This is a review of the movies I saw during the time frame in the title. Since there will be a good deal of them I will try to keep them short. And now with out further ado:
Kingsman: The Secret Service
This film starring Colin Firth, Samuel L. Jackson and Michael Caine, I felt, look exciting before it released. It sort of showed the kind of cheeziness that I actually love and expect from a movie like this. It was not a spoof off of Bond or Mission Impossible, but I possessed a unique flavor I have come to love. Having the appearance of Mark Hamill was pretty sweet as well. The only annoyance in the film was Valentine's (Jackson) lisp. I know it was of the character, but it was very irritating and very overplayed. Overall the movie was great and I feel they should leave it at that meaning no sequels, but you know how it goes. If it does well, we must make sequel.
Owner: Yes Grade: 8/10
50 Shades Of Grey
So as you alll know this movie was hyped like a comic book or legendary science fiction film. Everyone hoped it would live up to it, but when people saw it, the majority response was that it was slow, boring or even terrible. We was still kind of interested so we checked it out for ourselves. In a nutshell it was kind of predictable (as it should be), slow, sort of bland, but not terrible. I can't tell you what they could have done to make it better. Actually I don't think there is. A lot of people said that they should have had a differnt cast, but I really don't think that wouls have mattered. Even great actors wouldn't have made that movie better in my opinion. So check it out if you want, but I'd say wait for video.
Owner: No Grade: 4.5/10
Insurgent (Divergent Series)
I had decided to continue watching this series with my wife at first because she love these kind of series like Harry Potter, Twilight, Hunger Games & Maze Runner. This is the second installment of the Divergent Series as the group continues on to infultrate the capital and topple the system. The first movie kind of confused me and on and off was losing my attention, but I stuck with it. I have only walked out of one film in my life (Knock Off w/ Jean Claude Van Damme & Rob Schnider). I vowed to pay more attention to the sequel and try to understand the plot. I did and I thouroughly enjoyed it. The pieces were coming together much better for me. The action and filler was well placed. Not much dragged on. Makhi Phifer even got more lines. So if you liked Divergent then you should like Insurgent.
Owner: Yes Grade: 7/10
Get Hard
Ah, Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart, who would have guess how this would have gone. It definitely went the way I expected and I still enjoyed a fair deal of it. Both Hart and Ferrell was over the top as usual and the chemistry seemed to worked out well. I really like Hart, but I feel his movies were not really worth a trip to the theater. I was alright to see this one there though. I had refused to see The Wedding Ringer with Hart and Jason Gad (like him, too) because it just didn't sell to me, but I did think it would be pretty funny. Either way, Get Hard was a good movie. Worth watching if you need a crazy comedy.
Owner: Maybe Grade: 5/10
Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2
Alright. When I saw the poster for this after seeing a movie last year, I lost it. "Oh Hell No!", I said. I just could believe they would make a sequel. My wife, who like the first movie was very excited to see the second. I reluctantly went along and saw the movie, hence the review. It was ............ yeah ........ exactly what I expected. Crazy slap-stick comedy. What I expect from Kevin James as he continues to go over the top with this one. I know, he is suppose to do that, but I could not handle it. Loni Love was in it and she was ok playing the stereotypical black female cop. Not I really do love James and Love, but this movie just didn't do it for me. So my opinion is to just wait for video. Not worth a theater visit.
Owner: No Grade: 3/10
Avengers: Age Of Ultron
First of all, Age Of Ultron? Really? That is something you would give a series or part of a series that makes that could be a season or half of a season. Anyways, I really liked this movie. I didn't like the mess that they bring Quicksilver just after he was in X-Men: Days of Future's Past. I'm sure it was kind of a spit back at Fox, and it also bothered me that that he and his twin sister, Scarlet Witch are the children of Magneto, but in the Avengers they could not acknowledge that not could they call them mutants (Fox owns that right) *sigh*. The movie was good. It kept my attention more in the filler that the first one did. The action was about the same. The fight between Hulk and Iron Man was great!!! I love James Spader, but Ultron himself bored me. I got very excited when Vision arosed. Go Paul Bettany!! The movie was good. Still worth seeing in theaters.
Owner: Yes Grade: 7/10
Hot Pursuit
Ok. I could have let this one go. Reese Witherspoon & Sofia Vergara made me excited to see this one. I should have known better, but at first I could not see it. Vergara was pretty much like her character on Modern Family, except less funny. Reese, I feel was just trying too hard. The movie was a bit less than ok. I was seriously wondering during the film, why are we watching this. I try to give films the benefit of the doubt, but it is what it is. See it if you want. I saw it for the wrong reasons.
Owner: No Grade: 3/10
Mad Max: Fury Road
Oh My Goodness, Oh My Goodness. Oh My Goodness!!! This movie was way, way better than I expected. I was not sure about this film, because I feel that reboots, remakes and continuations/sequels make me very nervous. I heard some comments from folks mostly saying it turned out very well, but that didn't push me to see it then, but then we were at that time to see a movie and we had saw a great deal that were still out. The only one of possible interest was Mad Max. So we went and I am so glad we did. This move was great. Tom Hardy was an awesome replacement and Charlize Theron was a great addition/support. There was drama, intensity, action, etc. and I enjoyed every minute of it. The guy rockin' out with a guitar on a vehicle was the best. It was crazy. It is definitely worth seeing.
Owner: Yes Grade 8/10
Pitch Perfect 2
Well it was good, but not as good as the first. The performances during the film were great and Rebel Wilson, as expected was hilarious again! Anna Kendrick's character was still pompous like before so, IMO, she never grew up. The final showing was ok. I expected more out of the German team, but you get what you get. I guess it is worth seeing.
Owner: Maybe Grade 5/10
Spy
Melissa McCarthy reunited with Rose Byrne teams up with Jason Statham and Jude Law to bring us a crazy silly film by director Paul Feig. I thouroughly enjoyed this film where an analyst is pulled in to a situation where is forced to act like a spy and does a really great job at it after all. This cast was great to see work together. Jason every was great as a comedic actor although he shows some of this skill in some of his earlier films. It was good to see Melissa, Rosa and Paul back together and Jude has always been a pleasure to see work. This is a must see especially if you enjoyed Bridesmaids and The Heat. Check it out!
Owner: Yes Grade: 6.5/10
Jurassic World
I never was a huge fan of the Jurassic series like I was for Star Wars, Indiana Jones or Tarantino, but I did admire them and wanted to go see them all. Never rushed out, but wanted to see eventually. This flick starred Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Judy Greer and Vincent O'Dinofrio. They also brought some of the previous cast including BD Wong from Jurassic Park. As expected the movie was action pack and intensive. I also followed the same pattern of the previous films. You can pretty much guess without me spoiling. Overall the movie was very entertaining and I would place it second in the series. Worth checkout whether you are a fan or not.
Owner: Maybe Grade: 7/10
Inside Out
This film created by John Lasseter and Pixar is a flick about feelings
understanding feelings. We start out with the birth of Riley and the
feelings she develops in time. The five feeling portrayed were Joy by
Amy Poehler (SNL and Parks & Recreations), Fear by Bill Hader (SNL
and Skeleton Twins), Disqust by Mindy Kaling, Anger by Lewis Black
(Stand Up and The Daily Show) and Sadness by Phillis Smith.
The movies shows a lot of the aspects of the human mind. The one that I
need to yet understand is Abstract Thought. I will need to look that
up. Another area that threw me was The Sub-conscience. I thought it
had a part in what we call second nature, but this movie showed
different. Either way, this movie was very toughing and emotional. It
seriously tug at the heart strings and has a great deal of funny scenes.
This movie was very well done and I would place it as one of my
favorite Pixar films. Highly recommend all to see.
Oh and the short film, that Pixar always shows before the major feature,
was wonderful. You will see if you haven't seen Inside Out yet.
Enjoy!
Owner: Yes Grade: 9/10
Magic Mike XXL
I know what you may think. Why is he reviewing on a movie that not aimed towards his demographic? Because even though if this movie wasn't for me, I (along with my wife) actually wanted to see it. Now when going to see this film, you must of have seen the first one because believe it or not there is a story line where they had most of the cast back. The movie performances were great IMO. The soundtrack was very nice. The dialog was pretty funny and at times a bit too serious (at least they try to be too serious). That is my only negative part of the movie. This is definitely worth seeing in theaters and to own. The performance with Tatum and tWitch was very impressive. Check this one out if you like. I recommend it.
Owner: Yes Grade7.5/10
Trainwreck
I could not believe I chose this movie over Ant-Man, that released the same day, but we did and I never got around to see Ant-Man this summer (very sad). Was it worth it? Well read on and determine for yourself. This is the premiere movie for comedienne, Amy Schumer with director Judd Apatow. Starring with her are SNL veterans, Bill Hader and Vanessa Bayer. It did turn out to be a pretty funny movie with was goofy dialog during the first half of the film and got the typical rom-com serious, especially with Apatow, towards the end. They surrounded themselves with a pretty impressive supporting cast including Dave Attell (Stand Up), Colin Quinn (SNL), Randall Park (Fresh Of The Boat & The Interview), Brie Larson (Community), LeBron James (NBA) and Tilda Swinton (Narnia). Yes! That Tilda Swinton. How they pull her into it IDK. It is definitely worth seeing, but only if you are knowledgeable and/or a fan of Schumer and/or Apatow. So have you determined if I thought it was worth it? Let's just say, I can't believe I chose this movie over Ant-Man and I then never got around to seeing Ant-Man for the remaining of the summer.
Owner: Maybe Grade: 6.5/10
Pixels
This Adam Sandler film was not one for everyone. Only for the major 1980s video game geeks like myself. This film to me will not fall in to the list of bad Sandler films and there are a good amount of them. This was a fun flick and it was kind of easy to point out the various games portayed in the movie. There is not much to say about the film. My only angst about it is that they really rushed in to the invasion, but it was probably good that he did because otherwise the film would have dragged on. Check out this movie even if you either don't like Sandler or video games. You just might like it.
Owner: Yes Grade: 6.5/10
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation
Number four of the incredible franchise starring Tom Cruise and Ving Rhames. This time they are going after an infamous group called the Syndicate, who's seems to always have a hand up on the IMF. like the previous films it has some amazing action and intense dialog. Hunt continues his intense running and motorcycling this time on a curving cliff. Ving is seriously is looking old, but still loves him in this series. Go Luther! There is nothing more to talk about this movie, but it will definitely keep your attention.
Owner: Yes Grade: 8/10
Straight Outta Compton
Alright! This was an amazing film. Showing you the life of N.W.A. featuring Dr. Dre, Ice Cube & Eazy-E. It starred a couple of new young actors supported by Paul Giamatti. Corey Hawkins was a student of Julliard and was being held by his agent and manager until they were to find the perfect role for him to start his acting career. That came with this movie and he did a phenomenal job as Andre "Dr. Dre Young. Hawkins was trained in the DJ/Producing ways by Dr. Dre himself. Jason Mitchell was just a young man coming up in the rough streets of New Orleans, but was discovered and was highly recommended to become Eric "Eazy-E" Wright. He was taken under the wing of WC of Westside Connection and performed very well as the pusher become rapper. And finally O'Shea Jackson, Jr., had the distinct pleasure to portray his genius father Ice Cube in the film and he was amazing. Ice Cube said that he was very hard on his son and he had to work hard from the ground up to earn this role. She he didn't just get it because of daddy, but it may have helped somewhat. The other two actors who finished out N.W.A., Neil Brown, Jr. (DJ Yella) and Aldis Hodge (MC Ren) also did a great job in their roles. This is definitely a film to see, especially by fan of Dr. Dre, Ice Cube and/or N.W.A. as a whole. It is an amazing experience or reliving. Bringing in the great F. Gary Gray to direct was absolutely a no brainer. I could not have thought of anyone else to do this. Check it out. Great Biopic.
Owner: Hell Yaaasssss Grade: 9/10
Alright! That is my movie round up for 3/4ths of the year. Films I wish I would have seen in theaters include:
Taken 3
Mordecai
Jupiter Ascending
Seventh Son
Chappie
Run All Night
The Gunman
Home
Furious 7 (but need to see the others, so no matter)
Poltergeist
San Andreas
Dope
Terminator Genisys
Ant-Man
Southpaw
Vacation
Fantastic Four
The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
Shaun The Sheep
American Ultra
Hitman: Agent 47
I know. That is a huge list and it's probably near impossible to make all of those films.
Coming soon: September movie reviews.
I promise it will be shorter.
Until then..............
So it is back. Like The Player, I have major reservations about this show, especially it's return. Before it was a major phenomenon, but like most phenomenon (Lost, Alias, X-Files, etc.) they tend to fade out quickly because they start to run out of story to keep it going or interesting. The premiere episode was good. Noah Bennett (Jack Coleman), of course, is the major force in the storyline, trying to find and figure out everything that is going on. More of what they call, evos are springing up everywhere and as usual, they are being hunted. Like the previous show, there are a few that are being showcased and we, for sure, will be following their stories. It is slow at times with some action here and there and the vagueness is still running strong. I am a little worried, but hopeful. I loved this series before and hope they do better to keep it running longer than before. If you have reservations, just check out the premiere and them make your decision there. Enjoy.
And
The hip Taiwanese family is back. The three kiddos are still the same and the parents are the same as usual. They take on a final venture to finish out the summer. Louis tries to go at it alone, but Jessica figures it out and make it a family event. Grandma Huang was pretty hilarious and the episode was as fun as the others. Looking forward to a full season this time.
Another TV continuation of a movie. This time it includes a cameo from the movie's star, Bradley Cooper. Now this is odd because I have never seen the movie, even though I know the premise pretty well. I will eventually see the movie, but in the meantime on with the show. A new guy, Brian Finch takes on the NTZ drug and with the help of Cooper's character, he has an unlimited supply. It is curious on how this works while he creates an interesting relationship with a FBI agent. Looks like continuous crime drama. Starring Jake McDorman (American Sniper) and Jennifer Carpenter (Dexter).
So a new attempt to make a TV continuation is a scary, but it is ok to still try I guess. Fox brings out the Minority Report to continue the great Sci-Fi flick after Precrime was shut down. Dash decides to escape isolation and attempts to save the murders he continue to foresee without the assistance of Agatha or his twin brother, Arthur. He is unsuccessful and decides to seek the assistance of an expert detective who works for the department that was formerly Precrime. The premise is pretty obvious and it does have great potential. I hope it does not end up like Almost Human, which also had a great premise, but could not keep the ratings. It is a great show to see.
Well this was a long time anticipated show. The spin off from the epic AMC show about the post-apocalyptic zombie world starts off pre and during the apocalypse. Out in Los Angeles, a few families start to see the early signs of the walkers come about and they, along with the military, figure out to survive the evitable doom. The first season, like The Walking Dead, is only 6 episodes long. Just short enough for you take in and understand the premise of the show (if you haven't gathered that from it's predecessor). If you are a Dead fan, I of course highly recommend you check this out.
Another Hulu Original Show except it is truly original, which BTW, TANGENT, Hulu, Netflix, Yahoo and probably Amazon, if you save a show from the clutches of being cancelled by the networks I feel they are not you original, but they do become your show. Just my thought, but you do you. Ok. 3rd season of the Awesome, like the previous season is turning out to be................very good (HA!). I really enjoy this show and it should just keep going until they run out of ideas, which should be a long time coming. If you haven't, check out this series. It is a great spoof on super heroes and I know there are a few of them out there.
So I had never heard of this show until it was mentioned on a favorite podcast a day before the South Park season premiere. What finally drew me to it is that Rob Lowe, Elizabeth Banks and Will Forte will be voice actors on the show. So I checked it out on Comedy Central's website and I was wonderfully surprised. Ths show has the crazy feel of most of the newer shows on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim. It constantly keep me laughing and kept my attention. It take a good deal of immaturity to stay into this show. Not for the very serious person. So if you like most shows on Adult Swim, you should love this one. Airs on Wednesday nights after South Park.
