately towards the end of the movie) kind of held the movie back from committing one way or the other. Not sure if that makes sense. At times you were totally engrossed in the political/psychological stuff but at others you were totally wrapped up in the defend your house/family at any costs angle and you just wanted it to be a straight up payback type of movie. I can't really go into too much more detail without blatantly telling you what happens but I was a little put off by the end of the movie because I had chosen in my head what way I wanted the movie to go and it didn't go that way.

I would definitely recommend anyone who was intrigued by the trailer going to check out this movie. I did enjoy it very much even though I didn't like the last 5-10 minutes. There was good creepyness and covered all the different angles of looking at the situation that the premise presented evenly.