Change Your Image
igende
Reviews
Dying of the Light (2014)
Not sure why all the bad reviews, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie.
I can't say I've ever seen a bad Nick Cage movie. Some better than others of course, but he always seems to carry the movie no matter how badly written or executed. However, in this case I don't think he needed to carry it much. It's no classic and yes this movie won't resonate through time, but if you go into it aware of this, it's a pretty decent movie. There was enough suspense, for me anyway, in the build up to the eventual meeting and Nick Cage's progressive decline in health added to that tension. The ending did have a somewhat typical Hollywood drama associated with it, like Mike Myers rising after you think he's dead, but even with all that, I found the movie carried itself well, acting was very good and any plot holes were easily dismissed. A recommend this as an evening rental, enjoy.
The Monuments Men (2014)
Dreadfully slow and very forgettable
Good actors, but it's not clear why they need them in this movie. I'm typing this as I watch the movie, at this point about half way through I have no faith that it will get any better. I really had high hopes for this movie. My son saw it with some friends when it came out and I asked him what he thought, he paused and then mustered an it was OK, but I think that was more so as to convince himself he did not waste his money or time with his friends as they were so eagerly awaiting it. I've spent more time working on my computer than focusing on this movie because it's that boring. I'm debating just shutting it off, but I hate not completing a movie once started. There is a scene were they are playing have a merry little Christmas and different people are focused on, their faces are intense as they listen, the scene is suppose to invoke some deeper feeling, some deeper meaning, but it's just so lost that at that point more than any so far I was tempted to just turn it off. I really wanted to like this movie, but it's a mess, lacking focus, lacking passion, great actors wasting their time and not having to really try much. Too bad.
Rush (2013)
Wow
Best movie I've seen in a long time. I never even heard of this movie. I did not know of this story which surprises me, although I was only 11 when this was happening, I knew of the hero's of golf, tennis, and many race drivers, not your main stream sports, but never heard of these guys. I'm really surprised. This is Ron Howard at his best. Chris Hemsworth does a fantastic job as James Hunt. I hardly can believe he is the same actor that plays Thor. Since I knew nothing of the real men, I purposely avoided looking up details so watching the movie was very suspenseful. Worth your time and then some. Daniel Brühl also does an amazing job as Niki Lauda. You have to give it to these guys. Great job.
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Pure entertainment.
I love this movie, for me it's pure entertainment. It's Casino on Wall Street. Much of the behavior in the film is so funny the theater broke out in loud unison laughter multiple times. This could have been a cautionary tale, one for the wall street movement, but it's not really there. If you look at what this man did, how he led his life, and how unfair it is that he basically goes unpunished, there are so many ways to tell the story, however, here his life is almost really glorified, like in Casino, where the audience is involved in the fun of it all even though people in that film were ultimately being robbed, killed, cheated, abusing drugs etc, you were made to feel it was all somewhat funny. You enjoyed the characters and somewhat gave them a pass therefore it was fun, and OK. Same here, although DiCaprio narrates with guilt and disbelief in his speech to compensate for what is being portrayed as funny. There are a few scenes that remind us of how unfair the world is, especially the ending, where DiCaprio is sent to prison and he's playing tennis, while the FBI agent that got him convicted is shown taking the train home and looking around as the camera focuses in on the rest of the average joe's that have to schlep to work every day, exhausted making it day by day, no excess, no luxury, just life one day at a time, surviving. The impact of this is however lost in the contrast of all the fun, the sex, the drugs that don't seem to physically decimate anyone, the fun you just had watching these guys break all the rules. I love the move, it's pure entertainment, but be careful you could walk out of the theater saying gee i want to live a life like that. Instead of walking out saying what a horrific way to lead your life, possibly killing someone with a car, ruining your marriage, divorcing twice, having to rat on your friends, nearly dying in the ocean, spending time in jail, becoming addicted to drugs and alcohol. That would be a different movie I think.
We're the Millers (2013)
I can't believe anyone liked this movie
Spoilers below.
This movie was really bad. The only enjoyable scene was Jennifer Anistons strip tease and honestly that wasn't even that great, could have been much better. Sure there were a couple of funny moments here and there, but really? Comedy today is just a bunch of swearing and a penis thrown in. Jennifers strip tease was clearly the commercial draw, otherwise no one would have come to see this dud. Did folks find it funny that this young kid was going to have to blow the Mexican cop? If they had worked it so it remained the father OK, but this kid, what's funny about that? There are several attempts throughout the movie to add moments where Sarah and David are suppose to share an experience where they bond. These were so contrived and forced that they felt out of place and they had no comedic value either. The scene in the tent was funny. Jennifer Aniston saying black cock down was mixed. The whole thing was just a waste really. I'm glad I only rented this thing for a buck. Rent it so you can say you saw it, but too much of a train wreck to be enjoyable. Would you actually watch this twice?
Ender's Game (2013)
Excellent, Excellent, Excellent.
I highly recommend this movie for the family, especially if you have adolescent boys. Excellent special affects and the story carries itself well, it went by very quickly. My oldest now 16 read the book last year and was completely enthralled by the twist in the final battle scene. He read parts of the book to me and I loved it, we could not wait for the movie release. There are so many lessons for adolescents to pick up from this movie, how life can be difficult, how there are individuals that may want to lead and impose their will on you even though you may be more talented and capable and how they will try to shut you down, but you must shine through and believe in yourself. The strength in friends, in team work, in recognizing others accomplishments and abilities and not just your own. The strength of a leader to recognize the talent and strength of even those that initially opposed them and tried to humiliate them, but latter gained their respect, gain someone's respect, but don't be like them and turn and try to demoralize them as they did you, be the better man. Understand the horrors and sometimes necessity of war, but the importance to first try to establish peace through communication. There are soooooo many things to draw from to discuss with your kids in this move. Well done!
Prometheus (2012)
What's with all the negative reviews?
I loved this movie. I can't remember the last time I left a movie and wanted to discuss and debate it's meaning. It seems something so common in the past is now a novelty. Most movies today wrap up so nicely there is nothing left to debate, only reflection. I can't wait for the DVD. I'm really hoping there will be many deleted scenes available there and director discussion over the film. I understand there was a scene where Jesus Christ was actually one of the engineers but was either edited out or never actually filmed. The special effects are also fantastic. I saw this for the second time last night on IMAX and in 3D and while most 3D today is not coming at you, but 3D into the screen, in IMAX this works for this movie. The screen was so huge I felt I was on the planet too. My biggest disappointment with the movie is not knowing why the engineers created us and why they changed their mind, but there in is the fodder for discussion. Also, can you be a scientist and a Christian or religious? "Even after all this?" as quoted by David "You still believe?" "There is nothing, I know" or is there? Yes there are holes or maybe just more questions. Were we invited and if so, why to an apparent military scientific installation? Maybe at first to study their creation. Why send the cosmic goo, to destroy us or just to test it out and we were as likely a specimen they created as any else or maybe because we were growing advanced quickly and might eventually threaten them. Have to see the sequel or maybe there will be another prequel. This movie leaves it open to go in any direction really. The ending leaves many thinking that the aliens were created at that moment when the engineer split open, but at the beginning remember the murals on the walls? There was a mural of the Queen alien (at least it looked like it) from the movie Aliens. Clearly they'd encountered, created, or worshiped it at some point. Were they trying to create a perfect species, a perfect weapon? Sooo many questions. Why did the engineer react so violently to our presence? What did David say to it? Did he antagonize it? What was the purpose of the room with the large head? It had the murals and the vases, and the engineers were seeking refuge there, but why if there were more vases there? Maybe just the closest place from what they were running from. OK maybe too many questions. I would bet that some of the edited scenes would have allowed a few of these questions to be answered. I found that to be the case with Aliens. The goo the engineer drank at the beginning of the movie seems to be the same goo in the vases, so clearly they used something like it to create life, but maybe they also used it to destroy life. What were they doing really? I need to know, can't wait for the next one :-)