Movies in Review: "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1"

I have a love/dislike relationship with this Hunger games trilogy. I absolutely loved the first installment, and greatly anticipated the sequel, only to leave the theater very disappointed :/. So when the marketing started for this last 2 part installment, I was a little less than thrilled. I mean the second one left me extremely vexed with the killing of Cinna, played by Lenny Kravitz...smh. The rest of the movie also left little to be desired, but although I could have been more excited about this 3rd movie, I figured it couldn't be as bad as the 2nd...Right!?

O.M.G...I was pleasantly pleased by the Mockingjay. Totally different from the first 2 movies. The storyline really gets moving in this film, and tackles the political side of whats going on. Jennifer Lawrence is better than ever as our Mockingjay, Katniss. This movie doesn't have as much action as the first 2 installments, but the actions scenes in the film seem to take on a more relevant and powerful meaning. President Snow is nothing to mess with and his "toying" with Katniss kept me on the edge of my seat. This movie is also a lot darker than the other 2 movies. There is very little color in any scenes, mostly greys, black, and white. I looked forward to Effie's fun and colorful outfits, but you will see none of that here. They kept her character within the limits of the revolution that was happening. But her "make it work" outfits were still fun, and what you would expect from her character...lol.

This one had me more interested in the characters and the districts more than the first 2. Now we are getting somewhere. I was left on the edge of my seat, and I can't wait to see how this story will finally end...A-

Movies in Review: "Beyond the Lights"

I am a hopeless romantic, but for some reason I found myself less interested in seeing this romantic drama, which is strange. I don't know why. I liked the trailer, especially the soundtrack, but the story didn't really capture me. I am a huge fan of Nate Parker, and was happy to see him in another role on the big screen. I had low expectations for this movie, and was just hoping to be entertained.

I was pleasantly surprised by this one. First off, they picked 2 of the most gorgeous people to play the leads in this film. Gugu and Parker were giving me life. I can't even hate on Gugu, that girl is gorgeous. She looked just like an up and coming artist dealing with the pressures of success. I enjoyed her story and the message that resonates throughout the movie. A very well written and beautiful movie. Then lets add in Nate Parker...O.M.G! I have never seen a man look so damn fine. I'm sorry, but the man is beyond fine. He was the perfect man needed to stand by Noni's side. It will be easy for you ladies to fall in love with this man when you see him on-screen, I promise you that.

All in all, a very cute story. It made me smile, and sparked something I thing all women need, the ability to find your voice. Go see it, for the story, and the eye candy. I promise you won't be disappointed...B+

Movies in Review: "Foxcatcher"

You don't really see Steve Carell doing too many dramatic roles. He is an excellent comedic actor, but I like to see comedic actors be able to step out of their element and still deliver. I watched the trailer, and immediately was intrigued by Carell's character. This role was unlike any other I have seen Carell do, and I went into the theater feeling like he would be great. And sure enough, he was...For those who havent' heard about this movie see trailer link

Steve Carell was creepy and excellent as John duPont. Nothing like his comedic roles at all. Carell dives right into this dark character and shines. But I wasn't as surprised about Carell's performance as I was with Tatum's. Let's be clear I am not a Tatum fan. I don't hate him, but I do find myself surprised by the roles he is able to get. With that being said though, I have definitely seen improvement in his acting abilities with each role (but I'm still not convinced...lol). He was pretty good as Mark Schultz, and Olympic Wrestler. Ruffalo and Tatum did a really good job getting into their roles as Olympic Wrestlers. They had the look, walk, mentality that shined through. I kept thinking, wow, they really look like wrestlers. Unfortunately, although I rave about the performances, I did found myself a little bored with story. I honestly dozed off more than once. It moved a bit slow for me, and the running time could have been shortened by at least 30min. It picked up at the end, and left the audience a little shocked, as this movie is based on a true story.

I was intrigued by the trailer, and was definitely expecting a little more from this more. It had some fleeting shock value, and great performances, but the story was unable to fully hole my attention until the end. You will enjoy seeing Carell in this role. Just be warned that the story is a little slow, but decent...B-

Movies in Review: "Interstellar"

Ok...so now this movie...Honestly when I watched the trailer for this film, I wasn't impressed, but there was so much positive hype behind it I figured I had to see it, although I was hesitant. Can I tell you I almost let this movie pass me by because it had a running time of 3hrs...Uuuuuggghhh!!! Who wants to give up 3hrs of their life for a movie?...Unless the movie is excellent. Thank goodness this movie was damn near excellent...lol

There have been a number of people comparing this film to Gravity, but I guess that has a lot to do with the outer space aspect of it. But the movie reminded me more of Inception. Not that it was about dreams, but you know that thought-provoking migraine you got from Inception? Yeah you will like feel that here. I honestly was expecting to find myself bored here and there, because of the running time, but I was surprisingly entertained throughout. There are some slow spots, but would I edit anything, probably not, because it all seemed necessary for the story. I think a little of this movie got lost in translation for me, but I would love to see it again to pick up the pieces that I missed (I made 2 bathroom runs...smh). I didn't know where the story was headed, and at one point I didn't think it was going to find a conclusion, but then it does and now I find myself on the edge of my seat...Wow. I have to give a shout out to all performances in the film, especially the Robots Tars and Case. They were honestly my 2 favorite characters...lol. I was happy that Anne Hathaway didn't annoy me, she was excellent as Dr. Brand.

Interstellar was stellar. Some of you may find it to be too slow, but I think this is what makes the movie grand in the end. I wouldn't recommend seeing this movie late in the evening, because you will need the energy to pay attention to the story. Every piece of the story ties together from beginning to end. I went to see it in IMAX, but it didn't seem as grand as Gravity was for this extra cost...A-

Movies in Review: "Big Hero 6"

This is the animated movie I have anticipated the most this year. When I first watch Baymax in the trailer, I absolutely fell in love. I knew I had to make it a date between me and my little one. I wasn't expecting it to be exceptional, but I was expecting it to be good. Can I tell you this movie was far better than good!

This movie had me in such a great mood when I left the theater. I was watching this moving and found myself laughing out loud on more than one occasion, as were most of the adults. This movie was so cute and such a joy to watch. My son is almost 2 yr, and was entertained enough to sit through this 2hr feature. I don't know what to say about Baymax, all I know is I want one. Such a great character. The movie does get a little heavy but the other characters, including Baymax help to sweeten it up. Hiro's Aunt Cass, played by Maya Rudolph, is a hoot, I also enjoyed the character Wasabi...lol.

Who walked out of the theater giving out fist pumps?...lol. Me and my son exchanged several, as he kept imitating Baymax...so cute. This movie is a good one for the family. I heard adults weeping it up during one scene, and laughing throughout most of the movie. This movie definitely deserves an applause in my book. Very well done...A+!

Movies in Review: "Nightcrawler"

Well this movie played out nothing like I expected from what I watched in the trailer. Maybe I was texting or halfway not paying attention when the trailer was on, because I got the story-line all wrong. But I guess it really didn't matter to me what was in the trailer, I saw Jake Gyllenhaal, and that's all I needed to see to confirm my attendance for this film...lol

Ummmmmm...Nightcrawler....Ummmmmm...yeah you need to see it. I love almost anything Gyllenhaal has done, but this is definitely on a different level. He outdoes himself as Louis Bloom. There is this bit of crazy with this character that will have you scared as shit. You know how someone strikes fear into your heart while having a normal conversation that involves smiles but whats being said cuts like a knife. Yeah that's Bloom and he had me terrified. Bloom is like a rational crazy person, and I know that doesn't make sense, but that's the only way I can describe him, because you won't see him coming...lol. This movie gave me chills. Standing ovation to Gyllenhaal for this one.

I could say so much about this movie, but all you really need to know is that you need to see it. This is a crime thriller at its best, and there's nothing cliche about it. This movie is totally fresh...A+

Movies in Review: "Before I go to Sleep"

Truth be told, I am not the biggest Nicole Kidman fan. I kinda find her work to be a bit dry and dull, or maybe that's my own personal perception of her...but anyway. I didn't hear anything about this movie, and only came across the trailer when I was researching my weekend movie line-up. Again not a fan of Kidman, but Colin Firth and Mark Strong however, I am, especially Firth. Firth always gives me theatrical excellence, so I figured not even dull Kidman could ruin this movie for me.

Not only did Kidman not ruin this movie for me, she was the star of the show. This has to be one of my favorite performances from Kidman. She played the frail Christine masterfully. I was completely into her story and was rooting for her through it all. I loved how her amnesia was pieced together. The amnesia was a little annoying at first, but the more pieces that were put into place made for a pretty interesting story. There were a few ~side eye~ details in the storyline, but the unexpected twist had me messed up so much I let it go. The thrills were somewhat cliche, but the film had a steady pulse that will have you wanting to see it through to the end.

I enjoy a decent thriller, and this was one that didn't falter. It's not perfect, but it does the job. Great cast performances and a twists and turns that may hit you unexpectedly. I enjoyed it...B