Alright friends, this is my favorite year. This is when I get to go back and review the year of films that was and decide what my ten favorite movies were and the ten worst movies of the year. This one, the ten worst, I generally love more because I get to re-scream about movies that made me depressed because they were so bad, made me want to vomit from being so disgusting and so forth. So without any further ado, here is my list of the worst cinematic garbage that was created this year.
10. Man of Steel
I know a TON of people loved this film, and I was not one of them. I didn't like this film the first time I saw it. It was depressing and sad and an insult to everything Superman stands for. The more I think about this film and talk about it with people, the more I absolutely hate this film. And to think that Warner Bros and Legendary Pictures green lit a sequel that will be Batman vs Superman? Please. They cast Ben Affleck as Batman (not the best choice) but won't let him direct, which means the sequel will probably be even worse than this one.
9. A Good Day to Die Hard
I love Die Hard. I love Die Hard 2. I love Die Hard: With A Vengeance. I even enjoy Live Free or Die Hard (mostly because of great comedic work from Justin Long and surprisingly menacing work from Timothy Olyphant) but I had no need for this dopey, horrible fifth sequel to one of the best action franchises in history. It was tedious, long, boring, generally unfunny when trying to be, and just plain bad.
8. Hangover Part III
Like A Good Day to Die Hard, I love the original movie in this franchise. The Hangover is one of my all time favorite comedy films, but this movie was just terrible. It had a few decent laughs, most of which they got into the trailer anyways so I already knew the jokes. This was over the top disgusting (even for one of these films) and to top it off, this movie has nothing to do with crap hitting the fan because of the guys having a massive hangover. So what's the point?
7. Getaway
Ethan Hawke had a good year for movies with Before Midnight and The Purge (a surprisingly good film), but this is one I think he wants to forget. This was the absolute worst reviewed movie of the year with a 2% approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and rightfully so. Ethan Hawke was just phoning in this performance in between jobs he legitimately wanted and to top it off, I was supposed to believe Selena Gomez as a car jacker? This was just bad film making at its finest. The intense action, though badly edited, was enough to keep this from being closer to number 1 on this list.
6. Mortal Instruments: City of Bones
This year saw some great teenage books adapted into film. We had Beautiful Creatures, which surprisingly wasn't too bad, and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire which was a phenomenal film, but this was just bad. It was dopey acting from actors who honestly aren't very good in Lily Collins and Jamie Campbell Bower, and to top it off the veterans like Jared Harris and Jonathan Rhys Meyers were even terrible as well. When one of your TV spots is interviewing fans of the book about their excitement to see the movie, rather than clips of the movie, you know your movie is bad. Good news is though, we won't be getting a sequel anytime soon from how badly this panned at the box office.
5. The Incredible Burt Wonderstone
I'm hoping all of you have forgotten this would-be comedy from earlier this year. In a year where Now You See Me did really well, this was another magician movie, but this time gone horribly wrong. Steve Carell was decidedly unfunny in this and Jim Carrey wasn't much better. This movie had no laughs, and I didn't even smile while watching it.
4. R.I.P.D.
This is another film I wish I could just forget. I was actually lucky enough to not have to pay anything to see this movie, but I saw it later on after it was released on DVD. This is a terrible film with horrible performances from great actors. It hurts to see Jeff Bridges and Ryan Reynolds wasted on such a bad script. To top it off, they don't even try to make it enjoyable. It just comes off as plain boring, sloppy garbage.
3. The Host
An adaptation of a Stephanie Meyers novel is the worst words for my ear to ever hear and this was no different. Another teenage adaptation gone horribly wrong from the author of the Twilight series (I refuse to call it a saga which has a positive connotation). This is a bad story about aliens taking over human bodies and it just makes for a plain boring movie. When three of your six "If you like this..." movies on iMDb are two twilight films and a Nicholas Cage movie, your movie probably should have never been made.
2. The Lone Ranger
This is Gore Verbinski and Jerry Bruckheimer's heads getting way too big. Johnny Depp is the top billed star and he isn't even the title character. Him and Armie Hammer have no chemistry, and Johnny Depp's performance would kill the career of a lesser actor. This movie had a two and a half hour run time and the most entertaining part was the previews for other films. I can't believe that Disney is still letting this team create a fifth Pirates movie after seeing this trash.
1. Grown Ups 2
Here we go, the worst of the worst. Any year Adam Sandler puts out a film now, every other film is competing for the second worst film of the year. My hatred for all things Adam Sandler after he came out with the following movies in succession: Grown Ups, Just Go With It, Jack and Jill, That's My Boy, and Grown Ups 2 knows no bounds. He is unfunny and this movie was disgusting with jokes about urination, defecation and injuries to male genitalia. The sad part is that Sandler owns his own studio to make his movies, so we are continually subjected to this stuff. He has another movie slated for release next year and two more filming. Congratulations America. This is bed you've made and I have to lie in it.
Well I'm glad reliving that is over. None of those movies are ones I would ever choose to sit through again. Let me know if you had a movie that had you rolling and moaning at how bad it was that didn't make my list. Or maybe you loved one of the movies on this list. I know many of you loved Man of Steel. Here's your chance to convince me why. Leave a comment below.
Friday, December 20, 2013
Thursday, December 19, 2013
10 Movies Every Guy Should See
Hey guys (and girls), I decided to do another (sort of) Top 10 movie list since I haven't been to the movies in a while. Here is my list of 10 movies every guy needs to see, in no particular order. My Ten have been chosen from the list of the 100 movies on The Art of Manliness blog. The full list can be found at: www.artofmanliness.com/2009/07/13/100-must-see-movies/ , but here is my Top 10 choices.
1. Gladiator
This Ridley Scott classic (Can a movie be considered a classic only 13 years after its initial release?) is a staple for any man's movie library. A fantastic film that won Oscars for Best Picture and Best Actor (Russell Crowe), this movie stands out above the crowd for its moving performances and flawless direction. This was the best career performance of both Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix.
2. Casablanca
This is the quintessential romance movie of all time. Boasting 4 lines on the AFI's 100 greatest movie lines list, this is a tragic romance movie for the ages. Humphrey Bogart is magnificent in this film and richly deserved the Oscar nomination he got for it. This movie, like Gladiator, also won Best Picture. If you want to learn how to be a real gentleman, watch this film. It doesn't get any better than toasting the woman you love with the line, "Here's looking at you, kid."
3. Top Gun
Seriously. I don't think I can say enough about this movie. This is one of my personal favorites ever since I was a kid. Every boy and man dreams of being Maverick. He is just the epitome of man. And who wouldn't want a best friend like Goose? This is a great film about friendship and love and overcoming adversity, but if you want to just watch a bunch of stuff blow up, this is great either way.
4. Rocky
This is, in my opinion, the best sports movie of all time, and the most inspirational movie of all time. Sylvester Stallone is fantastic and was nominated for Oscars for writing and acting in this film, and richly so. His fight with Apollo Creed is one of the greatest fights in the history of boxing films, and his love with Adrian is one that all men can relate to.
5. The Godfather
"The Godfather is the I Ching. The Godfather is the sum of all wisdom." Tom Hanks described the Godfather as such in his film, "You've Got Mail" and he is entirely correct. The Godfather's show of family first is fantastic for any father to watch. It is the quintessential gangster film and is one of the all time greats in all of film history.
6. The Great Escape
This true story of a large group of Allied POW's grand escape from a Nazi prison camp is fantastic. There are great bits of humor and great performances from Steve McQueen, James Coburn, and Charles Bronson. It is also a very daring movie that keeps you on the edge of your seat, especially from the escape till the end of the film. And if nothing else, the movie includes one of the greatest motorcycle chases in the history of film.
7. Braveheart
Another great film along the same lines of Gladiator. Mel Gibson directed and starred in this instant classic about the Scottish rebel William Wallace. He gives a very moving performance and the entire film makes you feel like you were a part of the rebellion that it shows. All of us men aspire to be this kind of man, willing to lead and help others be the best they can be.
8. Field of Dreams
This is a fantastic family movie. There are few greater movie dads than Kevin Costner's Ray Kinsella who risks losing his farm to create a baseball stadium in his corn field. This is another childhood favorite of mine. It works as a family drama, at times a comedy, and a sports movie.
9. Star Wars
I don't think this requires much description. Star Wars, like 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Matrix, reinvented what science fiction could do. George Lucas' direction creates some visuals that even today are top notch. Plus, like many of the movies on this list, you get great lessons on family and standing up for right against the powers of evil.
10. The Shawshank Redemption
This is currently the top ranked movie on The Internet Movie Database (or iMDb for short) and rightfully so. Both Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins are amazing as convicted murderers who are serving together in Shawshank Prison in Maine. Together, over 20 years or more, they grow into the type of friends all men should aspire to be. It is a great lesson to us as well that through common decency we can find personal redemption in the darkest of places.
So that was my list of 10. What of the other 90 do you think might have been better choices, or is there a movie on even the Art of Manliness list of 100 that you think they missed. Let me know what you think.
1. Gladiator
This Ridley Scott classic (Can a movie be considered a classic only 13 years after its initial release?) is a staple for any man's movie library. A fantastic film that won Oscars for Best Picture and Best Actor (Russell Crowe), this movie stands out above the crowd for its moving performances and flawless direction. This was the best career performance of both Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix.
2. Casablanca
This is the quintessential romance movie of all time. Boasting 4 lines on the AFI's 100 greatest movie lines list, this is a tragic romance movie for the ages. Humphrey Bogart is magnificent in this film and richly deserved the Oscar nomination he got for it. This movie, like Gladiator, also won Best Picture. If you want to learn how to be a real gentleman, watch this film. It doesn't get any better than toasting the woman you love with the line, "Here's looking at you, kid."
3. Top Gun
Seriously. I don't think I can say enough about this movie. This is one of my personal favorites ever since I was a kid. Every boy and man dreams of being Maverick. He is just the epitome of man. And who wouldn't want a best friend like Goose? This is a great film about friendship and love and overcoming adversity, but if you want to just watch a bunch of stuff blow up, this is great either way.
4. Rocky
This is, in my opinion, the best sports movie of all time, and the most inspirational movie of all time. Sylvester Stallone is fantastic and was nominated for Oscars for writing and acting in this film, and richly so. His fight with Apollo Creed is one of the greatest fights in the history of boxing films, and his love with Adrian is one that all men can relate to.
5. The Godfather
"The Godfather is the I Ching. The Godfather is the sum of all wisdom." Tom Hanks described the Godfather as such in his film, "You've Got Mail" and he is entirely correct. The Godfather's show of family first is fantastic for any father to watch. It is the quintessential gangster film and is one of the all time greats in all of film history.
6. The Great Escape
This true story of a large group of Allied POW's grand escape from a Nazi prison camp is fantastic. There are great bits of humor and great performances from Steve McQueen, James Coburn, and Charles Bronson. It is also a very daring movie that keeps you on the edge of your seat, especially from the escape till the end of the film. And if nothing else, the movie includes one of the greatest motorcycle chases in the history of film.
7. Braveheart
Another great film along the same lines of Gladiator. Mel Gibson directed and starred in this instant classic about the Scottish rebel William Wallace. He gives a very moving performance and the entire film makes you feel like you were a part of the rebellion that it shows. All of us men aspire to be this kind of man, willing to lead and help others be the best they can be.
8. Field of Dreams
This is a fantastic family movie. There are few greater movie dads than Kevin Costner's Ray Kinsella who risks losing his farm to create a baseball stadium in his corn field. This is another childhood favorite of mine. It works as a family drama, at times a comedy, and a sports movie.
9. Star Wars
I don't think this requires much description. Star Wars, like 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Matrix, reinvented what science fiction could do. George Lucas' direction creates some visuals that even today are top notch. Plus, like many of the movies on this list, you get great lessons on family and standing up for right against the powers of evil.
10. The Shawshank Redemption
This is currently the top ranked movie on The Internet Movie Database (or iMDb for short) and rightfully so. Both Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins are amazing as convicted murderers who are serving together in Shawshank Prison in Maine. Together, over 20 years or more, they grow into the type of friends all men should aspire to be. It is a great lesson to us as well that through common decency we can find personal redemption in the darkest of places.
So that was my list of 10. What of the other 90 do you think might have been better choices, or is there a movie on even the Art of Manliness list of 100 that you think they missed. Let me know what you think.
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Quick Reactions - Golden Globe Nominations
The Golden Globe Nominations were announced about 90 minutes ago and here are some quick reactions. Before I begin, I do want to mention I much prefer the Golden Globes to the Emmys or Oscars every year since you don't get awards for the technical mumbo jumbo no one really cares about. That being said, here are my reactions. Keep in mind, some of these reactions are to movies that have not yet been released or that I have no yet seen, so I am basing my reactions on trailers and reviews of people whom I trust, such as Richard Roeper, who's reviews for these films can be found at www.richardroeper.com
Movies - Drama
So I'll just put these all together based on what fell in the drama category. My first reaction is pure joy to see Matthew McConaughey get nominated for what may be his best performance ever in Dallas Buyer's Club. I've heard a lot of buzz that he might be a contender for a best supporting actor award somewhere for Wolf of Wall Street but it seems like without a nomination here, chances are he is a dark horse come Oscar time along with Jonah Hill. However, with Tom Hanks getting a nod as well for Captain Phillips and Robert Redford getting nominated for All Is Lost, I believe McConaughey is a lock for an Oscar nod come January. I have no argument with anyone nominated here at all. I believe come Oscar time, when drama and comedy are combined, we'll see Hanks and Redford probably giving way to Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale for their work in Wolf of Wall Street and American Hustle respectively.
I have no argument for the women nominated in the best actress in a drama category, though I believe everyone there is fighting for second since I believe Sandra Bullock is a lock to win here and the Oscars. Her only real competitor for an Oscar looks to be Amy Adams who's role in American Hustle is generating a lot of buzz.
I was super excited to see Rush get some love and get a nomination for Best Picture - Drama. It is a phenomenal film that I thought would get looked over because of how early in the year it came out, but it did get a nomination, as did Daniel Bruhl who did fantastic work in that film as well. I don't think either has a chance of winning, but to get nominated in a year filled with incredible films, this is a great achievement. I believe 12 Years A Slave is probably the front runner here, but we'll know more come closer to awards time.
Movies - Comedy
Okay, so let me start by saying, I was not aware that Wolf of Wall Street and American Hustle would qualify as comedies, and I believe that made the drama field a little less crowded. Those two movies by themselves seem to be the front runners in a pretty week year for comedies. I think American Hustle sweeps the major categories here with wins for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, as well as taking home Best Supporting Actress. I would say they take home Best Supporting Actor as well for Bradley Cooper, but the Hollywood Foreign Press is much bolder than the Academy so I believe Barkhad Abdi from Captain Phillips, or even Jared Leto from Dallas Buyers Club have a decent shot at stealing this away. However, come Oscar time, look for the Academy to give ultra love to another David O. Russell film in American Hustle. I wouldn't be surprised to see it sweep the acting categories at the Oscars, but probably not here at the Globes.
Television Series - Drama
Again, I think everyone here is playing second to Breaking Bad, with the exception of supporting actor since Aaron Paul didn't do a lot in the second half of season 5. This show is a near lock to win for Best Series and Best Actor. In it's final few episodes, Bryan Cranston did some of the best work I have ever seen in television or film. He was menacing, scary, and I never knew what Walter White would do. I love that show, but that man haunts my dreams, and I give the credit for that fully to Bryan Cranston, who is one of the greatest actors living today. With a pretty weak year for television, I am surprised awards favorite Mad Men got no love anywhere. I think it could have received nominations for Best Series, Best Actor (perennial nominee Jon Hamm), and Best Actress (other perennial nominee Elisabeth Moss). I think it should have also squeaked out a nominee for Best Supporting Actress for Christina Hendricks who was phenomenal this season. I also think they missed on not nominating Anna Gunn from Breaking Bad, who after her Emmy win this year, I figured was a lock to win a Golden Globe. In a nomination category that includes Hayden Pannettiere, Sofia Vergara, and Monica Potter, we couldn't find room for Anna Gunn and Christina Hendricks. Major snubs there. My other big snub is perennial snub Timothy Olyphant for his amazing work in FX's Justified. FX as a network gets little to no love, so we'll see if that ever happens, but I think he deserved a nomination over both Liev Schreiber, and James Spader. We could have done without those two as fluff nominees and put in Hamm and Olyphant and this immediately becomes a much stronger categories.
Television Series - Comedy
No real surprises here. I think the early favorite to win Best Show is going to be awards show favorite Girls, an HBO product that I am personally not a big fan of. I think The Big Bang Theory or Modern Family probably deserve to win, though don't be surprised to see a late push from Brooklyn Nine-Nine which, despite low ratings and not a lot of hype, is one of the better comedy shows I've seen come along in a while. My votes for the best actor would go to Jim Parsons, who is the funniest actor working in television today. His role on the Big Bang Theory is amazing and he completely makes that show. I think the award will probably end up in his hands at the end of the night, but don't be surprised to see Michael J. Fox in his return to television win as well. He is fantastic in his new show as well. For Best Actress, I have believed for a while that Zooey Deschanel deserves to win for her amazing work in New Girl, but it looks like it probably won't happen. Awards shows love Edie Falco for her work in Nurse Jackie, but even Falco has said that isn't a comedy so I don't know why we're still giving her love for it.
So there are my gut reactions with where we are for the nominees across the board. Let me know what you think. Leave me a comment with who you think could win, or should win, or even people you think may have been left off.
Movies - Drama
So I'll just put these all together based on what fell in the drama category. My first reaction is pure joy to see Matthew McConaughey get nominated for what may be his best performance ever in Dallas Buyer's Club. I've heard a lot of buzz that he might be a contender for a best supporting actor award somewhere for Wolf of Wall Street but it seems like without a nomination here, chances are he is a dark horse come Oscar time along with Jonah Hill. However, with Tom Hanks getting a nod as well for Captain Phillips and Robert Redford getting nominated for All Is Lost, I believe McConaughey is a lock for an Oscar nod come January. I have no argument with anyone nominated here at all. I believe come Oscar time, when drama and comedy are combined, we'll see Hanks and Redford probably giving way to Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale for their work in Wolf of Wall Street and American Hustle respectively.
I have no argument for the women nominated in the best actress in a drama category, though I believe everyone there is fighting for second since I believe Sandra Bullock is a lock to win here and the Oscars. Her only real competitor for an Oscar looks to be Amy Adams who's role in American Hustle is generating a lot of buzz.
I was super excited to see Rush get some love and get a nomination for Best Picture - Drama. It is a phenomenal film that I thought would get looked over because of how early in the year it came out, but it did get a nomination, as did Daniel Bruhl who did fantastic work in that film as well. I don't think either has a chance of winning, but to get nominated in a year filled with incredible films, this is a great achievement. I believe 12 Years A Slave is probably the front runner here, but we'll know more come closer to awards time.
Movies - Comedy
Okay, so let me start by saying, I was not aware that Wolf of Wall Street and American Hustle would qualify as comedies, and I believe that made the drama field a little less crowded. Those two movies by themselves seem to be the front runners in a pretty week year for comedies. I think American Hustle sweeps the major categories here with wins for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, as well as taking home Best Supporting Actress. I would say they take home Best Supporting Actor as well for Bradley Cooper, but the Hollywood Foreign Press is much bolder than the Academy so I believe Barkhad Abdi from Captain Phillips, or even Jared Leto from Dallas Buyers Club have a decent shot at stealing this away. However, come Oscar time, look for the Academy to give ultra love to another David O. Russell film in American Hustle. I wouldn't be surprised to see it sweep the acting categories at the Oscars, but probably not here at the Globes.
Television Series - Drama
Again, I think everyone here is playing second to Breaking Bad, with the exception of supporting actor since Aaron Paul didn't do a lot in the second half of season 5. This show is a near lock to win for Best Series and Best Actor. In it's final few episodes, Bryan Cranston did some of the best work I have ever seen in television or film. He was menacing, scary, and I never knew what Walter White would do. I love that show, but that man haunts my dreams, and I give the credit for that fully to Bryan Cranston, who is one of the greatest actors living today. With a pretty weak year for television, I am surprised awards favorite Mad Men got no love anywhere. I think it could have received nominations for Best Series, Best Actor (perennial nominee Jon Hamm), and Best Actress (other perennial nominee Elisabeth Moss). I think it should have also squeaked out a nominee for Best Supporting Actress for Christina Hendricks who was phenomenal this season. I also think they missed on not nominating Anna Gunn from Breaking Bad, who after her Emmy win this year, I figured was a lock to win a Golden Globe. In a nomination category that includes Hayden Pannettiere, Sofia Vergara, and Monica Potter, we couldn't find room for Anna Gunn and Christina Hendricks. Major snubs there. My other big snub is perennial snub Timothy Olyphant for his amazing work in FX's Justified. FX as a network gets little to no love, so we'll see if that ever happens, but I think he deserved a nomination over both Liev Schreiber, and James Spader. We could have done without those two as fluff nominees and put in Hamm and Olyphant and this immediately becomes a much stronger categories.
Television Series - Comedy
No real surprises here. I think the early favorite to win Best Show is going to be awards show favorite Girls, an HBO product that I am personally not a big fan of. I think The Big Bang Theory or Modern Family probably deserve to win, though don't be surprised to see a late push from Brooklyn Nine-Nine which, despite low ratings and not a lot of hype, is one of the better comedy shows I've seen come along in a while. My votes for the best actor would go to Jim Parsons, who is the funniest actor working in television today. His role on the Big Bang Theory is amazing and he completely makes that show. I think the award will probably end up in his hands at the end of the night, but don't be surprised to see Michael J. Fox in his return to television win as well. He is fantastic in his new show as well. For Best Actress, I have believed for a while that Zooey Deschanel deserves to win for her amazing work in New Girl, but it looks like it probably won't happen. Awards shows love Edie Falco for her work in Nurse Jackie, but even Falco has said that isn't a comedy so I don't know why we're still giving her love for it.
So there are my gut reactions with where we are for the nominees across the board. Let me know what you think. Leave me a comment with who you think could win, or should win, or even people you think may have been left off.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Ender's Game Review
So, in full disclosure, I have never read the book that this movie is based on. Many with me in the theater though had read and loved this book as a child. Those who have read this semi-classic novel by Orson Scott Card may disagree with how I feel concerning this movie, but so be it.
Ender's Game is set in the future, 50 years after an invasion of an alien race known as the Formics. It is decided that Earth's best hope for survival is genius children because they can comprehend complex situations faster than adults can. The best and brightest of these is Andrew Ender Wiggins, or Ender. Ender then goes through training in Battle School and Command School so he can prepare for an all out offensive against the Formic race. I won't spoil the rest for those of you who haven't read the book, but I did not see the end of this movie coming at all.
Some of the visuals and effects in this movie were just breathtaking. It was very well done from that perspective and apparently this movie took nearly 3 years post filming to finish. There are certain scenes, especially in the last major battle simulation where I can really see how that could be. Some of those visuals are just insane. However, at the same time, director Gavin Hood creates some parts of this movie that just seem to drag. While the movie doesn't bore you at all, there are times where you wish it would get to a good part. Though, in Hood's defense, as he also served as the screenwriter, those are some of the more important plot sequences.
The acting in this movie was decent. You get an alright performance from Asa Butterfield, who plays Ender. He is obviously young and newer to acting, and as such, some of his more emotional moments felt forced and I did not feel like it was genuine. He was at his best though in battles and at the command. He was sharing the screen with Academy Award Nominees Harrison Ford, Hailee Steinfeld, Abigail Breslin, and Viola Davis along with Academy Award Winner Ben Kingsley and held his own for the most part. The supporting work, especially from adult commanders Ford, Davis and Kingsley was great and I loved the nearly emotionless Ford who pushes Ender to, if not past, his own limits. As a side note, Harrison Ford has put together a decent year in film between this, 42 and Paranoia. It's good to see him getting back to form after making some terrible films the last few years like the new Indiana Jones and Cowboys and Aliens.
Overall, this movie is entertaining though it did lack some of the punch I felt it could have had. The message behind it was one I could get behind, though I think it missed some of its ability to portray it to an extent. While there were gorgeous visuals, some of the sci-fi action sequences were a tad bit bland, or were over too quickly to keep my interest as it went. I liked this movie, though I feel it could have been better. I give it a B.
Ender's Game is set in the future, 50 years after an invasion of an alien race known as the Formics. It is decided that Earth's best hope for survival is genius children because they can comprehend complex situations faster than adults can. The best and brightest of these is Andrew Ender Wiggins, or Ender. Ender then goes through training in Battle School and Command School so he can prepare for an all out offensive against the Formic race. I won't spoil the rest for those of you who haven't read the book, but I did not see the end of this movie coming at all.
Some of the visuals and effects in this movie were just breathtaking. It was very well done from that perspective and apparently this movie took nearly 3 years post filming to finish. There are certain scenes, especially in the last major battle simulation where I can really see how that could be. Some of those visuals are just insane. However, at the same time, director Gavin Hood creates some parts of this movie that just seem to drag. While the movie doesn't bore you at all, there are times where you wish it would get to a good part. Though, in Hood's defense, as he also served as the screenwriter, those are some of the more important plot sequences.
The acting in this movie was decent. You get an alright performance from Asa Butterfield, who plays Ender. He is obviously young and newer to acting, and as such, some of his more emotional moments felt forced and I did not feel like it was genuine. He was at his best though in battles and at the command. He was sharing the screen with Academy Award Nominees Harrison Ford, Hailee Steinfeld, Abigail Breslin, and Viola Davis along with Academy Award Winner Ben Kingsley and held his own for the most part. The supporting work, especially from adult commanders Ford, Davis and Kingsley was great and I loved the nearly emotionless Ford who pushes Ender to, if not past, his own limits. As a side note, Harrison Ford has put together a decent year in film between this, 42 and Paranoia. It's good to see him getting back to form after making some terrible films the last few years like the new Indiana Jones and Cowboys and Aliens.
Overall, this movie is entertaining though it did lack some of the punch I felt it could have had. The message behind it was one I could get behind, though I think it missed some of its ability to portray it to an extent. While there were gorgeous visuals, some of the sci-fi action sequences were a tad bit bland, or were over too quickly to keep my interest as it went. I liked this movie, though I feel it could have been better. I give it a B.
Friday, October 18, 2013
12 Years A Slave Review
As I begin to write this review, I have to take time to pause and say something about this film, as it is one that should move any viewer to the very soul. This movie is a real story of a real man named Solomon Northup. He was a free man, born in the northern states and then later kidnapped and sold into slavery where he remains for 12 years, hence the title. That being said, this movie does not hold anything back. You see the realities of life as a slave and they are harsh, brutal, and for many will, and for all should, make you sick to watch. Never have I felt so moved by a film to want to change and have more compassion for my fellow man since I saw Crash for the first time 6 years ago. I ask that you see this movie, but do not see it for its value as entertainment because you will be disappointed. See this movie because it should change who you are, and how you feel about those around you.
As I said, this movie centers on the life of Solomon Northup who was illegally sold into slavery. There he faces brutality and the horrors of life as a slave. He has to give up his name, his family, and has to hide the fact that he is an educated man with the ability to read and write. Three time Golden Globe Nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor gives what may end up being the most moving performance of the year as Northup. He is one of the most consistent actors working today and gives a career best performance. His work is transcendent and Oscar level and I believe he has a great chance to become the first African American winner of the Best Actor Academy Award since Jamie Foxx for his role as Ray Charles.
The supporting work in this movie is amazing as well, though many of the characters are people who you will despise through the end of the film. Paul Giamatti has a short role as a man named Freeman who is one of the most purely evil and despicable characters I have seen in film since Cristoph Waltz's character The Jew Hunter in Inglorious Basterds. He is amazing and, like many other actors in this, his role is nomination worthy. I don't believe he will garner any awards momentum though due to his shorter running time in the film. Michael Fassbender gives what may be the best role of his career as a brutal slave owner named Edwin Epps. Even as Magneto, I didn't believe him to be this sadistic and hateful, but Michael Fassbender, who I believe to be one of the best younger actors working today (though he is 36) and his performance should garner huge awards consideration. The other great character worth noting is Ford, a southern gentleman played by the always solid Benedict Cumberbatch (who has had one of the best years in films this year with three great roles in Star Trek: Into Darkness, this, and The Fifth Estate, the latter which may garner him some awards talk). He has a chance to show compassion on Solomon but passes up the opportunity and Northup's life delves further and further into hell.
The writing in this movie is unflinching. The directing by Steve McQueen is fantastic. This movie does not apologize for its subject matter. It just shows it how it is. It isn't a fantasy movie like a Gone With The Wind or Django Unchained. It is a real life story that happened to real life people in America. The fact that this movie is not apologetic about that I truly appreciated. It made it that much better. I loved this film for being everything a film should be. I hated the emotional tear it left in my soul, but this could be the best movie of the year, and in my opinion, is the first truly important movie of the decade. I give this movie a resounding A+
As I said, this movie centers on the life of Solomon Northup who was illegally sold into slavery. There he faces brutality and the horrors of life as a slave. He has to give up his name, his family, and has to hide the fact that he is an educated man with the ability to read and write. Three time Golden Globe Nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor gives what may end up being the most moving performance of the year as Northup. He is one of the most consistent actors working today and gives a career best performance. His work is transcendent and Oscar level and I believe he has a great chance to become the first African American winner of the Best Actor Academy Award since Jamie Foxx for his role as Ray Charles.
The supporting work in this movie is amazing as well, though many of the characters are people who you will despise through the end of the film. Paul Giamatti has a short role as a man named Freeman who is one of the most purely evil and despicable characters I have seen in film since Cristoph Waltz's character The Jew Hunter in Inglorious Basterds. He is amazing and, like many other actors in this, his role is nomination worthy. I don't believe he will garner any awards momentum though due to his shorter running time in the film. Michael Fassbender gives what may be the best role of his career as a brutal slave owner named Edwin Epps. Even as Magneto, I didn't believe him to be this sadistic and hateful, but Michael Fassbender, who I believe to be one of the best younger actors working today (though he is 36) and his performance should garner huge awards consideration. The other great character worth noting is Ford, a southern gentleman played by the always solid Benedict Cumberbatch (who has had one of the best years in films this year with three great roles in Star Trek: Into Darkness, this, and The Fifth Estate, the latter which may garner him some awards talk). He has a chance to show compassion on Solomon but passes up the opportunity and Northup's life delves further and further into hell.
The writing in this movie is unflinching. The directing by Steve McQueen is fantastic. This movie does not apologize for its subject matter. It just shows it how it is. It isn't a fantasy movie like a Gone With The Wind or Django Unchained. It is a real life story that happened to real life people in America. The fact that this movie is not apologetic about that I truly appreciated. It made it that much better. I loved this film for being everything a film should be. I hated the emotional tear it left in my soul, but this could be the best movie of the year, and in my opinion, is the first truly important movie of the decade. I give this movie a resounding A+
Monday, September 23, 2013
Emmy Award Reviews
It's been a long time since I got anything up on here review wise, but the Emmy Awards were last night which gives me a great chance to get something up and start regular reviews again. So here are my reactions from what I consider the most important categories.
Best Drama Series, Winner: Breaking Bad
Anyone who knows me will know that I have absolutely ZERO problems with this win. I believe Breaking Bad to be the second best show ever created very closely behind The Wire. (As a side note, if they have an amazing ending next week, it could jump The Wire for best of all time.) While the other nominees are great shows, and I recommend all of them, Breaking Bad is leaps and bounds ahead of the others, at least this past year.
Best Actor, Drama Series, Winner: Jeff Daniels from The Newsroom
WHAT?!? That was my reaction immediately upon hearing that win. I would have sworn Bryan Cranston was in line for his fourth Emmy for his performance as the greatest character ever put on television in Walter White from Breaking Bad. Though after I thought about it, Jeff Daniels, who is great as a news anchor in HBO's The Newsroom, richly deserved this award. My hat's off to you sir.
Best Actress, Drama Series, Winner: Claire Danes from Homeland
Awards shows continue to give Homeland more credit than it probably deserves. While the show is great, and Claire Danes intricate performance as a slightly deranged CIA agent is incredible, Elisabeth Moss from Mad Men was better this year. She was incredible and I believe should have won this award. I think Vera Farmiga from Bates Motel and Robin Wright from House of Cards were both more deserving as well.
Best Supporting Actor, Drama Series, Winner: Bobby Cannavale from Boardwalk Empire
This was another surprise win, and another bad choice in my opinion. If you aren't giving this award to Aaron Paul from Breaking Bad for a third time, then it needed to go to Mandy Patinkin who is the greatest actor working in television today. His performance from Homeland is intricate, and is acted to perfection by the man who gave us my favorite line in the history of film (Hello. My name is Inigo Montaya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.).
Best Supporting Actress, Drama Series, Winner: Anna Gunn from Breaking Bad
While I am very pleased to have a win for Breaking Bad and Anna Gunn is great, I do not believe she was the best in the category. Her performance in the season this award covers was amazing, but I would have loved to see a win for Christina Hendricks from Mad Men. She was just breathtaking and not just by being absolutely beautiful in a Marilyn Monroe type style. Her performance was just incredible this season and has gotten better each and every year Mad Men has been airing.
Best Comedy Series, Winner: Modern Family
I have no problem with this at all, except for one thing: Big Bang Theory was also nominated. That is the single funniest show on television today and should have won this. Though because it didn't, Modern Family is the obvious choice in a day and age when the good sitcoms are few and far between.
Best Actor, Comedy Series, Winner: Jim Parsons from The Big Bang Theory
This is positively the perfect choice. Jim Parsons is a genius of a comedic actor, and Sheldon Cooper is positively the funniest character on television all because of this tremendously talented actor.
Best Actress, Comedy Series: Julia Louis-Dreyfus from VEEP
In my nomination reactions post, I mentioned that I think they butchered this category. They missed the two best comedic actresses on television today in Zooey Deschanel and Mindy Kaling, both of whom should have been nominated. Instead we nominated leads from three shows (VEEP, Enlightened, and Nurse Jackie) that aren't even funny which leaves us with a horrible category. If you were going to pick one of the people here, at least pick the funniest woman alive in Tina Fey.
Best Supporting Actor, Comedy Series, Winner: Tony Hale from VEEP
If you are going to say that Modern Family is the best comedy show on TV, then this award needs to go to one of the three men nominated in this category. All three richly deserve the award though my vote would go to Ty Burrell, who's character Phil Dunphy is the second best character on comedic television (next to Sheldon Cooper).
Best Supporting Actress, Comedy Series, Winner: Merritt Weaver from Nurse Jackie
Edie Falco, who is a genius actress in her own right, plays the title character in Nurse Jackie and has admitted that this show is not a comedy, so it begs the question, why is someone not in a comedy winning this award? Mayim Bialik has one of the funniest characters on television today in Amy Farrah Fowler from The Big Bang Theory and she absolutely should have won this award. If you aren't going to give it to the obvious best choice, then Julie Bowen from Modern Family would have been a great choice as well.
A couple other notes. I am happy that Bob Newhard, a living legend, won an Emmy for his great performance on just one episode of The Big Bang Theory this past season. I was also happy to see the wins for The Colbert Report as well, which is one of my favorite shows on TV. Let me know what you guys think, and if you have any old movies, or movies you know are coming out soon, you would like to see me review, let me know.
Best Drama Series, Winner: Breaking Bad
Anyone who knows me will know that I have absolutely ZERO problems with this win. I believe Breaking Bad to be the second best show ever created very closely behind The Wire. (As a side note, if they have an amazing ending next week, it could jump The Wire for best of all time.) While the other nominees are great shows, and I recommend all of them, Breaking Bad is leaps and bounds ahead of the others, at least this past year.
Best Actor, Drama Series, Winner: Jeff Daniels from The Newsroom
WHAT?!? That was my reaction immediately upon hearing that win. I would have sworn Bryan Cranston was in line for his fourth Emmy for his performance as the greatest character ever put on television in Walter White from Breaking Bad. Though after I thought about it, Jeff Daniels, who is great as a news anchor in HBO's The Newsroom, richly deserved this award. My hat's off to you sir.
Best Actress, Drama Series, Winner: Claire Danes from Homeland
Awards shows continue to give Homeland more credit than it probably deserves. While the show is great, and Claire Danes intricate performance as a slightly deranged CIA agent is incredible, Elisabeth Moss from Mad Men was better this year. She was incredible and I believe should have won this award. I think Vera Farmiga from Bates Motel and Robin Wright from House of Cards were both more deserving as well.
Best Supporting Actor, Drama Series, Winner: Bobby Cannavale from Boardwalk Empire
This was another surprise win, and another bad choice in my opinion. If you aren't giving this award to Aaron Paul from Breaking Bad for a third time, then it needed to go to Mandy Patinkin who is the greatest actor working in television today. His performance from Homeland is intricate, and is acted to perfection by the man who gave us my favorite line in the history of film (Hello. My name is Inigo Montaya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.).
Best Supporting Actress, Drama Series, Winner: Anna Gunn from Breaking Bad
While I am very pleased to have a win for Breaking Bad and Anna Gunn is great, I do not believe she was the best in the category. Her performance in the season this award covers was amazing, but I would have loved to see a win for Christina Hendricks from Mad Men. She was just breathtaking and not just by being absolutely beautiful in a Marilyn Monroe type style. Her performance was just incredible this season and has gotten better each and every year Mad Men has been airing.
Best Comedy Series, Winner: Modern Family
I have no problem with this at all, except for one thing: Big Bang Theory was also nominated. That is the single funniest show on television today and should have won this. Though because it didn't, Modern Family is the obvious choice in a day and age when the good sitcoms are few and far between.
Best Actor, Comedy Series, Winner: Jim Parsons from The Big Bang Theory
This is positively the perfect choice. Jim Parsons is a genius of a comedic actor, and Sheldon Cooper is positively the funniest character on television all because of this tremendously talented actor.
Best Actress, Comedy Series: Julia Louis-Dreyfus from VEEP
In my nomination reactions post, I mentioned that I think they butchered this category. They missed the two best comedic actresses on television today in Zooey Deschanel and Mindy Kaling, both of whom should have been nominated. Instead we nominated leads from three shows (VEEP, Enlightened, and Nurse Jackie) that aren't even funny which leaves us with a horrible category. If you were going to pick one of the people here, at least pick the funniest woman alive in Tina Fey.
Best Supporting Actor, Comedy Series, Winner: Tony Hale from VEEP
If you are going to say that Modern Family is the best comedy show on TV, then this award needs to go to one of the three men nominated in this category. All three richly deserve the award though my vote would go to Ty Burrell, who's character Phil Dunphy is the second best character on comedic television (next to Sheldon Cooper).
Best Supporting Actress, Comedy Series, Winner: Merritt Weaver from Nurse Jackie
Edie Falco, who is a genius actress in her own right, plays the title character in Nurse Jackie and has admitted that this show is not a comedy, so it begs the question, why is someone not in a comedy winning this award? Mayim Bialik has one of the funniest characters on television today in Amy Farrah Fowler from The Big Bang Theory and she absolutely should have won this award. If you aren't going to give it to the obvious best choice, then Julie Bowen from Modern Family would have been a great choice as well.
A couple other notes. I am happy that Bob Newhard, a living legend, won an Emmy for his great performance on just one episode of The Big Bang Theory this past season. I was also happy to see the wins for The Colbert Report as well, which is one of my favorite shows on TV. Let me know what you guys think, and if you have any old movies, or movies you know are coming out soon, you would like to see me review, let me know.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Emmy Nomination Reviews
So I know generally I do movie reviews, but for those of you who are TV lovers, here are some quick reactions, snubs, surprises, and so forth from last week's Emmy Award Nominations. I'll go by the categories that matter in my mind.
Outstanding Drama Series:
I like what they have here, though I don't know how I feel about an online series only (House of Cards) showing up here. While that is a great show, it seems odd to see it here. It has a total of 9 nominations on the night. Two shows I think deserved to be in this list are The Newsroom and The Walking Dead, though I have no offer of what it should be in place of. I do like that Dexter finally is not on this list as it has gone down hill the last couple years.
Outstanding Lead Actor, Drama:
I love the picks here from top to bottom for the most part even though I am not as high on Damian Lewis from Homeland as awards people are. I would love to have seen Andrew Lincoln get a nod here for his work on Walking Dead Season 3 which was just tremendous. I love that Jeff Daniels got a nod for his sensational work on The Newsroom, the best show to premier in 2012, period. The one major snub here though is Kevin Bacon from The Following, which I believe should qualify for this year based on release date. He was tremendous, and that show got no love at all.
Outstanding Lead Actress, Drama:
I have no real complaints here. The obvious snub is former winner Julianna Marguiles for her work in The Good Wife. I don't know where you lose anyone here though, outside of maybe Connie Britton. I'm not surprised to see her here though since the Emmy's have loved her ever since Friday Night Lights (one of my picks for the 10 best drama series of all time). Also, again no love for The Newsroom and it's leading lady Emily Mortimer who was great.
Outstanding Supporting Actor, Drama:
I absolutely love that Aaron Paul, Jonathan Banks and Mandy Patinkin (the greatest actor working in TV today) all got nominations. Also not shocked to see a repeat nod to Peter Dinklage here. He is great in Game of Thrones. Before Dexter ends, I wouldn't mind seeing a little love for James Remar who is great as Harry Morgan. I also wouldn't be mad with nods to David Zayas or C.S. Lee who provide the comic relief for what is otherwise one of the darkest shows on television. Now on to my major snub: WHERE THE HECK IS JAMES PUREFOY IN THIS LIST! Oh my gosh. He has the best performance as a bad guy on TV this side of Tony Soprano as the leader of a serial killer cult in The Following and you can't give him an Emmy nomination. What is wrong with the nominating committee. Plus (SPOILER ALERT!) they kill him at the end of season 1 so his chance of getting nominated is done.
Outstanding Supporting Actress, Drama:
Morena Baccarin is on this list? Seriously? How is that possible. I understand that awards shows are in love with Homeland, and rightfully so. It is a tremendous show. But Morena Baccarin is not worthy of a nomination for this show. I think Alison Pill wouldn't have been a bad choice here for her work in The Newsroom. She was great. A nod to Jennifer Carpenter would have been nice for her work in Dexter. Her character this past season was one of the most complicated on all of television and we can't give her the love she deserves for that?
Outstanding Comedy Series:
Great to see my favorite comedy in The Big Bang Theory is still going strong. I still can't believe that we are nominating shows that aren't funny in VEEP and 30 Rock for best comedy show though. I have never been a fan of either of those shows. Girls is a good show, but I don't know how well it works as a comedy per se. The big problem here is that there aren't a lot of great comedies left on TV. The Office in its final season as well as a nod to It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia wouldn't have been bad choices either.
Outstanding Lead Actor, Comedy:
Good to see the funniest man on television, Jim Parsons, still getting nominated for his amazing work as Sheldon Cooper on Big Bang Theory, far and away the funniest show on television. Should anyone else win this, it is a travesty. This is a tough one to nominate as well since everyone in Modern Family, the second funniest show on TV, will only make themselves eligible for Supporting nods. And can we please stop nominating Alec Baldwin for an Emmy for not being funny? Thank you. Max Greenfield deserves Baldwin's spot for his work in New Girl for sure.
Oustanding Lead Actress, Comedy:
The fact that Big Bang Theory has no true lead outside Kaley Cuoco who is funny but not nomination worthy means that this list will always include a very sad grouping. There are two very obvious snubs here: Zooey Deschanel and Mindy Kaling for their work in Fox's sensational comedies New Girl and The Mindy Project. Such funny shows, but somehow we are giving nominations to Edie Falco for a show she even admits isn't a comedy.
Outstanding Supporting Actor, Comedy:
While it's cool that the Modern Family characters all go for this category it means they are taking up three spots, and one of them is not Eric Stonestreet, the funniest character on the show? Explain that one to me. Also, before it ends, Simon Helberg, Johnny Galecki, and/or Kunal Nayyar need nominations for their work as Howard Wolowitz, Leonard Hofstadter, or Rajesh Koothrapali in the Big Bang Theory. Simon Helberg is probably the most deserving, but any of them would be good choices, especially over a Modern Family character or Tony Hale from VEEP.
Outstanding Supporting Actress, Comedy:
So glad to see Mayim Bialik get nominated here for her work as the female version of Jim Parsons' character on the Big Bang Theory, Amy Farrah Fowler. I wouldn't mind seeing Melissa Rauch on this list for her work on the Big Bang Theory as well. Her and Simon Helberg make that show, at least these last few seasons. I definitely agree with both Julie Bowen and Sophia Vegara as well for their work in Modern Family.
So there that is. Those are my reactions from the nominations. Let me know what other thoughts you might have, especially snubs or surprise nominations you can think of that I might have missed.
Outstanding Drama Series:
I like what they have here, though I don't know how I feel about an online series only (House of Cards) showing up here. While that is a great show, it seems odd to see it here. It has a total of 9 nominations on the night. Two shows I think deserved to be in this list are The Newsroom and The Walking Dead, though I have no offer of what it should be in place of. I do like that Dexter finally is not on this list as it has gone down hill the last couple years.
Outstanding Lead Actor, Drama:
I love the picks here from top to bottom for the most part even though I am not as high on Damian Lewis from Homeland as awards people are. I would love to have seen Andrew Lincoln get a nod here for his work on Walking Dead Season 3 which was just tremendous. I love that Jeff Daniels got a nod for his sensational work on The Newsroom, the best show to premier in 2012, period. The one major snub here though is Kevin Bacon from The Following, which I believe should qualify for this year based on release date. He was tremendous, and that show got no love at all.
Outstanding Lead Actress, Drama:
I have no real complaints here. The obvious snub is former winner Julianna Marguiles for her work in The Good Wife. I don't know where you lose anyone here though, outside of maybe Connie Britton. I'm not surprised to see her here though since the Emmy's have loved her ever since Friday Night Lights (one of my picks for the 10 best drama series of all time). Also, again no love for The Newsroom and it's leading lady Emily Mortimer who was great.
Outstanding Supporting Actor, Drama:
I absolutely love that Aaron Paul, Jonathan Banks and Mandy Patinkin (the greatest actor working in TV today) all got nominations. Also not shocked to see a repeat nod to Peter Dinklage here. He is great in Game of Thrones. Before Dexter ends, I wouldn't mind seeing a little love for James Remar who is great as Harry Morgan. I also wouldn't be mad with nods to David Zayas or C.S. Lee who provide the comic relief for what is otherwise one of the darkest shows on television. Now on to my major snub: WHERE THE HECK IS JAMES PUREFOY IN THIS LIST! Oh my gosh. He has the best performance as a bad guy on TV this side of Tony Soprano as the leader of a serial killer cult in The Following and you can't give him an Emmy nomination. What is wrong with the nominating committee. Plus (SPOILER ALERT!) they kill him at the end of season 1 so his chance of getting nominated is done.
Outstanding Supporting Actress, Drama:
Morena Baccarin is on this list? Seriously? How is that possible. I understand that awards shows are in love with Homeland, and rightfully so. It is a tremendous show. But Morena Baccarin is not worthy of a nomination for this show. I think Alison Pill wouldn't have been a bad choice here for her work in The Newsroom. She was great. A nod to Jennifer Carpenter would have been nice for her work in Dexter. Her character this past season was one of the most complicated on all of television and we can't give her the love she deserves for that?
Outstanding Comedy Series:
Great to see my favorite comedy in The Big Bang Theory is still going strong. I still can't believe that we are nominating shows that aren't funny in VEEP and 30 Rock for best comedy show though. I have never been a fan of either of those shows. Girls is a good show, but I don't know how well it works as a comedy per se. The big problem here is that there aren't a lot of great comedies left on TV. The Office in its final season as well as a nod to It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia wouldn't have been bad choices either.
Outstanding Lead Actor, Comedy:
Good to see the funniest man on television, Jim Parsons, still getting nominated for his amazing work as Sheldon Cooper on Big Bang Theory, far and away the funniest show on television. Should anyone else win this, it is a travesty. This is a tough one to nominate as well since everyone in Modern Family, the second funniest show on TV, will only make themselves eligible for Supporting nods. And can we please stop nominating Alec Baldwin for an Emmy for not being funny? Thank you. Max Greenfield deserves Baldwin's spot for his work in New Girl for sure.
Oustanding Lead Actress, Comedy:
The fact that Big Bang Theory has no true lead outside Kaley Cuoco who is funny but not nomination worthy means that this list will always include a very sad grouping. There are two very obvious snubs here: Zooey Deschanel and Mindy Kaling for their work in Fox's sensational comedies New Girl and The Mindy Project. Such funny shows, but somehow we are giving nominations to Edie Falco for a show she even admits isn't a comedy.
Outstanding Supporting Actor, Comedy:
While it's cool that the Modern Family characters all go for this category it means they are taking up three spots, and one of them is not Eric Stonestreet, the funniest character on the show? Explain that one to me. Also, before it ends, Simon Helberg, Johnny Galecki, and/or Kunal Nayyar need nominations for their work as Howard Wolowitz, Leonard Hofstadter, or Rajesh Koothrapali in the Big Bang Theory. Simon Helberg is probably the most deserving, but any of them would be good choices, especially over a Modern Family character or Tony Hale from VEEP.
Outstanding Supporting Actress, Comedy:
So glad to see Mayim Bialik get nominated here for her work as the female version of Jim Parsons' character on the Big Bang Theory, Amy Farrah Fowler. I wouldn't mind seeing Melissa Rauch on this list for her work on the Big Bang Theory as well. Her and Simon Helberg make that show, at least these last few seasons. I definitely agree with both Julie Bowen and Sophia Vegara as well for their work in Modern Family.
So there that is. Those are my reactions from the nominations. Let me know what other thoughts you might have, especially snubs or surprise nominations you can think of that I might have missed.
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Red 2 Review
This is a sequel that, going into the summer, I was very excited about. The first Red was smart, funny, action packed fun that had enough plot to keep me interested. The sequel however, left a lot to be desired.
In the first film, we have a group of ex-CIA agents, along with one old MI6 agent teamed up to figure out who has put a hit out on them. They find and break up a conspiracy that goes as high as the Vice President and save the world. In the second film, the US Government again wants to kill these people because of a past mission that they may or may not have been a part of and they have to save the world.
Bruce Willis does a good job here again as Frank Moses. He is actually believable as an ex-CIA agent that has been labelled Retired: Extremely Dangerous (RED - hence the name). It helps that Bruce Willis is John McClane and has saved the world on probably 50 different occasions in films past. He can still do it as an action star. Mary-Louise Parker comes back as Sarah, Frank's love interest. I will be honest. For the most part I hated her in the first movie, and in this movie I really hate her character. She is whiny, stupid, poorly written, and acted even worse. It is sad to see a supremely talented actress like Parker, who gave us one of the three or four best female television characters of all time in Nancy Botwin from Showtime's Weeds, get ruined by such a dopey roll.
The supporting work for the most part isn't great. The bright spot is John Malkovich who is supremely funny in his returning role of Marvin, another CIA agent who works with Willis' Moses. Byung-hun Lee is an assassin sent to kill all three of our heroes, and he is bland and flat through this entire film. Then again Lee isn't much of an actor as much as he is a stunt man they give lines to. If you don't believe me, watch either of the G.I. Joe films. I much preferred the role Karl Urban played in the first Red movie, which Lee's role is essentially replacing. At least that character had some depth and had a good actor behind it as well. Catherine Zeta-Jones gives a Razzie worthy performance as a Russian spy. Her character isn't great to start with and Zeta-Jones just ruins it with a lifeless, flat, and altogether terrible performance.
The plot in this film is flat. There isn't much suspense or intrigue in it as there was in the first movie. The only real plot twist is one that was basically given away in the preview so the entire movie I was waiting for it to come to fruition. There are some good action sequences, many of which are over the top, but that is not unlike the first movie. The entire feel of this movie was just a bit off for me. There were some great laughs and some fun action sequences, but there were long droughts where I felt like this movie dragged and I kept checking my watch wondering when it was going to be over. If you didn't see the first Red movie, you might enjoy this, but if you, like me, are a fan of the first, you will more than likely be royally disappointed. I give this movie a D+.
In the first film, we have a group of ex-CIA agents, along with one old MI6 agent teamed up to figure out who has put a hit out on them. They find and break up a conspiracy that goes as high as the Vice President and save the world. In the second film, the US Government again wants to kill these people because of a past mission that they may or may not have been a part of and they have to save the world.
Bruce Willis does a good job here again as Frank Moses. He is actually believable as an ex-CIA agent that has been labelled Retired: Extremely Dangerous (RED - hence the name). It helps that Bruce Willis is John McClane and has saved the world on probably 50 different occasions in films past. He can still do it as an action star. Mary-Louise Parker comes back as Sarah, Frank's love interest. I will be honest. For the most part I hated her in the first movie, and in this movie I really hate her character. She is whiny, stupid, poorly written, and acted even worse. It is sad to see a supremely talented actress like Parker, who gave us one of the three or four best female television characters of all time in Nancy Botwin from Showtime's Weeds, get ruined by such a dopey roll.
The supporting work for the most part isn't great. The bright spot is John Malkovich who is supremely funny in his returning role of Marvin, another CIA agent who works with Willis' Moses. Byung-hun Lee is an assassin sent to kill all three of our heroes, and he is bland and flat through this entire film. Then again Lee isn't much of an actor as much as he is a stunt man they give lines to. If you don't believe me, watch either of the G.I. Joe films. I much preferred the role Karl Urban played in the first Red movie, which Lee's role is essentially replacing. At least that character had some depth and had a good actor behind it as well. Catherine Zeta-Jones gives a Razzie worthy performance as a Russian spy. Her character isn't great to start with and Zeta-Jones just ruins it with a lifeless, flat, and altogether terrible performance.
The plot in this film is flat. There isn't much suspense or intrigue in it as there was in the first movie. The only real plot twist is one that was basically given away in the preview so the entire movie I was waiting for it to come to fruition. There are some good action sequences, many of which are over the top, but that is not unlike the first movie. The entire feel of this movie was just a bit off for me. There were some great laughs and some fun action sequences, but there were long droughts where I felt like this movie dragged and I kept checking my watch wondering when it was going to be over. If you didn't see the first Red movie, you might enjoy this, but if you, like me, are a fan of the first, you will more than likely be royally disappointed. I give this movie a D+.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Man of Steel Review
Alright Superman fans, get ready to yell, scream and criticize me. Here is my review of Man of Steel. This is a movie I have been anticipating for a while, but I have to admit, I was seriously underwhelmed. I am of the opinion that Christopher Nolan is the most ingenious storyteller in Hollywood and Zack Snyder creates some of the best visuals of any director working today.. So when I saw they would be producing and directing this film respectfully, I thought this would be the best superhero film this side of The Dark Knight. However, I was wrong.
This movie had flashes where it was absolutely brilliant, especially in some of the flash backs looking back to Clark's childhood and his interactions with his father, played by Kevin Costner. However, when it came to the main story it just felt that there was something lacking most of the movie. The story of this film is that a general banished from Krypton comes to earth seeking Clark because Clark's father gave him the key to rebuilding their race. The only problem is this general believes that humans need to be destroyed in order to make room for the rebuilding of the Kryptonian race. Therefore we have Superman needing to save the world from aliens that are trying to destroy earth. In other words we have The Avengers and Green Lantern made over again, but with a tougher superhero.
Once the fighting begins, it becomes clear that Snyder is more concerned with the visuals and the effects than creating a good fight scene for a movie. For much of the major climactic fight between Superman and General Zod you can't even see the two as the go flying through buildings. All you see is explosions and large skyscrapers that are falling over since they went through support beams. It seems like a bit of a cop out to me. The effects are top notch, but it isn't enough to save the scenes.
The biggest problem I have with this film was the casting. There are supporting roles in this film from five different Academy Award Nominees/Winners (Amy Adams, Kevin Costner, Russell Crowe, Lawrence Fishburne, and Diane Lane) but ask Henry Cavill, who's biggest film role was in Immortals to carry the film. The only problem is he does not have the screen presence to do so. It would have been okay if others had been given bigger roles to help carry the film, but most of this film requires Henry Cavill to carry a particular scene. Adams, Lane and Fishburne all give sub par performances by their standards. Crowe and Costner give great performances as Clark's birth father and adopted father respectively, and their interactions with Clark are some of the more touching scenes of the movie.
Overall I was expecting greatness and came out very seriously underwhelmed. This is a movie that I think has become a victim of it's serious hype both from media and fans, but true fans of the comics will be disappointed. If you want mindless action you will like it, but if you, like me, enjoy the intricacies of good film making you will be sorely disappointed. I give it a C-.
This movie had flashes where it was absolutely brilliant, especially in some of the flash backs looking back to Clark's childhood and his interactions with his father, played by Kevin Costner. However, when it came to the main story it just felt that there was something lacking most of the movie. The story of this film is that a general banished from Krypton comes to earth seeking Clark because Clark's father gave him the key to rebuilding their race. The only problem is this general believes that humans need to be destroyed in order to make room for the rebuilding of the Kryptonian race. Therefore we have Superman needing to save the world from aliens that are trying to destroy earth. In other words we have The Avengers and Green Lantern made over again, but with a tougher superhero.
Once the fighting begins, it becomes clear that Snyder is more concerned with the visuals and the effects than creating a good fight scene for a movie. For much of the major climactic fight between Superman and General Zod you can't even see the two as the go flying through buildings. All you see is explosions and large skyscrapers that are falling over since they went through support beams. It seems like a bit of a cop out to me. The effects are top notch, but it isn't enough to save the scenes.
The biggest problem I have with this film was the casting. There are supporting roles in this film from five different Academy Award Nominees/Winners (Amy Adams, Kevin Costner, Russell Crowe, Lawrence Fishburne, and Diane Lane) but ask Henry Cavill, who's biggest film role was in Immortals to carry the film. The only problem is he does not have the screen presence to do so. It would have been okay if others had been given bigger roles to help carry the film, but most of this film requires Henry Cavill to carry a particular scene. Adams, Lane and Fishburne all give sub par performances by their standards. Crowe and Costner give great performances as Clark's birth father and adopted father respectively, and their interactions with Clark are some of the more touching scenes of the movie.
Overall I was expecting greatness and came out very seriously underwhelmed. This is a movie that I think has become a victim of it's serious hype both from media and fans, but true fans of the comics will be disappointed. If you want mindless action you will like it, but if you, like me, enjoy the intricacies of good film making you will be sorely disappointed. I give it a C-.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
The Newsroom on DVD
I know that I am supposed to be doing movie reviews, but I feel that this is good enough that it deserves a special mention. This week the first season of HBO's The Newsroom was released on DVD. While this show does not receive the pomp and circumstance of other past and present HBO staples such as The Wire, The Sopranos and Game of Thrones, this may very well become the best show HBO has. This show was created by the world's greatest living screenwriter in Aaron Sorkin and he also serves as executive producer. Every time he has done that on TV he has hit a home run. He has created The West Wing, one of the ten best drama shows of all time, and two of the most underrated shows of all time in Sports Night and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.
I will admit, when I first saw commercials for the Newsroom, I was convinced I would not enjoy this show largely because I have never been a fan of Jeff Daniels. He's been in some of my favorite movies like Dumb and Dumber, State of Play, and Traitor but he has always been a supporting guy, never the star. In this he stars as news anchor Will McAvoy, who early in the first episode is described as the Jay Leno of news anchors in that he is popular for never bothering anyone. While I may not normally be a fan of Jeff Daniels, he carried this show with a tremendous performance in every episode and he had me hooked from the first scene of the first episode, and this incredible monologue:
This speech on whether or not America is the greatest country in the world is not only provocative, it is legitimately though provoking. Jeff Daniels in this show is incredible and earned the Golden Globe nomination for this show. What is a travesty is that his co-star, the always talented Emily Mortimer, did not earn a Golden Globe nomination for her turn as executive producer, and Will's former girlfriend, MacKenzie McHale. Together they turn their show around and turn it in to a news show that they can be proud of and together tackle many recent real news stories such as the BP oil spill, the killing of Osama bin Laden, and the Tea Party takeover.
What makes me impressed about this show is how great the cast is from top to bottom. Every member of this cast does a great job no matter how big or small their roles are, and Sorkin does a great job of giving everyone their moment to shine. Whether it is little known actor Dev Patel, who plays a blogger who wants to become a producer, or Alison Pill who goes from being Will's assistant to a producer or Olivia Munn who plays an economist who works on Will's show, every young and relatively unknown cast member in this show is amazing. The one that I love the most though is Sam Waterston, the former star of Law and Order, who plays Will's boss. He does an incredible job and also deserved nominations for his performance in this show.
Unlike other Aaron Sorkin creations like The West Wing and The American President, where he shows his incredible left wing bias, Sorkin does a great job of creating a right wing character he can be unbiased at most all situations. I love how this show lacks the political skew it could have taken. It is in my opinion the best show that premiered in the year 2012 and is one of the 5 best shows currently running on television, along with Dexter, Breaking Bad, Mad Men and Game of Thrones (not particularly in that order). If you missed this show find a way to watch it because you are missing out, and I promise you will not regret it.
I will admit, when I first saw commercials for the Newsroom, I was convinced I would not enjoy this show largely because I have never been a fan of Jeff Daniels. He's been in some of my favorite movies like Dumb and Dumber, State of Play, and Traitor but he has always been a supporting guy, never the star. In this he stars as news anchor Will McAvoy, who early in the first episode is described as the Jay Leno of news anchors in that he is popular for never bothering anyone. While I may not normally be a fan of Jeff Daniels, he carried this show with a tremendous performance in every episode and he had me hooked from the first scene of the first episode, and this incredible monologue:
This speech on whether or not America is the greatest country in the world is not only provocative, it is legitimately though provoking. Jeff Daniels in this show is incredible and earned the Golden Globe nomination for this show. What is a travesty is that his co-star, the always talented Emily Mortimer, did not earn a Golden Globe nomination for her turn as executive producer, and Will's former girlfriend, MacKenzie McHale. Together they turn their show around and turn it in to a news show that they can be proud of and together tackle many recent real news stories such as the BP oil spill, the killing of Osama bin Laden, and the Tea Party takeover.
What makes me impressed about this show is how great the cast is from top to bottom. Every member of this cast does a great job no matter how big or small their roles are, and Sorkin does a great job of giving everyone their moment to shine. Whether it is little known actor Dev Patel, who plays a blogger who wants to become a producer, or Alison Pill who goes from being Will's assistant to a producer or Olivia Munn who plays an economist who works on Will's show, every young and relatively unknown cast member in this show is amazing. The one that I love the most though is Sam Waterston, the former star of Law and Order, who plays Will's boss. He does an incredible job and also deserved nominations for his performance in this show.
Unlike other Aaron Sorkin creations like The West Wing and The American President, where he shows his incredible left wing bias, Sorkin does a great job of creating a right wing character he can be unbiased at most all situations. I love how this show lacks the political skew it could have taken. It is in my opinion the best show that premiered in the year 2012 and is one of the 5 best shows currently running on television, along with Dexter, Breaking Bad, Mad Men and Game of Thrones (not particularly in that order). If you missed this show find a way to watch it because you are missing out, and I promise you will not regret it.
Friday, June 7, 2013
My Favorite Sports Movies of All Time
I just saw a couple lists of Top 10 Movies so I figured I would make one of my own. Here is my list of the Top 10 Sports Movies I have ever enjoyed.
10. Chariots of Fire
This is my dad's all time favorite movie and one I have grown up with since I was a kid. It chronicles two incredibly talented, though incredibly different runners that ran for the 1924 British Olympic team, Aubrey Montague and Eric Liddell. It is an incredible film with great acting and a timeless score that you know even if you have never heard of this masterpiece of a film. It is one of the few sports movies to ever win an Oscar for Best Picture, and it truly deserved it. A wonderful piece of film making.
9. Jerry Maguire.
I know many people don't qualify this as a sports movie but I do. I'm sorry if you think otherwise. This is a great film with a great heart. Tom Cruise, in an Oscar nominated role, plays a high power sports agent (not unlike a Drew Rosenhaus) who loses everything when he sends out an office wide memo that goes against everything that his office has ever stood for. Only one client stays by him (played by Cuba Gooding Jr in an Oscar winning role) and he is followed by a secretary from his work, played well by Renee Zellwegger, who in full disclosure I generally don't like. This is another great film.
8. Brian's Song
This is one of the only films that has ever made me cry. This wonderful film about the friendship between real life Chicago Bears teammates Brian Piccolo and Gale Sayers. I understand this is a made for TV movie but it is still a wonderful film and James Caan gives an immensely passionate performance as Piccolo, the ill-fated Chicago Bears player. This story has, for a long time, served as the inspiration for the kind of friend and teammate I try to be and it is one we should all be able to learn from.
7. Rudy
This is the mostly true story of Daniel "Rudy" Ruttiger, a lifelong Notre Dame fan who decides he wants to be a Notre Dame football player. Four years after high school, he moves from Joliet, IL to South Bend, IN and ends up working his way into college, making the team on heart alone and eventually getting to play in one game his senior year. He is still the last player to ever have been carried off the Notre Dame field by his teammates. It is a great story of perseverance and following your dreams and is an inspiration to any person who loves what they do.
6. Moneyball
"There are rich teams, and there are poor teams. Then there's fifty feet of crap, and then there's us," explains Billy Beane, the General Manger of the Oakland A's baseball club, as to why their team struggles from year to year. This movie is geniusly written by the greatest living screenwriter in Aaron Sorkin and is powered by amazing performances from Brad Pitt as Beane, and Jonah Hill as his assistant. It is the story of how the Oakland A's changed baseball scouting forever through the process of sabermetrics and the historic season that follows. Most teams have slowly started adopting this, notably the Boston Red Sox and St Louis Cardinals, both of whom have two World Series titles since adopting Billy Beane's philosophies.
5. Eight Men Out
The story of one of the darkest episodes in Major League Baseball history, the 1929 World Series and the scandal of the Black Sox is depicted with class and dignity in this amazing film. Eight members of the team were accused of throwing the World Series for money, including the great Shoeless Joe Jackson, who has forever been banned from baseball (including his rightful spot in the Hall of Fame) for breaking baseball's cardinal rule. This is a great film with great performances which handles a major episode and black spot on baseball with grace and dignity.
4. Knute Rockne: All American
Now we start getting in to the cream of the crop. This is a movie most anyone reading this list has never seen, but I tell you it is incredible. The story of former Notre Dame player and coach Knute Rockne. He is a legend to anyone who is a fan of either Notre Dame or college football in general and ranks only behind Ara Parseghian in the list of greatest coaches in Notre Dame history. And Ronald Reagan gives a great performance as "The Gipper" who gives one of the most memorable speeches in sports movie history so well, "I gotta go Rock...tell them to go out there, and win just one for the Gipper."
3. Hoosiers
This is another great movie that has stood the test of time. Gene Hackman gives an all time great sports movie performance as a disgraced college basketball coach who comes to Indiana and takes a small Indiana high school all the way to the state championship. You will cheer for these kids. You will yell at the coach. You will wonder how it could possibly be a real story, but that is what makes it great.
2. The Natural
I've always said that this was my all time favorite sports movie until I sat down to make this list and realized I was wrong, but it definitely deserves to be here at number 2. This is the greatest movie about America's pasttime ever made. Roy Hobbs is such a staple in American culture that it is almost like he really was a baseball player. His fictional story reminds me somewhat of Rick Ankiel, formerly of the St Louis Cardinals. Ankiel was supposed to be the next great pitcher as a young kid before he lost control of his arm. Instead of quitting baseball, he went to the minors and remade himself into a hard hitting outfielder. It is a triumphant story with superb performances from Robert Redford, Glenn Close, Kim Basinger and Wilford Brimley.
1. Rocky
Is there any other choice for the best sports movie of all time? I have heard arguments for others, but I'm sorry, this will always be it. It, like Chariots of Fire, won an Oscar for Best Picture. It garnered two different Oscar nominations for Sylvester Stallone, one for acting and one for writing. Two other members of the cast were nominated for acting Oscars as well. This is the ultimate underdog story, and will remain that for years and years to come. Plus, has there ever been a more memorable line from a sports movie then "Yo Adrian. It's Rocky"? If the final fight scene of this movie does not make you cheer, then you seriously need to check your pulse.
10. Chariots of Fire
This is my dad's all time favorite movie and one I have grown up with since I was a kid. It chronicles two incredibly talented, though incredibly different runners that ran for the 1924 British Olympic team, Aubrey Montague and Eric Liddell. It is an incredible film with great acting and a timeless score that you know even if you have never heard of this masterpiece of a film. It is one of the few sports movies to ever win an Oscar for Best Picture, and it truly deserved it. A wonderful piece of film making.
9. Jerry Maguire.
I know many people don't qualify this as a sports movie but I do. I'm sorry if you think otherwise. This is a great film with a great heart. Tom Cruise, in an Oscar nominated role, plays a high power sports agent (not unlike a Drew Rosenhaus) who loses everything when he sends out an office wide memo that goes against everything that his office has ever stood for. Only one client stays by him (played by Cuba Gooding Jr in an Oscar winning role) and he is followed by a secretary from his work, played well by Renee Zellwegger, who in full disclosure I generally don't like. This is another great film.
8. Brian's Song
This is one of the only films that has ever made me cry. This wonderful film about the friendship between real life Chicago Bears teammates Brian Piccolo and Gale Sayers. I understand this is a made for TV movie but it is still a wonderful film and James Caan gives an immensely passionate performance as Piccolo, the ill-fated Chicago Bears player. This story has, for a long time, served as the inspiration for the kind of friend and teammate I try to be and it is one we should all be able to learn from.
7. Rudy
This is the mostly true story of Daniel "Rudy" Ruttiger, a lifelong Notre Dame fan who decides he wants to be a Notre Dame football player. Four years after high school, he moves from Joliet, IL to South Bend, IN and ends up working his way into college, making the team on heart alone and eventually getting to play in one game his senior year. He is still the last player to ever have been carried off the Notre Dame field by his teammates. It is a great story of perseverance and following your dreams and is an inspiration to any person who loves what they do.
6. Moneyball
"There are rich teams, and there are poor teams. Then there's fifty feet of crap, and then there's us," explains Billy Beane, the General Manger of the Oakland A's baseball club, as to why their team struggles from year to year. This movie is geniusly written by the greatest living screenwriter in Aaron Sorkin and is powered by amazing performances from Brad Pitt as Beane, and Jonah Hill as his assistant. It is the story of how the Oakland A's changed baseball scouting forever through the process of sabermetrics and the historic season that follows. Most teams have slowly started adopting this, notably the Boston Red Sox and St Louis Cardinals, both of whom have two World Series titles since adopting Billy Beane's philosophies.
5. Eight Men Out
The story of one of the darkest episodes in Major League Baseball history, the 1929 World Series and the scandal of the Black Sox is depicted with class and dignity in this amazing film. Eight members of the team were accused of throwing the World Series for money, including the great Shoeless Joe Jackson, who has forever been banned from baseball (including his rightful spot in the Hall of Fame) for breaking baseball's cardinal rule. This is a great film with great performances which handles a major episode and black spot on baseball with grace and dignity.
4. Knute Rockne: All American
Now we start getting in to the cream of the crop. This is a movie most anyone reading this list has never seen, but I tell you it is incredible. The story of former Notre Dame player and coach Knute Rockne. He is a legend to anyone who is a fan of either Notre Dame or college football in general and ranks only behind Ara Parseghian in the list of greatest coaches in Notre Dame history. And Ronald Reagan gives a great performance as "The Gipper" who gives one of the most memorable speeches in sports movie history so well, "I gotta go Rock...tell them to go out there, and win just one for the Gipper."
3. Hoosiers
This is another great movie that has stood the test of time. Gene Hackman gives an all time great sports movie performance as a disgraced college basketball coach who comes to Indiana and takes a small Indiana high school all the way to the state championship. You will cheer for these kids. You will yell at the coach. You will wonder how it could possibly be a real story, but that is what makes it great.
2. The Natural
I've always said that this was my all time favorite sports movie until I sat down to make this list and realized I was wrong, but it definitely deserves to be here at number 2. This is the greatest movie about America's pasttime ever made. Roy Hobbs is such a staple in American culture that it is almost like he really was a baseball player. His fictional story reminds me somewhat of Rick Ankiel, formerly of the St Louis Cardinals. Ankiel was supposed to be the next great pitcher as a young kid before he lost control of his arm. Instead of quitting baseball, he went to the minors and remade himself into a hard hitting outfielder. It is a triumphant story with superb performances from Robert Redford, Glenn Close, Kim Basinger and Wilford Brimley.
1. Rocky
Is there any other choice for the best sports movie of all time? I have heard arguments for others, but I'm sorry, this will always be it. It, like Chariots of Fire, won an Oscar for Best Picture. It garnered two different Oscar nominations for Sylvester Stallone, one for acting and one for writing. Two other members of the cast were nominated for acting Oscars as well. This is the ultimate underdog story, and will remain that for years and years to come. Plus, has there ever been a more memorable line from a sports movie then "Yo Adrian. It's Rocky"? If the final fight scene of this movie does not make you cheer, then you seriously need to check your pulse.
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Fast and Furious 6 Review
Yeah, I am aware this movie came out 2 weeks ago but I just finally saw it. I am kind of depressed about that though as this is one I was really looking forward to. The Fast and Furious movies have always been some of my favorites. They are ridiculously entertaining and I love the cars despite the enjoyably bad acting (Walker and Diesel are the Magic and Bird of bad acting - let's be honest) that has marked these movies ever since their inception. I am not sure when The Fast and The Furious was made back in 2001, I don't know if Rob Cohen ever thought his movie would become one of the most successful action franchises since Die Hard. And what makes these movies unique is that unlike many series, they get better with age. They have consistently gotten better each time (with the exception of Tokyo Drift, which I don't include since it isn't part of the main story line).
What I love about these films is that they know exactly what they are and don't try to be anything else. They are great action movies. Great action movies don't need great acting but a decent plot and some great one liners to keep it upbeat. Bad Boys is perfect at that, and Fast and Furious movies are only a step behind. This movie is no different. Our plot goes something like this, a team of drivers that are as crazy as Dominic Toretto's crew is looking to assemble a weapon that, if used, could destroy millions of lives. Agent Hobbs has been chasing them for however long and now has four days to catch them. Rather than going and getting Seal Team 6 (who killed Osama bin Laden mind you - for those who weren't breathing on May 1, 2011, or never saw Zero Dark Thirty) Hobbs decides the best person to bring them down are Dominc Toretto and the crew of fugitive criminals that stole 100 million dollars from a drug kingpin. All of them are living lavish lives very safe from harm, until Dom calls them all and brings them in for this "one last job" (I feel like I have heard this before). Why would they do this? Well, Letty, whose death caused Dom to kill like 200 people and cause like a billion dollars in property damage a couple movies ago, is somehow alive and working with the bad guys?!?! I'm not sure how that happened, but needless to say, Dom is in.
Thus begins the action. Dom and his team, along with Hobbs and a new partner in stopping crime, go after Owen Shaw, a spec ops soldier who specializes in "vehicular warfare" (oh, now I understand why I need Dom Toretto to bring this guy down - Seal Team 6 could never catch him). For much of the rest of the movie, we get explosions, car chases, crazy mid air stunts, jumping from car to car, and everything else you could ever expect from a Fast and Furious film. Even the acting in this movie isn't half bad, like in some of the previous films. Much of that I attribute to the writing, which is much better in this film than in some of the past ones.
I will say this about the Fast and Furious films. The one thing about them that I have always respected is how much it shows the importance of family. That theme is a pillar of these films that I have always respected. This film has no shortage of family unity and I absolutely love that. Overall this movie was everything I hoped it could be. It was a fun movie that was ridiculously entertaining. It was even sentimental and at the end had me even a bit emotional. It had solid laughs and great action. Even though the stunts were completely absurd, they were definitely awesome. Overall, this is a great film in what has become one of the all time great action franchises. I give it an A.
What I love about these films is that they know exactly what they are and don't try to be anything else. They are great action movies. Great action movies don't need great acting but a decent plot and some great one liners to keep it upbeat. Bad Boys is perfect at that, and Fast and Furious movies are only a step behind. This movie is no different. Our plot goes something like this, a team of drivers that are as crazy as Dominic Toretto's crew is looking to assemble a weapon that, if used, could destroy millions of lives. Agent Hobbs has been chasing them for however long and now has four days to catch them. Rather than going and getting Seal Team 6 (who killed Osama bin Laden mind you - for those who weren't breathing on May 1, 2011, or never saw Zero Dark Thirty) Hobbs decides the best person to bring them down are Dominc Toretto and the crew of fugitive criminals that stole 100 million dollars from a drug kingpin. All of them are living lavish lives very safe from harm, until Dom calls them all and brings them in for this "one last job" (I feel like I have heard this before). Why would they do this? Well, Letty, whose death caused Dom to kill like 200 people and cause like a billion dollars in property damage a couple movies ago, is somehow alive and working with the bad guys?!?! I'm not sure how that happened, but needless to say, Dom is in.
Thus begins the action. Dom and his team, along with Hobbs and a new partner in stopping crime, go after Owen Shaw, a spec ops soldier who specializes in "vehicular warfare" (oh, now I understand why I need Dom Toretto to bring this guy down - Seal Team 6 could never catch him). For much of the rest of the movie, we get explosions, car chases, crazy mid air stunts, jumping from car to car, and everything else you could ever expect from a Fast and Furious film. Even the acting in this movie isn't half bad, like in some of the previous films. Much of that I attribute to the writing, which is much better in this film than in some of the past ones.
I will say this about the Fast and Furious films. The one thing about them that I have always respected is how much it shows the importance of family. That theme is a pillar of these films that I have always respected. This film has no shortage of family unity and I absolutely love that. Overall this movie was everything I hoped it could be. It was a fun movie that was ridiculously entertaining. It was even sentimental and at the end had me even a bit emotional. It had solid laughs and great action. Even though the stunts were completely absurd, they were definitely awesome. Overall, this is a great film in what has become one of the all time great action franchises. I give it an A.
Sunday, June 2, 2013
End of Watch Review
I haven't been able to make it to the movies so I figured I would do a review for one of last year's movies that I just barely saw. Here is my review of the police drama End of Watch.
David Ayer has either written or directed (or both) some of the best cop movies of the last decade plus. He did Training Day which garnered Denzel Washington an Oscar and SWAT which may be the most underrated cop movie of all time. Here he creates a masterpiece of a film that may be the best cop movie I have ever seen.
This movie follow two police officers, Brian Taylor and Mike Zavala, who are loosely based on a real life partnership from the 90s. They work for the LAPD Newton District, which they describe early in the film as one of the most dangerous districts in all of Los Angeles, and throughout the film it definitely lives up to that. Both of the young, but distinguished cops, get caught up making trouble for a Mexican drug cartel and the cartel "greenlights" them, or puts out a hit on their lives. This leads to the third act which is one of the most intense 20 minutes of any film I have seen in a long time, much like Ben Affleck's fantastic ending to The Town some years ago. The ending will leave you breathless, and that is all I will say about it.
When I first saw the preview of this, I thought it would be just a bunch of shooting and arrests, but it is so much more than that. This movie is about family, and the importance of looking out for one another. In one scene of the movie Taylor reluctantly follows his partner into a burning building to save a child, and then later tells him that he will have to follow him into a building. These exchanges, along with others show, with great power, the importance of love and friendship and brotherhood. Even the two men's wives grow to be like sisters throughout the movie.
What blew me away in this movie was the acting and cinematography. Jake Gyllenhall gives the best performance since Donnie Darko, if not his entire career, as Brian Taylor and it is a travesty he did not get an Oscar nomination for this movie. His performance in this was unquestionably better than Denzel Washington in Flight, and I would argue better than Hugh Jackman in Les Miserables. Michael Pena gives a fantastic performance as Mike Zavala as well. It is probably the best performance of his career, including Crash, which I consider to be one of the best movies of all time. I would be willing to argue that he also deserved an Oscar nomination over Alan Arkin from Argo (which, full disclosure, I consider to be the second best movie of last year behind Zero Dark Thirty). Even the supporting roles from Anna Kendrick, as Taylor's wife Janet, America Ferrera as a fellow officer, and the always solid Frank Grillo were tremendous. But what really blew me away in this movie was the cinematography. 97% of this movie is shot amateur documentary style from the perspective of Officer Taylor, who is shooting for a film class he is taking. It makes the movie very real.
In full disclosure, this movie is incredibly gritty. If you are at all sensitive, do not see this film. It is the sixth most profane movie every made (other than a documentary on the F word) and the violence is sometimes very in your face and realistic. Much of this is because of the documentary style so some people are shot at very close range right in your face. David Ayer does not apologize about the violence that sometimes come from police work. Overall though, it is very well done and in the right taste. I never once felt that this movie glorified the violence like in some other movies.
I will say that this movie, now having seen it, rocketed to my top 10 list of all time movies. It is solid from beginning to end, and the themes of family and love should tug at your heart a lot. If the ending of this movie doesn't make you emotional then check your pulse. The acting is tremendous, the writing and directing are first rate and this movie will be hard to top in its genre for a long time to come. I give it an A+.
David Ayer has either written or directed (or both) some of the best cop movies of the last decade plus. He did Training Day which garnered Denzel Washington an Oscar and SWAT which may be the most underrated cop movie of all time. Here he creates a masterpiece of a film that may be the best cop movie I have ever seen.
This movie follow two police officers, Brian Taylor and Mike Zavala, who are loosely based on a real life partnership from the 90s. They work for the LAPD Newton District, which they describe early in the film as one of the most dangerous districts in all of Los Angeles, and throughout the film it definitely lives up to that. Both of the young, but distinguished cops, get caught up making trouble for a Mexican drug cartel and the cartel "greenlights" them, or puts out a hit on their lives. This leads to the third act which is one of the most intense 20 minutes of any film I have seen in a long time, much like Ben Affleck's fantastic ending to The Town some years ago. The ending will leave you breathless, and that is all I will say about it.
When I first saw the preview of this, I thought it would be just a bunch of shooting and arrests, but it is so much more than that. This movie is about family, and the importance of looking out for one another. In one scene of the movie Taylor reluctantly follows his partner into a burning building to save a child, and then later tells him that he will have to follow him into a building. These exchanges, along with others show, with great power, the importance of love and friendship and brotherhood. Even the two men's wives grow to be like sisters throughout the movie.
What blew me away in this movie was the acting and cinematography. Jake Gyllenhall gives the best performance since Donnie Darko, if not his entire career, as Brian Taylor and it is a travesty he did not get an Oscar nomination for this movie. His performance in this was unquestionably better than Denzel Washington in Flight, and I would argue better than Hugh Jackman in Les Miserables. Michael Pena gives a fantastic performance as Mike Zavala as well. It is probably the best performance of his career, including Crash, which I consider to be one of the best movies of all time. I would be willing to argue that he also deserved an Oscar nomination over Alan Arkin from Argo (which, full disclosure, I consider to be the second best movie of last year behind Zero Dark Thirty). Even the supporting roles from Anna Kendrick, as Taylor's wife Janet, America Ferrera as a fellow officer, and the always solid Frank Grillo were tremendous. But what really blew me away in this movie was the cinematography. 97% of this movie is shot amateur documentary style from the perspective of Officer Taylor, who is shooting for a film class he is taking. It makes the movie very real.
In full disclosure, this movie is incredibly gritty. If you are at all sensitive, do not see this film. It is the sixth most profane movie every made (other than a documentary on the F word) and the violence is sometimes very in your face and realistic. Much of this is because of the documentary style so some people are shot at very close range right in your face. David Ayer does not apologize about the violence that sometimes come from police work. Overall though, it is very well done and in the right taste. I never once felt that this movie glorified the violence like in some other movies.
I will say that this movie, now having seen it, rocketed to my top 10 list of all time movies. It is solid from beginning to end, and the themes of family and love should tug at your heart a lot. If the ending of this movie doesn't make you emotional then check your pulse. The acting is tremendous, the writing and directing are first rate and this movie will be hard to top in its genre for a long time to come. I give it an A+.
Monday, May 13, 2013
The Great Gatsby Review
This is a movie I was highly looking forward to and very skeptical of all at the same time before I went to saw it. Like most people, I read F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic about one of the most volatile decades in our nation's history (other than the 1960's of course) when I was in high school. The first time I read it, unfortunately, I had a teacher who severely over-analyzed it and ruined it for me. Later on in high school I read it again for myself after seeing the Robert Redford version of the movie and fell in love with this tale. It is a tale spanning so many timeless themes such as love, betrayal, anger and revenge.
I have to admit that I was captivated at the idea of this film from the time I saw the first trailer for it about 6 months ago. When I saw that it would be directed by Baz Luhrmann, I was even more excited. While I am not a huge fan of the movies, the visuals that he portrays in both Moulin Rouge and Romeo + Juliet are tremendously beautiful. Luhrmann has a nack for taking the past and giving it modern flare without losing out on the plot. In Romeo + Juliet he takes Shakespeare's script verbatim and instead of setting it in 17th century Verona, he puts it in what looks like late 20th century southern California. In Moulin Rouge he makes an old love story, sets it obviously in the past, but has his characters singing very modern songs. It is beautifully done, and The Great Gatsby is no different.
In this film, we see the beauty and majesty of the Roaring 20's complete with the lavish costumes and even more lavish parties, thrown by the millionaire Jay Gatsby. Even with that, we have a soundtrack of modern hip-hop and see the characters dancing to the music as it plays. Luhrmann does a great job of making sure we don't see this as a music montage with some dialogue included. He pays perfect homage to Fitzgerald's beautifully written story by pulling much of Nick Carraway's narration directly from the prose written by Fitzgerald himself. It is very beautifully done.
The acting in this movie was top notch also. I am generally weary of casts billed as "all-star" such as in Ocean's Eleven, but this movie did it perfectly. You could tell that none of the actors were fighting for having themselves be notable in comparison to the others. Three time Academy Award nominee Leonardo DiCaprio gave what I believe is his best performance since Blood Diamond, which garnered him his most recent Oscar nod some 7 years ago (disclaimer - I have not seen his performance in Django Unchained but do know many believe it to be the best of his career). While it will not get him an awards nomination, DiCaprio's performance, and screen presence, is captivating in this whole movie. Tobey Maguire gives a great performance as well as the young and naive Nick Carraway, Gatsby's neighbor. Great performances from Joel Edgerton (who, in my opinion, should get awards consideration for this film as Tom Buchanan) and the always solid, though never memorable, Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan help make this movie one of the best full cast performances I have seen since The Social Network.
All that being said, this is a slow film. We do not even see Gatsby until half an hour in and while billed at 2 hours, 23 minutes, I did feel like it was much longer. However slow, it was captivating from start to finish. Overall this was a great film, but not one I would recommend to those looking for mindless entertainment. I give it an A.
I have to admit that I was captivated at the idea of this film from the time I saw the first trailer for it about 6 months ago. When I saw that it would be directed by Baz Luhrmann, I was even more excited. While I am not a huge fan of the movies, the visuals that he portrays in both Moulin Rouge and Romeo + Juliet are tremendously beautiful. Luhrmann has a nack for taking the past and giving it modern flare without losing out on the plot. In Romeo + Juliet he takes Shakespeare's script verbatim and instead of setting it in 17th century Verona, he puts it in what looks like late 20th century southern California. In Moulin Rouge he makes an old love story, sets it obviously in the past, but has his characters singing very modern songs. It is beautifully done, and The Great Gatsby is no different.
In this film, we see the beauty and majesty of the Roaring 20's complete with the lavish costumes and even more lavish parties, thrown by the millionaire Jay Gatsby. Even with that, we have a soundtrack of modern hip-hop and see the characters dancing to the music as it plays. Luhrmann does a great job of making sure we don't see this as a music montage with some dialogue included. He pays perfect homage to Fitzgerald's beautifully written story by pulling much of Nick Carraway's narration directly from the prose written by Fitzgerald himself. It is very beautifully done.
The acting in this movie was top notch also. I am generally weary of casts billed as "all-star" such as in Ocean's Eleven, but this movie did it perfectly. You could tell that none of the actors were fighting for having themselves be notable in comparison to the others. Three time Academy Award nominee Leonardo DiCaprio gave what I believe is his best performance since Blood Diamond, which garnered him his most recent Oscar nod some 7 years ago (disclaimer - I have not seen his performance in Django Unchained but do know many believe it to be the best of his career). While it will not get him an awards nomination, DiCaprio's performance, and screen presence, is captivating in this whole movie. Tobey Maguire gives a great performance as well as the young and naive Nick Carraway, Gatsby's neighbor. Great performances from Joel Edgerton (who, in my opinion, should get awards consideration for this film as Tom Buchanan) and the always solid, though never memorable, Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan help make this movie one of the best full cast performances I have seen since The Social Network.
All that being said, this is a slow film. We do not even see Gatsby until half an hour in and while billed at 2 hours, 23 minutes, I did feel like it was much longer. However slow, it was captivating from start to finish. Overall this was a great film, but not one I would recommend to those looking for mindless entertainment. I give it an A.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Iron Man 3 Review
Along with Star Trek: Into Darkness, this may be the most anticipated sequel of the entire summer. (I would say year, but I believe that goes to Hunger Games: Catching Fire.) But did it live up to expectations.
I just looked at the Box Office numbers from the weekend. Iron Man 3 led with 174 million, and the number 2 movie, Pain and Gain, made only 7.5 million. That tells me that anyone reading this has probably already seen Iron Man 3, but you know what, I just don't care.
When I found out that the writer of this movie had changed from the original screenwriter and that the director had changed from Jon Favreau to anyone not named Jon Favreau I had my doubts of whether it could stand up with the original movies. Then I found out that Shane Black, the writer of the Lethal Weapon movies and director of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang was essentially running this project, and my fears were alleviated. That being said, on to the actual review.
In this installment in the franchise that, along with Chris Nolan's Batman trilogy, reinvented the superhero genre, Iron Man goes up against a ruthless terrorist known as The Mandarin (played by the always solid Ben Kingsley). He at the same time goes head to head with another scientist named Aldrich Killian (played by one of the most underrated actors of our time in Guy Pearce). I will say that Aldrich Killian and The Mandarin definitely make better villians than Justin Hammer and Ivan Vanko. That being said, the plot for this movie has it all. The twists are great and some of the action you see coming (such as when Tony Stark gives his home address to terrorists and essentially says come and get me) but it is very well done. The script is great though it lacks some of the laughs I have come to love from the earlier Iron Man movies, and from Tony's character in The Avengers.
One thing I did love in this movie was how they expanded the character development of Tony Stark and allowed Robert Downey Jr, the only actor who could have played this role, to really show his ability to act. We see personality traits of Tony Stark other than narcissism and impulsive behavior. He shows a full range of emotions and while never expressly shown or said, you can tell a lot of that has to do with Pepper Potts. They perfectly play homage to the events of The Avengers (such as the line "nothing's been the same since New York") and you can really see how it has changed Tony for better and for worse. While I don't think it will garner nominations with the rest of summer coming and fall Oscar contenders still to come, I believe Downey's work in this movie is worthy of awards consideration.
All that being said, I think parts of this movie were predictable. I think it lacked laughs where it was possible, and tried to hard for laughs in other places. This is one of the most entertaining movies I have seen this year, and believe it will hold up on sheer entertainment, but it lacks some of the substance that the other movies have had. I give it a B+
I just looked at the Box Office numbers from the weekend. Iron Man 3 led with 174 million, and the number 2 movie, Pain and Gain, made only 7.5 million. That tells me that anyone reading this has probably already seen Iron Man 3, but you know what, I just don't care.
When I found out that the writer of this movie had changed from the original screenwriter and that the director had changed from Jon Favreau to anyone not named Jon Favreau I had my doubts of whether it could stand up with the original movies. Then I found out that Shane Black, the writer of the Lethal Weapon movies and director of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang was essentially running this project, and my fears were alleviated. That being said, on to the actual review.
In this installment in the franchise that, along with Chris Nolan's Batman trilogy, reinvented the superhero genre, Iron Man goes up against a ruthless terrorist known as The Mandarin (played by the always solid Ben Kingsley). He at the same time goes head to head with another scientist named Aldrich Killian (played by one of the most underrated actors of our time in Guy Pearce). I will say that Aldrich Killian and The Mandarin definitely make better villians than Justin Hammer and Ivan Vanko. That being said, the plot for this movie has it all. The twists are great and some of the action you see coming (such as when Tony Stark gives his home address to terrorists and essentially says come and get me) but it is very well done. The script is great though it lacks some of the laughs I have come to love from the earlier Iron Man movies, and from Tony's character in The Avengers.
One thing I did love in this movie was how they expanded the character development of Tony Stark and allowed Robert Downey Jr, the only actor who could have played this role, to really show his ability to act. We see personality traits of Tony Stark other than narcissism and impulsive behavior. He shows a full range of emotions and while never expressly shown or said, you can tell a lot of that has to do with Pepper Potts. They perfectly play homage to the events of The Avengers (such as the line "nothing's been the same since New York") and you can really see how it has changed Tony for better and for worse. While I don't think it will garner nominations with the rest of summer coming and fall Oscar contenders still to come, I believe Downey's work in this movie is worthy of awards consideration.
All that being said, I think parts of this movie were predictable. I think it lacked laughs where it was possible, and tried to hard for laughs in other places. This is one of the most entertaining movies I have seen this year, and believe it will hold up on sheer entertainment, but it lacks some of the substance that the other movies have had. I give it a B+
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