Movies in Review: "Brave"

I am expecting this movie to come out on top this weekend, especially since it seemed to be the most anticipated animated film of not only children, but also adults...myself included. This trailer captured me from the first view. I loved the comedy and story shown in the trailer, but what really got me was the character Merida. I love it when females have the opportunities told hold the lead, and Merida seemed strong enough to make this film work...sooooooo was she?

I am happy to say that I got everything I expected from this film. It was super entertaining and is enjoyable for the family. The character Merida was a perfect teen. With her dramatics, and butting heads with her mother. They made Merida's hair over the top, and it seemed to take on a character on its own. Her hair was definitely fun to watch. Also fun to watch was Merida's father King Fergus and Merida's 3 younger brothers. The story is cute, and of course has a lesson to be learned. I honestly shed a tear at the end when they showed the love a mother has for her child, and the lengths she would go to protect them and vice versa. That was my favorite scene, but I enjoyed all of it.

Critics are giving it a so so rating, but I didn't bother to find out what they thought the film lacked. I went to see it personally and it satisfied my needs, and I think it will do the same for you. It is a great family movie that left viewers with applause in the theatre I saw it in. Take your kids to this one, or make this a solo matinee, but don't let it pass you by...A-

*Side Note...for those of you looking for a review for Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter...Im sorry but I just couldn't get myself to walk into the theatre to watch this movie. Every time the trailer played in theaters the audience would laugh. The trailer did not capture my interest, therefore this film would not receive my hard earned cash with the purchase of a movie ticket. However my friend T of The Focused Filmographer has written a very entertaining write-up if you are interested to know how it was. Please check it out Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Movies in Review: "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World"

Hmmmmmm...not really sure what to say about this one. I can say that when I saw the trailer I thought the movie would be entertaining and humorous because of Steve Carell. However my interested was a bit wavered with the addition of Keira Knightley. I'm on the fence with Knightley, and I can't say I was too interested in seeing her in a "comedic" role.

This comedy-drama unfortunately had more drama than actual comedy. As a matter of fact, I didn't laugh once. This movie only had a running time of 104 min, but it felt like it exceeded that by 30 min. I honestly found myself falling asleep as we watch the characters stories unfold before the end of the world. The journey to fulfill their last wishes was long and dull. I disliked this movie because it was predictable to the end. I am trying to figure out who thought this story would be worth bringing to the big screen. By the time the credits rolled, I left the theatre feeling this film was totally unnecessary.

I like Steve Carell, but I can't say I like Steve Carell with Keira Knightley in a comedy. This movie was  dry and dull, as well as predictable. Most critics gave it a so so rating, but I honestly can't say that I liked it that much. It is as weird as the trailer, but less funny...D

*Side Note...for those of you looking for a review for Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter...Im sorry but I just couldn't get myself to walk into the theatre to watch this movie. Every time the trailer played in theaters the audience would laugh. The trailer did not capture my interest, therefore this film would not receive my hard earned cash with the purchase of a movie ticket. However my friend T of The Focused Filmographer has written a very entertaining write-up if you are interested to know how it was. Please check it out Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Movies in Review: "Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap"

I don't think I'll ever tire of hip hop documentaries. I remember how rap use to be, and when I see documentaries like these it only emphasizes how much the rap game has changed. Ice-T directs this one and lets some of our legendary old school hip hop artists tell their story.

I am not a die hard hip hop head. But I am a fan of good music, and great lyrics. All you hip hop heads won't want to miss this one. You will find yourself rooting for your old favorites and reciting the lyrics like you're at an old school hip hop concert. This movie is very nostalgic. I was introduced to a few lyricists I wasn't up on, most namely Grandmaster Caz...this dude is Ill...damn I had no idea.

There are a number of artists that you will definitely be happy to see again, and few artists who shouldn't have even been included in this film, like Royce da 5'9, Joe Budden, and Kanye West. Although I love Kanye...he just didn't seem to fit in this bunch.

This documentary is not playing everywhere, but if it is in your area, and you love hip hop music, go check this one out...B+

Movies in Review: "That's My Boy"

I am not a fan of Adam Sandler. Honestly out of all of his films I think I may have enjoyed 2. So Why did I even go check this flick? Well it was either this or Rock of Ages, and I had no interest in watching Tom Cruise act like a rock star, nor was I interested in a musical. I was at least hoping to get a few laughs by choosing to watch That's My Boy...unfortunately the laughs were non-existent.

I actually don't know which was worse Jack & Jill, or this catastrophe. The garbage pail jokes were lame and offered nothing new for viewers. Almost everything about this movie was predictable and simply not funny. I was surprised that I didn't find myself laughing once. Quite honestly I found myself more disgusted than anything. Some of the material was more disgusting than humorous...#EpicFail.

I don't ever want to see Ciara in another movie. I couldn't take listening to her recite her lines in every scene. Her team should have advised acting classes. Thank goodness her role was small, but still too much in my opinion...smh. You might find this movie more entertaining if you are under the influence of an alcohol induced coma, or uber high on that ooooohhhhWeeeeee. If drugs or alcohol are not in your system, I'd recommend that you stay away from this one because it's not even worth a rental...F!

Movies in Review: "Prometheus"

This was initially supposed to be a prequel to Aliens, but they later decided to changed that idea a little to develop it as its own separate story. The promotion for this film was huge and was set up to be another major blockbuster. The idea behind this movie was enough to help it stand alone. Although a bit too long, the movie was decent.

This film was receiving rave reviews from critics. I liked it, but it wasn't really exceptional. There were some holes in the story that left me with too many questions. There were events taking place in the movie that wasn't clearly explained. But perhaps you won't notice. There is definitely enough going on in the film to keep your attention away from the nonsense. It was a little strange to hear Noomi Rapace's character get call Lisbeth (short for Elizabeth), the name of the same character she plays in The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo (Swedish version). You would think that they would have named her character something else, or at least make it a point not to call her Lisbeth...eh...maybe that's just me though.

I loved Charlize Theron, but I had a hard time understanding why her character was so uptight. I think her story could have used more development. I enjoyed Michael Fassbender, but did not understand why he was so familiar with the planet that they had just arrived on...smh. Guy Pearce is listed in the cast, and if you're not paying attention, you might miss him. They did a great job with his make-up, he's almost unrecognizable.

The movie was decent, but that doesn't sound like much when I expected it to be great. I think that many people who see this will give this far more credit than it deserves. It was good...excuse me...decent, but that's about as much as I can give it. Sorry if you don't agree with me...B-

Movies in Review: "Madagascar 3: Europes Most Wanted"

I wasn't expecting much from this 3rd installment, especially since I found the sequel to be a disaster compared to the first. To make matters worse, the reviews for this film weren't looking positive. So although I wasn't excited about this movie I had to see it, figuring it couldn't possibly be worse than the 2nd...and I'm happy to say that I was right.

I have no ideas what critics disliked. Some critics even said this installment was worse than 2. Well I'm here to say that they are sadly mistaken. I don't remember too much about 2, possibly because it wasn't very memorable. However I do recall feeling like the 2nd installment didn't show the penguins enough, or  King Julien and Maurice, the characters who created all the comedy relief. Madagascar 3 didn't fall short on any of this. There was plenty of penguin and King Julien action, along with other funny elements that made the first one so good. This movie had me cracking up, much like the first one. Out of the 4 main characters Marty the zebra was again the best. There were a few down/slow moments, but for the most part the movie was filled with plenty of movement and was visually appetizing, which the kids will enjoy. I did not watch this in 3D, but I don't think seeing this in 3D is absolutely necessary for enjoyment.

Unlike most critics, I am giving this one a positive review. The story and journey the animals took was more interesting than the last movie. The characters that were the most interesting are used well in this film. This movie is kid friendly, yet still entertaining for adults. I enjoyed watching this one and I think you will too...B+

Movies in Review: "Snow White and the Huntsman"

Given the heavy promotion of this film, expectations were definitely high upon release date. I know I was really looking forward to this Snow White installment, especially after Mirror Mirror became a major disappointment. SWATH had blockbuster type marketing, an intriguing trailer, along with some of the best theatrical posters I have seen in a while. So now the question is did it live up to all the hype...

It lived up to some of it, unfortunately not enough to satisfy my tastes. The movie started out ok as we get introduced to the story. It really picks up once Charlize Theron's character came in to play. Theron was remarkable as Ravenna. She was beautiful, strong, and powerful, all the qualities this character needed. Besides Theron, I also thought the film was visually entertaining, especially Theron's costumes. My favorite scene was the one in the enchanted forest...absolutely beautiful. I love Chris Hemsworth, but his opening scene was a bit rocky for me. He did not nail his first scene, he seemed to just stumble through it...literally. No worries though, he did get better.

I was hoping that I was going to be able to give Kristen Stewart props for her role in this film, but unfortunately she was nothing exceptional. She spoke very little at the start of the film and most of her acting was caught in her expressions, which wasn't bad. However as the film went along she seemed to get stiff and did nothing to capture my attention as the lead in this film. Quite honestly I wanted to see more of Charlize Theron's character. I felt a few scenes could have been cut short by 15-20min. this movie was too long for its own good. The 7 dwarfs in this version weren't as entertaining as the dwarfs in Mirror Mirror. And their accents were so thick it made them hard to understand...smh.

All in all the movie was still ok thanks to great visuals and Charlize Theron, but it fell off at the end. They had Stewart dressed as Zena the Warrior Princess...horrible. Nothing was explained why one kiss worked to wake Snow White as opposed to the other. And the last scene with Ravenna and Snow White was weak. There is no reason they couldn't have made that scene stronger. I know I'm not the only one who was expecting more.

In my opinion this movie started better than it ended. There are some entertaining elements, but the running time is too long, and the story is a little warped. It's not all it's cracked up to be...C+

Movies in Review (INDEPENDENT): "The Intouchables"

This was certainly one of the best films I have seen in a while. I really can't say what drew me to this film, but I was captivated after only seeing the trailer once. I guess it helped that the film was inspired by a true story, I love films like these. I was happy that this movie didn't disappoint.

The story was great, and well developed. It was filled with humor and characters that you will love. The relationship between Phillipe, a tetraplegic, and his caregiver Driss is remarkable. One may think they would feel depressed with Phillipe's circumstances, but the film is so light-hearted, it's a hard to feel anything but joy when watching it. I thought the chemistry between Driss and Phillipe was a match made in heaven. It felt as if there was a genuine connection between the two. I love Omar Sy as Driss, and I hope to see him in more film projects.

Subtitles and all (it's a French film) this movie was a joy to watch. There wasn't a dull moment, and by the time the credits rolled I felt myself wanting to see more. This movie may not be in your area, and that's sad because you are missing out on a good one. If you are a fan of Independent films, this is one that should definitely be on your radar. If you can
t catch this in the theatre, please remember it for your netflix queue...A!