Movies in Review: "The Wolf of Wall Street"

Who didn't see the trailer for this movie and felt like they would be taken on the ride of their life. The trailer for this movie sent me near exhaustion, but I still felt there was no way that the film could live up to the trailer. Although I still felt the movie would be decent. I almost turned and walked away from this movie when I noticed it had a running time of 3hrs!? Seriously though...this movie is 3 freakin hours long. What in the world was Scorsese thinking...smh.

Let me first say that this movie's running time could have definitely been reduced by 30min...ijs. But this might be my only real complaint about this movie. Other than that, be prepared to be sent on an adrenaline ride of your life. This movie is so amped up! Btw, the rating teeters on the verge of "X" because I felt like I was watching light porn...lol. There is so much going on in this movie that will keep your interest from beginning to end. This movie has adrenaline, its erotic, and hilarious, what more could you ask for. The characters were great and work well with the story. DiCaprio was on another level in this one...absolutely amazing. Made me feel like this is who DiCaprio is in real life. That's how well he played his character. Jonah Hill is always a great addition to a cast if you need nice acting chops and comedic skills. McConaughey looked like he just finished filming Dallas Buyers Club, so his skinny build was a problem for me, but may not bother you.

Scorsese is hit or miss with me, but this one if definitely close to a home run. You get more than what you would expect from a movie. Everything about this film is to the extreme, so get ready to have fun. I almost pissed my pants in laughter at some scenes. This would have to make my list as a #MustSee. I'm interested to know if you feel the same way...A!

Movies in Review: "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty"

I am not the biggest fan of Ben Stiller, so I could Have easily passed on this one, but the trailer for this film looked really interesting. I had to see how this story played out. Of course when I walked in the theater, all my fingers were crossed hoping that I wouldn't walk out totally disappointed. I'm happy to say that I didn't.

This movie was soooooo cute! When I say cute, I don't mean "girlie" cute, but just plain cute. It was really fun to watch. I loved the story and all the characters, who each brought so much to the story. And to my surprise, I totally enjoyed Stiller. This is definitely one of my favorite movies from him. He was good, and looked even better. And I'm serious about the looks part. I found myself crushing hard on Stiller in this film...lol. I would break down all my favorite characters, but honestly, I enjoyed them all, from Stiller's mother, the on-line dating phone rep, Stiller's sister...everyone. I also have to give props to the filming style of this movie. There are some great visually entertaining shots that I have to applaud.

This is a feel good movie. One that will likely have you smiling when leaving the theater. This movie would be great for a date, or movie night alone. It has an enjoyable feel to it, so I really hope you enjoy it as much as I did...A-

Movies in Review: "Grudge Match"

As much as it kills me to see geriatric, steroid stricken Stallone on-screen, the trailer for this movie still amused my interest. If the movie had included just Stallone, I may have passed. But with De Niro, Hart, and Arkin in the cast, I thought it would make for a decent film. However my expectations were still very low because Stallone has very little acting ability, and including De Niro in the cast wasn't going to help him with that...smh.

Unfortunately for this movie, I walked out of the theater with way less than I expected. Including Kevin Hart into the cast, I at least expected some great humor, but Hart proved to be an #EpicFail in that category. In his last few movies, Hart is trying too hard. It feels like he's trying to do a stand up comedy act in the movie instead of just making his character funny. His character was way over the top, and I found myself laughing very little.

The Grudge Match story had the potential to be decent if Stallone had been nixed out of the movie. True to form, he was horrible. The best part of the story was De Niro's character and his son, the rest of the movie was just blah. Grudge Match left me disinterested and bored. It could have been better but failed to live up to its potential. It's not the worst movie out now, but it's definitely something you can stand to wait for...D+

Movies in Review: "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy"

It has been 9 years since we've seen Ron Burgundy and his perfectly coiffed hair...and I only know this because I read it somewhere...lol. To be very honest I'm not the biggest Will Ferrell fan, so I didn't see the original Anchorman when it came out in 2004. I saw it for the first time a couple of years ago. If it I hadn't watched the first film and enjoyed it, I wouldn't have been excited about seeing this one. To my surprise I found the first Anchorman to be funny as hell, so Anchorman 2 was definitely on my list to watch.

Will Ferrell is a fool. He had me cracking the hell up. Unfortunately something was still missing. As funny as Ferrell was, I found the writing and delivery of comedy in this film to be forced and lack luster compared to the first. Meagan Good wasn't a strong addition. She was unbelievable as Linda Jackson, and I guess I was supposed to find humor in her ridiculous hair...#Fail. James Marsden was cool as Jack Lime, but the humor with his character wore out quickly. I thought Steve Carell was too much in this movie, and I honestly wanted him to shut up. Although I did enjoy him in the scenes with Kristen Wigg. I enjoyed Wigg a lot, and felt her scenes were edited too much. The infamous fight scene at the end was hilarious in the first movie, but a little corny in this one (not all of it, just most of it). The movie was also far too long, and I think they could have nixed the light house storyline...smh

All in all, it was funny. The running time among other things kind of killed what could have been a really great sequel, but it was ok. Will Ferrell fans will definitely enjoy it though because Ferrell was excellent. I'm sure you can overlook all the other stuff...B-

Movies in Review: "Walking with Dinosaurs"

I had no wish to see this movie when I came across the theatrical poster for this film. The poster looked beyond dull to me, so I can only imagine how it looked to kids. However the theatrical trailer changed my mind. Thank goodness for a good trailer, which offered more intrigue than its ghastly poster...smh. Unfortunately, a poster may be the only thing you have going to sell people on your movie, especially since most people won't see the trailer. Too bad there seemed to be little interest to see this movie, because it was actually pretty good.

If you have a kid who is into dinosaurs, you really don't want them to miss this movie. It was like watching a cute movie and getting a dinosaur lesson at the same time. The learning lessons injected into the movie I found to be annoying at first, but it worked for the story, and helped me to get a better understanding of who was a prey or predator.

I thought the story was super cute, and a found myself laughing more than I expected. It is a kids movie, but I think kids at heart will also find it enjoyable. The characters are great, my favorites being Patchi and Alex. It looks like a movie that could have been easily shown on the History or PBS channel, but I wasn't disappointed in paying for a ticket. Truth be told, when it comes on TV, I am definitely watching it again. I feel like it's a must see for dinosaur lovers, and a good watch for a rainy matinee...A-

Movies in Review: "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug"

I am surprised how much I was looking forward to seeing this film, although I did enjoy the first Hobbit, I have never been a fan of the Lord of the Rings series. As a matter of fact, I have been unable to sit through any of The Lord of the Rings movies...smh. However, The Hobbit was very different for me. I found more interest in the characters, and story. I was surprised I enjoyed the first Hobbit so much, and after seeing the trailer for the second one, I was hoping to be surprised again...

Unfortunately, I wasn't...

This movie was sooooooo long. As I sat there, I kept hoping and praying that it was going to get better, and when I thought it was about to, the movie was over...Uuuugghhh. I spent 3hrs watching this movie, only to get left hanging...smh. This installment was far less interesting than the first one. The Dwarfs were my favorite characters from the first movie, but their screen time was reduced in this film as other characters were introduced. This story was also more complicated than the first one with the introduction of new characters.

The action was ok, but felt a little contrived, not as much fun to watch as in the first movie. I wish Gandalf was in this one more, but his screen time was also infrequent. I was trying not to nap during this movie because I thought it would get better and I didn't want to miss anything. Unfortunately this installment left me annoyed and tired by the end...C+

Movies in Review: "American Hustle"

The trailer for this one has run for a while. As interesting as the trailer is, what I was most looking forward to was seeing Bradley Cooper in those rod curlers...lol. I couldn't get a complete grasp of the story from the trailer, but I like it when the trailers give you enough to catch your interest, but don't give away the story.

This is one of those movies that has some fun twists, and unexpected plot. The cast for this film was amazing. Amy Adams looked absolutely gorgeous in this movie and was great as Sydney. Bradley Cooper was hilarious. The back and forth between him and his boss will have you in stitches. My favorite character, however was played by Jennifer Lawrence. She outdid herself as Rosalyn. And everyone needs to go see this movie just to see her...#hilarious.

What I enjoyed most about this movie was all the characters, the costumes, and the plot, which was twisted until the end. I got so much more than I expected from this movie. I honestly thought it was going to be stupid, but it was pretty amazing. This movie is so much fun to watch. The men will definitely love it, so make it a date movie...A-

Movies in Review: "Saving Mr. Banks"

I don't recall seeing a theatrical trailer for this movie. I came across the theatrical poster only. There is nothing exceptional about the poster with Emma Thompson, and Tom Hanks walking together with the title Saving Mr. Banks. I had no clue what the movie was about, but I assumed Tom Hanks was "Mr. Banks" and Emma Thompson was saving him...lol...silly right. All I know is that Tom Hanks was starring in it, and that was enough to get me into the theater to see it.

To my delight the film is a historical comedy about how the making of the Mary Poppins film came about. I love Mary Poppins! Tom Hanks played the wonderful Walt Disney, and did an exceptional job as Mr. Disney. This movie was so interesting and entertaining to watch, as it was more than just a movie about Mary Poppins, but a more in-depth into the life of the author and how Mary Poppins and Mr. Banks characters came about.

Emma Thompson was a hoot as the author P.L Travers. She is so straight forward, rude, and hilarious all at the same time. It was so much fun seeing all the work that went into making the Mary Poppins film. Hearing the music from the film being developed in the film brought me back to my childhood. What kid didn't enjoy Mary Poppins?

I had little complaints with this one as it brought a smile to my face, and at one point a small tear. The performances were excellent, and the story wonderfully written. It is an enjoyable movie that you will love...A-

Movies in Review: "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom"

At first glance at the theatrical trailer, I was a little apprehensive about the film only because Idris Elba was cast as the lead. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy Elba, but I couldn't really see him as Mandela. Well that was my first reaction, because by the time the trailer ended, I was sold, and couldn't wait to see his performance.

Mr. Elba did his thing. It took a little adjusting though at first because in the opening scene we meet the younger Mandela, but all I could see was Idris, with his swag and walk. However after a few minutes into the story, all I could see was Mandela. Elba did his thing. His performance as the incomparable Mandela was one of his best performances to date. His South African accent was perfect. I also enjoyed the performances of all the co-stars, especially Naomie Harris as Winnie Mandela.

I enjoyed the story, but it felt like they tried to include too much of Mandela's life in one movie. I think they wasted too much time showing his infidelity and lust for women. There was a lot of time focused on EVERYTHING in his life. I believe the story could have been edited better without anything being missed. The make up was also a problem for me. Especially when they aged Mandela and his comrades. They looked plastic, and green...smh. They could have done a better job with the make up.

Overall I enjoyed the film. It was a little long, but still compelling. Some of the scenes were definitely hard to watch. As the title reads, it was a very long walk to freedom...B

Movies in Review: "Out of the Furnace"

I found the trailer for this movie to be riveting with an exceptional cast that includes Christian Bale, Casey Affleck (who is secretly one of my favorite underrated actors), and Woody Harrelson (who has some of the best acting versatility in my opinion). After seeing the trailer, it definitely looked like a thriller that shouldn't be missed. However, I left the theater feeling a little ho-hum.

I didn't hate this movie, but the beginning killed a little of my excitement. This movie started out way too slow, and was a little all over the place with character development. It felt like I was getting bits and pieces of random parts of the story. For example, was it really necessary to spend so much time on Bale's character's incarceration. It provided very little to the story. I think time could have been spent more on Affleck's character Rodney. I also wished Harrelson's character was introduced earlier. He was the most thrilling part about the movie, along with Rodney. However, the movie did get better once his character came into the story.

As slow as this movie was, it did make an impact. The thrills were few, but powerful. It was weird because I found myself a little bored, but on the edge of my seat at the same time...lol. Some of you may give up on it within the first 25min, but if you sit tight, this movie does get better. I loved the way it ended, except for the very last scene. Could someone explain to me what the last scene meant? Smh

I wouldn't classify this film as a "must see", but it was interesting enough to watch. Honestly it felt like a movie I would have enjoyed better on my couch, instead of in the movie theater. It is well worth watching for Harrelson alone, but totally your decision if you want to pay a movie ticket price for it...B-

Movies in Review: "Oldboy"

Who doesn't enjoy a good Spike Lee movie? You know his films are always filled with good fun, and controversy...who doesn't enjoy controversy?...lol. When I saw the trailer for this movie, I was surprised to see that it was directed by Spike Lee. Didn't really look like a "Spike Lee" type of movie. Am I the only one who thought that? Regardless it starred Josh Brolin, who has worked his way up to being one of my favorite actors, and Samuel Jackson, so I was down to see it. I got word that this was a remake of a foreign film, which immediately lowered my expectations for this one. Remakes are never usually as good as the originals.

True to form, this one wasn't great. I haven't seen the original, but it has to be better than this. This movie didn't fit Lee's filming style, and just looked odd. The action scenes played out like an overactive video game, and the story was too strange for words. There were parts of the story that were way too undeveloped, like the client Brolin's character met with before he was kidnapped. It seemed like his character should have a had more of an impact with the story, but it didn't. The whole captivity thing was strange and boring. And the asian woman with the umbrella? What was her purpose?...smh.

By the time the movie ended, I was asking myself why Lee felt it necessary to remake this movie, because it felt like things were omitted, or needed to be added. This remake was a waste of money and time. I was really hoping Lee was going to knock this one out of the park, but I wasn't impressed. Believe me if you go see this one you may enjoy bits and pieces, but by the end you will find yourself shaking your head and sucking your teeth...C-

Movies in Review: "Homefront"

I haven't been excited to see a Jason Statham film in years. After the 2012 movie Safe, I think I have given up on him as an actor, as he continuously plays the same character only with different names. I had no interest to see Homefront, but it was Franco's character in the trailer that drew me into the theater.

Ho Hum...I got what I expected, a movie that did nothing new and went along the straight and narrow. I did enjoy Franco, but the writing for the film was so weak that his character did not reach its peak. Franco and Bosworth were the only characters that made this movie interesting. I'm surprised to be giving Bosworth props because she isn't one of the best actresses in my opinion. But she worked her character as the strung out sister of Franco. But again, her character wasn't developed like it should have. There's nothing much to say about Statham. He's up to his same tricks, only this time he's a family man, which I thought worked well for his character, and was cute. But again, the writing failed to have his character reach its full potential as well.

It's fair to say that I left the theater feeling like something was missing. This movie had the potential to be better than what it was but failed to impress. The story was weak, writing was weak, character development was weak, and the ending was stupid. This movie isn't anything I would waste my money to see. This is definitely one you can wait to catch on TV...D