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Interstellar chronicles the adventures of a group of explorers who make use of a newly discovered wormhole to surpass the limitations on human space travel and conquer the vast distances involved in an interstellar voyage.
There really is no other director that does a better job of making your jaw hit the floor with the visual aspects of his movies than Christopher Nolan. This movie is no different. There were too many times to count how awestruck I felt with what I was seeing on screen throughout this movie. At the core of the movie, it really was his most simple story that he has told so far. The father/daughter bond was one hell of an anchor for this movie and really kept you interested even if the science part of it all was a little too much. And when I say a little too much what I really mean is holy crap I didn't understand half of what the characters were saying. I followed the movie and I understood what was happening (or at least I think I did) but the terminology and explanation provided throughout sometimes made me feel like I was watching a really great foreign movie without subtitles. You knew what was going on because of the direction and acting, but if anyone wanted to have a straight up conversation with me about what happened scientifically in this movie or debate how accurate it was - I've got nothing.
I would definitely recommend people checking this movie out. Christopher Nolan doesn't make bad movies and he is by far the best director of this generation. Just be aware that the movie is 3 hours long and there is A LOT of heavy science involved. Regardless, it still was a really amazing journey.
In The Imitation Game, Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Alan Turing, the genius British mathematician, logician, cryptologist and computer scientist who led the charge to crack the German Enigma Code that helped the Allies win WWII. Turing went on to assist with the development of computers at the University of Manchester after the war, but was prosecuted by the UK government in 1952 for homosexual acts which the country deemed illegal.
I've said it a million times before. I'm not really a history buff so movies like this one have to be really good to keep my attention and what not. This movie was really good because I was totally into it throughout. The performances were great. The story and character development was great and they did a good job of mixing the two major plot points together that you were equally intrigued about the creation/use of the machine and the lingering punishment of the lead due to the absurd prosecution of homosexuality in that time period. I am pretty sure that this movie will be up for several awards when the 2014 announcements are made.
I would absolutely recommend people checking this movie out. It is a well done and very enjoyable telling of historical events.
In Wild, director Jean-Marc Vallee ("Dallas Buyers Club"), Academy Award winner Reese Witherspoon ("Walk the Line") and Academy Award nominated screenwriter Nick Hornby ("An Education") bring bestselling author Cheryl Strayed's extraordinary adventure to the screen. After years of reckless behavior, a heroin addiction and the destruction of her marriage, Strayed makes a rash decision. Haunted by memories of her mother Bobbi (Laura Dern) and with absolutely no experience, she sets out to hike more than a thousand miles on the Pacific Crest Trail all on her own. Wild powerfully reveals her terrors and pleasures - as she forges ahead on a journey that maddens, strengthens, and ultimately heals her.
This was one of those movies that get graded based on the performance of its lead since they are going to be the only thing on the screen for huge chunks of time. Like Tom Hanks in Cast Away or Will Smith in I Am Legend. Reese Witherspoon's performance was definitely as good as those and that made this movie and her journey an excellent watch. You felt like you were there with her and felt all the same emotions and pain. The way that they told her backstory in flashback form depending on what was going on during her escapade kept you very interested and wanting to know more.
I would definitely recommend people checking this movie out. It was a great work of storytelling with an incredibly wide range of emotions. Reese Witherspoon will surely get nominated for several awards because of this performance - and rightfully so.
Nick Wild (Jason Statham) is a Las Vegas bodyguard with lethal professional skills and a personal gambling problem. When a friend is beaten by a sadistic thug, Nick strikes back, only to find out the thug is the son of a powerful mob boss. Suddenly Nick is plunged into the criminal underworld, chased by enforcers and wanted by the mob. Having raised the stakes, Nick has one last play to change his fortunes…and this time, it’s all or nothing.
This was pretty much just another Jason Statham movie. Although the balance between brooding silently and crazy fighting definitely swayed more towards brooding. The fight scenes were very spaced out but we're really badass with the way they were filmed.
I wouldn't really recommend this bad boy to people unless they are Statham fans. Even then it's not as action filled as his others.
From Peter Jackson comes The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, the third in a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies brings to an epic conclusion the adventures of Bilbo Baggins, Thorin Oakenshield and the Company of Dwarves. Having reclaimed their homeland from the Dragon Smaug, the Company has unwittingly unleashed a deadly force into the world. Enraged, Smaug rains his fiery wrath down upon the defenseless men, women and children of Lake-town. Obsessed above all else with his reclaimed treasure, Thorin sacrifices friendship and honor to hoard it as Bilbo's frantic attempts to make him see reason drive the Hobbit towards a desperate and dangerous choice. But there are even greater dangers ahead. Unseen by any but the Wizard Gandalf, the great enemy Sauron has sent forth legions of Orcs in a stealth attack upon the Lonely Mountain. As darkness converges on their escalating conflict, the races of Dwarves, Elves and Men must decide – unite or be destroyed. Bilbo finds himself fighting for his life and the lives of his friends in the epic Battle of the Five Armies, as the future of Middle-earth hangs in the balance.This movie was just as good as the other Hobbit movies. In fact, I think that this one was actually paced a lot better than the previous two chapters. I still have to say that both this movie and all three parts of The Hobbit while great and completely entertaining are not close to the same level of the Lord Of The Rings trilogy. I don't know if it was just that it was one book that was stretched out to three segments or what, but it was just missing that LOTR level of awesomeness. Still great. Just not as great. We're not talking Star Wars prequels from the original differences. I would watch the Hobbit movies again unlike the Star Wars prequels (except for certain parts). It's just not as good as LOTR. I laugh every time I review one of these because I just say the same thing for all three. I would still recommend people checking this out. It was very entertaining and paced much better. Plus it's not 3 hours long like most of the other entries.
Angelina Jolie directs and produces Unbroken, an epic drama that follows the incredible life of Olympian and war hero Louis "Louie" Zamperini (Jack O'Connell) who, along with two other crewmen, survived in a raft for 47 days after a near-fatal plane crash in WWII—only to be caught by the Japanese Navy and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp. Unbroken brings to the big screen Zamperini's unbelievable and inspiring true story about the resilient power of the human spirit. Starring alongside O'Connell are Domhnall Gleeson and Finn Wittrock as Phil and Mac—the airmen with whom Zamperini endured perilous weeks adrift in the open Pacific—Garrett Hedlund and John Magaro as fellow POWs who find an unexpected camaraderie during their internment, Alex Russell as Zamperini's brother, Pete, and in his English-language feature debut, Japanese actor Miyavi as the brutal camp guard known only to the men as "The Bird."
Wow! This is easily one of the best movies of the year. I expected it to be well done but it actually exceeded my expectations. When they were in flight, you felt like you were in the tight confines of the plane. It just felt so real. And it continued through the rest of the movie with you feeling like you are with the main character on this brutal and incredible journey. And there is simply no way that you can't be amazed by the characters strength and fortitude.
I would absolutely recommend people checking this movie out. It's a lock to make my top ten for the year list.
Into the Woods is a modern twist on the beloved Brothers Grimm fairy tales, intertwining the plots of a few choice stories and exploring the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests. This humorous and heartfelt musical follows the classic tales of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Rapunzel—all tied together by an original story involving a baker and his wife, their wish to begin a family and their interaction with the witch who has put a curse on them.
This was a great movie. The music was great throughout and they took some breaks from constantly singing but we're able to switch right back to it. These are the kinds of musicals I like the most. The interlocking of the four stories was done so well and it was entertaining as hell seeing all these characters you are familiar with interacting with ones from other stories.
I would definitely recommend people checking this out. It really is a very fun trip to the movies.
Super spy teams aren't born…they're hatched. Discover the secrets of the greatest and most hilarious covert birds in the global espionage biz: Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private. These elitists of the elite are joining forces with a chic undercover organization, The North Wind. Led by handsome and husky Agent Classified (we could tell you his name, but then…you know), voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch. Together, they must stop the villainous Dr. Octavius Brine, voiced by John Malkovich, from destroying the world as we know it.
Through all the Madagascar movies, I was never really a fan of the main characters. It was the supporting characters that were funny as hell. Especially the Penguins. They were my favorites and made me crack up. Their cartoon was awesome and equally hilarious. This movie is no different. The Penguins are still hilarious and the witty writing for the new characters got plenty of laughs too. It's nowhere near up to par animation or story wise as top notch animated movies that have become the norm but you just don't care because the laughter is what you are going to this for.
I'd definitely recommend people checking this movie out. It's fun for people of all ages and a perfect short escape for this time of year.
From Ridley Scott ("Gladiator," "Prometheus") comes the epic adventure Exodus: Gods and Kings,,the story of one man's daring courage to take on the might of an empire. Scott brings new life to the story of the defiant leader Moses (Christian Bale) as he rises up against the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses (Joel Edgerton), setting 600,000 slaves on a monumental journey of escape from Egypt and its terrifying cycle of deadly plagues.
I had pretty high hopes for this movie based on the great visuals in the trailer and the quality of talent Involved. I figured with the PG-13 rating it would be more watered down and there could only be so much of that "epic" feel to it. It was even less so though. There were really only two major battles. The opener was decent and the ending was great but most of the stuff between - and there was A LOT of time inbetween - was lots of dialogue and deep thought close ups. The pacing was very off and it made this movie drag and feel even longer than it actually was.
I wouldn't really recommend people rushing to check this out. I was hoping for something maybe like Troy in terms of an "epic" movie and got something much more like Kingdom Of Heaven.
Pulsing with the rhythm of his greatest stand-up, Chris Rock's Top Five takes things to the next level, reveling in the high and the low, and blending a star-studded comedic romp with an irresistible romance. Top Five digs under the surface of show business, politics, rap, and the exigencies of being black and famous today - holding it all up to the light in the way only Chris Rock can. Mingling echoes of Woody Allen and Dick Gregory with the energy of Kanye West and Jay Z, Top Five is an original and radically new kind of American movie. Written, directed by, and starring Chris Rock, Top Five tells the story of New York City comedian-turned-film star Andre Allen, whose unexpected encounter with a journalist (Rosario Dawson) forces him to confront the comedy career--and the past--that he’s left behind.
This movie was pretty much wrongly advertised. I thought that this was almost like a documentary about comedians. I had no idea that it was a fictional character with some comedians playing themselves. The fictional portion of the story although somewhat based on actual comedians was very well developed with the banter back and forth and made the movie a much more enjoyable and funnier watch than I thought it would be.
I would definitely recommend people checking this out. Again - I expected something totally different and this ended up being a much better movie than I thought it would.
Get ready for the wildest and most adventure-filled Night At the Museum ever as Larry (Ben Stiller) spans the globe, uniting favorite and new characters while embarking on an epic quest to save the magic before it is gone forever.
Is this really a franchise with three installments? Was there really a need for another Night At The Museum? What more can be done with these movies. Based on watching this . . . . Nothing. This is pretty much a retread of the two previous installments and more of the same shennanigans. Sure there are parts that make you laugh a bit - especially if you found the first two funny. But there really is nothing more of value than that. It was also very sad seeing Robin Williams on the big screen for the last time.I wouldn't really recommend anyone wasting their time with this. There are much better options out there right now than this blatant retread.
A Broadway classic that has delighted audiences for generations comes to the big screen with a new, contemporary vision in Annie. Academy Award nominee Quvenzhan̩ Wallis ("Beasts of the Southern Wild") stars as Annie, a young, happy foster kid who's also tough enough to make her way on the streets of New York in 2014. Originally left by her parents as a baby with the promise that they'd be back for her someday, it's been a hard knock life ever since with her mean foster mom Miss Hannigan (Cameron Diaz). But everything's about to change when the hard-nosed tycoon and New York mayoral candidate Will Stacks (Jamie Foxx) Рadvised by his brilliant VP, Grace (Rose Byrne) and his shrewd and scheming campaign advisor, Guy (Bobby Cannavale) Рmakes a thinly-veiled campaign move and takes her in. Stacks believes he's her guardian angel, but Annie's self-assured nature and bright, sun-will-come-out-tomorrow outlook on life just might mean it's the other way around.I had the lowest of expectations for this movie. I hate the remakes of movies like this. Rarely are they any good and are usually huge insults to fans of the original. I'm not sure if it was the low expectations or just the lightness of the movie and it's acknowledgement at times orpf they original it was remaking but I shockingly ended up liking this movie. The singing was better than expected - especially the kid. The overacting of Cameron Diaz was nowhere near Carol Burnett in the original but was still entertaining. And the bottom line is that they hook you and you care how it will all play out even though you already know.
I would actually recommend people checking this out. It's a great family movie and is actually a decent version of the movie for a new generation even if it's not nearly as good as the original.
The Hunger Games continues to set the world on fire with The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1, which finds Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) in District 13 after she literally shatters the games forever. Under the leadership of President Coin (Julianne Moore) and the advice of her trusted friends, Katniss spreads her wings as she fights to save Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and a nation moved by her courage.
This movie wasn't really as good as the first two entries but that was to be expected. A - The book wasn't as good as the first two. B - It's a movie split in half that really doesn't have to. C - This one is totally different from the other two in terms of subject matter. There are no more games which was the best part of the previous two movies. This one is more about rebelling against the government and in all honesty - this was nothing but a set up for the real story from the third book which will be out next Thanksgiving. All of that being said - it is still an enjoyable watch and compared to previous "Part 1's" that have been put out in the recent past this one is definitely better than those.
My recommendation on this one really doesn't matter. You are either going to see it because you are into the series or you are not. I enjoyed it. Not as much as the others but I completely expected that going in. It was still a great watch though.
Based on true events, Foxcatcher tells the dark and fascinating story of the unlikely and ultimately tragic relationship between an eccentric multi-millionaire and two champion wrestlers. When Olympic Gold Medal winning wrestler Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum) is invited by wealthy heir John du Pont (Steve Carell) to move on to the du Pont estate and help form a team to train for the 1988 Seoul Olympics at his new state-of-the-art training facility, Schultz jumps at the opportunity, hoping to focus on his training and finally step out of the shadow of his revered brother, Dave (Mark Ruffalo). Driven by hidden needs, du Pont sees backing Schultz's bid for Gold and the chance to "coach" a world-class wrestling team as an opportunity to gain the elusive respect of his peers and, more importantly, his disapproving mother (Vanessa Redgrave). Flattered by the attention and entranced by du Pont's majestic world, Mark comes to see his benefactor as a father figure and grows increasingly dependent on him for approval. Though initially supportive, du Pont's mercurial personality turns and he begins to lure Mark into an unhealthy lifestyle that threatens to undermine his training. Soon du Pont's erratic behavior and cruel psychological game-play begin to erode the athlete's already shaky self-esteem. Meanwhile du Pont becomes fixated on Dave, who exudes the confidence both he and Mark lack, knowing that these are things even his money cannot buy. Fueled by du Pont's increasing paranoia and alienation from the brothers, the trio is propelled towards a tragedy no one could have foreseen.
Every year there is always a movie that receives massive amounts of critical praise and you know that it's an amazing film from an acting and artistic standpoint but I just find myself not enjoying it that much. Foxcatcher is that movie for me this year. I was very excited to see it because of all the reviews and the actors involved but I just was not into this movie. Or at least the first two hours of it. It definitely got my attention at the end but by that point I was in the mind frame of thinking of other things I could be doing instead.
Again - it's not a bad movie. I know that it was a very well made movie with great acting. I just was not into it. There is always one like this a year. Hopefully this is the only one.
