Movies in Review: "End of Watch"

I am a huge fan of Michael Pena, so there was no way I was going to miss this movie. I wish he would get more major roles because in my opinion his acting abilities are well deserving of it. Besides Pena, the trailer for this movie looked great. The trailer was enough to draw my interest, but by no means did I feel like I was given the entire story, and I needed to see how this ended.

I expected this movie to be decent, but it was way better than what I expected. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. I liked how it was filmed. It really made you feel like you were watching real life LA PD officers on the job. This movie had humor that appealed to the audience, the story is gripping and will keep your interest throughout. Gyllenhaal and Pena were a match made in heaven. The chemistry between the cast looked natural and made for a great film. I have felt that a majority of this years movies have been somewhat disappointing, but believe me when I say...not this one.

I have not said this in a while, but this one is a must see. Like Training Day, this is one of those movies that will have you watching over and over. I can't wait to see it again...A!

Movies in Review: "House at the End of the Street"

I felt like this movie had a great deal of potential when viewing the trailer. From the trailer, the story seemed interesting enough, and I am a growing fan of Jennifer Lawrence. Knowing that I would be unable to see all new releases this weekend, this movie made the cut.

Like most horror films, the movie started very slow. Jennifer Lawrence was cool, but the story dragged. When the story started to pick up is where it got weird. Well actually no, I take that back. You will think that you've gotten the story figured out early, but when it starts to unravel is when it gets strange. The conclusion will likely have you shaking your head...seriously. How am I really suppose to take this story seriously. There were just  a few too many unanswered questions, like why no one mentioned anything about missing women. I may have already given away too much, and that's not usually my style, but it had to be said...smh.

This movie could have been decent, but it's obvious the writers expected the viewing audience to be idiots...smh. It wasn't the worse horror movie I've seen, but I really can't help but to suck my teeth at the  whole thing. This movie is just ok. If you are a fan of horror flicks, then I'm sure you expect some non-sense and won't find it to be that bad. But if you're like me and expect a comprehensive story, this is your fair warning. This movie had a few thrills, was a bit slow, and didn't wrap up that great...C

Movies in Review: "Arbitrage"

Definition of Arbitrage: The simultaneous buying and selling of securities, currency, or commodities in different markets or in derivative forms in order to take advantage of differing prices for the same asset. Once you know the definition and see this film you will agree that it is perfectly titled. But don't think that this is the whole story, because this film is filled with so much more.

This movie was one of the best movies I have seen in a while. You forget how good it feels to see a well written, directed, and performed movie. Its like a breath of fresh air. The drama in this film was subtle, but still intense. Richard Gere is amazing, and looks edible. That is one sexy 60+ year old man. This has to be one of my favorite roles from him lately. He had such a strong presence, and brought so much to his character. Susan Sarandon's role was small, but great along with the rest of the cast. I was surprised to see Nate Parker in this film, but was also very pleased with his performance. I felt like this movie was strong all the way through.

I hope this movie hits a theatre near you. Im sure Im not the only one who has been disappointed with the films being released lately. Prepare yourself to feel good about your ticket purchase for this movie...A+

Movies in Review: "Resident Evil: Retribution"

YAWN!!! For the life of me could someone please tell me why they keep continuing with sequels for this movie. Better yet, maybe I should figure out why I keep stepping into the theatre to watch them...smh.

I believe this is the 6th installment, and its the same ol' BS. Quite honestly, do we even care anymore. This installment starts as every other movie before it with the character Alice narrating who she is, and the umbrella corporation...blah blah blah....yadda yadda yadda. Same ol ish with a few added characters, but filled with the same old dumb story. As a matter of fact, is there really a story? Just seems like a movie filled with gun battles and zombies, who are wearing the worse makeup I have seen in a long time in a movie...lame.

The worst part about this movie is that it ended like it always does, leaving it open for yet ANOTHER sequel...smh. Well just to let you know, I have had my fill with this franchise and will no longer partake in another viewing of their films. The only good thing that came out of this was that I was able to use a free movie ticket to sneak into the theatre to see it. If you paid to see this, I'm pretty sure you are slapping yourself...lol...D-

Movies in Review: "10 Years"

To be very frank, this movie is nothing more than a 10yr class reunion. It played out exactly as such, especially for those people who have ever attended any of their reunions. I know I found myself reminiscing. I enjoyed the fact that each situation was easy to relate to. I also enjoyed the cast, especially Ari Graynor, and Justin Long. However there were a number of things that did not make this movie great for me. Maybe I'm just being an a$$, but Channing Tatum should have rethought his hairstyle. It was all over the place, it didn't look great and was kind of distracting. I also didn't find the writing to be that spectacular either. It kinda felt like many of the characters were improvising. The story failed to movie along for me, and it wasn't all that funny.

There is no reason to really jump to go see this movie. It was ok, but not really great...C

Movies in Review: "The Words"

I had little interest in seeing this film from what was presented in the trailer. The story seemed to be transparent, and I'm not the biggest fan of Bradley Cooper. Skimming reviews, no one seemed to have anything great to say about it. The only reason this review is touching this blog is because it was one of the only major released films this weekend and I'm not going to leave you guys hangin with nothing.

Given the unsavory reviews of this film, I was expecting it to give me a sweet hour and a half nap, but I left the theatre with my eyes wide open and feeling ok about what I had seen. This movie has more of an Independent movie feel, with subtle nuances that create the story. I enjoyed it for the most part, especially since the story was more intricate than I had anticipated from the trailer. It was somewhat weird that it played out like a book in a book, and by the end I was left hanging out on a cliff instead of receiving actual closer. Unlike most people, I kind of enjoy when a movie messes with my head...lol. This could be half the reason I enjoyed it more than most. My only complaint was the storyline with Quaid and Wilde. I really could have used more clarity with that situation.

I found this to be a sweet short story that was subtly entertaining. If you are a fan of independent films, then you may find enjoyment in this movie than most...B-

Movies in Review: "The Bachelorette"

I am becoming a huge fan of Rebel Wilson's comedy style. This is the only reason I went to see this movie. Unfortunately this comedy-drama lacked comedy, and was filled with too much drama. In my opinion there were just way too many characters with their own personal dramas that saturated a potentially clear storyline.

This movie is mistakenly titled The Bachelorette, because the story spent most of its time on the Bridesmaids than the actual bachelorette. Rebel Wilson did not add much to the comedy aspect of the movie, and I found this to be unfortunate. She wasn't in the movie nearly enough, and she seemed to be playing a character that was unable to take advantage of her comedic acting. This was my least favorite role for her. It seems that most of the comedy was supposed to come from Isla Fisher, who wasn't bad, but her character was a bit too much at times. Kirsten Dunst seemed to be the lead in the movie, but there was nothing exceptional about her acting. There are a number of other characters that added more chaos than clarity to the story. The whole "Dress" storyline that was obviously in place to hold the storyline in place was lame, especially because things that made absolutely no sense were put in place to make the situation bigger than what it was...smh.

In my opinion this movie tried too hard to be another Bridesmaids, but failed miserably. This movie could have used more character editing and more comedy. This movie is a mess, but not the worst mess I have seen...C+

Movies in Review: "The Possession"

It is no secret that Horror films are my least favorite genre of films, especially lately. The main reason is most of them are just plain stupid instead of being horrifying. So Possession was not a movie I was looking forward to, especially with a PG-13 rating attached to it. However I am a fan of Jeffery Dean Morgan, and the trailer had a nice "Exorcist" appeal to it. So when I entered the theatre I was hoping for the best.

I am pleased to say that the PG-13 rating didn't hurt this movie much at all. With a rating like this, there was only but so far this movie could be pushed. It was pushed enough to at least be thrilling, and I can honestly say I found myself jumping a few times. For those of you who loved the Exorcism, this movie has a way of giving you the same scared feelings. I give alot of credit to the musical soundtrack in the film which helped to add to the scenes. Although it was PG-13, the opening scene freaked me out enough to almost leave the theatre...lol...I know, I'm a punk...

Possession had a decent story that kept the movie interesting instead of stupid. Keep in mind its rated PG-13 so don't expect too much, but I think you will definitely get your monies worth...B+

Movies in Review: "Lawless"

This movie was a must see for me when I first layer eyes on Tom Hardy in the trailer, but it lost a few points in my eyes when I saw Shia LaBeouf. Shia isn't horrible, but I think his off-screen antics seem to get in the way of him reaching his full potential on-screen. Tom Hardy on the other hand can do no wrong in my eyes. So on that note, here are my thoughts...

The movie started out exceptionally slow in the beginning in my opinion. To the point where I was on the verge of giving up on this film. Shia LaBeouf was giving his usual performance, which is just ok, but I did believe and like his southern accent. But his southern accent made Mia Wasikowska seem out of place, as she had no southern twang at all. Honestly she had the same tone she seems to carry in every movie I've seen her in so far. As a matter of fact her character in this movie reminded me of the same character she played in Mr. Nobbs, which just made her boring.

I love Tom Hardy the most when he is playing a tough guy role, so needless to say, I was drooling over him in this movie. He didn't say much, but the grunting he was doing was still enough to get his point across, and made for comical moments in the movie. He was my favorite character, but the plot of the movie didn't pick up until Guy Pearce came into the picture. This is when the mayhem begins and doesn't stop until the end. Pearce and his over sized center part were sinister, and made for a better movie.

Thanks to Pearce and Hardy's performances, this movie was very entertaining to watch. I would recommend checking it out, but please be reminded to not let the slow start bore you to death because it does get better...B+

Movies in Review: "For a Good Time Call..."

Well movie viewing was light this weekend, with the top movie only bringing in $17 million in ticket sales. Unfortunately for the people behind this raunchy comedy, they weren't fortunate enough to take in any more than $141,000 in its opening weekend. Yes you can definitely call this one an epic fail, but I am here to let you know if it was deserved...

Hmmmmmm...its hard to say, because I did laugh here and there. But there was something about this movie that did not have me attached, and I can't put my finger on it. Maybe there was just too many sexual innuendos that kept the story on one playing ground. Honestly there is such a thing as too much sex...I'm just saying. The movie had its funny moments, but some of the humor did fall flat. From what was presented in the trailer I was expecting a little more. I think the movie could have used more of Justin Long and Ari Graynor, they were the best parts about the movie in  my opinion.

All in all, the movie was just ok, but nothing spectacular. It's not a complete epic fail in my book. It's at least worth a rental. It had some decent funny moments, but may have went overboard with the sex...C+