Might As Well Have Been On Vacation!!

     I have to start by apologizing to anyone that reads this blog and looks forward to the things I write.  I have been gone because I have been watching a few television shows that I had never seen and had to get caught up.  On of the series I was watching was the Big Bang Theory and that in itself was seven seasons long to get up to date.  Well I did get up to date and am now seriously behind on all my movie watching.  I did on occasion watch a movie here and there but I obviously didn't write about them.  I hope to remedy that shortly. So in the next few days I am hoping to write some to get this stalled blog back to where it should have been.
     Again I apologize to anyone looking forward to my reviews and hopefully the wait is over.

Maleficent (2014) Review!

     I am gonna be completely honest right now...I have never seen most of the old school Disney cartoons.  I have seen Bambi and Dumbo, but that's about as far as that goes with the classic ones.  I have seen a few of the 90's ones but that's where my Disney cartoons ended.  So I should think at this point I shouldn't have to say that I have not seen Sleeping Beauty.  But I do know the stories because, I don't know, I may have read them when I was real little.  So going into this movie I didn't really have many expectations at all.  I had read some synopsis and other things about it through the normal movie sites I peruse on a daily basis.  I only knew of one actor in the movie and that was Angelina Jolie.  She is also the only part of the poster for the film.  In all the write ups that I found for this flick they all had one single recurring thought, and that was that Angelina Jolie straight knocks this role outta the park.  That alone is what made me want to watch this.
     So the first thing that I have to say about the actual film after watching it is pretty much all the people that wrote about the movie were right, Miss Jolie does a spectacular job.  The first segment of the film she plays the title character with such sweet and lovable perfection that when shit starts to get real your heart goes out to her.  The scene I am talking about is incredibly powerful and a bit hard to watch.  When you watch it, you will know exactly which scene I am referencing here, but I don't like being a spoiler writer.  I may on occasion let some things slip but I try not to unless you have seen the film in which case it is no longer a spoiler at all.  After the moment of it getting real she changes to, what I can only describe as, a very pissed off woman.  And considering what happens to her I don't blame her.  Obviously there are more actors in this but I am only gonna say that they all do a fantastic job and that the whole thing impressed me because I wasn't expecting it to be any good.  Maybe that's why I liked it as much as I did.
      The special effects are really cool and they don't distract you from the story.  The only thing bad I have to say about them is there are times when effects are kinds cheesy, almost as if they just don't fit with the rest of it.  Alot of this movie is near perfect effects but the few that aren't really stick out well.  But let that deter you from watching it because it really is a great film.
     I can honestly recommend this to anyone.  It has a love story, loads of action, great fantasy atmosphere, great acting and it's by Disney so it's kid friendly as well.

Sin City: A Dame To Kill For (2014) Review!

     What I wanna start with is that this film is considered a bomb and a huge disappointment.  It underperformed so badly that I am sure a third installment will never be made, and I find that disappointing.  I love this film.  It is exactly equal to the first one in every way.  It does not deserve the negative hype at all.  What I will say is maybe it's because they waited nearly a decade to make a sequel to a box office smash that most who saw it wanted to see a sequel within a few years.  Okay, so that sentence was kinda messed up but hopefully you get the meaning.
     So we have the same directors with the exception of Quentin Tarantino is not a guest director for this one.  So Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller do all the work here.  Frank Miller is the creator and the writer for all the stories and I find that the transition from comic book to film is helped out by this little fact.  Most comic book films are being made today to look like they can really happen or they take place as close to reality as they can be.  This one basically says screw all that and decides to go with practically all exact replicas of the art in the comics.  For this I love it.  It is a visual masterpiece just like its predecessor.  I believe it because Miller wants his original work to resemble his film version and not blend in with the slew of comic book films that have bombarded the box office in the past few years.  Don't get me wrong, I love most of those films as well, even if they don't follow the original story lines all too well.  See, with the Sin City movies you can almost watch the film and read the comic simultaneously and it works perfect.  That's why I love that Mr. Miller makes his own film adaptations of his own work. 
     We have here a gigantic cast, much like the first one but a few additions and a few substitutions.  Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, Josh Brolin, Bruce Willis, Eva Green, Christopher Meloni, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rosario Dawson, Powers Booth, Jaime King, Dennis Haysbert, Ray Liotta and Christopher Lloyd.  Funny thing about the cast is that's not all of it.  Every body in this film does what is expected of them, and I believe they were all expected to be a little overdramatic as to fit the style of the source material.  I think it works beautifully in the context of the story and style.  
     The special effects are exactly the same as the first film.  That means a whole lot of green screen acting and hyper visuals.  Most everything is in black and white with a few exceptions in each scene like someone's eyes are colored, or maybe some blood is colored, or a car, or a shirt...well you get the point I hope.  It basically tells the viewer to pay attention to this little detail and you have no way of not staring at it either because it sticks out like the little red coat in Schindler's List.  I have to say though that the car scenes do not look real but they are really cool to watch because they look like the comics exactly.
     Recommendations are for anyone that likes the first film and likes near faithful comic book to film adaptations.  Lots of action and some dramatic parts.  Be warned though that this is not a comic book film for kids at all as it is rated highly into the "R" section.  Loads of nudity, language, sexual contact, alcohol and some serious violence.  I love it and will definitely watch it again, maybe both films back to back next time.
     Let me know what you think in the comments below!
     

Escape From New York (1981)

     I read a lot about movies and what's coming up and when something of interest to me is gonna be made.  I could care less about the people who play in these films so I don't read about their personal lives cuz I don't care.  There are plenty of actors out there that are complete morons in their personal lives but make some pretty spectacular film features.  That is another story for another time though.  So I was perusing the normal websites I tend to visit and I started reading on a few of them that there is an attempt in Hollywood to find someone to play Snake Plissken.  I couldn't find out if they wanted to make a sequel or a remake but I'm sure they will call it a reimagining.  I am not fully against remakes as I do watch all of them for the most part but I always have a sense of dread every single time I hear of one.  Like Mad Max for instance, hated the idea but the trailer for it has sold me quickly.  I just hope it's good.  So as most people know already, Kurt Russell is Snake Plissken and will always be known as Snake Plissken.  So who is gonna be the guy that decides his career needs a boost?  Remains to be seen!
     Okay so this film, Escape From New York was released when I was a mere pup.  I was around 4 or so when it came out so I never saw it til later on in life.  Probably the early 90's is what I'm thinking.  This flick was written and directed by the Legendary John Carpenter and his overall sense of dramatic and creepy atmosphere can be seen throughout the entire movie.  This was made two feature films after the ever spectacular Halloween (1978).  The film in the middle was The Fog (1980) and didn't do all that well so Carpenter had to make a huge one and he did it quite well.  The story is written well and the dialog is believable as it is a futuristic take on the US. 
     The acting is, for the most part, done well but A few people here and there do a slight over exaggeration type of thing throughout.  Kurt Russell does what he normally does and Donald Pleasence does great here as well.  Lee Van Cleef, whom all can remember from the Man With No Name trilogy starring Clint Eastwood, plays a good douchebag even though he has limited screen time.  Ernest Borgnine is a bit of a legend in his own right and his take on the Cabbie here is almost a show stealer.  Harry Dean Stanton is here and Adrienne Barbeau's large globes or on display.  And don't forget Isaac Hayes as the Duke of New York.
     Some of the effects are a bit outdated, I mean come on it was made in 1980 so everyone has to put that in the equation when they watch this.  I like the effects, they are are miniatures and some cheesy computer effects but it stays with the whole feel of the picture.
     I would like to point out one thing that has always stood out to me with this movie and that is the absolutely fantastic musical score.  That is another one of John Carpenter's signature traits.  Seriously though who can't remember the piano from Halloween?  Escape has an equally great score and should be recognized.
     I will recommend this to anyone that likes good old fashioned action films or maybe good old fashioned action films set in a science fiction world.  For those that want to know it has some language present and some violence but it isn't gory at all.  Also one last thing, if you are gonna watch it try to get an HD 1080P copy as this movie is really dark but you can see it well with 1080P.
     Let me know what you think in the comments below.

The Den (2013) Review!

     A few days ago I was at work and having a conversation about movies and I happened to bring up A little known film series called [REC].  Little known in the US anyway because it is all in Spanish and most American film viewers can't watch a movie with subtitles.  But anyone that actually has seen the series knows it is a spectacular accomplishment in it's style.  That style is handheld camera, and I have to say, for the most part I am not a fan of.  The style I find so incredibly ridiculous because it tends to never show you any of the things you actually want to see.  It just likes to be from the point of view from a camera in someone's hand while they run away from what I actually want to be watching.  But, my coworker had mentioned this film called The Den and I told him I would check it out because I pretty much watch anything that comes my way.  And I especially like to watch films that others think are really good.  It lets me know whether or not to trust their judgment on future recommendations.
     I watched it and I see it really isn't a handheld camera film at all.  Okay, so it does have a few spots from a handheld but for the most part it is from a webcam or a phone camera in video chat mode.  Alot of the stuff happens in the background while people are chatting until the last 30 minutes or so when it is just there.  I didn't mind this movie at all but it was the camera work that annoyed me.  But all that aside it is a well acted little film.  The star of the show here is Melanie Papalia and for the type of film we are talking about here the makers are lucky she isn't hard on the eyes because if she was then it would be pretty hard to watch.  But she is good to look at and she does a convincing job of portraying someone that has just witnessed a murder.  There are a few other people in it but they just go through the motions here.
     Some of the death scenes look pretty authentic.  They are not too gory but there is plenty of blood in most of them.  But there is no dismemberment and stomach insides or anything like that.  At some points it seems like a handheld version of a Hostel film but not nearly as disgusting.
     I could only recommend this film to people that like the style but anybody else would have to be warned to stay away.  And it also doesn't really keep ones eyes glued to the screen for the first 3/4s or the movie.  The last 1/4 is actually pretty riveting!
     Let me know what you think in the comments below.

First Blood (1982) Review!

     I was just in a mood to watch the entire Rambo saga but as I have stated on many occasions I can't watch just so I had to start with the first one.  I saw this movie many times in my life and I saw it also a very long time ago when I was only a kid.  I always liked it because when I was young I just thought it was a good action flick.  It wasn't until watching it later on that I paid attention to the dialog and the actual story.  I have a very indirect connection to the story here.  I was in the military and seen this and seen that but the young men that were forced to go fight a war in Vietnam that they had no business getting involved in gain the utmost respect from me.  These men were still teenagers and they saw things that no human should have to see and that's the reason for my indirect connection.  My father is a Vietnam veteran and when I was really little I never understood why he would do certain things or why he reacted the way he did to certain things.  After being in the military myself I understand fully why a grown man would dislike being scared from behind.  All these men including my father had to live in fear for their own and their buddies lives every waking moment in a war that could only be described as Hell in a jungle.  The highest amount of respect goes out to all Vietnam vets that are still alive, those that passed and those that never got to come home.
     Back to the movie at hand here.  Most people think that the Rambo films are just Sylvester Stallone running around killing people for no reason.  And while that may be true for all three of the sequels it was not the case for the first installment.  This one is set in a more realistic environment.  Stallone plays Rambo, a man that returned home from Vietnam that was completely disrespected and hated by all his own countrymen.  The sad thing is this is how all Vietnam vets were treated when returning home.  Stallone plays this part perfect too, as a man that has so much post traumatic stress that he is so scared but at the same time afraid of nothing.  He should of, at the very least, been nominated for best actor for this.  Brian Dennehy plays the films douchebag, I mean police chief.  But really all he is is a major douchebag that has a huge personal vendetta against Rambo.  He does play it well enough to think that he may be like that in real life, but I sincerely hope not.  There is a couple of other men that are such pieces of crap that you will be clapping when they bite it.
     This film is very realistic in most every way.  There is a part when Rambo has a cut and he has to stitch himself up and it really is very realistic, even to today's standards.  It is by far one of the best 80's action films and won't be soon forgotten.
     I strongly urge all to watch this because it isn't just an 80's action film but an almost true study of what it would be like to push a man that has seen evil in it's purest form.  It is very dramatic but also full of some incredible action set pieces.  If you have never seen it and are thinking about it then be warned that you may want to think about not having the kids around.  Lots of death and other scenes you may have to explain to them.
     I will end this one with a quote from one of my favorite bands..."What you call Hell, He calls Home!"W13 

[REC]4 - OFFICIAL FINAL TRAILER!

     Well, I have to say that I wasn't expecting this at all!

     I know I have been away for quite some time now but that's what happens when life calls and you have to do that daily thing called work.  And then you get done with work and you have to do school work.  I really wish I didn't have to work so I could concentrate fully on the classes I need to graduate but as I said a few seconds ago...Life happens!

     Before you watch this particular trailer I would recommend you go get a copy of [REC], parts 1, 2 and 3 so you can be all caught up.  Part 3 is the most inferior but I still love it!  Something you may need to know first off is the fact that the first two are hand held/lost footage type films and normally I wouldn't recommend this style to anyone but the first two films pretty much perfect the art.  Part 3 is a half found footage then turns into a real film halfway through, which is exactly what I was hoping for because I am not a found footage fan unless it is done right and none of them have done it right so far except [REC] 1 and 2.

     Needless to say though is this trailer is absolutely awesome in every way.  Bringing back the character from the first two and not making it found footage at all has made me look forward to this film more than any other I have seen so far!  Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Tony Jaa and Jeeja Yanin!

     Today I was in the mood for some good martial arts action.  I wasn't thinking about any particular country's style but after some debating I figured I wanted to watch one I haven't seen before.  I noticed that a female star that I truly think is badass had two movies out that I haven't seen yet so I went searching for them.  Well, I found one of them and I can honestly say it has been a total waste of my time.  The star I am referring to is Jeeja Yanin, or sometimes Jija, from Thailand.  If anyone knows anything about martial arts films then they know who she is, but I will give you a quick rundown of her.  She is behind the fantastic film, Chocolate and the awesome, Raging Phoenix.  That's all the knowledge you need right there.  So, if you haven't seen those yet I strongly urge you to watch them now and come back to this when you're done.  But this post is not about only her.  Most people that know a little something about martial arts films has heard of the great Tony Jaa.  He is also a Thai martial artist and he is well known for films like Ong Bak and Tom Yum Goong.  Those two are some of the most spectacular fighting films to ever grace the world.  Now obviously I am not just a fan of only Thailand, I also love the martial arts films of China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia and I am sure there are others but that's what I can think of right now.  But, this post is directed mainly at the Thai movies because I have noticed something about them that I just cannot hold in anymore.
                                                   

     First off I have to say that I love the style of Thai martial arts movies because they have a tendency to use only practical effects and really daring stunts with no ropes attached.  The martial arts they use in in the majority of their films is Muay Thai and to my eyes it is just a very cool looking form.  I do like the forms of Kung Fu and Karate and Taekwondo, among others, but I really like all the elbows and knees that get used in the Muay Thai style.  I think there are two actors that have made this style in films get famous in the western world, I am of course talking about the two I previously mentioned.

     My mind has become boggled though with this most recent one I just watched.  I kind of saw it coming but I didn't want to admit it for some time now.  It may just be me but I am pretty sure every Thai star starts out great in the first couple films then slowly, I mean quickly, releases complete crap all the way to the present!  Just take a look at Tony Jaa for instance.  His first major film was Ong Bak and it is such a spectacle to watch, the action is awesome and intense and the just an overall great flick.  He then releases Tom Yum Goong and it took the previous film and just added even more incredible awesomeness.  Then, Jaa hasn't released a good film since.  He tried with the two sequels to Ong Bak but they just so happen to have absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the first one.  They even take place like over a hundred years before hand.  He now has part 2 of Tom Yum Goong out, and while I haven't seen it personally yet, it has received some very bad reviews.  Another part I am not looking forward to in this sequel is they had to go ahead and put The RZA in it.  I understand that RZA is a martial arts fan, but that is no reason for anyone to keep putting him in the films.  This man shouldn't even be a voice actor he is so talentless.  Again though, I haven't seen this movie yet, I am just preparing myself.  Onto Jeeja Yanin!  Her first film I remember is Chocolate and this picture single handedly made me pay attention to female martial artists.  She really is that good.  Just seeing her Bruce Lee impression in Chocolate is worth the price of admission.  Then she puts out another great one in Raging Phoenix and does some spectacular drunkin' Muay Thai.  Pretty awesome I have to say.  Since those two films...nothing good at all.  I just watched This Girl is Badass and I had mixed feelings about the title already because I was thinking that I agree wholeheartedly that she is badass, but the title is so terrible.  And the movie was terrible too!  Every fight scene looked choreographed.  I know that martial arts movies are choreographed just like dancing is but it isn't supposed to look like it.  Supposed to look natural and spontaneous, which this movie fails at to the maximum.
     I am not gonna even attempt to lie about the fact that I have not seen all Thai martial arts movies but I have seen well past my fair share of them.  I also know that I only brought up two actors as well, and it may be wrong of me to judge on that basis alone but the two artists happen to be the two most well known in the US, and that's where I live.  And I am not hating on either of them I am just having a strong feeling of hope that they will finally make some great films again like the first couple from each.  But until this happens I guess I will have to settle for the good ones they already have out.

Mystery, Alaska (1999) Review!

        

     I love sports movies!  I especially love underdog sports films in the style of Rocky.  This film happens to be one of those and it happens to also be my favorite one...probably.  I was in the military at the time this was released and I have watched it many times since but while I was in the Corps, for downtime at Camp Pendleton, me and a few of my fellow Marines would play hockey.  Street hockey with a puck, but hockey nonetheless.  We played alot, and sometimes for hours on end, and also sometimes while getting sloshed.  We used to have what I dubbed "National Cheapshot Day", where we played with no rules whatsoever.  This story really has no baring or effect on the film in question here but I just thought I would throw it in there.  Good memories from a long time ago.

     With this movie coming out in 1999, the biggest actor at the time was a tie for two people.  Those being Hank Azaria and Colm Meaney.  Yeah, so it's not a star studded cast but I should mention that Russell Crowe is the real star.  So, why did I not add him to the list of big named actors?  Well, this was the year before he had his humongous break with Gladiator.  I do suppose Burt Reynolds should be considered big named but I happen to forget about him for a bit there.  Every single actor in this movie does a great job and should be recognized for doing that.  This is a film that is not very known but the few people that have seen it, love it.  
     I feel some films are unfairly judged or received at the beginning of their life.  This movie didn't even make back half of the budget used in production.  That's just sad because as far as sports films go this is by far one of the best.  It is written well, acted well and directed well.  It is very dramatic at times and just plain laugh out loud funny at other moments.  And not to mention the spectacular hockey that is throughout the film.  The final game of the film is by far more intense than the final fight in Rocky!  I think everybody that loves sports movies can't go wrong with this one but if you like watching with your family I have to warn you of a few things.  There is a bit of language here and also some adult intimate type situations also so you know.
     If you have seen this I would love to hear from you in the comments below!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) Review!

     I have been a die hard TMNT fan since the early days!  What I mean by "the early days" is the comic books not the cartoon.  There a whole lot of people claiming to be fans from the beginning and they are flat out lying cuz they think the cartoon was the beginning.  It may be true that the cartoon made it absolutely humongous but the comic books are really where it's at.  I still have a few comic books from back in the day and one happens to be a #2 of these guys and it's signed by Kevin Eastman so as you may think it has some sentimental attachment.  I remember when I was growing up I was really into art and I was always drawing something.  I loved drawing comic characters and my pets but I always fell back on the turtles because they were one of my favorites.  Then Hollywood made a live action film and I won't lie, I think it is awesome still to this day.  The sequels were good too but only from a real fans perspective. So now we get a new Ninja Turtle film and it is live action again and the Turtles themselves are motion captured CGI creations.
     The director of this film was Jonathan Liebesman and he is the guy responsible for some really bad movies.  Lets list just a couple of them shall we?  Wrath of The Titans...beyond terrible! Battle Los Angeles...had potential but they decided to not really show the aliens and stop the camera from moving around...so terrible!  Now he was given the job of directing TMNT and he didn't do as bad as he previously did during other movies but he still didn't do a very good job.  The director has the power to change some things as he sees fit because it is actually his production.  The writers were apparently sleeping when they made this one.  It is not written very well.  And it's not like I feel this way because I have been a turtle fan for most of my life.  I have learned to be open about newer interpretations of properties.  Some times though, I can't forgive when they change too much or a huge moment in the story of a character.  But, the story is pretty weak here and dialog isn't too good either.  The major thing I thought pretty wrong about this is the turtles themselves are like 8 feet tall and tower over all humans.  Shredder is completely botched and to make him even remotely menacing they made him like 9 feet tall.  I mean they could have made the turtles the same height as a normal human so they wouldn't have to make Shredder so big.  And besides, Shredder has practically no story at all...he just seems to be there.
     The special effects are pretty okay and that's all.  I was hoping after seeing the trailers that they were just not completely finished effects like so many other movies but they're not.  What you see in the trailer is what you get in the feature.  Kind of upsetting considering this is the age of computer effects in film.  Sometimes though I can admit that they look decent but overall I would say it is just too little or too much depending on the scene.  The voiceover was done really well for the turtles but I just think the voices themselves should have been changed.  With one exception and that is Michaelangelo, he was done pretty perfect and actually he was the right size too.  If they changed one voice I wouldn't even have brought it up at all.  That voice in question would be Leonardo's.  So let me get something straight here...the filmmakers wanted to have a commanding voice for the leader of the turtles so naturally they decided it should be Johnny Knoxville?  I'm sorry but I am kinda lost at who thought that was a good idea.
     I recommend this to people that like an action film with some comedy in it but be warned though most of the action scenes are CGI full scenes.  There are a few times that it is really funny like the elevator scene for one.  If you're a turtle purest then you can either watch it or just steer clear of it.  I liked it for the most part just wish they changed somethings here and there. 
     Let me know what you think in the comments below!  

Get On Up (2014) Review!

     I have been waiting for this movie ever since I first heard of it.  Then I saw the trailer a while back and I knew I had to see it.  Well, I finally did!  I would like to say that I like James Brown's music, but I wouldn't be called a hardcore fan or anything like that.  I just happened to enjoy his music when it comes up in the rotation of my mp3 player.  And on kinda the same note I really love biopic films and well, this is one of them.  I will even watch biopics of people I have never heard of before.  I suppose I should rephrase that a bit.  I love biopic films that are based on musicians and sports figures.
     The movie here was directed by Tate Taylor and as I have never seen a film by him before I think alot of people out there should remember him from directing The Help a few years back.  Apparently that movie is pretty good but I can't say for my point of view.  I can tell you that for this movie I think he did a rather weird job.  I think overall this movie is done incredibly well but something I have a bit of a problem with is the jumping timeline thing.  It starts in the 1980's when James Brown had his famous cop chase and mug shot.  Next scene is somewhere in the 1940's, then after that the 1930's, back to the 60's, 50's, 70's and then back to the 30's.  It also has a weird way of showing a scene.  We get one scene started then it cuts to a different era altogether and at some point later in the film it goes back to that same scene it started awhile back so it takes the dramatic impact right out of it.  I think it would have been way more effective if they had just film it in sequential order.
     There is one very bright sparkling ray of sunshine in this flick and I don't think I will soon forget it.  Chadwick Boseman plays the Godfather of Soul and I thought he was gonna do okay from seeing the trailers but I wasn't ready for just how good he did.  He really does become the man.  Everytime he spoke I was just blown away by how much he sounded just like him.  The singing was done with voice over or lip syncing, whatever you want to call it, but the musical sequences are pretty spectacular to watch even though Boseman isn't the one singing.  But I think we can all be in agreement in saying that in all honesty noone alive can really sing like James Brown.  I also thought it was impossible for anybody to do the footwork of the legend but Mr. Boseman does a great job.  I think he is about as good as anyone could be following in James' footsteps. 
     Recommendations I can give for this are anyone that likes a movie with some great live performances and some excellent acting all the way through.  There is some really good comedic relief and it will make you laugh out loud, well it did for me anyway.  Now would be a good time to bring up the racism that is in it but it goes with the time frame the movie takes place in and the place this country was in at the time.  There is also some domestic violence type stuff as well for anyone that doesn't want to see that.  This is a great dramatic film and definitely worth the time and but it has the odd time jumping thing but if you can handle that then no harm done.
     Let me know what you think in the comments below.

Guardians of The Galaxy (2014) Review!

     I have to start this one off with a little tiny bit of background, I guess I do that with all of them but this one really needs it.  What we are really talking about here is the Marvel Cinematic Universe, right?  So with that being mentioned I have to say I have been pretty let down in this arena for quite some time now with the exception of the Captain America films.  Those two are spectacular and the second one was even better than the awesome first one, which is more than I can say for the Iron Man series.  Right there is where I lost some people because most people I have run into love that series.  I love the first one, it was so well done that I am not surprised that Marvel started this universe with that one.  Too bad the next two were so bad and I can't get my money back for those.  The Thor movies were both good, not great but just good.  I don't even like the character of Loki but Tom Hiddleston made him such a great one that the films are in the good arena.  I really wish they would make more Hulk films because he is my favorite and I have loved all things with him in it and everybody needs to face this small simple fact...without the Hulk in The Avengers movie than the movie would have been shit, he stole the show.  Now Marvel wants to branch out and continue this cinematic universe they began by giving some more less known characters their day in the sunshine, so we are given Guardians of The Galaxy!  Why they chose this I will never know but I can tell you this...That was the greatest idea they ever had.
     The movie stars Chris Pratt as the infamous Star Lord, Zoe Saldana as Gamora, David Bautista as Drax, The Destroyer, Bradley Cooper as Rocket and Vin Diesel as Groot.  That's only the good guys I just named.  There are a slew of other characters that have just been introduced here but the film doesn't even seem like it is bulging at all.  Most of the time when filmmakers put this many characters in a picture it bombs hardcore!  This film has some great acting in it and the comedy relief is so perfect for a film this intense.  Every actor seems incredibly genuine I only have one semi-dislike and that is Lee Pace who plays Ronan, The Accuser.  I think the character would have been done much better by someone else.  I have noone in mind just someone else.  He just seems to go a bit too much over the top.  I was really happy to finally see Thanos in all his cosmic awesomeness!
     GOTG is directed by James Gunn.  He is the guy behind a film I really enjoyed called Slither back in 2006.  What's that you ask?  Exactly!  About five other people have seen the movie other than myself.  It was wicked good though to say the least.  Other than that he did a bunch of smaller even more less known films than that one.  He did an absolute knockout with Guardians.  Gunn was also the writer of the film and even that was done so well that when the comedy relief shows itself it doesn't take you right out of the movie, you just laugh and go to the next scene.  I personally loved all the 1980's pop culture references. Kevin Bacon! Priceless!
     The real spectacle here has got to be the effects as it takes place on Earth for about five seconds so the rest is all on fictional planets or in space ships.  You really can't tell that alot of it is fake, it is that good.  One of the better Sci-fi looking films I have ever seen in my days on this planet.  I want to see it again already!
     The are a few more things I would like to add to this and that is I am so glad that this movie made an ass ton of money in the theater on opening weekend because I would like to see a sequel and it appears we will get one in 2017 and then eventually they will get together with the Avengers.  That movie should be about four hours long or at least two movies in a series because that will be alot of character to try and smash together in a two hour film.  Another thing I can say is, and I will be very truthful here, this movie is what the prequel Star Wars film should have been like.  Complete and utter epicness!  I know epicness isn't even a word but it fits here so I am using it.
     I can recommend this to people that like good old fashioned action/sci-fi films of the old days.  If you really love the Marvel movies than watch this too but be warned that the only thing connecting this to the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a short scene with Thanos, whom we all saw during the end credits scene of Avengers.  Guardians is better then most other films in the MCU though, and I really mean that.  You do not want to miss this movie!

Sharknado 2: The Second One (2014) Review!

     So I have a bit of a confession to make...No not one of those pervert type of confessions, This one is a given for me because I have said on many occasions I love crappy films!  Now part one of Sharknado had so much publicity surrounding it that I was just forced to watch it.  The problem with me watching it was...I loved it.  Absolutely atrocious in every way but entertaining as all hell nonetheless.  Really though, who would have thought that a tornado full of sharks would be a hit and be the kind of movie you just can't stop watching.  So now we finally have a sequel and I am really hoping for another crappy one but we shall see.  I am starting it right now so I will be back in a jiff!
     Okay so I didn't make it that far into this but I have to mention something during my epic watching of this epic movie.  This opening scene is so worth the price of admission,  and it's not in the theater so you can just watch it so double the value right there!  A plane getting attacked by sharks from a tornado! Awesome!  Oh yeah and I can't get far without saying something about the spectacular effects that I am witnessing right now.  I think the SYFY channel uses Photoshop to do their effects.  And I think I just saw Downtown Julie Brown from MTV back in the day when they used to play videos.  Not only did I see her but I am seeing alot more famous people this time around and they're not even actors.  But I guess the first one was so good that everyone wanted to be part of it.  So the list is as follows; Ian Ziering, Tara Reid, Vivica Fox, Mark Mcgrath, Kari Wuhrer, Judd Hirsch, Kurt Angle, Billy Ray Cyrus, Andy Dick, Biz Markie, Matt Lauer, Kelly Ripa, Kelly Osbourne and Al Roker!  So a small cast is what we are in store for here.  There is actually more than what I mentioned but as you can see already we have a who's who of "B" movies.
     Now that I have watched it I can honestly say that it has...not improved over the other installment.  This film has some of the worst acting known to film ever!  Some of the worst effects to ever grace a T.V. screen!  And one of the poorest written films ever! But in its defense, I couldn't stop watching it.  It is entertaining if nothing else.  I was hooked to my screen eagerly awaiting what happens next to these characters.  I loved it, so I can now add a new film to my best of the worst movies ever list.
     So I will recommend this to anyone that has absolutely no standards in the films they watch or someone who just wants to be entertained for an hour and a half.  Just be warned though because I think this movie is even too bad to win a Razzie!
     Oh yeah, one last thing, it does answer the question of the alligators in the sewer of New York City. 

Mad Max: Fury Road - Comic-Con First Look

     I can tell you one thing about this trailer!  It looks absolutely awesome!  I have been looking forward to this film since I first read about it a few years ago and now we get a trailer and it doesn't disappoint at all.  2015 won't get here fast enough!

Rocky Saga (1976-2006)

     I was sitting here at home and I had this feeling this morning that I have had a lot in my life.  That feeling is to watch Rocky!  Not just one of them either.  Ya see, I have a problem in my brain, when it comes to films with sequels I can't just watch one of them.  That goes for every movie in a series with maybe 2 exceptions and those are Godzilla and 007.  The reason for those exceptions is both of those series don't really have direct sequels and I mean that you don't have to watch one just to understand the other ones.  Well, I guess you don't have to watch Rocky to understand Rocky Balboa but in my brain I have to see what happened before in most movies.
     I was just a kid when I started to watch the Rocky movies.  It was impossible for me to watch the first one when it got released because it came out in 1976 and well, I wasn't around yet.  I think when I really started to pay attention to these it was when part 4 came out because it was in 1985 and I was about 8 years old then.  Actually I know that's when it was because I remember having the toys for the film.  But there is one thing I remember more than the toys and that was my brother and I reliving the matches in our living room.  My father always got mad when we used to move all the furniture around and fight but we did it anyway.  It wasn't that we didn't fear and respect the man, it was because we liked fighting.  Funny thing about it was we didn't have any actual boxing gloves so after we moved all the furniture around we would use the couch pillows as gloves.  The both of us would bunch the pillows up in each hand and just beat each other for hours.  I most of the time lost to him but I am not embarrassed about it because I was just happy to actually be able to hold my own.  He is my older brother and he was always faster than I was.  I could hit hard but he would hit me 10 times to 1.  Anyway, one particular day, it was either December or early January I know because for Christmas that year we got some new winter gloves.  We, being the dumbass kids we were, thought that they just may be thick enough to use as true boxing gloves.  So we move the furniture a bit when our dad was away and we grab our new gloves.  We commence to boxing for quite awhile and I got lucky this one day, I hit my brother hard enough to knock him down.  At least that's what I tell myself.  He was probably off balance or tripped on the corner of furniture.  He falls down and he hit his head on the table beside the couch, I would have been ecstatic if it weren't for the damn table.  So I dropped my guard and ask him if he was okay because it looked painful.  He stood up quick and smashed me right in my eye, hard!  It just so happened that was when big papi pulled in the driveway.  We made like little elves and put the whole living room back in order, we turned on the T.V., sat down and started acting normal.  Dad walks into the house and he puts his stuff on the kitchen counter and comes into the living room.  First thing he said was, "Why's there blood on your face?".  Yep, we almost made it, almost got away with it.  Too bad we had 2 chairs in the room and my brother was on my right side and my face was bleeding on the left.  I still have that scar, so to end this story, every time I look in the mirror I am reminded of the "friendly" bouts with my big brother and Rocky.
     We need to get a few things out of the way first.  Too many people say Sylvester Stallone can't act.  I am not one of those.  If you ever watch him do a real interview he is nothing like the character Rocky Balboa.  Rocky isn't too smart and Stallone plays him spot on.  Some people also say that the only good one is the first one.  Also not true!  There have been 6 films in the series and the first 2 are alike, parts 3 and 4 are alike, part 5 has Rocky as manager and part 6 has Rocky coming out of retirement as an old man to do an exhibition match.  Each movie has a humongous "feel good" vibe and just lifts your spirits.  All 6 have a ton of drama, not as much with parts 3 and 4 but those 2 have the greatest Rocky fights of the series.  You can't possibly say to me right now that when Rocky fights Clubber Lang or Ivan Drago that your not on the edge of your seat!  So I suppose they all have equal amounts of drama, just 3 and 4 have it during the fights unlike the others.
     Another thing about this series is Sylvester Stallone created the entire thing.  He was at a Muhammad Ali match when he was fighting a very mediocre talent of Chuck Wepner.  Stallone was at this fight and pretty much wrote the movie after it.  The fight was supposed to be a real quick knockout by Ali because Wepner wasn't even in his league. Wepner lost fights to George Foreman and Sonny Liston along with a bunch of others.  After this set of losses he went 9 for 11 and was offered the Ali fight even though the entire world thought he would never make it 3 rounds.  Well...he did.  He kept fighting round after round and finally knocked, what most people considered, the greatest boxer in the history of the sport down in the 9th round.  Ali went on to pummel this man with everything he had and Wepner kept on coming at him.  Wepner did lose but with a TKO with 19 seconds left in the final round.  Anyone else see the resemblance to Rocky here?  That would explain why Apollo Creed is so much like Ali.
     He didn't just write part 1 though. He wrote them all and he wrote a slew of other films he was in.  But in my eyes none even compare to Rocky.  I guess this is a good time to bring up the fact that Rocky won the Best Picture Oscar in 1976!  That is one of the few times where I agree with the Academy Awards.  It also won Best Director in John G. Avildsen.  Let us not forget that Stallone was nominated for Best Actor and Best Writing, Screenplay.  So really people can call him what they want but the first real film he ever made was nominated for a ton of awards.  Yeah I said a ton because there were 13 other nominations to go along with the four I mentioned. 
     Rocky was a fantastic drama the whole way through.  Rocky II was just as full of drama and finally gave us a better look at just how low of an education the character has.  Rocky III has Mr. friggin' T and Thunder Lips!  Rocky IV has Dolph Ludgren in his first and greatest role ever.  I love Rocky V, but it is the weak link, but it does have that tense street fight at the end and the return of Mick.  Rocky Balboa came many, many years later.  It came out 16 years after part V but it brought back the drama that the first two had.  I think Stallone should have been nominated for Best Actor for this one as well.
     You ask why do I bring up the Rocky's today?  Well...it's because word is we got ourselves another sequel coming.  Maybe it will be a spinoff, but all I can tell you is that Stallone is playing Rocky Balboa at least one more time.  This time apparently he is gonna mentor Apollo Creed's grandson.  I can say this...I will be there in the theater opening day for this one because he has been in a lot of my old memories.
     I know I didn't really review any of the 6 films mentioned in this post but just kinda ran over all of them in a lump sum but I will eventually get around to doing a single post for each movie.

Casino Royale (2006) Review!

     I like to think I have been a fan of James Bond since I can remember.  Only since I can remember because the first one that was released was the early 1960's with Dr. No.  As I was only born in the late 1970's is why I say since I can remember.  I didn't start at the beginning either.  If I am not mistaken I saw The Living daylights and License to Kill first.  Some may say I started during the worst time for 007.  I actually don't think so.  I do like all the Bond films in some way but I know I am gonna get lynched for this statement but...I think the first few were the worst ones made.  Most everyone thinks Sean Connery was the best Bond but I do not feel that way.  Well, for one thing those movies had him wearing just weird clothes to say the least.  You can't possibly be a badass international assassin wearing weird clothes...oh yeah, and don't forget the toupee!  My favorite for a long time was Pierce Brosnan for no other reason than he was the one chosen for Goldeneye, and lets all face it, until then that one set the bar.  But Brosnan did make 3 other Bond films that weren't very good overall.  They all have some kind of redeeming factor but they still failed somehow.  Maybe it was the diamond face guy or the invisible car, I don't know.
     In 2006 the world was given a new James Bond in the form of Daniel Craig.  Craig was instantly being trashed on the the news and the internet for being too blonde.  So, of all the things to complain about the world chose his hair color and not his acting skills.  I call bullshit on that.  I mean I only saw him in bit parts here and there but I still was open minded for what they were calling a more real James Bond.  So a very long time seemed to go by and we were given the first couple of trailers and I personally was not let down.  We still get a bunch of people talking smack and guess what it was about?  His hair color!  Come on lay off of it would you!  
     The film finally comes out in theaters and I was there opening day to watch this spectacle.  I even went with my then girlfriend.  Don't worry she wanted to go to it.  After watching it we both loved it but I think I did just a little more.  Blonde hair and all, Daniel Craig single handedly became the greatest Bond I have ever seen.  Finally, the world was treated with a new Bond that was based in real life and all the campy crap was thrown out the window.  This picture is very gritty and incredibly intense.  I love every minute of this movie.  It is written very well and acted just as well.  It has some absolutely hysterical comedy relief in parts and some very serious dramatic scenes.  What I can tell you is that there are no fancy gadgets other than cell phones.  It wasn't all begun from scratch though, because they did bring two things from the past and those are M is the same woman from the Brosnan era and the stupid names for the women.  
     All I will say is anyone that liked the whole previous additions to the series should check out the beginning of Bond in Casino Royale!  Because this is only an origin story for the world's greatest secret agent.  Check it out!
     

Dawn of The Planet of The Apes (2014) Review!

     Back in 2011 the world was given a film that noone asked for.  Or at least noone in the entire world was waiting for.  Back in 1973 the final Planet of The Apes film was released and the franchise was already stretched pretty thin.  With the exception of the first one, the remaining 4 films were lacking a bit.  The first was a legendary film pretty much on initial release and it has remained so until...well, right now actually.  But, we are still not in the present day.  In 2001, one of my favorite directors decided to do a remake of the legendary film.  Tim Burton's Planet of The Apes was...um...different.  The original had one of the first and greatest twist endings of all time so how was Burton gonna do a remake when everyone knows the ending?  I really mean everyone!  Even people that hadn't ever seen the film know.  Go find a copy of the film on just about any medium and guess what's on the cover?  DING, DING, DING...the twist ending.  That's a stupid marketing technique even for a movie that was released in 1968.  It does take some people a long time to get around to watching a movie.  Anyway,  Burton made his film, and while he did a good job with the ape makeup and some of the actors, he really did botch the whole thing.  As I was saying at the beginning, 2011 brought us Rise of The Planet of The Apes.  And it really did not suck.  Acted well and the story was good and engaging, but it was the special effects that were out of this world.  So we finally got a true Apes film that can go along with the original.
     So, let us fast forward to the present shall we?  We have just been given, what I believe to be, the only film in the Apes series that can live up to the legend.  Dawn of The Planet of The Apes is an absolute smashing ride from beginning to the end.  I can really only name one actor in the film and that is Gary Oldman.  But, finally we get an Apes film with the humans taking the back seat to the title characters.  Don't get me wrong every human does a great job but the award here should go to Andy Serkis and his gang of actors playing the mix of simian creatures.  Yeah there happens to be no actual apes in the movie.  This film centers on Caesar, which if anyone remembers he was the first Ape in the series to actually speak and he was the responsible party for all other apes getting smarter as well.  Not one person or character does a bad job in this film and I mean not one!
     The writers of the story did such a great job in making the actual apes, in an Apes film, be the main characters.  It is the first time in the series this has happened and it's about time too.  We always had the humans as main characters and the apes were secondary.  Now that is just dumb to say the least!  I guess since the wrong has been righted so better late than never.  The story takes place a full 10 years after Rise so the writers had to pretty much start from scratch with the exception of Caesar and his origin from that film.  Story is very good and a few times heart wrenching because I started seeing the apes as people, in a way.  Please do yourself a favor and watch this movie!
     The special effects are, for lack of a better word, spectacular!  Considering what I said earlier about there being no apes in the film, that means they all had to be made with computer generated imagery.  All the parts were acted with an actual actor and they filmed the movie this way using motion capture then the effects people put computer imagery over the actor's performances.  There is no way to tell the difference even if they brought a real ape onto the set and told you pick the real one.  Some of the single best effects I have ever personally seen and I have seen a few number of films in my day.
     I would recommend this to everyone.  It has something for all!  Lots of action, tense moments, family scenes and drama.  One of the single best film I have seen all year by far.
     Let me know what you think in the comments!

Divergent (2014) Review!

     Okay so I really cannot believe that I watched this film.  I know it is based off a book, which I haven't read because I think it's directed towards teen girls.  I am not sure.  So when I started to watch this I had it in my head that it was gonna suck at the get go.  I mean have you seen most of the posters for this movie?  Not the one I have above this but most of them?  Okay here it is...

     So how does Hollywood expect anyone to watch a movie with a poster like that?  But I did watch it, not knowing anything about the story or even who was in it.  So here are the big names that are in this film...Shailene Woodley (never heard of her), Theo James (never heard of him), and Jai Courtney (died in Spartacus).  Well, there are some actual big named people in it but they happen to be the secondary cast so I am basing this on the main cast.  They all do...exceptionally well!  I really mean it.  It surprised me that they did an even halfway passable job, but it was done well above my initial thoughts.  
     So as this is based on a novel I am sure that there are some people out there that think the whole thing sucks but I have to say, as someone that hasn't been weighted down by the reading of said novel, I can say it was written and directed well.  I did happen to look up the actors and found out they have all four parts of this series are in the beginning of production and I will watch all of them because this movie was done so well.  There is a slight love story in it and I like the fact that they made the movie about other things first and the love story is kinda a back story.  Usually it is done the exact opposite way.  I really have nothing to complain about when it comes to the production of this film.
     Since this is a dystopian future tale centered in Chicago most of the special effects are outside shots of the city all done in CGI.  The other effects in here are all stunt like effects.  Just basically people doing wall climbing and jumping off things.  It seems like the producers wanted to have the cast do a whole parkour thing but they didn't have the money to get a pro so they ended up with climbing stuff and jumping from things.  Not quite parkour to say the least.  It doesn't take away from the film at all, I just happened to notice it.
     I can recommend this to anyone that likes alternate reality type futuristic films.  I think it goes without saying that the young girls will love it because they all know the story.  But others should enjoy it as well, even with not knowing the story beforehand.   I can say though that if you have the same taste in flicks as I do then give it a shot because it surprised me.
     Let me know what you think in the comments!

Halloween H20 (1998) Review!

     I can Honestly say that Slasher films are among my all-time movie sub genres.  I don't think I can explain why.  I have been watching them for as long as I can remember, well ever since my best friend growing up's parents got their entire video store inventory sitting in their living room.  I did watch movies before that and also watched slashers before but when this happened I got to see pretty much everyone of them.  Even the incredibly bad ones.  Funny thing is I love those ones as well and will still watch them from time to time.  The original Halloween is considered one of the greatest horror films in existence and it deserves the label.  I obviously didn't see it when it was released because I was about a year and a half old at the time but that didn't stop me from watching it a shit ton of times when I was first able to.  I mean really, when you look at it Michael Myers gave birth to the modern day slasher.  Yeah, we did get Leatherface five years earlier but he wasn't considered a slasher until the sequel.  But Myers and Leatherface do make up two of the big four slashers.  The other two being Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger.  Without these four we wouldn't have the Scream series or the Hatchet series among some others.
     The original Halloween and the first sequel both take place on the same night.  Both are awesome films in their own right.  A slew of sequels happened after this, including one that didn't include Michael Myers at all.  But of the sequels I think H20 is my favorite one.  I love how the writers brought back Laurie Strode and played by Jamie Lee Curtis, which all should remember for getting her start in Hollywood with Halloween to begin with.  This film takes place exactly 20 years after the original two films.  And that is another thing I love about this film.  It brings up some nostalgia and also adds new stuff to the mix.  But all should be warned right off, if you're new to the genre then know this...acting is not the first priority!  Well, with the exception of Curtis, who does a good job most always.  Everyone else is just passable.
     There are really no special effects other than a bit of blood and a crushed leg but this sequel is done similar to the first two.  What I mean by that is they are made to leave something to the imagination.  You don't need to see the flesh and bones being ripped in every movie.  These films are made to be scary and jumpy not gory, and in that they accomplished their mission.  
     I have a favorite scene in this movie just like I do for pretty much every other movie but the scene in this is quite simple.  There is a part when Michael Myers finally makes himself known to the main characters.  Laurie Strode comes face to face with her brother but is only separated by a small round window.  This is such a dramatic scene because she hasn't seen him in 20 years.  I love that part.
     I think everyone who loves slasher films and non-gory horror will love this.  anyone that likes the first couple Halloween movies should definitely see it if you haven't already.  The scares aren't really all that scary so if you were on the fence about this one don't worry, you don't need all the lights on for this one.

 

24: Live Another Day (2014)

     I remember back in 2006 when I had a roommate for one summer and he always watched this show and I always didn't pay attention to it because I thought it was stupid.  At the end of that summer I saw the episode where Jack Bauer infiltrates a Chinese consulate and that's how I got interested.  I wish I had waited to get interested in it until the end of season 8 so that way, when I got caught up to the show on T.V., I wouldn't have to wait a full week for a new episode.  When I started to get the show through Netflix I upgraded my service to 6 discs at a time so I could watch the entire seasons without waiting for another disc.  This was just before the onset of the streaming service that all enjoy now.  After the season 8 ended some 4 years ago I have been jonesing for more.  There were rumors throughout those years of a film.  Then nothing!  So now that I have finally finished watching the latest in the saga that is Jack Bauer, I can say it was worth the wait, I just hope they don't make a habit of going 4 years between seasons if they choose to make more.
     A few things I can say about the acting involved during the whole season, one of them being for the most part it is done incredibly well.  Jack Bauer is one of my all time favorite characters I have ever seen in any movie or show.  He is brought to spectacular life by Kiefer Sutherland!  It is my opinion, obviously I am writing this, that Sutherland should change his name to Bauer because he is the character.  100% believable in the role.  Everyone else is does above an excellent job, with one exception!  Gbenga Akinnagbe is probably one of the worst actors I have ever seen in my entire life.  He shows no emotion and is is laughable when he tries to show anger.  I would go so far as to say that who ever hired him to do this role should also never work in Hollywood ever again.  And the costume designer should be fired as well.  She even put the worst actor in the show into the worst outfit ever.  He is trying to show he is mad, all the while wearing a skin tight purple v-neck shirt and black skinny jeans.  WOW!  No one looks tough wearing that!  That's really all I can say about that.  
     The writing is phenomenal and that is something I have come to expect from this series.  I couldn't tell you if they are using proper terminology because I am not a government agent.  It seems awfully believable to me.  The effects are basically lots of explosions and people getting shot and other means of death; they all seem pretty believable to me.
     This show is absolutely spectacular.  To anyone that has not seen it I strongly urge you to start at the beginning and see how much your life just stops until you finish the series.  I also have a message for the people that say this show sucks, even though they only watched one or two randomly placed episodes.  You cannot watch this show like that.  You have to watch each season from the beginning in order to understand what is going on in the middle or later episodes.  I am telling everyone that this show is just stressful at the end of every episode and that alone makes you want to watch just one more episode before you go to sleep.  The problem with that is after that one episode you will want to watch just one more, then you have to go to work in the morning on no sleep at all.  It really is the only show I have ever watched that does that.  Give it a shot.
     Please let me know what you think about the "hopefully not last" season of 24.  I would love to hear about it.

The Incredible Hulk (2008) Review

     I believe I have mentioned this before but I will say it again, since I was able to walk my favorite superhero was The Hulk.  I don't know what it is about him that has always drawn attention.  Maybe because he is just bigger and stronger than any other.  It started with the T.V. show from the late 70's starring Lou Ferrigno and Bill Bixby but it wasn't til I started to read the comics that I noticed that Bixby has the wrong name.  I still do not have a definitive answer as to why they decided to change his name.  It wasn't something big but it went from Bruce Banner to David Banner.  I still love the show but it is just something that has bothered me.  In 2003 Hollywood decided to finally bring the big guy to the big screen and while it still made a ton of money during its theatrical run it was still considered a flop.  I liked it a lot but it was still missing something and, to this day, I cannot figure it out.  It did have some very good parts in it like the awesome desert scene where Hulk fights a group of tanks.  I will admit it does have a few slow parts and those are really not what people want from a Hulk film.
     In 2008 Hollywood gives the big green guy another shot at stardom.  This time they say it isn't a sequel but it isn't a reboot either.  So this time around instead of Eric Bana as Banner we have Edward Norton in the lead.  He does a great job, and very believable job, as the scientist turned anti-hero.  You can actually believe him as a scientist during the scenes where he is trying to cure himself and the fact he did the motion capture for the Hulk didn't hurt.  It really is too bad I read he was a major pain in the ass on set and during the entire production for that matter.  Tim Roth plays Emil Blonsky which in turn becomes one of the Hulk's greatest foes as Abomination.  He does a fantastic job playing the secondary villain, and his ability to really seem as though he is going a bit crazy is spot on.  All others do at the very least a decent job.
     When it comes to the effects I can say that 80% are done so incredibly well and believable that you won't bat an eye when they take place.  There are a few times where the effects team apparently were on a smoke break.  For instance there is a spot in which Hulk is carrying Betty Ross and it is raining out, his feet are going through puddles but it just looks bad.  Another part that looks terrible is when Emil Blonsky is shown with his shirt off after a few treatments of the Captain America serum and his body looks to be in better shape...it looks so bad.  But when Abomination shows up for the films finale he looks awesome and Hulk, himself looks pretty spectacular.
     This film was done well in all aspects but I just have a problem with them not having Hulk's origin correct.  I haven't figured out yet why when they make a film based on an existing property they can't just make it the way it was originally written to begin with.  It's annoying to say the least.  I blame Kevin Feige for most of the stupid changes in the recent Marvel comics movies.  The reason I blame him for the stupid things is he is the President of Marvel Comics and he has they say on how these things transpire.  I guess he doesn't think the original stories were good enough so he feels the need to change them all, and I mean all of them in some way shape or form.
     I can honestly recommend this to anyone that likes the comic book films but to anyone that likes the comic books themselves have to go in with an open mind because there is bound to be something that was changed that you will notice.  Anyone that likes a good Sci-fi actioner will like it I think because there are a few good action scenes in it.
     Let me know what you think of this film or any of the comic books films in the comments.

Sabotage (2014) Review

     I can tell you this right now...I have been a fan of Arnold Schwarzenegger since back in the day.  I saw The Terminator when I was very young and have for the most part seen all of his films including the first ones like Hercules in New York when he went by the name Arnold Strong.  Another thing I can tell you is that if I were stuck in one place for the rest of my life with a blu-ray player and a T.V. with only one film...it would be one of his films.  The one I would bring with me would be Terminator 2: Judgment Day.  I have seen it more than any other film in history, and that is saying something right there as I have sen alot of movies tons of times.  But T2 has everything I love or want in a movie like great action, fight scenes, good comedy relief, decent acting, good drama, awesome special effects and the role Schwarzenegger was born for.
     Now a bunch of years ago he took a small detour in his acting career because he thought he could be a Governor of California.  He came back to film very slowly with bit parts in the Expendables films and then was in The Last Stand, which I haven't seen and in Escape plan which I haven't seen either, both of which had bad trailers and bad reviews but I will watch them sometime to make my own decision.  About the film in question though, I have to say it is a damn good ride the entire time.  What I can say about the "real" Schwarzenegger return is...It's kinda like when Michael Jordan retired in 1993 and was gone for 2 seasons then made a triumphant comeback on March 19, 1995.  Yeah, this movie was that good.  After all he was the king of action films and this is a great action film and a spectacular comeback.
     I will start with the acting and for the most part it is decent.  I mean Arnold has always been known to be a not very good actor.  I beg to differ on this.  It is my opinion that most people say he is a bad actor because of his Austrian accent.  Ya know, for a guy who supposedly can't act, he sure has brought in a couple bucks from his movies.  He does do well here and I will debate it with anybody who wants to.  There are a few big named actors in here but really only one, other than Arnold, stand out.  That is Mireille Enos, and she is spectacular in this film.  She plays this character so perfect, and it doesn't hurt that she is good to look at.  I really do love how crazy she seems here and someone decided to give her a gun.
     The only effects to speak of is of the bloody type.  There is alot of blood throughout the entirety of the picture.  And most of those scenes are head shots so if your squeamish then you may want to pass this guy up.  Some places the blood seams a little off hue to me.  One place the blood will be ketchup red and the next it looks like dirty 10w-30 car oil.  So maybe a bit inconsistent if you will.  But it still didn't deter me from wanting to finish it.
     I think the movie was written and directed pretty good so I have no complaint there.  But what I do have a problem with was the people that are in charge of hair for the film.  Some of the hairstyles are just out of this world crazy shit.  These guys are supposed to be part of the FBI so why do they have these weird hairdos?  For one, why does one guy have corn rows?  Let me rephrase that a bit...Why does a white guy have corn rows?  No white guy in history has ever been able to pull that look off at all.  It looks ridiculous to me.
     I can honestly recommend this to any Arnold fan because you will not be disappointed.  Also to any action film fan and mystery who-done-it type film fans as well.  Probably shouldn't watch it with your kids for all the semi-realistic violence that occurs during the whole movie.  But just know that Arnold has returned for sure.  Let me know what you think in the comments.  

Get On Up Official Trailer (2014) James Brown Biopic

     I heard about this film a few days ago from a couple people at my work.  The way they had described it wasn't very good but I figured I would check it out because I love biographical films.  They usually have the best acting and the best writing and the best direction so with that being said, I absolutely cannot wait for this movie.  This is the long trailer and damned if I don't want to watch it right now.  From this trailer alone I will throw out a prediction, this movie at the very least will be nominated for Best Picture next Oscars!

Transcendence (2014) Review

     I had never seen a trailer of this film before actually seeing it.  I had seen a bunch of posters and still photos of it but didn't really know much about it.  The things I did know were that it had a pretty good cast and that was enough for me.  But essentially it is about really smart computer worker people and a group of terrorists.  Pretty simple I guess, until you get to the artificial intelligence stuff.
     This film is written by a first time film writer and directed by a first time film director.  That being said, I am surprised they were able to round up a great cast for it.  I mean look at it, we have Johnny Depp, Morgan Freeman, Rebecca Hall, Paul Bettany, Cillian Murphy and Kate Mara.  Since the director had worked with Christopher Nolan on the Batman films and Inception as the cinematographer I can only deduce that he was helped out by that connection alone.  I think it was written well considering it has a lot of technical speech in it and was more than likely be made for the new era folk that were born with computers and other tech.  It's not hard to understand by no means, but if you have no idea about technical stuff then you may have some trouble following it.
     When it comes to the actor's performances, then I have to say that pretty much all involved do a really good job.  There isn't one person that stands out above the rest here.  Everyone is on an equal playing field.  
     There is some special effects in the film.  All done with CGI and it all looks decent.  Only decent.  You can tell at some points quite obviously when the human parts are being fixed.  But some of it looks good though, so not a total loss.
     All in all I can say it was a very interesting film to watch and I personally will watch it a few times in my lifetime.  It does kinda remind me of a modern Terminator just without the killer cyborgs.  Skynet is what I am referring to and to me that is cool enough.  I can recommend this movie to all that like drama, science fiction and a but of mystery as well.  It's definitely worth a watch at least once anyway.  Give it a shot!  Let me know what You think of the film after you watch it. 

Under The Skin (2013) Review

     I don't really know where to begin here...SCARLETT JOHANSSON GETS NAKED!...but I will give it a go.  This film is essentially an aliens among us type thing.  I think this movie brings up more questions then it wants to answer.  Maybe you have to read the novel its based on in order to get the full view of what takes place here.  You may have to watch it a few times to get some certain things someone can do a full case study on this film and still not get everything.
     When it comes to the actors and their acting, Scarlett Johansson is the only known person in this film unless, I think, you live in Glasgow.  She plays the alien and this particular species is supposed to be devoid of feelings of any sort.  Anything that makes us human, she doesn't have.  She plays it perfect though because she really comes off as if she doesn't give a shit what is happening around her.  She also gets naked a few times, which is a plus.
     The special effects are good when they happen, which is few and far between.  The scenes with the black stuff is really cool if only just a touch weird.  The ending is really well done and it looks just like I would imagine something taking off a human skin suit would look like.
     This review will be short because I still am not sure if I even liked it or disliked it.  But I am sure I will watch it again and maybe come back to this review and revise it.  I can say to anyone that is on the fence about this film that it has a few incredibly boring sequences that almost bore you to tears but then at the end of it Scarlett Johansson gets naked.  Thumbs up!  Now just be warned that there is also some full frontal male nudity as well, for all those that like that sort of thing. I really want to know what other people feel about this film so sound off in the comments.

Brick Mansions (2014) Review

     I can remember the first time I saw a Paul Walker film.  I was staying in a hotel in the summer of 1998 and was bored so I decided rent a movie from the front desk.  The only movie they had at the time that I had not seen was Pleasantville, and I really had no interest in it at all.  But, from sheer boredom, I watched it and am so happy I did.  I love the film and have watched it many times.  The first time, I had no idea who Paul Walker was and it wasn't until Varsity Blues came out that I started to pay attention to him and remember his name.  This film is Paul Walker's final, fully finished film although the next installment of Fast and Furious is still to come out, he did in fact pass away before he finished it.    
     So, this film is actually a remake...surprise, surprise!  It's all Hollywood can manage now it seems.  The original is a French film called District B13 and I really enjoyed that film immensely.  I won't go into any detail about the differences between the two movies because that is not the purpose of this review.  Paul Walker obviously stars in it and he does a good job as being pretty much the same character he always plays.  I wouldn't say he is a bad actor but his range was pretty lacking.  But the characters he did play I always enjoyed watching.  David Belle is the other main actor and he is okay if it wasn't for the God awful voice over with Vin Diesel's voice.  Yes, if you look the film up, that's exactly what it was.  Apparently, Belle's accent is so think with French that Americans couldn't understand him.  That wasn't the major problem with the actors.  The problem was Hollywood feels the need to put The RZA in movies as if he is an actor.  He plays the films antagonist and he has the acting ability of a cold rock.  His facial expression barely changes, it stays a constant "Lost Puppy" type of way.  He should never ever act again. 
     There is next to no special effects unless you call all the action scenes special effects.  I do not.  The action scenes are pretty damn awesome and fun to watch.  Belle is obviously a parkour master and he shows his talent for it throughout the entire film.  The amusing parts come from Belle and Walker running away from the bad guys and Belle does some fancy move to get over a wall and Walker just crashes through the roof over the wall.  The chase scenes are really cool to watch and they are very upbeat.
     I can say I did like this film and probably will watch it a few times during my life but I will always hate The RZA.  I think that action junkies will like this movie a lot  but as far as anyone else is concerned, there is no other redeeming factor.  Good for a once over I will say.  Let me know what you think about it in the comments.