Jurassic World

This is a new sci-fi terror adventure set 22 years after the horrific events of the original Jurassic Park.

Do you really need any more of a synopsis than that?   This was easily the best sequel of them all to the original.  It had that same epic/event feel to it.  It had the same types of characters.  It had those same holy sh$t dinosaur moments.  Where the first sequel was a failed attempt at a continuation and the second one was a short but enjoyable adrenaline dinosaur chasing romp, this was a recreation of the original with the park officially being opened 20 years later and things going bad with the dinosaurs.  There were plenty of shout outs and references to the original that made the connection even better.

I would definitely recommend everyone checking this out.  It's what popcorn movies are all about.

San Andreas

After the infamous San Andreas Fault finally gives, triggering a magnitude 9 earthquake in California, a search and rescue helicopter pilot (Johnson) and his estranged wife make their way together from Los Angeles to San Francisco to save their only daughter. But their treacherous journey north is only the beginning, and when they think the worst may be over…it’s just getting started.

This movie is exactly what you would expect it to be.   Lots of crazy effects.  Lots of unnecessary was-was family drama to fill out the breaks in the devastation.  But it's of course much easier to deal with because they put The Rock in there.  There really isn't much else to say about it.

If you like disaster flicks like this, this movie will not disappoint.  There is plenty of chaos from all different angles and is enjoyable on that level.  You should check it out.  If this isn't your cup of tea - you should obviously pass.

Tomorrowland

From Disney comes two-time Oscar winner Brad Bird's riveting, mystery adventure Tomorrowland, starring George Clooney. Bound by a shared destiny, former boy-genius Frank (Clooney), jaded by disillusionment, and Casey (Britt Robertson), a bright, optimistic teen bursting with scientific curiosity, embark on a danger-filled mission to unearth the secrets of an enigmatic place somewhere in time and space known only as Tomorrowland. What they must do there changes the world--and them--forever.

The reason I fell in love with going to the movies was because I loved getting caught up in what was going on onscreen and being transported to a different world or going for an amazing ride.  Sure there are plenty of movies that you can go to an incredibly enjoy nowadays but they are all adaptions of well known material, sequels or rehashings.  It's so rare that anything that feels original comes along anymore.  It's even rarer that a studio will commit to a movie so much that they don't give you the whole movie in the trailer.  I went into this movie not really knowing what it was about.  I was afraid that they didn't show you a lot because the movie wouldn't be that good, but I was beyond pleasantly surprised.  This movie was awesome.  The storytelling, the score, the action, the chemistry between the actors, all of it. 

I give this movie the stamp of must see.  I am shocked at how much I loved this movie and really wish that Hollywood would have the creativity to make more old school movies like this.

Dope

in Dope, Malcolm (Shameik Moore) is carefully surviving life in a tough neighborhood in Los Angeles while juggling college applications, academic interviews, and the SAT. A chance invitation to an underground party leads him into an adventure that could allow him to go from being a geek, to being dope, to ultimately being himself.

This movie was entertaining in so many ways.  First - it was funny as hell watching the kid in truly awkward situations and working his way through them.  Second - the soundtrack was AWESOME!!!  Seriously.  I felt like I was back in high school/college the whole time watching this movie.  Third (and probably most important), was that it showed how someone can really rise above a situation with smarts regardless of the cards that they are dealt or where they are in society more or less.

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.  It really was a surprisingly enjoyable movie on many levels.

The Gallows

Twenty years after an accident caused the death of the lead actor during a high school play, students at the same small town school resurrect the failed stage production in a misguided attempt to honor the anniversary of the tragedy—but ultimately find out that some things are better left alone.

These hand held camera movies are pretty much a dime a dozen since Paranormal Activity started the whole craze years back.  For the most part they are pretty crappy and never have a good payoff.  This one was one of the rare exceptions.  I'm not saying that it was great or anything, but there was plenty of tension built and lots of jump type scares.  There was definitely too much looking at the floor while people were running but the story build, the tension and the ending payoff were definitely better than average.

I would sort of recommend people checking this out.  Again - it wasn't great,  But it wasn't bad like most of them are either.

Insidious Chapter 3

The newest chapter in the terrifying horror series is written and directed by franchise co-creator Leigh Whannell. This chilling prequel, set before the haunting of the Lambert family, reveals how gifted psychic Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye) reluctantly agrees to use her ability to contact the dead in order to help a teenage girl (Stefanie Scott) who has been targeted by a dangerous supernatural entity.

This movie makes a lot more sense to me now that I just read above that it was a prequel.  I watched the whole thing thinking that it was  a sequel and thought it was pretty lame that the only connection was the psychic lady.  And while it definitely makes more sense knowing this - was this franchise in need of a prequel?  Feel like they should have just continued the franchise instead?  That being said - the movie was okay.  They did a great job with the sight scares.  Definitely better than the last one.  But again - there was really no need for a prequel story and I wasn't really invested in the characters and there struggle.

I would somewhat recommend people checking this out - as long as they are aware it's a prequel.  It's got good scares and they show the other world well even if the story was lacking.

Magic Mike XXL

Picking up the story three years after Mike bowed out of the stripper life at the top of his game, Magic Mike XXL finds the remaining Kings of Tampa likewise ready to throw in the towel. But they want to do it their way: burning down the house in one last blow-out performance in Myrtle Beach, and with legendary headliner Magic Mike sharing the spotlight with them. On the road to their final show, with whistle stops in Jacksonville and Savannah to renew old acquaintances and make new friends, Mike and the guys learn some new moves and shake off the past in surprising ways.

The movie showed up online so I gave it a shot.  In all honesty, the first movie was not that bad and was pretty damn funny for the first half before becoming overly serious and stupid in the second half.  Thought this would be more of the same.  Made it 30 minutes in without laughing at all.  Seemed very forced and wasn't going to waste any more time on it.

I wouldn't recommend anyone bothering to see this.  If you are a girl and couldn't wait to see this, you probably already did.  The movie seemed like it was only going to get worse when I pulled the plug.

Avengers: Age Of Ultron

Avengers: Age of Ultron is the epic follow-up to the biggest Super Hero movie of all time. When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth's Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron emerges, it is up to The Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure. 

I went into this movie worried that this would be like the Transformers sequels with a ton of crap thrown on the screen with little to no substance.  Thankfully I was wrong.  The movie was very entertaining.  Good but not too much action.  Great banter between the characters.  Good character development of the ones that don't have their stand alone franchises.  And lots and lots of fun.  I would only make two knocks against this one.  First, a lot of the story was super rushed.  As great as Ultron was, it was like you blinked and there he was hating the world.  Second, there was some major lacking of continuity from Iron Man 3 to this movie.  Tony Stark went from being done with being Iron Man and destroying all his robots to being with the Avengers and having newly developed robots.

Regardless of those two knocks, I would absolutely recommend people checking this out.  It is a great  summer popcorn movie.  I would have it somewhere in the 4-6 range if ranking all the Marvel movies since Iron Man.

Spy

Susan Cooper (McCarthy) is an unassuming, deskbound CIA analyst, and the unsung hero behind the Agency’s most dangerous missions. But when her partner (Law) falls off the grid and another top agent (Statham) is compromised, she volunteers to go deep undercover to infiltrate the world of a deadly arms dealer, and prevent a global disaster. Written and directed by Paul Feig, the comedy also stars Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale, Allison Janney, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, and Miranda Hart.

Let me first say that I am a HUGE fan of Melissa McCarthy.  I think she is honestly one of the funniest people in the world.  That being said - maybe I'm a little biased but I really enjoyed this movie.  She was great.  Jason Statham was hysterical.  Seriously.  I was shocked.  Rose Byrne was great too.  The way that all of them played off McCarthy was so funny on every level.  The action was good.  The pacing was good.  Usually a two hour comedy tends to run out of gas but this movie definitely didn't.

I would absolutely recommend this movie for people looking for a laugh.  It definitely delivers.

Poltergeist

Legendary filmmaker Sam Raimi and director Gil Kenan contemporize the classic tale about a family whose suburban home is haunted by evil forces. When the terrifying apparitions escalate their attacks and hold the youngest daughter captive, the family must come together to rescue her before she disappears forever.

Holy disappointment.  I thought that this movie was going to be creepy as hell.  Especially the damn clown and tree parts that made me lose massive amounts of sleep when I was younger.  However, this was another shining example of how the crazy abilities of special effects that exist today do not necessarily translate into making movies scarier.  The simpler way of showing things way back when made the original scary as hell.  Like lose sleep kind of scary.  This one had zero effect on me like that.  

I wouldn't really recommend people rushing to check this out.  It's very disappointing.  It's very rushed.  And it's all about the effects instead of the slow build of fear and then the real scares.

Pitch Perfect 2

The Barden Bellas are back in Pitch Perfect 2, the follow-up to summer 2012’s smash hit. The comedy will be helmed by Elizabeth Banks, co-star and producer of "Pitch Perfect," and produced by Paul Brooks, Max Handelman and Banks. Writer Kay Cannon returns to the team to pen the next chapter.

Pitch Perfect is probably one of my favorite movies ever.  To say that my expectations for this were sky high would be an understatement.  And while there was no way this could have been better than the original, this movie was a great sequel to it.  They took what made the first movie funny and gave you more of it.  They continued to mock themselves.  The random one liners were still hilarious.  And how can you ever go wrong with more Fat Amy?  

I would absolutely recommend people checking this out.  It's a great sequel with tons of laughs.  I think I liked the music better in the first but they still delivered greatly in this one.

Furious 7

Continuing the global exploits in the unstoppable franchise built on speed, Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and Dwayne Johnson lead the returning cast of Furious 7. James Wan directs this chapter of the hugely successful series that also welcomes back favorites Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Elsa Pataky and Lucas Black. They are joined by international action stars new to the franchise including Jason Statham, Djimon Hounsou, Tony Jaa, Ronda Rousey and Kurt Russell. 

I will be the first person to admit that I LOVE these kinds of movies.  If you are looking for a well done piece of film - this is not the movie for you.  If you enjoy crazy roller coaster rides and pretty much shutting your brain off and enjoying it - these movies are the best.  Sure the 2nd and 3rd entries were eeehhhh at best but the rest have been the dictionary definition of popcorn movies.  Crazy over the top action.  Cheesy acting and dialogue.  A story that is really not all that important.   Lots of laughs sprinkled in. And a love of the characters that have grown throughout all the movies on the audience.  This entry is right on par with the others.  Probably not as good as Fast Five (my personal favorite one) but its definitely up there.  This entry did take it to a whole other level though.  Along with the action, comedy between the characters and what they always do - they did the most amazing job of heartstring pulling at the end of the movie regarding Paul Walker's death.  I won't spoil how they did it.  I will say that they do NOT kill his character off but say goodbye to him in one of the classiest things I've ever seen in a movie and pretty much left the whole theater sniffling or sobbing like they were watching a Nicholas Sparks movie.  

I would absolutely recommend people checking this movie out.  It is another phenomenal entry in what is probably one of my favorite movie franchises and one that I would be okay with them continuing to go on with.  That's pretty impressive seven movies in. 

Cinderella

The story of Cinderella follows the fortunes of young Ella (Lily James) whose merchant father remarries following the death of her mother. Eager to support her loving father, Ella welcomes her new Stepmother (Cate Blanchett) and her daughters Anastasia (Holliday Grainger) and Drisella (Sophie McShera) into the family home. But, when Ella’s father unexpectedly passes away, she finds herself at the mercy of a jealous and cruel new family. Soon, she is forced to become their servant, disrespected, covered in ashes and spitefully renamed Cinderella. Yet, despite the cruelty inflicted upon her, Ella will not give in to despair nor despise those who mistreat her, and she continues to remain positive, determined to honor her mother’s dying words and to “have courage and be kind.”  When Ella meets a dashing stranger in the woods, unaware that he is really the Prince (Richard Madden) and not merely Kit, an apprentice at the palace, she believes she has finally found a kindred soul. It appears her fortunes may be about to change when the King (Derek Jacobi) summons all maidens in the kingdom to attend a royal ball at the palace, raising Ella’s hopes of once again encountering the charming Kit. Alas, her Stepmother forbids her to attend and callously destroys her dress.  Meanwhile, the calculating Grand Duke (Stellan Skarsgård) devises a plan to thwart the Prince’s hopes of reuniting with Ella and enlists the support of the devious Stepmother. But, as in all good fairy tales, help is at hand. Soon, a kindly beggar woman (Helena Bonham Carter) steps forward and, armed with a pumpkin, a few mice and a magic wand, changes Cinderella’s life forever.

Sorry for the unnecessarily long synopsis.  Are you not already aware of the story of Cinderella?  Anywho, this was a decent live action telling of the classic animated story.  There were definitely times where the pacing could have definitely been better to avoid so many dragging parts, but it was still watchable/enjoyable.  I will say that I missed the talking mice since they were my favorite part of the movie.  Who wouldn't mis Gus-Gus?

I would somewhat recommend people checking this out.  It's not a must see by any means but it was a decent watch.

Age Of Adaline

After miraculously remaining 29 years old for almost eight decades, Adaline Bowman (Blake Lively) has lived a solitary existence, never allowing herself to get close to anyone who might reveal her secret. But a chance encounter with charismatic philanthropist Ellis Jones (Michiel Huisman) reignites her passion for life and romance. When a weekend with his parents (Harrison Ford and Kathy Baker) threatens to uncover the truth, Adaline makes a decision that will change her life forever.

This was a beautifully told story.  I realize how wussy that sounds but it really does apply to this movie.  I loved the way that the first ten minutes had a narrator going over what was happening.  It felt perfect.  Then the narrator would return a couple of times throughout the movie and again it just felt so right from a storytelling format.  The love story definitely hooked you and Blake Lively did a great job of showing the several different emotions involved with her not aging.

I would definitely recommend people checking this movie out.  It was a great story with an excellent way of it being told.

Mad Max: Fury Road

Haunted by his turbulent past, Mad Max believes the best way to survive is to wander alone. Nevertheless, he becomes swept up with a group fleeing across the Wasteland in a War Rig driven by an elite Imperator, Furiosa. They are escaping a Citadel tyrannized by the Immortan Joe, from whom something irreplaceable has been taken. Enraged, the Warlord marshals all his gangs and pursues the rebels ruthlessly in the high-octane Road War that follows.

Wow!  Just plain wow!  This movie was nuts.  Like straight up adrenaline on the screen.  I think there was maybe a total of ten minutes out of the two hours where the movie wasn't amped up and going 100mph.  The action was insane.  The casting was perfect.  I love Tom Hardy more and more every movie he does.  This movie was done so well that you feel like you are there in that world.  I had that same feeling from when I used to play GTA III after watching this where leaving the theater I was ready to drive like they were.  

I absolutely loved this movie and recommend everyone check it out.  It is super violent but is one hell of an awesome ride and excellent filmmaking for the kind of movie it was.