Mission: Impossible Rogue-Nation

My View:   Mission: Impossible Rogue-Nation  (2015)  PG-13  The incoming CIA chief (Alec Baldwin) wants to disband the Impossible Mission Force, just when we need Ethan (Tom Cruise) and the gang the most. This film is certainly the best film of the Mission: Impossible series and one of my favorite films of the summer. The movie starts off with a breathtaking stunt and just keeps going from there.  There is a motorcycle chase sequence that is one of the best chase scenes I have ever seen. I loved the “bromance” between Cruise’s character, Ethan and Simon Pegg’s Benji, with some great lines flowing. Rebecca Ferguson held her own with Tom Cruise (not easy to do) and makes a number of action sequences believable. Sean Harris makes a great bad guy, and Alec Baldwin is fun as the CIA chief.  I enjoyed seeing this film in IMAX, which made the action sequences come alive.  MI Rogue Nation is a blast to watch and actually has a plot that makes sense.  If you are an action fan, go see this film!    My Rating: Full Price   Mission: Impossible Rogue-Nation Website

My View:   Vacation (2015)  R  Rusty (Ed Helms) decides to follow in his father’s footsteps and take his family on a long distance trip to Walley World.  If you are nostalgic for the old Vacation series, you might enjoy this film. I found the film funny, at times, but it’s just too long and too predictable. I liked Ed Helms as Rusty, and he has good chemistry with Christina Applegate, who isn’t given enough to do in this film. The kids (Skyler Gisondo, Steele Stebbins) are both funny and have some enjoyable scenes together. Chris Hemsworth is hilarious as the Texas weatherman married to Rusty’s sister, Audrey (Leslie Mann). There is a scene with Hemsworth that had me on the floor laughing, but the rest of the film doesn’t quite live up to that scene. I just wish there had been more laughs.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Vacation Website

Indiefest:  Irrational Man (2015)  R  A philosophy professor (Joaquin Phoenix) finds a new meaning to life when he gets involved with a student (Emma Stone).  This is not a comedy but more like Woody Allen’s drama and mystery films. The film wastes the talents of Emma Stone (Woody doesn’t seem to know how to write dialog for her), and Joaquin Phoenix looks lost at times in his role. The film starts to pick up in the 2nd half of the film, but it doesn’t save it from being only mildly interesting. There was so much potential with this film but instead of utilizing the very strong cast, the film feels hollow and underdeveloped. It’s if Allen had an idea for the movie but only wrote one draft, making its story-line and its characters feeble.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Irrational Man Website     

Indiefest:   A LEGO Brickumentary (2014)  G   A look at the global legacy of the LEGO building-block toys. This is an enjoyable documentary about the little plastic blocks the world loves. Jason Bateman narrates the film, and his voice is animated by an actual Lego figure. The film looks at the almost cult-like status LEGOS have in the world. It also looks at how people are using LEGOS for more than just play, as the film shows them being used to help Autistic children socialize, architects create models of their work, and even used to create artwork. It’s a film that moves at a quick pace and doesn’t feel at all like an hour and a half.  Fans of LEGOS, especially kids, will delight at all the inside information provided by this film.   My Rating: Full Price    A LEGO Brickumentary Facebook Page

Indiefest:  Boulevard  (2014) R  A devoted husband, Nolan(Robin Williams), confronts the life he has been hiding from the world for over 25 years. It’s sad that this is the last principle part that the late Robin Williams will play. The film never uses his vast talent to its fullest as the script is predictable and somewhat boring. This is a somber, downbeat film that never takes any chances, much like Nolan himself. I liked Kathy Baker who plays Nolan’s very patient and loving wife, but their scenes are never fully fleshed out, and the film leaves you wanting more…more for the plot and more for Williams, the actor.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Boulevard Info

Forgotten Film:  Seven Years in Tibet  (1997)  PG-13   The true story of Heinrich Harrer (Brad Pitt), an Austrian mountain climber who, while in India, is imprisoned by the British.  He escapes and makes his way to Tibet. There he befriends the Dali Lama (Jamyang Jamtsho Wangchuk) and becomes his tutor.  Heinrich is there to see the invasion of the land by the Chinese.  This is a beautiful film, and Pitt gives a multi-layered performance, and his scenes with the Dali Lama are magical. The film is a little dull at times (I would have liked to have seen the film done from the perspective of the kid instead of Harrer), but it’s gorgeous to watch and Pitt gives one of his better performances.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Seven Years in Tibet Info

Weird Credits:  From Mission: Impossible  Rogue-Nation:  Standby Optician

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:   She’s Funny That Way (2014)  R  I am hopeful about this screwball comedy written and directed by legendary filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich.  The film is about a troupe trying to put on a Broadway production. The film has a great cast that should be perfect for this story, including Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston, Imogen Poots, Cybill Shepherd and Richard Lewis.    She's Funny That Way Website   

Until Next Time!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

My View:  Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) PG-13 Shredder and his evil gang have taken over New York City, that is until a certain group of four brothers rise up from the sewers.  Those brothers are the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!  First, let me say that I have never seen a movie with more blatant product placement.  And, this movie should be called April O’Neil and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as Megan Fox, playing O’Neil, has as much screen time as the Turtles.  It’s a movie that takes forever to get going and seems to want to explain every little item in the history of the Ninja Turtles. There are a few good action sequences, and there are a few funny scenes, but it wasn’t enough for me to enjoy the film.  And I never want to see Megan Fox trying to act ever again.  My Rating: Cable  Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Website

My View:  Into the Storm (2014) PG-13 A group of storm chasers try to follow the storm of a lifetime.  While the residents of Silverton try to take shelter and survive, the storm chasers are out in the elements risking their lives to document this Category 6 storm.  The dialogue is bad, and the acting is mediocre, but that’s not why you see one on these films. It’s all about the special effects, and this movie has them!  Who doesn’t want to see a tornado made of fire next to a church or cars flying into the air like they are pieces of paper?  This is a fun ride that doesn’t take itself too seriously and full of exciting action sequences almost from the start.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Into the Storm Website

Indiefest:  Magic in the Moonlight (2014) PG-13 A stuffy English magician (Colin Firth) is brought in to expose a clairvoyant (Emma Stone) who has worked her way into the good graces of a very wealthy family. This should have been a better movie with this cast.  While Firth and Stone have good chemistry on-screen, their age difference, combined with the fact that it’s a Woody Allen film, make their romance a little creepy.  The film starts off with a bang, showing Firth, the magician, working on-stage during a performance, but the film goes downhill once it gets to the south of France, where Firth is trying to prove that Stone’s character is a fraud. The film is rarely funny and wastes the cast’s talents. My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Magic in the Moonlight Website

Indiefest:  The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014) PG Hassan (Manish Dayai) and his family have moved to France from India to open a restaurant.  Unfortunately, they have opened their restaurant right across the road from Madame Mallory’s (Helen Mirren) fine French establishment.  Now it is a battle between the two restaurants, and Madame Mallory is one tough chef!  I liked the first two-thirds of the film, especially the early scenes where the young Hassan is learning how to cook. While Helen Mirren is enjoyable as the cranky Madame Mallory, the role isn’t up to her lofty standards.  I did like the love interest for Hassan, and Marguerite, played by Charlotte Le Bon, but the film feels flat and weak.  Also, I never quite felt the passion for the food, like I did when I watched the much better Chef (2014).  It’s not a bad film, just one without a lot of substance.  My Rating:  Bargain Matinee  The Hundred-Foot Website

Indiefest:  Mood Indigo  (2014)  Colin (Romain Duris) is a wealthy bachelor who likes to invent things.  He is unlucky in love until he meets Chole (Audrey Tautou), and they soon fall in love.  Their romance is threatened when Chole develops a mysterious illness, caused by a flower growing in her lungs.  Now he fights to discover how to cure Chole.  The start of this film is an amazing treat to watch as it is filled with stop motion animation.  Colin’s apartment is piled with his inventions, most of which interact with him on a daily basis, such as a door alarm that crawls down the wall like a bug.  But the film becomes an unhappy mess as it goes along, getting darker and darker, ruining what was a light-hearted romance.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Mood Indigo Website

Forgotten Film:  The Duelists  1977)  Two French officers, during Napoleonic times, repeatedly duel through the years as the brash Ferraud (Harvey Keitel) seeks justice through a duel with the noble D/Hubert (Keith Carradine).  This intriguing film, directed by Tony Scott, is a fascinating look at how someone can be obsessed with revenge, so much so that he forgets what the original insult was. The editing and the performance of Keitel are what makes this film so interesting to watch.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  The Duelists Website

Weird Credits: From the credits of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: stunt pre-viz

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Left Behind (2014)  Millions of people have vanished, and a small group of survivors are left behind to figure out what happened.  Can we have a telethon or Kickstarter campaign to raise money for Nicolas Cage so he can stop making movies for awhile?  Left Behind Website

Until Next Time!

Elysium

My View:  Elysium  (2013)  R   It’s the year 2154, and the Earth is an overcrowded, polluted mess. The world’s wealthiest people live on a space station called, Elysium, high above the Earth. A gang leader named, Spider (Wagner Moura), has a plan to ship illegal immigrants to Elysium, but he needs one man to take on a dangerous mission, and that man is Max (Matt Damon). One of the leaders of Elysium, Secretary Delacourt (Jodie Foster), has made it her mission to keep Elysium free of all illegal immigrants, and she hires Kruger (Sharlto Copley), an insane bounty hunter, to use any means necessary to get the job done. Now, Max and Kruger are destined to battle.  I loved the first thirty minutes of this film, as we got to know about Max’s world and how he deals with it. It’s a world that is set up to keep Max in his place and a world he has wanted to desperately escape from, even as a kid. The film then started down a path where I no longer cared about what happened to Max and the other characters. It just seemed like writer / director, Neil Blomkamp, wanted to hit the audience over the head with a particularly strong political statement, something that portrayed better in the 2009 film, District 9. This film is extremely violent with the deaths of characters shown in a particularly gruesome way. As the film progresses, the plot becomes full of holes, so much so that you begin focusing on what is wrong or missing in the movie instead of the film and its storyline. I have always liked Jodie Foster as an actor, but her accent in this film is so strange that I have no idea where her character was supposed to have originated.    My Rating:  Bargain Matinee    Elysium Website

Family Faire:  Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters  (2013)  PG  Percy (Logan Lerman), Grover (Brandon T. Jackson), Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario) and Clarisse (Leven Rambin) embark on a journey to retrieve the legendary Golden Fleece. Luke (Jake Abel), Percy’s arch-enemy, is determined to get the Golden Fleece first and therefore stop Percy and his gang from saving their training grounds, Camp Half-Blood.  While adults may be a little bored with this film, I think that children and young adults will enjoy it.  It’s much better than the first film (Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)), and moves faster with much better acting.  The main stars, Lerman and Jackson, seems more comfortable in their roles and play off each other in an amusing way.  I also liked Leven Rambin, as the kick ass and take names later Clarisa, who has quite a few anger issues.  The highlight of the film is Nathan Fillon who plays the God, Hermes, who runs a shipping company. His scene supplying the gang with specialized weapons is incredibly funny. The special effects are much better than in the first film and, includes an incredible giant mechanical bull that Percy and the gang have to fight. I thought the ending was a little weak and much too easy, but, overall, it’s an enjoyable and adventurous film.   My Rating:  Bargain Matinee     Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters Website

My View:  We’re the Millers  (2013)  R    A small time pot dealer, David (Jason Sudeikis), is hired to bring a huge shipment of weed over the U.S. border from Mexico. To successfully smuggle the pot, he needs a plan, so David rents an RV and then hires a stripper (Jennifer Aniston), a runaway (Emma Roberts) and a neighborhood kid (Will Poulter) to pose as his family.  David's thinking is that no one will suspect a loving, fun group coming back from vacation. The big question is, can they pull it off?   I found very few scenes in this film funny and felt most of the time the writers (can you believe it took four of them to come up with this film) went for the easy laugh.  This is a film that tries to be crass and push the boundaries of comedy, but its plot is so weak and its dialogue so contrived, you see plot points way ahead of time.  I must say that Jennifer Aniston is a beautiful woman and a brave one for playing a stripper who wears very little clothing, but man, she’s got to get a better agent and quit making crappy films.  Be sure to stay for the outtakes at the end as they are much funnier than anything that was in the script..   My Rating:  Cable     We're the Millers Website

Indiefest:  Blue Jasmine  (2013)  PG-13  Jasmine’s (Cate Blanchett) life is falling apart, so she moves to San Francisco to live with her sister Ginger (Sally Hawkins). Jasmine is used to living the good life on Park Avenue, but now she must come back down to reality where people get jobs and live paycheck-to-paycheck.  Blanchett is this year’s Best Actress frontrunner for her portrayal of Jasmine as she slips slowly into madness right before our eyes.  While Blanchett is amazing to watch on-screen, the storyline and the dialogue feel as though Woody Allen, writer and director, mailed it in, not pushing many boundaries, while producing this very heavy drama.  I also didn’t like that there isn’t one character who actually develops throughout the film.  We learn everything about Jasmine and Ginger’s character in the first ten minutes of the movie. My Rating:  Cable   Blue Jasmine Website

Forgotten Film:  The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie  (1969)  The film is about a teacher, Jean Brodie (Maggie Smith), who teaches young girls at a school in Edinburgh, Scotland during the 1930’s. Brodie is a headstrong woman who believes her method of ignoring the curriculum and teaching her students about life will influence them forever.  Maggie Smith, in her Oscar winning role, is extraordinary in the role of the flamboyant and charismatic teacher who isn’t above manipulating her students, expecting them to follow her blindly.  This film is a fascinating character study of a woman who is so sure of herself and her beliefs that she can’t see why everyone else in the world doesn’t follow her lead.     My Rating:  Full Price    The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie Info

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD):  Mud  (2013)  PG-13  One of my favorite films of this summer about two teenage boys (Tye Sheridan, Jacob Lofland) who encounter a fugitive (Matthew McConaughey) who persuades them to help him evade bounty hunters so he can get back to his one true love (Reese Witherspoon).  Matthew McConaughey is excellent in the title role, but it’s Sheridan who plays a troubled young man desperate for attention and love that makes this film work so well.    My Rating:  Full Price   Mud Website

Weird Credits:  From the credits of the film Elysium:  Truck Costumer

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Rush (2013)  R  Ron Howard brings us this film a legendary Formula 1 champion drive Niki Lauda, who has a near fatal crash, then mere weeks after the accident,  gets behind the wheel to race again.  The film stars Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Dormer and Olivia Wilde.     Rush Website

Until Next Time!