Movies in Review: "The Host"

Out of all the movies that were released this weekend, this was the one I was least looking forward to seeing. I have seen the trailer a several, and found very little intriguing about it, but it still made it on my list to see.

The first thing I have to say that this movie ran longer than it was necessary. It had a running time of 2hrs, but I think 30min of that could have been edited out. The story was decent, but dragged on, which ruined the movie a little. The story could have used more background on how the "Souls" took over earth, instead of only focusing on the love story. The love story got dull quickly, but wouldn't go away. The movie needed a jolt of something, but never received it. I love Saoirse Ronan as "Wander". I enjoyed her character and thought she looked absolutely beautiful. She made the movie bearable, but the ending killed it for me...smh

This is a love story that dragged and did not have enough going on to make me care. This film is nothing exciting. In my opinion, they should have left this story on the pages of the book it came from instead of bringing it to the big screen and almost boring me to death...C+

Movies in Review: "The Croods"

The Croods! Woohoo!...Ok its safe to say that I was looking forward to this one. I haven't seen a decent animated film since Brave...yeah its been a while. However there was nothing that was going to keep me away from meeting The Croods. Why so much interest? I am a huge fan of Emma Stone, and she is the voice of the character Eep. Yes ladies and gentlemen, that is her name, and you pronounce it as it is spelled...lol

I liked this movie from the first scene. Such a cute and entertaining family. I loved how the father worked so hard to protect his family. What I didn't like about the father was that he was voiced by Nicolas Cage. I don't know...but the voice and the character didn't really match, and all I could see was Cage's face instead of the character Grug he was voicing...maybe that's just me. No worries because this was the only thing I disliked. The story was very strong and entertaining, and the scenes are kids visual dream. Each character stood out and made the film a joy to watch. It was hilarious to seeing them learning new things, and bicker as a family.

This movie made me smile and laugh. This is a kids movie, but I still think the whole family will enjoy it. If you have little one's, you have to put this movie in your plans...A-

Movies in Review: "Olympus Has Fallen"

Am I the only one who had no interest in seeing this movie? There was nothing remotely interesting to me about the trailer. Honestly, you get everything you need to know about the movie in the trailer. So if you have seen the trailer, you have seen the movie...smh.

This movie played out exactly as I expected, unbelievable and predictable. The base of this story has been done 10 times over, but Olympus's take on this storyline is far less believable. I am always rooting for Gerard Butler, but I haven't liked anything he has been in since Law Abiding Citizen. Don't get me wrong, HE wasn't bad in Olympus. It was his character that was horrible. Seriously? Am I really suppose to believe that 1 man saves the white house? Come on son!...lame. Butler's character was too good to be true. He's not a super hero, but he's somehow invincible...womp womp. I was bored to death, and caught myself snoring here and there. There are some good attack scenes, but the story bombed.

The men will probably like it better than the women. Sh%t blowing up is usually a guy thing. If there are no naked men in the midst of the exaggerated action scenes, then the women will likely find no use for this film. This movie is not great, and you would feel better seeing it from the comfort of your couch because Olympus simply fell flat...C+

Movies in Review: "The Call"

Well la-di-da...wasn't expecting much from this movie. The trailer looked slightly interesting, but with the  disappointment I have been getting from recent films I have lowered my expectations. I think this helped because this movie was better than I expected.

This thriller had me on the edge of my seat. I have a new found respect for 911 operators. I could feel the stress their position can cause. I thought that they did a great job of giving the audience that feeling. I must admit that my opinion about this film may be a little bias because I am a fan of all things that involve solving crimes. Honestly, this movie played out like an extended version of Criminal Minds, which happens to be one of my favorite tv series. I enjoyed Berry, not her hair, but I did like her character. Breslin was great too. It is great to see Chestnut getting more roles too.

This movie wasn't without flaws. There are a few inconsistencies with the story. For example why the first girl and Breslin were not dealt the same fate. I was a little lost about Michael Foster's motive. I think the movie could have provided more background on him. The best part about this film is that it has a nice pace, and keeps you interested. The ending was a little sketchy,but it saved itself before it ruined the movie for me...thank goodness.

The Call is a movie you'd likely enjoy seeing. If you like watching Law & Order, CSI, Criminal Minds, then this film is right up your alley...B+

Movies in Review: "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone"

This trailer had to be one of the corniest and least appealing I have seen for a movie this year. It looked like another quirky comedy from Carell and Jim Carrey looked like he took the role just to stay relevant...smh. So needless to say I had no interest at all to see this movie.

I expected this movie to be bad, and it was. It wasn't funny at all, I don't think I chuckled at all. It wasn't horrible, but unfortunately it just wasn't interesting. Steve Carell's character is a lot like everyone else he plays except in this film he gets an extreme wardrobe change. But his comedy has very limited range, so you may not find yourself laughing because you have seen it done before. Buscemi and Carrey didn't add much to the film either. I could hardly stomach anything Carrey was doing on-screen, you may find yourself having an easier time...smh. I did enjoy Arkin's character, but unfortunately his role was very small. The most interesting part in the film was the trick they performed at the end.

I'm pretty sure you were in no rush to see this one, and I recommend you keep it that way. This comedy wasn't that good, at least not good enough to put money on it...C+

Movies in Review: "Oz the Great and Powerful"

There is no doubt that this film will take the #1 spot this weekend as the most anticipated film so far this year. When I first saw the trailer, I was excited because I thought it would be great to tell the story of Oz, what turned me off from this film was the cast. Mila Kunis?...Really? James Franco? Hmmmmm...wouldn't have been my first choice. But besides these 2 flaws, the visuals looked amazing and the story of Oz had to be at least somewhat interesting right? Well it was...somewhat...

I don't even know where to start, except that during the opening scene, I thought it was a joke. The movie didn't play out anything like the trailer would have you think. The trailer made the film look more thrilling, but instead the film played out like more of a parody to The Wizard of Oz...smh. It begins with a dollop of corniness and ends in the same way. I found myself dosing several times. Franco's performance was fair, it was the writing and directing that failed him. Mila Kunis was an epic fail, and seemed out of place. She had the worst costume designer and make-up artist for her character. Was I the only one who wasn't feeling that red get up with the exaggerated hat and black leather pants, and then later on with the green face paint. Come on! And to make matters worse her performance was horrible. I could swear she was reading queue cards...smh.

This movie could have used a few musical numbers, or something that made the original Wizard of Oz so great. The only characters I enjoyed were China Doll and the Monkey...they were cute. I feel like I'm might be alone in my views, because the audience gave it a big round of applause upon leaving the theatre. In my opinion this film had great potential, but was just plain dumb. And as far as the visual aspect, there were some great effects when the Wizard first arrived in Oz, but that was about it. So I don't know if it's worth spending the extra few bucks for Imax...Oz may have been great and powerful, but unfortunately his story was flat and weak...C+

Movies in Review: "Jack the Giant Slayer"

Many people have anticipated The Oz movie, but I think I have anticipated this one more. I haven't been a fan of all the nursery rhymes and childhood stories being made into movies, but the trailer for this one had me looking forward to its premiere. Unfortunately I saw it a week later than I hoped to, but I made sure to make it into the theatre my first free opportunity hoping I wouldn't face disappointment.

After having an abysmal jan-feb, it seems that movies are on an upswing...finally! I am finally getting my monies worth instead of leaving the theatre with an attitude...lol. With that being said, I loved Jack the Giant Slayer. Nicholas Hoult, you may remember him as Beast in X-men First Class, was a joy to watch. There was something so easy going about him as Jack. He has a "Clark Kent" look about him that had me thinking he was going to go behind a building and the next minute show up in a red and blue spandex suit...lol...but I digress. What Im trying to say is that he was super cute and fit his character well. The only problem I had was with the leather jacket he was dressed in. It looked like it was out of place in the movie. I looked like something you would find at Neiman Marcus...Im just saying.

I always love Ewan McGregor, and his part in this film was no different. I love that McGregor knows how to capture and bring life to the characters he plays. It hardly ever feels like he's acting. I enjoyed every scene he was in, and wished he was in more. I wasn't really a fan of the actress who played the Princess. I can't really put my finger on the problem I had with her, but there was something about her that seemed forced...eh...whatever...

So far Jack has been the best movie I have seen this year. There are a number of great characters, especially the Giants, and I also thought they did an excellent job of bringing this story to life and not messing it up...A-

Movies in Review: "21 and Older"

I know I know...a week late with this review, and a dollar short. Well forgive me, when life happens, sometimes the theatre is the last thing on someone's mind. But I am thankful that this weekend proved to be better, and I was able to catch up on the flicks that I missed.

I was on the fence about seeing 21 and Older. I thought it would be another kids movie with comedic content that would be far- reaching. I only went to check it out after being advised from a co-worker that it was definitely worth seeing. As I purchased my ticket, I wasn't expecting much, and thought I would be cursing my co-worker out for even suggesting this as a movie to see. Well to my surprise I will have to thank my co-worker because I really enjoyed this one.

I think many movie-goers felt the same way I did because the movie ranked #3 its opening weekend, and got beat by "Identity Thief". Let me just say this film is way funnier than Identity Thief and is well worth the ticket price. I like that the comedy wasn't of the garbage pail kind, there wasn't a lot of nonsense or unnecessary raunchiness. This movie was funny, and had a decent story to go with it. Miles Teller, the actor who plays Miller, gives you a Vince Vaughn feel for those of you who are fans of Vaughn. I liked that the story blended well and that I cracked up more than once. My favorite scenes being the one in the sorority house...lol...funny.

I am glad that I took the time out to see this one. Finally another comedy I wouldn't mind seeing twice. If you are looking for a laugh, save your money on Identity Thief, and go see this instead...B+