Jack Reacher: Never Go Back


Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise) returns with his particular brand of justice in the highly anticipated sequel Jack Reacher: Never Go Back. Major Susan Turner (Cobie Smulders) is the Army Major who heads Reacher’s old investigative unit. She is arrested for Treason and knowing that she is innocent, Reacher must break her out of prison and uncover the truth behind a major government conspiracy in order to clear their names and save their lives. On the run as fugitives from the law, Reacher uncovers a potential secret from his past that could change his life forever. 

Weird how far Tom Cruise has fallen.  Used to be the main summer blockbuster guy and now his random movies open up mid-October.  Anywho - this movie was pretty much exactly the same as the first one.  Good action, good temp, decent story . . . . . . . . . .but after you are done watching it you have pretty much forgotten about the movie five minutes later.  It's not that the movie is bad or good.  It's just sort of an action movie that is there.

I would not really recommend anyone go rushing to see this.  It's not a bad watch and is pretty enjoyable but it really isn't anything to talk about after seeing that.   The first one wasn't that memorable so why would the sequel to it be?

Boo! A Madea Halloween


Tyler Perry will write, produce, direct, and star in the latest project with the popular character Madea. In Boo! A Madea Halloween, Madea winds up in the middle of mayhem when she spends a hilarious, haunted Halloween fending off killers, paranormal poltergeists, ghosts, ghouls, and zombies while keeping a watchful eye on a group of misbehaving teens. Perry will play the role of “Madea,” in addition to the roles of “Joe” and “Brian.”

I am a HUGE fan of the Madea character.  I can't put my finger on it but the character always cracks me up . . . . . . .  in small doses.  She is like an ultimate SNL character.  Full length movies dull the hell out of the comedy and I really wish that they would stop making these sadly.  There are a couple of good laughs sprinkled throughout but the the movie is pretty much awful besides that.  Maybe we could just see Madea shorts before other Tyler Perry movies to highlight the good laughs instead of diluting them so much?

I wouldn't recommend anyone bother with this.  It really was a pretty big waste of time and definitely not worth anyone's money. 

Masterminds


In this action comedy based on true events, directed by Jared Hess ("Napoleon Dynamite," "Nacho Libre"), David Ghantt (Zach Galifianakis) discovers the true meaning of adventure far beyond his wildest dreams. He is an uncomplicated man stuck in a monotonous life. Day in and day out he drives an armored vehicle, transporting millions of other people’s money with no escape in sight. The only glimmer of excitement is his flirtatious work crush Kelly Campbell (Kristen Wiig) who soon lures him into the scheme of a lifetime. Along with a group of half-brained criminals led by Steve Chambers (Owen Wilson) and an absurdly faulted heist plan, David manages the impossible and makes off with $17 million in cash…only problem is he foolishly hands the money over to this wild group of double crossers and has been set up to take the fall. With the bandits blowing the millions on lavish and ridiculous luxuries, they leave behind a glaring trail of evidence. Now on the lam and in over his head, David must dodge the authorities, evade a hilarious hit man, Mike McKinney (Jason Sudeikis), and try to turn the tables on the ones he trusted most.

This is one of those movies where you watch the entire thing asking yourself what made all these stars do this movie.  There was no point throughout the movie where I was not thinking this.  The movie was pretty stupid and has been delayed forever because of legal issues and it really was just a giant waste of time.

I wouldn't recommend anyone wasting their time with this.  It never should have been made and should have just been delayed forever.

Inferno


Ron Howard returns to direct the latest bestseller in Dan Brown’s (Da Vinci Code) billion-dollar Robert Langdon series, Inferno, which finds the famous symbologist (again played by Tom Hanks) on a trail of clues tied to the great Dante himself. When Langdon wakes up in an Italian hospital with amnesia, he teams up with Sienna Brooks (Felicity Jones), a doctor he hopes will help him recover his memories. Together, they race across Europe and against the clock to foil a deadly global plot.

I've read all the books in the Robert Langdon series.  This one was one of the easier to read ones but wasn't too high on the suspense.  I could see things coming way before they panned out.  I figured that would lead to a pretty dull movie.  I was wrong.  The movie made some tweaks here and there to make it a much more flowable movie and to actually have surprises and what not.  Unfortunately, they also changed the ending of the book - which was my favorite part.  They made it more of a cut and dry type of situation and lost the philosophical not so happy ending from the book.  Regardless - it was a decent watch and I would say it was better than Angels & Demons but not as good as The Da Vinci Code.

I would somewhat recommend people checking this out.  It's not bad but it's not a must see by any means.  Fans of the book will probably feel the same way that I outlined above.

The Light Between Oceans


After four harrowing years on the Western Front, Tom Sherbourne returns to Australia and takes a job as the lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock, nearly half a day’s journey from the coast. To this isolated island where the supply boat comes once a season, Tom brings a young, bold, and loving wife, Isabel. Years later, after two miscarriages and one stillbirth, the grieving Isabel hears a baby’s cries on the wind. A boat has washed up onshore carrying a dead man and a living baby.  Tom, who keeps meticulous records and whose moral principles have withstood a horrific war, wants to report the man and infant immediately. But Isabel insists the baby is a “gift from God,” and against Tom’s judgment, they claim her as their own and name her Lucy. When she is two, Tom and Isabel return to the mainland and are reminded that there are other people in the world. Their choice has devastated one of them.

This is one of those truly frustrating movies.  As you are watching it - you know that it is a very well done movie in every way.  Direction, Cinematography, Screenwriting and especially acting.  But regardless of all that - you are just so damn bored throughout the movie.  I felt like I was sitting there for years watching this.  LOL!!!   Again - the performances were great and very powerful especially when they were conveying emotions without talking.  But I couldn't wait for it to end just so I could go home and move on to doing other things.  

I would recommend this movie to people that want to see all the award nominated movies because even though this was released in September, I could definitely see it getting acting nominations at the end of the year.   But it is one of those slowly paced and torturous well done movies.   Be warned.

The Girl On The Train


In the thriller, Rachel (Blunt), who is devastated by her recent divorce, spends her daily commute fantasizing about the seemingly perfect couple who live in a house that her train passes every day, until one morning she sees something shocking happen there and becomes entangled in the mystery that unfolds. Based on Paula Hawkins’ bestselling novel.

I wish I would have read the book but never got the chance.  Based on the buzz and the trailers I was expecting a crazy psychological thriller like Gone Girl.  And honestly it was kind of close to that.   But it wasn't as intense.  The movie was still a great watch and I really enjoyed the different way of telling the story that enabled the viewers to figure things out as the main character does.  Emily Blunt was great as was the rest of the cast and the movie avoids dragging at any point which is really essential for a movie like this to succeed.

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.  It was a very enjoyable watch but I would recommend not having your expectations too high to avoid disappointment.

Ouija: Origin Of Evil


It was never just a game. Inviting audiences again into the lore of the spirit board, Ouija: Origin of Evil tells a terrifying new tale as the follow-up to 2014’s sleeper hit that opened at number one. In 1965 Los Angeles, a widowed mother and her two daughters add a new stunt to bolster their séance scam business and unwittingly invite authentic evil into their home. When the youngest daughter is overtaken by the merciless spirit, this small family confronts unthinkable fears to save her and send her possessor back to the other side.

This movie had lots of good moments and creepy sights.   The kid being possessed was actually really good.  Unfortunately - the rest of the cast . . . .  not so much.  And they also mailed it in on a lot of effects by basing the movie back in the 1960s.  There were also at least 2-3 really major scenes that just made me laugh at the movie more than get hooked and invested in it.  

I wouldn't really recommend people checking this out.  It wasn't the worst thing I've ever seen but way too many points where I found myself mumbling well that is just stupid.

Keeping Up With The Joneses


An ordinary suburban couple (Zach Galifianakis, Isla Fisher) finds it's not easy keeping up with the Joneses (Jon Hamm, Gal Gadot) - their impossibly gorgeous and ultra-sophisticated new neighbors - especially when they discover that Mr. and Mrs. "Jones" are covert operatives.

This movie was literally the trailer.  I don't remember seeing anything that I had not already seen in the ads for it.  Add to that the trailer was not funny at all and you have a pretty big piece of garbage. All four of these actors are better than this.

I would absolutely not recommend anyone wasting their time with this.  Really just a big waste of film.

The Accountant


Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) is a math savant with more affinity for numbers than people. Behind the cover of a small-town CPA office, he works as a freelance accountant for some of the world’s most dangerous criminal organizations. With the Treasury Department’s Crime Enforcement Division, run by Ray King (J.K. Simmons), starting to close in, Christian takes on a legitimate client: a state-of-the-art robotics company where an accounting clerk (Anna Kendrick) has discovered a discrepancy involving millions of dollars. But as Christian uncooks the books and gets closer to the truth, it is the body count that starts to rise.

This was kind of like Jason Bourne with autism.  I'm not remotely trying to be funny.  That is literally what the movie felt like.  Great action.  Great story progression.  The characters, both main and side ones, hook you and make you care about what happens to them.  It was just enjoyable all around.

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.  It was a very enjoyable action movie and a fun ride.

Birth Of A Nation


Set against the antebellum South, The Birth of a Nation follows Nat Turner, a literate slave and preacher, whose financially strained owner, Samuel Turner, accepts an offer to use Nat’s preaching to subdue unruly slaves. As he witnesses countless atrocities – against himself and his fellow slaves – Nat orchestrates an uprising in the hopes of leading his people to freedom.

This movie was amazing and will easily end up being one of the better movies of the year.  I can't remember the last time that a movie did such a good job stirring anger and sympathy inside me at what the world was once like and ideals that unfairly and inexcusably still exist today.  It's a true testament to how good a movie is when you leave the theater feeling almost broken and silent yet will definitely suggest that others go see the movie.  

I would absolutely recommend people checking this out.  It was an incredible film and is deserving of awards love at the end of the year.

Deepwater Horizon


On April 20th, 2010, one of the world’s largest man-made disasters occurred on the Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico. Directed by Peter Berg ("Lone Survivor"), this story honors the brave men and women whose heroism would save many on board, and change everyone’s lives forever.

Even though it took over half the movie to get to the intensity, once it got there the intensity was awesome.  The tension brewing with the mechanical parts of the rig was crazy and you couldn't look away from the screen once the disaster starts playing out.  The character development was done so well that I didn't even realize that I was connected to them so much until they were in danger.  This was a very well done movie across the board.

I would definitely recommend people checking this movie out.  It's a great telling of heroism in the face of disaster/tragedy.

Kevin Hart: What Now?


In Universal Pictures’ Kevin Hart: What Now?, comedic rock-star Kevin Hart follows up his 2013 hit stand-up concert movie Let Me Explain, which grossed $32 million domestically and became the third-highest live stand-up comedy movie of all time. Hart takes center stage in this groundbreaking, record-setting, sold-out performance of “What Now?”—filmed outdoors in front of 50,000 people at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field—marking the first time a comedian has ever performed to an at-capacity football stadium.

The movie sketch stuff before the comedy special was pretty stupid.  But once it got to his stand up stuff it was great.  Pretty much similar material of Kevin Hart's other stuff but still funny as hell at times.

If you like Kevin Hart's stuff - then I would definitely recommend this movie.  If you don't - then why bother now?

Blair Witch


A group of college students venture into the Black Hills Forest in Maryland to uncover the mysteries surrounding the disappearance of James’ sister who many believe is connected to the legend of the Blair Witch. At first the group is hopeful, especially when a pair of locals offer to act as guides through the dark and winding woods, but as the endless night wears on, the group is visited by a menacing presence. Slowly, they begin to realize the legend is all too real and more sinister than they could have imagined.

This movie was absolutely awful.  I remember seeing the original Blair Witch Project.  It was about a month or more before it was released.  The studio came to my movie theater and asked if they could screen it for the staff.  We had no idca what it was but said sure.  We then sat there and crapped ourselves as we watched the very original and creepy as hell movie with handheld cameras.  The hype then started advertising it as the scariest movie ever and that ruined it for a lot of people because of heightened expectations.  Which is unfortunate because it really was an amazing movie.  Simple as hell but very scary.  Since that movie came out the handheld camera thing has been done to death.  Its now formula for like every other scary movie and tired as hell.  I don't know why I got my hopes up for this relaunch of this movie but it was god awful.  There was nothing scary.  The shaky handheld camera stuff was nonstop and way too much.  The movie was only an hour and 20 minutes long but felt like three hours.  Please just leave well enough alone and don't bother with these movies anymore.

I would absolutely NOT recommend anyone wasting their time or money on this movie.  It was a total waste of time and a massive insult to the greatness that the original Blair Witch Project was.