Les Misérables

Rating 5 out of 10

As anyone that knows me might have guessed I'm not a big musical person.  I like some musicals.  One's like Grease or even Momma Mia where they talk, talk, talk and then someone bursts into song and dance.  Les Miserables is not that type of musical.  There are maybe 5-6 words in the whole movie.  All the rest of the dialog is singing.  If that does not sound so bad to you I highly recommend this movie for you.  

The acting for the most part is first rate.  I feel sure Hugh Jackman having been overlooked for  oscar nominations playing Wolverine in the X-Men films will get his shot this year.  He does a good job and the Academy seems to like performances like that.  Anne Hathaway also does a good job even though it's heartbreaking to watch them shave off her pretty hair. The one miscast for my taste was Russell Crowe.  He plays the local inspector and besides looking on the fat side is not a very good singer.  

The movie is set in 1800s France where Jean Valjean (Jackman) in sentenced to five years prison for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his sisters family.  Five turns into fifteen years when he keeps trying escape.  When he is finally released he breaks parole and finds a new identity. In a few years he becomes a successful business man and Mayor of the town.  Things start to unravel when his old prison guard is named lead Inspector (Crowe) of the town he now lives in.  

As I said if you like musicals you will find this movie incredible.  It just wasn't my thing.  

Jack Reacher

Jack Reacher

Rating 8 out of 10

Jack Reacher is a main character in a series of novels written by Lee Child.  I have read many of Child's entertaining books although not the one this movie was based on.  Reacher is a tough as nails ex-military man that has done it all.  He retired from a lifetime in the military to travel around America.  No frills.  No phones, credit cards, not even a suitcase. As luck would have it everywhere he goes trouble seem to find him.

In the first in what I'm guessing will be a series of movies Jack shows up when a guy he convicted of murder in the military police but got off from a technicality is arrested for shooting five people in downtown Pittsburg with a sniper rifle.  He is there hoping the guy hangs yet as the evidence mounts he may have been set up.

When I first heard Tom Cruise was playing Jack Reacher I thought he was too short for the 6'4" military bad a$$. He does a good joband kicked buns plenty of times.  He works with a pretty defense attorney played by the lovely Rosamund Pike (when you see her picture you will have an ah-hah moment realizing who she is).

There probably could have been a little more action, but the action there is very good.  There is a cool car chase thru the city of Pittsburg.  I enjoyed the movie.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

The Hobbit

Rating 7 out of 10

I can't say this is a movie I had high anticipation on.  After watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy I hoped it would be good, but the trailers left me more confused than excited.  I am glad to say I enjoyed it even though like the LOR trilogy it may not be for everyone.  I would think if you liked the LOR movies you will indeed like this prequel.

As most movies that are intended in a series the first one usually lags as all the characters have to be introduced and a story has to be told.  I remember not liking the first LOR movie thinking it was too slow and confusing. I found The Hobbit easier to follow even though at nearly three hour playing time there was a little wiggling in the seat.

I have not read any of the books like my nerdy brother inlaw has (I'm sure he has a Gandalf action figure.  The movie starts off with the peaceful Kingdom of Erebor and the dwarfs being taken over by an evil dragon.  Sixty years later the dwarves are determine to take back their kingdom.  Not sure why it took so long.  Our star hobbit Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) is dragged into the adventure even though he'd much rather stay with his slow boring life.

They battle across the continent with danger at ever turn.  Plenty of battles against some interesting and beastly creatures.  I was entertained although I could have trimmed atleast 30 minutes from the film.

I liked it.  Teenage Rocky did not like it at all.  Your taste may vary.