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- The Equalizer Movie Review | Watch it! (0)
The Equalizer – Denzel Washington – Movie Review
Rating 8+/10
I really enjoyed this movie. If you like revenge or vigilante type movies, you will love The Equalizer starring Denzel Washington. The movie had a few flaws and weaknesses, but I was able to overlook those because Denzel Washington did a great job, as usual, as the lead.IMDB rated 7.6 — synopsis: A man believes he has put his mysterious past behind him and has dedicated himself to beginning a new, quiet life. But when he meets a young girl under the control of ultra-violent Russian gangsters, he can’t stand idly by – he has to help her.
The storyline was a little weak but got the job done. The movie was exciting to watch and the ending left it open for sequels. If you enjoy Denzel Washington movies than you will enjoy The Equalizer. This movie reminded me of the old Charles Bronson movies. The Equalizer is a quality movie with top ranked actor. I say, “Watch it.”
Come back and leave a comment to let others know if you liked it as much as I did. My wife gave it an 8.
Continue reading → - The Guest – Movie Review | Disappointing (0)
The Guest (2014) Movie Review
Rating 5/10
The Guest started out fairly good. It had an Indie movie feel and a few recognizable actors. I was intrigued and thought this may be better than expected. It progressed well enough, kept you wondering when the other shoe was going to drop. That is when it started to go downhill for me. I had it as an 8 in my rating scale until about half way through… then the points started to drop because of implausibility and over-the-top situations. I can give movies a little leeway in plausibility, but once they cross the line and insult my intelligence, I start to lose interest. The Guest crossed that line for me…. and it started so well.IMDB rated 6.8 — synopsis: A soldier introduces himself to the Peterson family, claiming to be a friend of their son who died in action. After the young man is welcomed into their home, a series of accidental deaths seem to be connected to his presence.
Dan Stevens played the lead role as The Guest (David) and was good in this role. It was the writers that let him down. Maika Monroe played Anna, the daughter and did a decent job. You may recognize both of these actors but not know their names. The most recognizable for me was the dad played by Leland Orser whose credits include the TV series Revolution. Sheila Kelley played the wife, who you may recognize from the TV show Lost and several other movies and shows.
All in all the cast did a fine job but the script was pretty bad. Smarter writing of the 2nd half would have made this a decent movie… maybe even a 7 or 8 rating. Unless you are desperate for something to watch and don’t mind violence, blood, and weak ending, I’d say “Skip it.”
Continue reading → - Gone Girl (2014) Movie Review | Over Hyped (0)
Gone Girl Movie Review – The Bad & the Good
Rating: 7/10Gone Girl is good mystery thriller but over hyped. It was too long (2:30). Started slow first 30 minutes but is still worth watching. Ben Affleck is a mediocre actor and did an OK job in Gone Girl…. but he didn’t quite bring that “X factor” to elevate this movie into something special. The plot was there, the supporting actors were there, but it just missed that edge.
The pre-hype of Gone Girl and the critic’s hype of what a great movie Gone Girl was has me baffled. Granted, it was a good movie but in my opinion, definitely not Oscar material. Maybe I have higher expectations or maybe the movie industry (including critics) have lowered the bar on what constitutes a great Oscar worthy movie. 2014 was not a good year for movies, so maybe Gone Girl will receive Oscar buzz.
IMDB rating 8.4 – synopsis: On the occasion of his fifth wedding anniversary, Nick Dunne reports that his wife, Amy, has gone missing. Under pressure from the police and a growing media frenzy, Nick’s portrait of a blissful union begins to crumble. Soon his lies, deceits and strange behavior have everyone asking the same dark question: Did Nick Dunne kill his wife?
When a director & producer think that their movie is so good that we, the audience, will be overjoyed that they made it 2:30 long, I find that insulting and egotistical. Gone Girl was better than some movies, but really not a “special” movie. My wife and I were both disappointed in the ending. So many movies today end with the philosophy that the audience can interpret the end any way they want. I, personally, like a real ending that I don’t have to interpret. The screen goes black and the credits start rolling… my wife and I look at each other and say, “That’s it?”
I wish Ben Affleck was a better actor. He seems like a nice guy and is in some pretty decent movies, but he doesn’t have that big screen presence that some of the bigger stars have. His co-star, Rosamund Pike did a good job and kept it interesting. Throw in Neil Patrick Harris and Tyler Perry and you have a cast that elevates almost any movie. I’m also a fan of Kim Dickens – you may recognize her from Sons of Anarchy (house Madame) or Friday Night Lights (TV) as the mother of the quarterback.
I end up watching most of Ben Affleck‘s movies and then complain about his acting… same with Nicolas Cage… he plays in some pretty poor movies, is not that great of an actor, but I still watch most of his movies. Guess that’s why they get paid the big bucks.
I think IMDB’s Gone Girl rating of 8.4 is too high. The movie drags – my wife even fell asleep during parts of it. The plot is interesting and twists and turns and is a definate movie to put on your DVD list to watch… just don’t expect a blockbuster. If it had be edited down to the normal 1:30 it may have been a better movie. I was generous giving it a 7. Watch it and let me know what you think. Do you think Ben Affleck is a good actor?
Continue reading → - Oblivion (2013) – Movie Review (0)
6.8/10 Good but not that good. This Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman futuristic movie didn’t quite hit the mark for me. I liked Vanilla Sky… Oblivion, I think, tried to be clever like Vanilla Sky but fell short.The special effects were good. The concept was interesting. The acting was OK. Worth watching, just not as good as I had hoped it would be. Here is IMDB synopsis:
A veteran assigned to extract Earth’s remaining resources begins to question what he knows about his mission and himself. (IMDB rated 7.1)
My wife gave it 6/10. She did not really like it and was generous with the 6. She felt it wasn’t realistic in parts as to Tom Cruise’s actions. She, too, got bored in spots.
The movie relied on Tom Cruise as the box office draw. For extra security they added Morgan Freeman who had a very small role. The pace of the movie could have been a little faster. Too much time spent on futuristic special effects at times making everything more forced. Not enough characters and character interaction to keep it interesting.
I don’t want to discourage you from watching Oblivion. Your milage may vary. In my experience when an entire movie is based on one person (Tom Cruise) with little character development or side story lines, you can easily get bored. I started to get bored in this movie and the cleverness of the futuristic aspect didn’t quite save it for me… Worth renting but don’t expect too much.
Let me know what you think of this movie.
[subscribe2] Continue reading → - MUD – Movie Review (0)
7/10 Good movie. MUD was an entertaining movie that both myself and wife enjoyed. Prior to watching MUD, we had no idea what it was about but knew it had Matthew McConaughey & Reese Witherspoon in it. Witherspoon didn’t have a very large part. But it was the 2 boys that made the film.Here’s IMDB synopsis: Two young boys encounter a fugitive and form a pact to help him evade the bounty hunters on his trail and to reunite him with his true love. IMDB score was 7.8.
It was refreshing to watch a movie with a storyline, good acting, no sex, no swearing, no special effects… just a good old fashion movie. It took place in Arkansas back country, small town. The boy’s adventure took me back to my youth and made me yearn for adventure. Although, slow in a few spots, overall, it was well paced and entertaining.
Highly recommended as a rental.
My wife gave it 8/10 – she scores higher than I do. She appreciated that there was no sex, gore, swearing. We see enough movies with that. Seems like lately every movie needs at least one steamy sex scene and nudity. And most movies love to have the realistic gore scenes – shot to the head where you see brain & skull pieces splatter. MUD at least got back to good story telling without having to rely on all that other stuff.
Rent it … let me know what you think.
Continue reading → - Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters Movie Review (0)
4/10 Not my type of movie. Language, violence and gore a little over the top for me. Maybe more for the younger crowd. I knew from the opening scenes that I would not like this movie when 9 year old Gretel said, “Is the oven hot enough now, Bitch!” I can handle bad language and even blood and gore if done appropriately. I don’t like seeing little kids swearing. I don’t like gore for the sake of gore.
I shouldn’t review this movie because I didn’t watch it all the way through… I disliked it that much. I gave it a 4/10 because the photography was good, special effects and makeup were good. It did not come across as a cheaply produced movie. Definitely not for young children. Not a good first date movie. I do not think most “older” audience would like this movie.
Skip it.My wife gave it 3/10 – She said it wasn’t her type of movie but would’ve watched it if she had to.
IMDB gave it 6.1 score and the following synopsis: Hansel & Gretel are bounty hunters who track and kill witches all over the world. As the fabled Blood Moon approaches, the siblings encounter a new form of evil that might hold a secret to their past.
Maybe if I watched it all the way through I would have rated it higher. But didn’t want to waste my time.
Here is the trailer
[subscribe2] Continue reading → - OZ the Great and Powerful (2013) Movie Review (0)
7/10 Enjoyable movie. Fun for entire family. Rated PG. Disney Movie. It was nice watching a fun movie without sex, nudity, strong language. The violence was very minimal and not objectionable.
IMDB rates this 6.6 with synopsis: A small-time magician is swept away to an enchanted land and is forced into a power struggle between three witches.At first I wasn’t sure if this would be more for children and too silly for adults. I was still wondering the same thing 20 minutes into the film and asked my wife if she would rather watch something else… she said she wanted to keep watching this. As the movie progressed I got more invested in it and found myself enjoying the story.
This movie answers the question of how did the Wizard of Oz become the Wizard of Oz? How did he get there, who is he? And what about the witches? In true Disney fashion the story continued to build and had a happy ending. It seemed a little long, but I think kids over 9 or 10 would enjoy it.
My wife gave it 8/10 (she is easier to please than me). She really liked the movie but did mention she thought it was a little long.
Whether you have kids or not, and whether you are young or old (like me!), I think you will enjoy this movie if you are in the mood for something light and fantasy. If you saw it, leave your comments.
Stars James Franco, Mila Kunis (that 70’s show), Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams,
Continue reading → - Identity Thief – Movie Review (3)
6/10 Fun movie. Light comedy, worth watching as long as you are not expecting a great movie or a roll on the floor laughing (ROFL) movie.
Jason Bateman (Sandy) gets his identity stolen by the very funny Melissa McCarthy (Dianna). IMDB synopsis: Mild-mannered businessman Sandy Patterson travels from Denver to Miami to confront the deceptively harmless-looking woman who has been living it up after stealing Sandy’s identity.This is a cute movie that grows on you. A little slow in the beginning but starts to pick up once Bateman gets to Florida to confront McCarthy. A little “over-the-top” now and then, but all in all worth renting.
My wife gave it 6/10 – good, but a little silly at times. She enjoyed it and would recommend it to a friend.
IMDB rates it 5.2/10 . I must have been in a relaxed mood when we watched it and found it entertaining enough to give it a 6.
[subscribe2] Continue reading → - Side Effects – Movie Review (0)
8/10 Put Side Effects on your must see list. Clever story, good acting, well done movie. Rated 7.2 on IMDB.
Hard to describe without giving anything away… here is IMDB’s synopsis: A young woman’s world unravels when a drug prescribed by her psychiatrist has unexpected side effects.
My wife also liked it and gave it 7+/10 – she wasn’t as thrilled with the ending as I was. She said it was a little confusing. Side Effects movie is a well written, directed and acted movie with many named movie stars – including Catherine Zeta-Jones who I haven’t seen for a while. Jude Law played the husband and the star of the movie was Rooney Mara (a name I wasn’t familiar with). Side Effects may not be a great film, but it stands out from all the other cookie cutter films I’ve seen lately. Watch it and let me know your opinion – rant or rave?
Continue reading → - Paranormal Activity 3 – Movie Review (0)
Rating: 5-/10
Not very good. The first Paranormal Activity was good because it was new and fresh… and actually creepy/scary. By #3 you pretty much know what is going to happen… so you end up sitting through long stretches of “normal” activity waiting for the “paranormal” activity. Yes, I jumped a few times… yes, I had the lights turned off and watched it in a dark room so it was a little creepy… enough to earn it a 5-. If you liked the first one in the series, you won’t be blown away by this one, but may enjoy it a little.
My wife rated it a 0/10. She did not care for it at all and said she felt she wasted 1.5 hrs of her life watching it. Not a ringing endorsement.
I say skip this one. If you are like me and just wanted to see for yourself (because you like this type of movie and liked the first one or two) go for it. Let me know how you liked it by commenting here.
Continue reading → - The Way – Movie Review (0)
Rating: 6/10
A different movie. Martin Sheen finishes a soul searching trek in France & Spain that his son started but died on his first day out. The movie is supposed to be a soul searching journey of life. Written and directed by Emilio Estavez – Sheen’s real son (Charlie Sheen’s brother). I have to say upfront that I am not a huge fan of Martin Sheen. He is a good actor, but at times over acts (in my opinion). I have trouble getting connected with him… and in this movie you need to get connected to appreciate it. I personally did not find any answers to life or any profound self discoveries. Scenery was nice, but watching a group of dysfunctional people walk 560 miles through the country side (El camino de Santiago) did not make for a great film just an OK film. I will say, it held my attention and was not a terrible movie – just OK. To me, anything rated 6 is worth considering renting. 7 is a good movie to rent. 8 or higher is a must rent movie.
My wife, on the other hand, really liked the movie (she probably connected with Sheen) and rated it 8/10. So, for you guys out there that get complaints from the wife that you never rent movies for her… try this one… it is not a love story…. it is not overly depressing… and is an OK movie to watch.
If you happen to rent it… leave your thoughts about it here.
Continue reading → - Iron Lady – Movie Review (0)
Rating: 7+/10
Worth watching if you are a Meryl Streep fan. Excellent acting and make-up. Streep earned the Oscar for Best Actress in this movie portraying England’s Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. I learned a lot of history of England and its politics watching this movie. Good story telling, but at times disjointed as it had a lot of flashbacks. I’m not a fan of telling a story through flashbacks… I’m more of a start at the beginning and work up to the end. Don’t start with the end and then go back to the beginning.
The story was good but not overly compelling – that is why this movie doesn’t rate an 8. Streep and cast made this movie. The make-up artists made this movie. I recommend watching it. Not as good as The King’s Speech, but still a well done movie.
My wife gave it an 8/10. She enjoyed Streep and felt she learned a lot about that time period in our history.
Continue reading → - Dark Tide (2012) – Halle Berry Movie Review (0)
Rating: 4+/10
Dissapointing. They took a 20 minute movie and stretched it to a 1hr 45 min movie. IMDB plot: A professional diver tutor returns to deep waters after 9 years, following an almost fatal encounter with a great white shark. The nightmare from the deep is still lurking – more carnivorous and hungry than ever.
Had some good photography of sharks, but story line was very weak, acting mediocre. I don’t know why Halle Berry agreed to do this movie unless the writer and/or director was a friend and they all decided to “do a movie.” Writing was weak and cliche. Directing and editing was poor. Some scenes seemed like they were just thrown in to make movie a full length film.
I say skip it. Even Halle Berry couldn’t save this one. She wasn’t even that great of an actress.
My wife gave it
Continue reading → - Young Adult – Movie Review (0)
Rating 5/10
I expected more. I’ve seen worse. The premise of the movie was weak to begin with… Charlize Theron decides to go back to her hometown to get her ex-high school boyfriend back by breaking up his marriage. There were some underlying messages in this movie, but watching Theron self destruct to make a point made for a depressing movie. It tried to be a comedy in spots, a drama in spots, a tragedy in spots, and failed at all 3. I enjoyed watching Theron, but overall, the movie wasn’t very good.
My wife commented when it ended, “That wasn’t a very good movie.” I think watching a women home-wrecker trying to steal a husband was an immediate turnoff… and the fact that overall it was a depressing, pathetic movie caused my wife to rate it a 5-/10. Charlize Theron was only reason it didn’t score lower than a 5.
Continue reading → - Machine Gun Preacher – Movie Review (0)
Rating 6/10
Good movie based on actual events. Gerard Butler plays the Preacher (ex-con devoted to a cause) and does a good job. Thought provoking movie about life, atrocities taking place in Sudan by Kony on children. How one man is making a difference. Movie was 2 hours and seemed a little long to me. Parts were very good, some parts dragged a little or were repeats of similar situations. Movie lacked the “it” factor to rate higher than a 6 in my book. Worth renting, good movie, educational yet at same time done in story format with excitement, action, tense situations… all makings of a good movie, but it misses the mark from being a “really” good movie.
My wife liked it also. Forgot to ask her what she would rate it. We both got up during the movie and went into kitchen to get a snack – which indicates there were parts of movie that did not hold our attention.
Rent it and let me know how you feel about this movie.
Continue reading →
