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.

Noah (2014) Review

     I would like to start by saying I honestly wanted to like this movie.  I really did.  I went into it thinking I was in for an epic film of Biblical proportions...Yes, that was intended.  I thought we would see a great film with a spectacular cast.  I thought it would be great considering it was directed by Darren Aronofsky.  At first, I thought it was quite odd that a man that has made his entire career off of making weird or just extremely odd films to be directing a film about Noah's Ark.  After watching it though I can deduce that it isn't that weird because he Hollywooded the shit out of this movie.  Which in my eyes constitutes as pretty weird as 99% of the world knows the story already.  Kinda like naming a movie Titanic.
     I will give props to this movie in one arena and one arena only.  That would be the acting.  Every single actor in it does a great job.  Even Percy Jackson does a good job.  He is a bit hateful at times but he does it well.  Hermione is really making a good run to not being called Hermione any more but lets face it, there much worse characters to be known as for an entire career.  Jennifer Connelly is fantastic, a bit on the skinny side, but fantastic as an actress.  It's really too bad she is so skinny now because she used to be such a beautiful woman.  I still think she is pretty but she was much better with some meat on her bones.  Maximus makes an appearance, and by appearance I mean he is the lead role and plays Noah.  He does a great job with this crappy script.
     That was all the good I have to say about this movie.  Everything else is, for lack of a better word, terrible.  I mean everybody knows the story of Noah's Ark.  Whether you're a religious person or not, you know the story.  It's a pretty simple one in fact.  So, tell me, why would the writers decide to turn it into a kinda revenge thriller?  I seriously do not recall a bunch of big rock monsters helping Noah build his boat.  I have read the Bible a couple of times and I especially enjoyed the stories in the first quarter of it, which included this story, but where were the rock People?  What on Earth was that orange rock they used to make fire?  So they're telling me that humans ever since this era have been rubbing sticks together to make fire when all we needed to do was have magic rocks!?  I don't recall the human stowaway that befriended Noah's son and then tries to kill him.  
     The effects in this film are nothing more then terrible.  All the animals are CGI and it's pretty bad CGI to say the least.  What this huge multi-million dollar film production couldn't afford to get a real goat and walk them into the boat?  Instead I don't think there is a real animal at all.  Also if those two babies don't have CGI faces then they have got to be the ugliest babies in history!
     The most unforgivable thing they did in this whole thing for me was making Noah into a freakin' psychopath.  I mean the man had to be kinda weird to begin with, he did speak to God and he built a big boat because of that conversation and if that happened today we would just lock him up in the loony bin.  But, I don't remember from the Bible when it says Noah is a true psychopath and has a "I'm gonna run around my boat with a knife, to murder 2 babies because God told me to" attitude!
     Anyway, I think I am done with this movie for life now.  I am surprised it made any money at  all.  They will probably make a sequel sometime too!  If you're religious at all I have to say do not watch this because it will more than likely make you mad.  If you like good special effects. look elsewhere too.  Let me know what you thought of it in the comments below.

Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014) Review!

     Since I was a little kid I always had a soft spot for the old "after school" cartoons.  Most everybody I know calls these cartoons the "Saturday Morning" type.  I don't remember them as that, as I said before they were always on after school.  And they were always on in succession.  I do not remember the order but it was always G.I.Joe, He-Man, Silverhawks, Thundercats, C.O.P.S. and Transformers.  So naturally, I have been drawn into the Transformers live action films.
     So this review I will begin with saying I was thoroughly entertained.  I know most people will just complain about this film but I don't really have much in that department for this one.  So the acting is done at least as well as anyone can expect from Marky Mark...I mean Wahlberg.  He does have the acting range of a person with a real crappy acting range.  But in this film he plays a dad, which is new for his acting even though he has kids in real life.  Luckily for him, his daughter in the movie was Nicola Peltz, and while she is like 19 years old and a newcomer to Hollywood, I will throw this out there...she will have a long career and it will be based off her looks and not her talent.  She did play a believable teenager and she should have seems as she is one.  Stanley Tucci is the runaway talent and he steals the show from the main characters.  He starts out as a real asshole but about 2/3 of the way through he is a fun character to have on screen.  Jack Reynor plays the boyfriend of Peltz' character and to tell the truth he really shouldn't be an actor because he is not believable one bit in this flick.  And the fact that the writers thought that a Transformers movie must have a love interest story mashed in with them, it doesn't help here.  I kinda wish they would just stop putting that into every movie.  If I wanted to watch a love story I would watch any one of the millions of films that are dedicated to the genre.  But I wanted to watch a bunch of robots destroy shit and not have a stupid love story thrown in for good measure.
     The writing could use some help a bit because like in the previous paragraph, it is a robot movie with a love story.  Hollywood feels the need to put it in everything.  And I do mean everything.  I believe they think that it is impossible to write a good story without a love interest in it.  It is possible here to have accomplished it without that one character.  Could have just made it a movie about a man trying to protect his daughter.  So what's wrong with a family story in it, when that was in the original cartoon anyway.  Also with the writers I don't think these people live in the real world at all.  What is with every character being this quick witted douche bag all the time.  I don't know about you but if I were in the middle of a war between two alien species, where both sides can just step on you they are so big, I wouldn't be thinking about witty crap to say to make people laugh.  I mean I do that on a regular basis but I am not in the middle of the previously mentioned war.  So do the writers live where the rest of us do?  Why can't we just get a film about two robotic alien factions without comedy relief? Some films I can believe when comedy relief is mixed in but some times it feels outta place for me, this being one of those times.
     The special effects are phenomenal and by themselves is worth the price of admission.  They are spectacular to say the least and I will continue to watch this movie for years to come because of them alone.  The Dinobots finally get brought into the pot and They are so friggin' cool, if only way too underused, and their story actually just seems like the filmmakers made a movie and they decided to add the Dinobots after the fact so they sandwiched the film with them.  It is a long movie and the Dinobots are only in it for about 20 minutes and they are the main things you see on the trailers for this picture.
     I will reiterate that I did like this film a lot and I know I said I had nothing to complain about but I guess I did in the end actually.  It is a very fun film for action fans and for anyone else I would tell them to watch it if you can handle non stop action.  It is very long and 3/4 of it is mainly fighting and car chases and robots.  That part I liked about it.  Let me know in the comments what you thought of it!