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Move Review: Broken City

Posted in Reviews! with tags , , , on 01/23/2013 by Taylor

Broken-City

Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Russell Crowe, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Jeffrey Wright, Barry Pepper, Kyle Chandler, Natalie Martinez

Rated R for pervasive language, some sexual content and violence, Running time 109 minutes, Action/Mystery/Crime

Compare to: Body of Lies (2008), Contraband (2011)

Mark Wahlberg and Russel Crowe showing up in this movie together is fated. Their choices in roles are so winding and twisted like lines on a map that it’s inevitable at some point, lines would intersect if only for a brief moment, then be back on their way as if it never happened in the first place.

That’s what Broken City is too. Random, brief, forgettable. Read more »

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Movie Review: A Haunted House

Posted in Reviews! with tags , , , on 01/23/2013 by Taylor

haunted house

Stars: Marlon Wayans, Cedric the Entertainer, Essence Atkins, David Koechner, Nick Swardson

Rated R for for crude and sexual content, language and some drug use, Running time 86 minutes, Comedy/Parody

Compare to: The Scary Movie Franchise (1999-2006)

It almost seems stupid to review this movie at all. You’ve got to know what you’re getting into by now with a Wayans brother involved in a project and you haven’t been paying attention if you don’t know that parody movies are their niche. Not only that, you could go so far as to blame them for all the horrible parody movies that occasionally lurch their way into theaters every couple years.

You know what I’m talking about. The poster will always be a random assortment of characters from movies that often times have nothing to do with the genre they’re supposedly mocking. I happened to find this poster and chose it over the more common one of, you guessed it, all the character standing next to each other. Read more »

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Movie Review: Django Unchained

Posted in Reviews! with tags , , , , , on 12/31/2012 by Taylor

Django-Unchained-Poster

Stars: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, James Remar, Don Johnson

Rated R for strong graphic violence throughout, a vicious fight, language and some nudity, Running time 165 minutes, Action/Western

Compare to: The Good, the Bad, and the Weird (2008), Inglourious Basterds (2009)

In’s been a little of over three years since director Quintin Tarantino released his World War II spinoff, if you will and now we get Django Unchained. Not only was this worth the wait, it would easily go on any Top Ten I may feel the need to add some time soon from now.

The acting, the locales, the costumes, dialogue- anything you name is all just…good. Read more »

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Movie Review: Lincoln

Posted in Reviews! with tags , , , , , on 11/16/2012 by Taylor

Stars: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones, David Strathairn, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, James Spader, Jackie Earle Haley, Tim Blake Nelson

Rated PG-13 for an intense scene of war violence, some images of carnage and brief strong language, Running time 150 minutes, Drama/History

Compare to: Gandhi (1982), Schindler’s List (1993)

After all that Daniel Day-Lewis and Steven Spielberg have achieved separately, it almost seems strange that this is the first project they’ve worked on together. You would think they would’ve realized sooner the kind of film they could collaborate on to go to win an award for this and for that. Well, here it is and Lincoln is bound to be exactly what was just described.

This film opening the same day as the last Twilight movie. Ahhh….makes me laugh. Read more »

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Movie Review: Skyfall

Posted in Reviews! with tags , , , , , on 11/09/2012 by Taylor

Stars: Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes, Naomi Harris, Bérénice Marlohe

Rated PG-13 for intense violent sequences throughout, some sexuality, language and smoking, Running time 142 minutes, Action/Adventure

Compare to: Goldeneye (1995), Mission Impossible III (2006)

Well, ladies and gentlemen, here it is. The movie you’ve all been waiting for. Bond is back in his twenty-third movie at his fiftieth year. Though he only looks about forty-two or so. How will this compare to the last two? How will it compare to all others? In the hands of director Sam Mendes (Road to Perdition, Jarhead), there wasn’t really any doubt that it would have the drama a man of twenty-three films needs to keep things interesting. But the action, suspense, and the “Bond-ness…?” Is it all still here?

YES. Read more »

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Movie Review: Flight

Posted in Reviews! with tags , , , on 11/05/2012 by Taylor

Stars: Denzel Washington, Kelly Reilly, Don Cheadle, Bruce Greenwood, John Goodman

Rated R for drug and alcohol abuse, language, sexuality/nudity and an intense action sequence, Running time 138 minutes, Drama

Compare to: Blow (2001)

It’s always interesting to see what director Robert Zemeckis is up to. His more recent forays into motion capture CGI (Mars Needs Moms, Beowulf, The Polar Express) has been…lacking. But his other work is always worth the time and money spent (Back to the Future to Forest Gump and Castaway). So is Flight worth the same you may have put into the movies listed? Sure, if you’ve got two and half hours, a love for Denzel Washington, and don’t mind watching him abuse alcohol for the duration of said time.

Flight is a good movie. But when so much time of the film is spent on a singular aspect that the trailer hardly even hinted at, you may feel by the end of the film that you paid for a movie you didn’t end up watching. Read more »

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Movie review: The Man with the Iron Fists

Posted in Reviews! with tags , , , , , , on 11/02/2012 by Taylor

Stars: Russel Crowe, Lucy Lui, RZA, Rick Yune, Dave Bautista, Jamie Chung, Cung Le

Rated R for bloody violence, strong sexuality, language and brief drug use, Running time 96 minutes, Action/Adventure

Compare to: Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003), Kung fu Hustle (2004)

Taking a cue from old kung-fu films he’s been inspired by for years, rapper RZA has finally made his own. While no stranger to film, he’s mostly been onscreen in a supporting role and on a couple occasions, done the soundtrack. This time he’s not only starring, rapping and writing, he’s also directing. Regardless of how bad the movie might have been, I’ve got to give him credit based on those responsibilities alone.

Is it good though? Is a blatant ode to old school kung-fu movies good enough for your time and money? If you liked what you saw in the trailer at all, run to this one. Read more »

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Movie Review: Cloud Atlas

Posted in Reviews! with tags , , , , , , on 10/26/2012 by Taylor

Stars: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Jim Sturgess, Hugo Weaving, Keith David, Doona Bae, Susan Surandon, Ben Wishaw, Hugh Grant

Rated R for violence, language, sexuality/nudity and some drug use , 172 minutes, Drama/Mystery/Sci-Fi

Compare to: The Time Machine (2003), The Fountain (2006)

 Starting a review for a movie like Cloud Atlas is like filling your plate at a buffet table: regardless of how good or bad it may be, you just don’t know where to start. Six different time periods, six different stories, multiple characters and a hundred different ways for each of them to cross paths. It’s quite a web to weave.

One thing is for sure though, no matter what role Hugo Weaving takes on, be The Matrix, Transformers, The Lord of the Rings or this, he will be playing the jerk. In this life, or the next. Or the next. Or the next. Or the- I’m trying to be witty, okay? Work with me. Read more »

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Movie Review: The Master

Posted in Reviews! with tags , , , , on 10/23/2012 by Taylor

Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Laura Dern

Rated R for sexual content, graphic nudity and language, 137 minutes, Drama

Compare to: The Aviator (2004), There Will Be Blood (2007)

It doesn’t surprise me that a movie from Paul Thomas Anderson, director of Boogie Nights (1997) and  Magnolia (2000), would receive such unanimous critical acclaim for anything else he does. He’s a director much like Aronofsky and Kubrick, it seems he can do no wrong.

Younger audiences and casual viewers won’t care for this one, I can tell you that up front. But for those who are looking to take part in a film that isn’t going for any idea that you don’t figure out on your own- this is for you. That’s not to say it’s perfect, but it tight-rope walks the line. Read more »

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Movie Review: Paranormal Activity 4

Posted in Reviews! with tags , , on 10/19/2012 by Taylor

Stars: Katie Featherston, Kathryn Newton, Matt Shively

Rated R for language and some violence/terror, Running time 88 minutes, Horror/Mystery

Compare to: The Messengers (2007), The Last Exorcism (2010)

It seems like just yesterday I was sitting in a dark auditorium watching the home movie recordings of a haunted house/possessed family, the other audience members screaming every time a loud thump was sounded. But it wasn’t yesterday, it was last year. And I had the same feeling in 2011, but that was recalling back to 2010. Do you get the point? These movies all feel the same.

Is that a bad thing? Well, bad is a strong word. But the series has gotten slightly stale in its delivery. In a series that hinges on it’s endings, those are what might be the most predictable aspect of the movies. The tricks and gags used throughout the film are still fun but it’s the supposed twists and “surprises” that leave the film in a wanton state. Read more »

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