Movies in Review: "Ghostbusters"

Ok so I know this movie has been catching flak from audiences who are not pleased with this film being rebooted with an all-female cast. To those people I'd like to give you "the finger"...ijs. The females being cast as the new Ghostbusters made me smile, however the trailer for the movie almost cause me to pass this one by. Honestly one of the worst trailers I've ever seen for a blockbuster film. I was going to see this film just to support the women cast in it, but hoping that the film would prove to be more appetizing than the trailer was...

This movie was entertaining, and corny as hell, which is what it's supposed to be right? It started off a little slow for me, with the jokes falling a little flat, but things slowly picked up and the movie found its groove. I loved McCarthy the most, she was hysterical. I enjoyed the other ghostbuster casts, with Kate McKinnon as "Holtzmann" being my least favorite. It took a minute for me to get use to her. She was coming off as the one that didn't belong, but started to fit in towards the end. Honestly, the girls seemed like a bunch of oddball cast mates that took a minute to gel together, but once they did, it was magic. As odd as it seemed to me in the trailer, Chris Hemsworth was a really nice comedic addition to the cast. I enjoyed him way more than I thought I would. I also enjoyed the cameos from the original cast members. It gave the film some backbone, and support.

The film was definitely more entertaining and fun than that awful trailer. Some kinks had to be ironed out in the beginning, but by the end it was smooth sailing. It was a fun adventure, and I laughed way more than I had expected too. I enjoyed this reboot and would definitely be on board to see a sequel...B+

Movies in Review: "The Infiltrator"

Crime Dramas? Yes I'm into those. I'm not sure if I can think of too many of these types of movies that I've ever passed on seeing. I think I'm only saying this because the trailer for this film didn't really stir up too much anticipation for me, but the cast did peak a little interest, especially John Leguizamo...I love him. So I went to check this movie on a late afternoon with little expectations...

The cast performances definitely made this movie. Everyone cast in this film, stood out and shined. I was drawn into the story, sometimes on edge, wondering what was going to happen next. I enjoyed the unexpected turn of events in some scenes, which kept my heart racing. Bryan Cranston was excellent as "Bob Musella". That man was quick on his feet and always kept his composer while under cover. Leguizamo also delivers an outstanding performance. Quite different stance than Cranston's character, but the two characters worked well together. 

I was more than pleased with this movie. I enjoyed the story, and action scenes but it was the performances that made this movie shine. If you are into crime dramas, then I would definitely recommend this one...B+ 

Movies in Review: "The Secret Life of Pets"

How cute and amazing was the trailer for this movie. When I first watched it, it made me smile. Anticipation and excitement for the release of this movie was built months ago. I was a little annoyed at how early they began marketing this movie because every week my kid was asking me can we go see "The Dogs", that's what he called the film...lol. I was happy to finally be able to announce to him that we were going to see The Dogs today. When I picked my kid up from daycare on Friday, he wanted to do nothing more than head straight to the theater...that's my kid...lol.

As much as I loved the trailer, I can honestly say I loved the movie just as much. This is such a cute and beautifully animated film with bright colors and interesting and fun characters. The story was great too, and very appropriate for the young ones. My kid was cracking up on this movie, and he's 3. I loved the voices picked for each character, but let's keep it really, Kevin Hart's voice as that bunny took the cake. I know all of you adults could see Kevin Hart's expressions shine through that bunny, which only made that character even more funny...lol. Hart's voice probably was a little too much for the bunny, but it worked. Fluffy Gidget, and the fat cat with the attitude, Chloe, were also among my favorites. 

This was the #1 film at the box office this weekend, and deservedly so. My kid definitely gave his stamp of approval, walking out of the theater screaming "That was awesome!" I looked at him, smiled, and thought "It sure was"...A+

Movies in Review: "Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates"

Ok so I'm not the biggest fan of Zac Efron. Not that I wish this on his career, but his days are definitely numbered in the movie business. I mean you seriously can't get far on just looks alone, which can fade rapidly, without any strong acting abilities. But I guess that doesn't really matter much now since Mr. Efron is still very pleasing on the eyes, making a little easier to overlook his performance on camera ~shrugs. If the movie had only featured Efron, I honestly think I would have passed, but thank goodness it didn't. I thought the trailer was funny, mainly because Adam DeVine is a ham, with great comedic delivery. I didn't have high expectations, but I did expect to laugh as much as I did at the trailer.

Ok so I laughed...I'm not talking about "Ha Ha" laughs, but tears rolling down your face laughs. Yeah this mess was really kind of funny, and it had a lot to do with DeVine. Everything he did was pure comedy. From facial expressions, body language, it was all on point. Everyone else kind of just fell in line with him, or he made them funnier. I must admit Efron wasn't annoying to me, but he still played the same character he plays in most of his movies "the hot guy", which suits him. I'm usually a fan of Anna Kendrick, but she seemed a bit out of place in this movie...eh. I loved the couple Jeanie (Mike & Dave's sister) and Eric, their dynamic was a different type of hilarious that only made the movie better, as far as humor is concerned. 

The movie wasn't exceptional, but I did laugh hard, which is what I really wanted to do. Some of the actors were a little too over the top, or seemed out of place, but they didn't have a chance to ruin the movie because there are some great comedic performances to balance it out...B-

Movies in Review: "The BFG"

I had been seeing theatrical posters for this movie a while before I had finally seen the trailer. Nothing about the posters really intrigued me, especially the title "The BFG". When the trailer finally crossed my eyes, I still wasn't the least bit interested in the film. I was actually going to take a pass on it until I heard the background of the story. I knew I wasn't seeing The Purge, so I decided to take my chances on this...and I'm so glad I did.

This movie premiered at #4 at the box office this weekend, behind The Purge. This is unfortunate, because the movie was really great. I think they failed on the marketing for this film. Like I said, the movie posters were Womp Womp, and the trailer came out so late, it had a late start in trying to build interest in this movie. Actually the trailer really wasn't half as good as the movie was. I am in love with this movie. The story and characters were so amazing, especially the giants, who looked to real. The interaction of the animated characters with the human actors was remarkable. The character BFG will steal your heart, as well as Sophie. BFG's communications skills will have you chuckling and his heart will make you smile. This movie touched me more emotionally than I had expected.

If you've seen the trailer for this movie, let me be the first to tell you it does this film no justice. Such a wonderful and beautifully animated film. I would not recommend for extremely small children because the "mean" giants can appear to be a bit scary. If your kids are of age, then make a date of it. You and they will both enjoy it...A-

Movies in Review: "Our Kind of Traitor"

There was nothing stellar about the trailer that made it really stand out. It did spark enough interest that I knew it was something I wanted to see. I did like the cast, and I'm always on board for a good spy thriller. The story looked interesting enough, and I wasn't too worried about whether I would enjoy it.

Not like my expectations were low, but I did enjoy this movie more than I thought I would. It wasn't perfect, but it definitely did the job. The story was good, but it was the chemistry between Ewan McGregor and Stellan Skarsgard that made this movie everything that it was. It is hard not to be invested in their stories. I wanted them to both be ok in the end. Their performances, along with Naomie Harris and a few sub-characters gave the movie a pulse. The only character/actor I wasn't fond of was Damian Lewis (the redhead). He brought the performance level down, and didn't feel like a good fit for his character...eh.

All in all, I enjoyed it. It had suspense, action, and thrills that made for an entertaining show. I found myself on the edge of my seat in a few scenes, shocked at the outcome of what was on-screen. If you enjoy spy thrillers, this is one I would recommend a look at...B+

Movies in Review: "Swiss Army Man"

You ever watch a trailer for something that looks crazy as hell but you still want to see it. This was the case for me with this movie. Check the trailer to see what I'm talking about when I say crazy...crazy right!? However the film does star Paul Dano, who I find to be a remarkable young actor, and it also stars that kid from those Harry Potter films, Daniel Radcliffe. I don't know much about Radcliffe outside of those Potter films, but I did find him surprisingly interesting in the trailer for this movie. As crazy as the trailer looks, I had to go see this movie just to see how this mess played out.

Omg...this movie was insane...lol. I seriously felt like I was high, or at least I should have been high while watching it. When watching this film you have to keep in mind that it is comedy-drama FANTASY film...let's not miss "fantasy". As ridiculous as I thought this story was, I also found it to be quite remarkable. I enjoyed the imagination and creativity of it all. It made it more hilarious and enjoyable to watch. It is seriously unlike any film you have seen in a while. Some of you may not get it, and others will appreciate the art and expression. I enjoyed the performances, and the story for the most part because it kept sending for a loop, but the ending missed me a bit, and I left the theater totally baffled...lol.

This is definitely a movie I would recommend to my potheads. Seems like something you can sit there and over analyze and talk about for hours while getting the munchies...lol. This movie is also great for anyone who loves a film that steps outside of the box. This is definitely one of those movies...A-