In the Heart of the Sea

In the Heart of the Sea

Rating 6.5 out of 10

I have been a fan of Ron Howard directed movies since the beginning.  He had an amazing string back in 80's and early 90's.  Splash, Cocoon, Willow, Backdraft, Parenthood, Apollo 13 to name a few.  More recently I think he has made some very good yet under appreciated movies.  If you haven't seen Cinderella Man with Russell Crowe you are missing out.  Great movie.  In 2013 he came out with Rush.  A movie about a racer driver that was good although it had a small target audience.

I like many were amazed with the previews of this huge whale attacking and destroying a gigantic whaling ship while hunky Chris Hemsworth yielding  a mighty spear thing vowing to take this beast down.  The bad reviews and low attendance helped put this movie on the back burner.  Lots of rain days with nothing else to do so I grabbed the Hottie (She is entertained with anything Hemsworth is in) and off to the theater we went.

This movie starts in the early 1800's.  This is before people realize oil is in the ground and can be pumped out to light and heat our homes.  Whale oil is used in place of candles as bright burning and long lasting fuel.   Whale oil is a hot commodity  and business men are building ships as fast as the trees can be cut down and hiring sea captains to make them rich.  On this fateful voyage the captain takes the ship out to sea further and further hunting for that large pod of whales they hear is there.  They also hear stories of a white whale more than 100 feet long and mean as a snake.  They mark that off to fisherman's lore and see dollar signs.

When they find the pod of whales they also find the story of the white whale to be true and things do not go well.  The ship is destroyed and the seamen left alive are 2000 miles from land in small lifeboats trying to survive.  Here it becomes a survival movie.  There is also a side story of Moby Dick author Herman Melville interviewing the last living survivor of this voyage to get the inspiration for his whale book.

I was entertained with this movie.  The scenes of the way they harpooned and brought in whales much bigger than their little boats is amazing.  Was a little disappointed in the big whale.  Literally what you see in the two minute trailer is about thirty seconds shy of all the screen time for the great white one  Hemsworth is hunky and entertaining as always. This will make a good rental.

The Big Short

The Big Short

Rating 8.5 out of 10

When the big housing meltdown happened in early 2007 into 2008 I read up on it trying to understand what went wrong.  Had several try to explain it to me.  I should have just waited for this movie.  The Big Short does a good job of explaining things in a way an average Joe like myself can understand and makes it entertaining to boot.

The movie starts with Michael Burry (Christian Bale).  He is a trader that smells a rat in the market for sub prime mortgage loans.  The packages started out a good idea in packaging large groups of AAA mortgage loans of people with good credit and paying history.  The problem (as I remember) begins when the packages run out of good loans and not wanting the lucrative money train to stop the bankers start filling in with worse and worse loans.

While this could sound like a boring documentary director Adam McKay explains much with scenes like Margot Robbie in a bubble bath describing how loans are bundled or Selena Gomez at a blackjack table explaining other things.  It's pretty scary how close we came to a total economic meltdown and sad how not that many things have been fixed.

Great acting is what makes this movie sing.  Steve Carell is fantastic.  Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt, Jeremy Strong to name a few.  This movie is like one of those films they showed in Economics class that you dreaded yet turned out to be very good.  I was definitely entertained and plan to go see this again to catch what I missed.

The Hateful Eight

The Hateful Eight

Rating 6 out of 10

Quentin Tarantino movies are a special breed in themselves.  You can't say you don't know what you are getting with the guy.  Lots of dialog.  Often pointless dialog.  Long movies.  You get your monies worth as far as minute per dollar.  Lots of bad language and blood by the 55 gallon drum.  Over the top violence.  Heads exploding, severed limbs, ect.  I have enjoyed several of Quintin's movies.  Kill Bill, Reservoir Dogs, Inglorious Bastards and Django Unchained.  Was never a fan of Pulp Fiction like so many others were.

I was looking forward to The Hateful Eight.  Fantastic cast.  Kurt Russell, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Madsen, Bruce Dern to name a few.  It's a basic Western which I am also a fan of.  This is two separate movies.  Literally.  The movie is right at three hours long with an intermission in the middle to break it up.  The first half of the movie is alot of talking.  The hottie and I actually dozed off for a few minutes in the warm theater and food in our bellies.  The second half is much better.  The action and story picks up and is far more entertaining.

John "The Hangman" Ruth (Kurt Russell) is a bounty hunter on a stagecoach taking the evil Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh) to a Wyoming town trying unsuccessfully to out run a blizzard snow storm.  Along the way they pick up another bounty hunter (Jackson) and a man saying he is the new sheriff of the town he is taking Daisy to. Ruth is known as the Hangman because while other bounty hunters will bring them in dead (in the dead or alive) where he wants to bring them in alive to not cheat the justice system.  When weather forces an extended stop at an outpost called Minnie's Haberdashery there are already other seedy looking guys there also stranded by the storm. There the gang has conversations.  LOTS of conversations.  Tarantino likes his bad words.  This movie it's the N-word.  It gets thrown around more than a rap concert and clan rally combined.

We finally realize atleast one of the eight is planted there to free Daisy from the noose.  Once you get back from your bathroom break and refill the coke cup during the intermission (several around us were discussing leaving at the intermission) the action picks up a bunch. This is where the bullets fly and blood flows like rivers.  I was awake and entertained.  I give the first half of the movie a 4 and second half an 8.

If you are a Tarantino fan you will most likely enjoy this movie and know what you are getting into. Much was made about watching the movie in the 70MM screens as Tarantino wished.  Not sure why. 94% of the movie is inside one small outpost.  There are some cool stagecoach riding thru snowy mountains scenes that are pretty amazing.  The second half is almost entertaining enough to make you forget how boring the first half is.  Almost.

Star Wars: the Force Awakens

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Rating 8 out of 10

In all my MANY years of movie watching I don't recall one ever having the pre-release hype as this one.  I have actually seen this movie twice, but have held out in doing a review mostly for fear of giving away any type of spoiler and having my house burned down.  In a week or so I'd like to have a SPOILER conversation.  This one should be spoiler free. I hope.

This movie takes place many years after the third Star Wars movie: Return of the Jedi.  It's the one with the furry teddy bear looking guys and I hardly remember the movie.  After the good guys destroyed the death star life is good without all that evil.  Luke Skywalker has opened a school for budding Jedi's.  When one of the Jedi in progress students goes rogue and kills all the other Jedi Luke becomes so distraught he exiles himself to a far away secret planet.  With the Jedi gone the dark side has been able to flourish.  They have built ANOTHER death star.  This one many times bigger and weapons that can destroy several planets at a time.  The only hope we have is to find Luke Skywalker and return the Force to battle the Dark Side.

Director JJ Abrams does a good job mixing the action, comedy and drama to the new reboot that will surely bring us many more Star Wars movies in the future.  It's good seeing our old favorites of Hans Solo and Chewbacca.  Princess Leia (now General Leia) looks like the years have not been kind but does a good job.  The newcomers Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega) and Poe (Oscar Isaac- probably my favorite character actor) are great.

My lone problem (You knew there had to be one) is... Movie starts with our star on a sand filled desert planet that happens upon a droid that has a secret video with information that can save the universe.  If she can just get that information to the good guys life will be saved.  The bad guys know of the droid and will stop at nothing to capture or destroy it. There is a guy with a dark helmet mask and deep scary voice and a death star that is impenetrable except for one secret spot that if you can just slip a well placed missile it will blow it to smithereens.  Does this plot sound familiar?

I have heard this movie is supposed to be similar to the first one for a reason.  I'm not sure I understand the reason.  Either way I was entertained.  Almost impossible to live up to the hype.  This is a good movie and I'm sure I'll be in the seats when the next one comes out.

Sisters

Sisters

Rating 2.5 out of 10

I love Tina Fey.  Have always thought she was funny.  Watched the tv show 30 Rock because of her and how great she was.  Amy Poehler not as much.  She can be funny, but is not money in the bank like Fey.  One thing I have liked about both ladies is they could be funny without lowering down to the vulgar attempts of humor scattered with F-bombs.  Unfortunately that stops here with this dog you should avoid if you are above the age of twelve.  This is one of those movies where every funny part is in the commercials and even then the laughs are few.

Fey and Poehler were funny on Saturday Night Live.  Sadly this movie seems like a SNL skit stretched into a two hour movie that seemed more like three.  They must have had a handshake agreement with the SNL alumni that if they made a movie together they would include as many as they could.  This was not a good thing.

When mom and dad decide to sell the family home and move into a retirement condo association the two daughters Jane (Fey) and Maura (Poehler) are given a couple days to clean their stuff out of their old rooms.  Maura is the younger more responsible of the two.  They decide to throw one last party in the house before the new owners take over.  Invite all their old high school friends and go nuts.

The biggest problem is in the writing.  It is just not funny.  I wanted to laugh.  I wanted to like it.  Nope.  Avoid this movie.

Spotlight

Spotlight

Rating 8 out of 10

This movie has been getting great reviews and mentioned on many top ten lists so I thought I'd give it a try.  I remember when this was in the news several years ago and then it died out.  I'm sure the movie will suffer with so many Americans being Catholic and I feel most will avoid this movie which is understandable in not being a great time in the history of the Catholic church.

The movie takes place in 1990s (I think) Boston when a new editor takes (Marty Baron- Live Schreiber)  over the Boston Globe newspaper.  He is the first Jewish editor in the papers history and isn't afraid of taking on religious (Catholic) issues in a town very much dominated by Catholics.  When news comes up about a priest molesting a young boy Baron orders the paper to investigate it instead of sweeping it to the side like they have in the past.  The paper had a small group of investigative reporters called Spotlight that specializes in hard hitting stories just like this one.

After alot of digging they find evidence of nearly 90 priests in the Boston area alone that have been accused of molesting young children.  To make a horrible situation even worse they unearth evidence that many in the church hierarchy know about the molesters and instead of doing anything they pay off the victims and move the priest to another church.

The movie is not out to slam Christians or even the Catholic church.  They mostly zero in on the bad apples that let things get out of control.  They make that clear.

I will say this movie will probably be shown at film schools for how acting is supposed to be done.  Michael Keaton is fantastic.  Way better than last years Birman.  Mark Ruffalo, Rachael McAdams, Stanley Tucci (always great), Schreiber, Billy Crudup, ect.  Everyone does a great acting job.

The movie is a little slow in building when you already know how it turns out.  Yet it kept my interest the whole time.  The two hour movie moved along and never once had me looking at my watch.  Probably not for everyone but good rainy day movie for me.

Sleeping with other People- Rental

Sleeping with other People

Rating 8 out of 10

I was recently on a long plane ride with plenty of time to kill.  Delta had quite a few movies that were free to watch.  I had seen a commercial for this movie months ago and thought it looked interesting yet never saw it come to theaters.  The hottie and I clicked go and gave it a try.  It turned out to be a sweet and entertaining movie we both enjoyed.

I find myself surprised that I like the star of the movie, Jason Sudeikis, as much as I do.  I liked him in Horrible Bosses and thought We're the Millers was better than the reviewers gave it.  I like the female lead, Alison Brie, also but I'm not sure where I have seen her before.

Jake (Sudeikis) and Lainey (Brie) meet in college and end up being each others first time.  They drift apart and over the next several years date alot without finding the special one.  They agree they are not meant for each other while they do like each other and become friends.  Jake is a serial dater that can't commit.  Lainey always commits to the wrong guy who is with someone else.  The movie tests the When Harry Met Sally theory that a man and woman can't be friends.  That sex thing always gets in the way.

While the name and theme of the movie leads one to think it's a teenage sex romp stupid comedy.  It really isn't.  It's more a fairly well written movie about a friendship over the years.  I was surprised how much I enjoyed this movie.

Creed

Creed

Rating 8.5 out of 10

I had reservations about his movie in the beginning.  Looked like it could be good or could be a hammed up extension of the mostly very good Rocky saga.  After a few people I know saw this movie and liked it I decided to go.  A rainy day in Kennesaw means unpaid vacation days for roofers.  So I scooped up my friend Mark and we were off to the local NCG for an early movie.

In Creed we have Adonis Johnson.  Turns out Apollo Creed while being a great boxer was not always a great husband.  He got a woman pregnant just before he decided to fight this big blonde Russian guy that did not end well.  Adonis is born after Apollo dies and never meets his father.  When his mother dies he spends several years in orphanages fighting all the time until Apollo's wife takes him in.  He gets a proper education and has a fancy finance job.  Yet fighting is still in his blood.  He flies off to Mexico to do backstreet fights.  He quits his job and decides to become a boxer like his dad.

When he goes to Philadelphia looking to Rocky for help he finds reluctance.  Of course it would be a short movie if Rocky held to his guns and refused to train Adonis.  Through a couple amazingly lucky breaks Adonis lands a huge fight just as Rocky did so many years ago.

With this movie the fight is not really a big part of the movie.  It's the relationships Adonis builds and cultivates as he goes along.  While it's agreed Sylvester Stallone has not been in many runs for an Oscar award I feel this may be his best job of acting ever.  Michael B. Jordan does a good job as Adonis.  Acting overall is very good.

I was highly entertained and will probably pay to see this one again.  Good movie folks.

The Good Dinosaur

The Good Dinosaur

Rating 4 out of 10

Normally a Pixar movie is an easy bullseye.  So many classic movies.  A new Pixar release and you automatically order the DVD.  The Good Dinosaur has an interesting premise.  What if the meteor that hit Earth many years ago that killed all the dinosaurs instead skirted by our atmosphere and years later humans and dino's are living together.  The voices are great.  I find it distracting when I recognize every voice in the movie.  Besides the always cool Sam Elliot I didn't know a single one.  With Pixar you know the animation is going to be first rate.

The main problem here is the story.  Our start dino that has battled everything in his life since being born the runt of the litter gets washed down the river in what appears to be weekly flash floods.  He is so far away and given up for dead by his family the only one that can help his is a little caveman (cave boy?).  The story is rather dull even with a trio of T-Rex's that have a heard of prehistoric buffalo.

I wouldn't say this cartoon is for little kids.  I went with three grandkids who often turned their heads when cute little gerbil looking animals are eaten alive by long sharp toothed flying beasts.  The animation is mostly nothing short of incredible.  The flowing fields, majestic mountains and rivers are so realistic you think they smuggled in film stock.  Then they made the main dinosaur stars of the movie look like Saturday morning cartoons.  I don't get that.

I was hoping for much more and three little ones under five were not impressed either.  I'd take their opinion over mine every time.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2

Rating 5 out of 10

The Hunger Games trilogy stretched into a fourlogy comes to an end with this finale.  I started reading the books.  Thought the first one was pretty good.  Got half way thru the second one and became bored then gave up.  I have to say I kinda feel that way about the movies too.  The part 1 of Mockingjay was slow with very little action.  In part 2 we get lots of action yet it still manages to be boring.

For those following the perils of Katniss Everdeen the good guys have finally come knocking on the Capital doors with thoughts of killing the evil President Snow and ending his reign.  Peeta is still crazy yet they insist on bringing him along on every adventure.

I quit playing video games years ago when it seemed every war movie had you going from area to area killing all the bad guys but never really knowing where you are going.  This movie gave me the same feel.  Once they get in the gates they go from area to area coming across some sort of bad guy occasionally losing a good guy then moving on.  Snow has cameras that let him know where they are yet he only sends a few soldiers each time.  It has a twist at the end that turns out to be so obvious you see it coming a mile away.

I thought the whole thing was a mess. Lots of random scenes glued together that didn't make much sense.  I guess those that loved the books will love this movie.  It will make million$.  I was not entertained and wish I had gone to something else.

Secret in their Eyes

Secret in their Eyes

Rating 6 out of 10

This movie looked very interesting to me.  Great cast.  Chiwetel Ejiofor (always good), Julia Roberts (leaving the pretty woman looks behind), Nicole Kidman and Alfred Molina.  In the trailer we see three cops showing up at a crime scene of a murdered girl in a dumpster only to find out it's Roberts beloved daughter.  The movie is set in early 2002 in LA.  Not long after 9/11 when hysteria of another terrorist attack is high.  When the main suspect is also someone linked to the Muslim community and may be considered an asset politics play into his prosecution or lack there of.

Flash forward thirteen years and Ejiofor who is no longer with the department has tracked down the bad guy and begins to make efforts to locate him.  Kidman is now the D.A. They are not sure even if they find him that they have enough to prosecute him.

The problem with this movie (besides it being pretty slow) is all the flashbacks.  Instead of telling the movie in order the director gives us chunks of now mixed with pieces of thirteen years ago. The main way of telling what time you are in is by Kidmans hair length.

There is a nice twist at the end but over all with this cast it should have been much better.  Will make a good rainy day rental.

The 33

The 33

Rating 8 out of 10

I thought this movie looked pretty good when I saw the trailers.  I was surprised to see it was not getting very good reviews. On Rottentomeatoes.com it only rates a 42%.  Although the audience score is pushing 70%.  After skimming over several of the bad reviews I saw most of the complains were on things like the movie using a white actor in a hispanic role or someone's accent not being perfect.  I decided to give it a try with the Hottie and my daughter and her husband.  Even brought the three year old granddaughter hoping it kept her attention.

Anyone that even casually watches the new should remember back in 2010 when a mine in Chile collapsed and trapped 33 miners more than 2000 feet below ground.  It was crazy.  They were so far underground it took the truck driving them down to the mining area more than an hour to get them to the bottom.  The 33 miners were pushed into a "safe room" not much bigger than a school room with only 3 days of food and water.  They knew right off their situation was grave as it took more than 100 years of digging to get the hole that deep.  There were a couple possible escape routes but one was never finished and the other caved in too.

The movie then shifts to above and below ground.  How the miners manage to not give up when they are starving and can't imagine how anyone can get to them.  Antonio Banderas gives his best performance ever as Mario who refuses to give up.  Lou Diamond Phillips is also great as the supervisor that knew in his gut the mine was getting dangerous.  Above ground the mine owners and then the Chile government have to decide whether it's worth sinking million$ into a recovery when chances are very slim they are still alive and even if they are how could they possibly get them out. Once it becomes a world wide story they really have no choice but to go all out in the recovery.

My daughter cried thru the whole movie.  That doesn't really count since she is pregnant and cries at Publix commercials these days.  The hottie cried at the end and I have to admit my eyes watered a little.

I really enjoyed this movie.  Thought the acting was good and with a two hour run time it seemed just long enough.  It made me go right home and dig out wikipedia to find out more about the story.

Spectre

Spectre

Rating 6 out of 10

I have to admit off the bat that I'm one of three people on the planet that does not care for Daniel Craig as Bond.  Not that I don't like Craig.  I have seen him in other movies and liked him.  I just like the older Bonds better.  I also understand these films are supposed to be prequels to the others.  This is Bond before he became the suave agent we later see with Connery or Roger Moore.

With this movie Bond faces off with the bad guy that was king over all the other bond villains.  I guess if you followed the other movies very closely or read the books you would know who Frans Oberhauser (the always great Christoph Waltz) was.  I didn't follow closely enough because I had no idea who he was.

One of my favorite parts of any Bond film is when he goes into the spy gadget room with Q and gets the wristwatch that turns into a laser or pen that allows him to breath underwater.  That doesn't happen here.  Also there is the cool car they give him that besides being fast will spill oil on the road behind or shoot missiles from the tail pipe.  There is a car but he has to steal it. Gotta get that car sponsor money in there.

While the action is toned down a bit for a Bond film there is a great fight scene with Dave Bautista (Big guy Drax on Guardians of the Galaxy) that is worth the price of admission.  I thought the Bond girl Lea Seydoux was the most bland and plain ever.

I understand the irony of me picking a James Bond movie apart while admitting I love it when Superman flies or Spiderman shoots webs from his wrist. I don't even try to explain it.  Most people will love this movie.  I thought it was okay.

Our Brand is Crisis

Our Brand is Crisis

Rating 4 out of 10

I thought this movie looked entertaining when I saw the trailer.  Great cast.  Sandra Bullock and Billy Bob Thornton.  There were several funny clips in the trailer.  Looked forward to seeing it.  Then it opened to terrible reviews and quickly faded.  Out of town for work and rain that kept me from working and this was the only movie out for me to see.

The movie is about a fading political consultant (Bullock) that is brought into a losing campaign in Bolivia.  The candidate's current advisors figure it can't hurt to bring her in .  Either she would help them win or give them someone to blame if they lose.  The consultant for the leading candidate is her long time nemesis (Thornton) whom she can never seem to beat.

The movie starts off interesting and funny as Bullock and Thornton lock horns and play dirty tricks on each other.  About an hour into the hour and forty eight minute movie mark the movie decides to take itself way too seriously.  It quits being funny and turns into a boring political movie where if the wrong guy wins the election the whole country will fall into despair.  It just falls off a cliff.

I was thinking all those reviewers on www.rottentomatoes.com got it wrong.  It was better than I thought it was going to be.  Then I understood and was wanting it to hurry up an end.

I wouldn't even bother renting this.  Feel free if you are a big Sandra Bullock fan.

Steve Jobs 

Rating 7.5 out of 10

I have been a Steve Jobs fan before I knew who Steve Jobs was.  I bought my first computer in 1986. An Apple Iic and was amazed by it.  Later upgraded to an Apple IIgs and then on to Macintosh's.  I remember buying a used 20 MEG hard drive for $500 and being so excited connecting it to my computer my hands were shaking.  Didn't know what I would do with all that storage space.  Today that would hold about four digital pictures.  I have had most every Mac computer from then until now.

So I have followed the rise and fall and then rise of Jobs.  I read the very good Steve Jobs book a few years ago.  Jobs was a very complex man.  You are not going to scratch the surface in a two hour movie and they don't really try to here.  This movie was written by Aaron Sorkin (Moneybag, The Social Network, American President, A Few Good Men) known for his snappy writing.  He does not fail here.  The writing in Jobs is first rate.  He rattles from one step to another without missing a beat. It's pretty amazing.

The movie gives three snapshots in Jobs life.  When Jobs announces the first Macintosh which turns out to be a huge failure.  He predicts a Million computers sold in the first three months.  Instead they sold 55,000.  Chapter two centers with the announcement of his Next computer after being ousted by Apple and CEO John Sculley (Jeff Daniels).  Chapter three is announcing the iMac.  Peppered in the three chapters is Jobs relationships with Steve Wozniak, Sculley, his daughter Lisa and his right hand woman Joanna Hoffman.  The movie dwells on the daughter a little more than I would have liked but I know Sorkin was trying to show his maturity over the years.

The acting is very good.  Michael Fassbender as Jobs is a great actor.  Jeff Daniels is always fantastic when he is not playing Dumb and Dumber.  Kate Winslet is great as the only person on the planet that would stand up to Jobs when he was being a bully (often).  I don't even like Seth Rogen and his is good as the Woz.  My minor complaint is that Fassbender did very little to get the look of Jobs.  It's kinda like making a movie about Abe Lincoln with Thomas Jefferson playing Abe.

Overall I was entertained.  I think this would make a great rental or rainy day movie for any fan.

Burnt

Burnt

Rating 6 out of 10

I was mildly interested in seeing this movie when I first saw the trailers.  I was going to the movies with the young son and this was the only movie starting in what we had to work with.  I have not really watched any of the cooking shows.  Especially those where the head chef yells like an idiot at all the other cooks.  I would probably give him a close look at the nearest frying pan.  Also my tastes in fine dining land somewhere between Copelands and Golden Corral.  I did find it interesting all the behind the scenes of cooking these overpriced meals that my buddy Ted loved so much.

Adam Jones (Bradley Cooper) is the wonder chef who went to Paris as a 19 year old and hit it big.  He was too young and immature at the time and quickly flamed out.  Too much drinking, drugs and women that came with the fame.  He ends up in New Orleans cooking seafood in small roadside dives.

Now his is in London determined to make his way back to the top.  Hopefully a little more mature and determine.  We get to see Chef Jones have tantrums that would make Gordon Ramsey proud.  He assembles his misfit dream team and is in direct completion with friend that runs the neighboring restaurant.  There are side stories with drug dealers from his past in town to collect large sums of money and do him physical harm.

What made this movie watchable for me was Bradley Cooper.  This role is right in his wheelhouse.  He does a good job and is believable as a top chef.  Not crazy about Sienna Miller who plays Helene his sidekick and love interest.

If you like those cooking shows you will enjoy this movie.  I was entertained.  If you are not a hard core Gordon Ramsey fan I'd probably wait to rent.

The Last Witch Hunter

The Last Witch Hunter

Rating 4 out of 10

When I saw the previews for this movie I got excited.  Vin Diesel swinging a sword that is on fire killing witches released near Halloween?  How could that not be great?  Then the reviews started to roll in.  Terrible reviews. It is standing at a bad 15% on www.rottentomatoes.com.  Maybe they just don't like these type movies or Diesel and it is not that bad.  I set the bar low and went to an early show on a rainy day.  Sadly the reviews were accurate.

Eight hundred years ago Kaulder (Diesel) and a group of warriors are hunting down an evil witch that put a plague on their area.  Kaulder manages to sink his flaming sword into the evil witches chest but before she dies she curses him to live forever.  Over the years Kaulder becomes a witch wrangler who with the help of a catholic priest sidekick called a Dolan round up witches around the world and bring them to a court who then puts them in witch prison.

When really bad things start to happen in NYC Kaulder enlists the help of a dream walker Chloe (Rose Leslie- the red head bow and arrow girl from Game of Thrones).  She can somehow help him find the bad witches within dreams.

The biggest problem with this movie is it's an action movie without alot of action.  Most of the movie they are just sitting around talking about witches or things of their past.  The action that is here is not very good.  Kinda plods along.  The climax at the end is not much of a climax.

I'd say rent this one if you must.  It should have been much better.

Bridge of Spies

Bridge of Spies

Rating 7 out of 10

I will go see pretty much anything Tom Hanks is staring in.  This movie looked interesting from the first preview.  Didn't hurt that it was directed by Steven Spielberg.  If nothing else I knew it would be well acted and visually incredible.  That pretty much describes my movie experience.

Loosely based on a real story. In the early 1960s the CIA caught a Russian spy red handed.  There was no doubt.  While most Americans thought he should be taken out and shot he still had to be tried in a US court.  James Donovan is recruited to defend the spy and he takes his job seriously.  His defense of a spy causes problems for him and his family.  Turns out New Yorkers don't take kindly to a liberal lawyer befriending a spy.

After the spy is convicted an American U-2 spy plane is shot down 70,000 feet over Russia.  When both sides want a spy swap Donavan is the logical choice to negotiate.  Things get interesting when an American student is taken at the German wall and they want him back too.

This movie is a bit like watching the Titanic.  You pretty much know what is going to happen.  Even if you are not up on your Cold War history lessons the previews lay it out for you.  The reason to watch this movie is to see Tom Hanks at work.  He does the fantastic job you would expect.  Any other actor and this movie is a 5 at best.  Beautifully shot.  You feel like you are watching actual 60s Russia and Germany.

I was entertained even though it was a bit on the slow side.

Sicario

Sicario

Rating 6.5 out of 10

I have been seeing trailers for this movie for months now.  Very well put together.  Showing Emily Blunt in the back seat of a car at the Mexican border.  Something big is going down but she is not sure what.  Next thing you know a bad guy is pointing a gun at her and she reacts quickly and blows the guy away.  Action packed.  This movie definitely has action from start to finish.

Emily Blunt is a Phoenix FBI agent dealing with the increasing problem of the Mexican drug cartel moving into the city and bringing their violence with them.  When a special task force recruits her with promises of going after the cartel getting the people responsible she cautiously signs up.  Soon she begins to question her decision.  The task force is very secretive and not real clear on who is who or what side of the line their methods are on.  The task force is run by Matt (Josh Brolin) with quite a few bad ass military guys.  There is also Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro) who is a "consultant" and seems to be so much more.

I like most everything Emily Blunt is in and Benicio reminds us what a good actor his is and why he earned an Oscar.  Casting is very good.  My biggest problem with the movie is it bugs me when I'm an hour in and still have no idea what is going on.  The movie unfolds eventually and mostly makes sense.  Action is good.  Movie shows the gritty life on the border and worse on the other side.

I was entertained.  Would probably recommend waiting for a rental.

The Martian

The Martian

Rating 8.5 out of 10

I read the book of the same title by Andy Weir earlier in the year and was excited to see it was already going to be a movie. It always makes you leery that they will screw it up.  I'm glad to report that for the most part they got it right.  The casting was spot on.  The effects I saw on the bigger screen was fantastic.  Matt Damon does a great job in the lead.  I liked this movie alot.

In the future NASA is regularly sending manned missions to Mars.  On the latest one a freak storm blows up and the crew is forced to head to the ship in a hurry and cut the mission short.  On their way to load up a combinations antenna blows of and hits Mark Watney in the chest.  It takes him out into the storm and as far as anyone on the crew can tell he is dead.  The commander (Jessica Chastain) with the ship on the verge of blowing over and stranding everyone makes the tough decision to leave Watney for dead and take off.

As it turns out the antenna pierced Watney's suit and taken all his stats offline. His blood seals the hole in his suit and saves his life.  Glad to be alive he realizes the problem being while he has plenty of water and air another mission can't get to Mars for four years and he only has a years worth of food.  He has to figure out how to stay alive.  NASA eventually realizes he is alive and puts things in full motion to rescue.

As I said great cast.  I thought Matt Damon was spot on.  Can't go wrong with Jessica Chastain in any movie.  Michael Pena and Kate Mara are funny and entertaining as crew members determined to save Watney. Jeff Daniels is always good when he's not in Dumb and Dumber mode.

Good movie.  I was entertained.  Go see this on a big screen.  Don't wait for rental.

Into Thin Air

Everest

Rating 7 out of 10

Around fifteen years ago I read the book Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer.  One of the best books I have ever read (listened to). and Krakauer is now one of my favorite authors.  I have always been intrigued by mountain climbing books and movies even though I have no desire to try it myself.  In Krakauer's book he details a climb back in 1996 where he was a writer for a popular climbing magazine and was given free passage on an expedition for Mount Everest (normally $50-65,000 fee per climber) in trade for writing a big article and cover picture on that magazine.  It was a busy year that had record numbers of climbers trying to plant a little flag on the top of a mountain at altitudes where Delta jets normally fly.  On the top of Everest your brain is getting maybe 25% of the oxygen it gets at sea level.  Man has a very limited time at that altitude before the body shuts down and you die.

On this climb there were many climbers trying to reach the summit on the same day.  Many of which had no business giving it a try.  The weather went from very good to VERY bad quickly and stranded climbers.  Eight people lost their lives that day and Krakauer's book details the expedition in a very understandable way.

It's much harder to encapsulate all that went on those few days into a two hour movie.  Everest has a fantastic cast.  The scenery is incredible. I saw this on a normal screen and may have to go back and see on an IMAX as it almost seemed to small for what I was seeing.  As Misty said earlier this is not an action packed thriller such as Vertical Limit (a movie climbers laugh at how unrealistic it is- much like fighter pilots watching Top Gun), but more of a well made documentary type movie.  Even having read the book I found it a little difficult at times to remember who's who on the mountain.

I was entertained.  Glad I went.  I think this movie is made to be seen in a theater.  If you do rent it try to get the movie K2 with Michael Biehn.  I would rate it a little higher than this one.

The Intern

The Intern

Rating 8 out of 10

This was a movie I wanted to see from the first preview.  I like the cast.  Like an old guy being useful again.  While there is nothing groundbreaking here I found it entertaining from start to finish.

Jules Ostin (Anne Hathaway)  is a young woman that started her own fashion website that dwells on the customer service and making sure above all that every customer is well taken care of.  In eighteen months it has become more successful than she ever dreamed.  She works night and day and now has 240 employees.

Her second in command is very cutting edge and decides to start a senior intern program.  Retired people from business that have a wealth of knowledge and nothing to do.  Ben Whittaker (Robert DeNiro) retired and not long after had his wife pass away.  He misses the hustle and gives the intern job a try.  He is clearly nothing like any of the others.  Very well dressed and professional.  Jules wants nothing to do with him.  She soon realizes what a wealth of information he can be to her in business and personal too.

Like I said this movie doesn't reinvent the wheel it just makes you laugh and feel good when you leave the theater. I was entertained and recommend it.

Black Mass

Black Mass

Rating 8 out of 10

I tend to like gangster movies as a whole although many of them seem to be too over the top and not that good.  I wanted to see this movie but it was not real high on my list.  Everest came out this weekend except it was only in 3D.  I am not a fan of 3D so Black Mass here I come.

This movie is based on the true story of the rise and eventually fall of Boston wise guy James "Whitey" Bulger.  He was mostly a small time thug back in the 1960's and early 70s.  He spent time in jail including a stint in Alcatraz.  He didn't really come to power until he joined forces with childhood friend, now FBI agent, John Connolly.  The FBI had good intentions in the beginning.  Willing to trade Bulger's small time crimes for intel on the big mafia goons running rampant in the city.  The problem was with the help of the FBI Bulger cleaned out all his competition and turned out to be as bad or worse than what they had.  Connolly became drunk with the promotions at the FBI and the perks Bulger threw his way.

The casting is mostly pitch perfect.  Johnny Depp does a good job and would not be surprised to see him get an Oscar nod later in the year.  When he casts his steely evil eyes toward someone it gives you a chill.  The rest of the cast is also good as is the way it was filmed.  The movie does a good job of telling the story without dragging it out in a three hour overblown movie like many do.

Overall I was entertained and if you like these type movies at all you will be too.

A Walk in the Woods

A Walk in the Woods

Rating 4 out of 10

I really liked the idea of this movie.  A retired successful writer, Bill Bryson, is bored.  It's been several years since his last book and now pushes his rereleasing of older books.  He goes out for a walk and decides he is going to walk the Appalachian Trail.  Not part of the trail.  The whole thing!  2000 + miles of trail.  Without really training.  Of course everyone thinks he is nuts.  He sets out to find a friend to walk it with him.  No one else is as crazy as he is.  An old guy he knew thirty years ago hears about the walk and wants to do it with him.  They go off to the sporting goods store to buy their gear and they are on their way.

This is where the writing falters.  They run into all the cliches.  Crazy woman walker that won't leave them alone.  Bears in their campsites.  Falling into creeks. You name it. The biggest problem with the movie is the casting.  Robert Redford is pushing eighty and is still the best looking guy in the room.  He looks fit for his age but no way in shape to do a walk like this.  Even worse is Nick Nolte.  Not sure how old he is but he looks over a hundred.  He looks real rough. I don't see him being able to make the walk around the mall much less walking thousands of miles on rough trails.

This is supposed to be a male bonding movie yet they never really bond.  I like the idea of the movie. It just was not very well written or cast.  Besides that it is pretty good. : >  Not a terrible movie.  Unfortunately not a good one either.

The Transporter Refueled

The Transporter Refueled

Rating 6 out of 10

I saw both Transporter I & Transporter II with Jason Statham in the theater.  So I can't say I didn't know what I was in for.  You don't go to one of these movies for a plot that makes much if any sense. You get action, lots of fast cars and a few pretty women.  Statham is off doing Fast and Furious movies so pretty boy new comer Ed Skrein takes over the steering wheel as Frank Martin.

Martin is an expert driver that sells his talents to high priced anonymous clients that need something or someone moved quickly from point A to point B.  When a beautiful woman hires him for what should be an easy job things go wrong.  Never trust a beautiful woman in these type movies.

You don't need a crystal ball to figure out what happens from this point forward.  Several cool car chases and some fight scenes. If you like this type of movie or liked either of the first two you will be entertained.  I was mildly entertained and found it a decent way to kill a couple hours.

No Escape

No Escape

Rating 6.5 out of 10

This is one of those what you see is what you get movies.  When you watch the preview if you like what you see and it looks interesting you should go see it.  That is the movie.  

Jack (Owen Wilson) after having a business go under has taken a job in an unnamed Asian country that borders Vietnam.  If I knew my world geography better I might be able to guess what country they are trying to be.  Doesn’t really matter.  Jack from the start proves not to be a great thinker when he takes his wife and two small daughters to the third world country to begin his new job.  No sense in flying over first to check things out.  Turns out the deluxe accommodations he and his family are slums.  Nothing works.  His cell does not work.  No internet or cable tv.  I’d be packing it in right there!  

As luck would have it the very day they arrive there is a terrible political uprising with crowds of rebels seemingly mad at everyone, especially Americans, going from place to place brutally killing with guns and machetes.  Mom (Lake Bell) is not happy.  Jack is forced to get on the move to keep him and his family a step ahead of the gangs.  Lots of nail biting running from place to place trying to stay alive and not smack the daughter who whines about losing her teddy bear when the guy before them was shot in the head.  Pierce Brosnan is the Englishman at the same hotel that helps fight off the bad guys.  

This movie will win no awards yet I was entertained.  My hot date enjoyed it.  It’s brutal but not in a Friday the 13th part 7 type of gory. If you like this type of movie go to the early show, grab some popcorn and hang on.

Hitman: Agent 47

Hitman: Agent 47

Rating 6 out of 10

Even though I was one of the few that liked the first Hitman movies back in 2007 with Timothy Olyphant the dreadful reviews this movie is getting (only 7% on www.rottentomatoes) had me going into the theater with the bar set low along with my expectations.  I like Rupert Friend from the tv show Homeland and Hanna Ware is pretty hot for a hitman (hit person?).  All things considered I did manage to feel entertained and having viewed this on the early show I got my monies worth.

It seems there is a Hitman video game that these movies are taken after.  I haven't played video games in a decade or two so I'm not sure how these compare to the video game.  There is action from the first scene to the last.  Lots of bad guys getting shot.  You know who the bad guys are because they are standing out in the open shooting wildly.

The plot, not that it matters, is amazingly simple (shocked look on face here).  A government agency begins the Agent program turning men into killing machines from birth with no emotions.  No fear, remorse or empathy.  Years after it is shut down an evil man wants to hunt down the old guy that designed the program and give it a nice reboot.  They can't find him so they track down his good looking daughter who is also looking for him.  Agent 47 is trying his best to protect her. Or is he?

The story is pretty thin, but you don't go to a movie with Hitman in the title for an elaborate plot.  Action is good.  Acting is as good as you would expect.  If you watch the trailer and think it looks entertaining you will most likely feel your money was well spent.  I liked it.

Shaun the Sheep

Shaun the Sheep 

Rating 7 out of 10

My buddy Mark Byrd has always been into the Wallace and Gromit movies.  Although many of his movie choices have been questioned by forth graders these are usually mildly entertaining and the animation is always amazing.

I had a date with my very cute granddaughter, Rylee Rose.  She gets excited to go to "popcorn movies" with grandpa.  So do I.  Which movie we go to does not matter as long as we don't run out of popcorn and skittles (lots of sugar before returning her to mom).

Shaun is as the title says a sheep on a farm outside the city.  He is looking for a day off from the grind on the farm.  He and the other sheep trick the farmer to fall asleep instead of working.  Problems arise when the trailer they store him in rolls into town.  He bumps his head and gets amnesia.  The sheep have to go into town and find the farmer while avoiding the dog catcher that wants to throw them in the pound.  Yes this is a true story and yes this is a documentary.  : >

Funny thing is my beautiful date after ninety seconds proclaimed she didn't like this movie.  A hand full of popcorn and a few more minutes into the movie and her attention was held.  Rylee sat still and watched the whole movie.  Laughed several times.  I was entertained.  I feel sure Mark Byrd will buy the dvd.

The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

Rating 8 out of 10

I am old enough to remember the Man from U.N.C.L.E. tv show.  My dad liked it when I was a kid.  Don't remember much about it except Dad was a fan.  This movie is an interesting take on that time period in the 1960s with the cold war US vs the Russians.  That makes this movie sound boring and it is most definitely not boring.

The movie starts with a cat and mouse game against American super spy and Russian super spy trying to get their hands on Gabby Teller.  Her uncle is rumored to be on the verge of making a nuclear bomb and of course selling it to the bad guy of top dollar.  She can get to him.  Napoleon Solo (US spy- Superman Henry Cavill) and Illya Kuryakin (Russian spy- Lone Ranger Armie Hammer) can't stand each other.  They are forced to work together to save millions.  The cute Gabby Teller (Alicia Vikander) is there to help.

The movie flows well.  The acting is very good.  Good writing.  Lots of action when needed but not over done.  The movie has a tongue in cheek feel similar to the early Bond films.  I was entertained and when the next UNCLE movie comes out I'll go see it.

The Gift

The Gift

Rating 6 out of 10

This is a slow moving movie with an interesting premise.  A younger good looking couple, Simon and Robyn, move to sunny California from Chicago after he gets a new job and after a recent miscarriage.  Simon grew up near by and knows the area well.  Not long after moving in they see a guy from Simons high school at the local mall who becomes pushy wanting to be good friends.  When he figures out where they live he shows up unannounced and never wants to leave.  Gordon (Gordo) is definitely strange and turns out there is bad blood from the HS days.

This movie was written and directed by Joel Edgerton (who also plays Gordo).  I like Joel alot from the very underrated movie Warrior a couple years ago.  Simon and Robyn are played well enough by Jason Bateman and Rebecca Hall.  Rebecca has fallen to the Hollywood starlet trend of cutting all her hair off which I'm not thrilled with.  I do like all the actors involved.

The problem with a movie like this is you have to show alot of it in the previews to get the people to go see it.  Then you have showed so much of it in the previews there isn't much new to see.  Until the last 10-15 minutes the movie plays out just as you expected.  Left me feeling a little bored wanting the big show down I knew as coming to get here.

I"m not sure why the movie critics have fallen in love with this movie.  It stands at 93% on www.rottentomatoes.com.  I was mildly entertained.  It would make a good rental if you don't watch the previews.

Fantastic Four

Fantastic Four

Rating 3 out of 10

You know me.  If it's a big action movie my butt is in the seat.  Make it a superhero movie where people fly around and blow up bad guys I am there.  Sometimes the critical movie critics don't give these cool action movies their due and reviews are unfairly harsh.  This is not one of those movies.  Fantastic Four currently stands at 9% on www.rottentomatoes.com and that may be a tad high.  This movie sucks folks.

Imagine a Spiderman movie where the first hour and forty minutes they show how the spider bit poor Peter Parker and allowed him to shoot webs from his wrists then finished with a lame eight minute showdown with an underwhelming bad guy.  That is Fantastic Four.  The movie starts with Reed Richards (stretchy guy) in the 8th grade and slowly proceeds from there.

I am a Miles Teller fan.  He was fantastic in Whiplash and funny in the underrated That Awkward Moment.  He tries here but there is just not much he can do.  The rest of the acting is not very good.  Most of the action scenes you will have seen in the flush of commercials over the past month or two.  Drives me nuts too when the leads get these super powers and instead of being rock stars in the world they are outcasts and can't wait to shed those powers.  Of course there is the obligatory evil military section to the movie.  How horrible that the satan general wants the Thing to go into battle and save American lives.

You need to skip this one completely folks.  Not even worth renting.

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation

Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation

Rating 7.5 out of 10

I was looking forward to seeing this movie.  I have seen the previous Mission:Impossible movies and while I enjoyed them I never had the desire for a second viewing on DVD or cable.  The preview is packed with action and adventure for Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his gang.  I'm sure somewhere in there they would save the world.

The movie starts with the exciting Hunt on the outside of a plane trying to get in as it takes off.  The plane has enough nerve gas to wipe out a city and bad guys wanting to use it.  Some genius in Washington decides the IMF is obsolete and should be disbanded.  They are just not needed anymore.  didn't you read about the nerve gas on the plane???  When the government guy (Alec Baldwin) shuts everyone down Hunt goes rogue knowing there is one big plan to release enough money to fund the bad guys in terrorism for many years to come.

There is a ton of action and things that go boom.  Cool motorcycle riding and car chases.  My issue with this and all the other MI movies is they just tend to over think everything and make things way more complicated than they need to be.  The very cool scene where Cruise jumps in the big whirlpool of water holding his breath to get the bit of secret information is great to look at.  But hold a gun to my head and I couldn't tell you what exactly he was in there to get.

Still it is an exciting movie and I was entertained.  If you liked any of the first MI movies you will enjoy this one.

Southpaw

Southpaw

Rating 6 out of 10

I generally like boxing movies.  From the Rocky's to Cinderella Man.  Off the top of my head I can't think of a real bad boxing movie.  I liked Southpaw.  Didn't love it as much as some of my friends did, but I was entertained.

Billy Hope (Jake Gyllenhaal) is the current middleweight boxing champion of the world.  His style is a little unorthodox as he lets the other guy beat him to a pulp for ten rounds then uses that to get mad and knock the other guy out.  His beautiful wife Maureen (Rachel McAdams) is afraid his beatings will leave his head full of mush and wants him to quit.  Out of the blue a mouthy challenger pushes the wrong buttons on hot head Billy and very bad things happen.   Hope loses literally everything.  Finds himself living in a flop house and cleaning a low rent boxing gym after hours run by an old guru boxing instructor Tick Wills (Forest Whitaker).  As luck would have it Hope gets a shot at the title that is now owned by the loud mouth contender.  It's up to Tick Wills to whip him into shape physically and mentally in six weeks!

While it is a little paint by the numbers for me it is very well acted.  I could see Gyllenhaal getting an Oscar nod from this. Forest Whitaker is always good as is Rachel McAdams.  It helps the less you know about boxing.  Still I was entertained.

Ant Man

Ant Man

Rating 7.5 out of 10

While I am sure my comic book nerd brother inlaw knows all about the Ant-Man character and has read all the books I (like most of you) had never heard of him.  Even laughed a bit about a super hero that takes on the powers of an ant.  Crazy.  Also if compiling my list of male actors I would have never guessed to play a super hero Paul Rudd would be in my top ten along with Jack Black, Kevin James and the four guys on Big Bang Theory.    Turns out Rudd is not so pudgy now.  Worked out and pulled it off.  He does a good job.

Back in the 80's Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) invents the way to shrink the space between atoms thus making whatever he points his cool zapper toward becomes teeny tiny.  Amazingly enough instead of the people around him seeing all the wonderful things it can do they instead want to use it to weaponize and sell to the highest bidder.  Who woulda thought?  He puts them off for many years until after his retirement his young protege (Corey Stoll) puts together the missing pieces and figures it out himself.  Dr. Pym is now too old to put on the Ant suit so he recruits Scott Lang (Rudd) to shrink down and stop the protege from completing the suit and selling it to bad guys.

The action and effects are pretty good.  As I said Rudd does a good job.  Evangeline Lilly plays Dr Pym's helpful daughter (with the worst haircut since Bryce Dallas Howard in Jurassic World).  This is an entertaining movie.  It is definitely a notch or two below a more serious Avengers movie.  Hard to take it too serious when the big show down is on a toy train set.  Still when Ant-Man II comes out I'm sure my butt will be in the seats.

Trainwreck

Trainwreck

Rating 8.5 out of 10

When I first saw trailers on this movie I had moderate interest at best.  I have seen the movies writer and star, Amy Schumer, on talk shows and found her kinda funny.  She tends to go with the one joke premise of being loose with the guys.  Her love interest in the movie, Bill Hader,  I didn't care for at all.  I haven't watched Saturday Night Live since the 70's and the couple of other movies I had seen him in he was a bit of a dufus.  Plus I am not a big Lebron James fan.  Was he going to stare at the camera and beat his chest after every line he gets right?   Still there were a couple funny lines in the preview and more to the point it was one my hot date wanted to see.  Ant Man you will have to wait.  I'll sit thru this one.

I'll be damned if this movie didn't make me laugh.  A lot.  I don't think I have seen a movie this year that was as funny or even anything in recent memory.  Amy did a good job of writing.  I'm not sure if this was the first movie she has written or not.  There were a couple times it seemed a little rookie like while most of the movie had one good line after another.

In Trainwreck when Amy was a little girl when her parents were divorcing her sleezeball but likable dad tells her and her sister over and over that people are not meant to have one mate.  It's just not natural.  While her sister goes the traditional path and settles down and has kids.  Amy follows her dads advice and has one night stand after another.  She writes for a low rent National Enquire type magazine that leads with stories like the six ugliest celebrity kids or how to talk your girlfriend into a three way.

When the magazine out of the blue asks her to do an article on a sports medicine doctor that specializes in knee operations for big name sports stars she balks as she knows nothing about sports and cares even less.  The doctor (Hader) turns out to be charming and against her better judgement begins to fall for him.  

The courtship has many funny moments and even a couple sad ones that were well written.  Lots of great sports cameos.  As much as I hate to admit it even Lebron does a good job.  I was entertained.  My only wish is that I had seen it in a big theater of laughing people instead of the early show.  I may have to plunk down a few pesos and see this one again on a weekend night.

Minions

Minions

Rating 3 out of 10

I loved Despicable Me movies 1&2.  Both made my top ten lists the years they were released.  Unlike many I was not one that was amused by the little yellow Minions and had no plans to see this movie.  Sometimes you see a movie because the person you are with really wants to see it and there is nothing else out there.  This was that case.  If you are amused by the pill shaped yellow things that speak some sort of weird mumbling then you will enjoy this movie.  For me it was like watching someone scratch on a chalkboard for ninety one minutes.

This movie is intended to be a prequel to the Despicable Me movies.  It seems Minions just came walking out of the sea back in the dinosaur days.  They do not age or change in appearance.  Their goal is to find an evil person or thing to follow.  The movie follows along the years where they find despicable people along the way from a T-Rex to Napoleon.  They finally find the queen of evil in England who plans to steal the crown thinking somehow that would make her queen.

The plot is very secondary.  Again it goes back to if you think they are cute you will enjoy this movie.    I would have rather worked in the yard.

SELF/LESS

SELF/LESS

Rating 4 out of 10

I felt this movie had potential even though I put expectations on low going into the theater on a rainy Florida day during my sons baseball tournament week. A ruthless billionaire is dying.  He is approached by a secret group that has figured out how to transfer his brain functions into the body of a thirtysomething hard body to add an exciting 40-50 years onto his life.  Comes with a hefty price tag tho.  $250 million.  What the heck.  Can't take it with you.  Life is good at the start.  Driving a fast sports car and dating supermodel looking women.  What could go wrong?  Turns out he has to take a daily red pill to keep his brain in control of the new body.  If he misses a day he begins to have flashback memories of the guy who's body he has taken over.

As I said this movie had potential.  Good actors.  Ben Kingsley and Ryan Reynolds.  Flashy New Orleans scenery.  The problem is the story just turns into total nonsense.  Walking out of the theater I had this movie at a decent six.  Upon reflection later the rating dropped by two.  Tomorrow it may be three.

Ryan Reynolds tries.  He really does.  The story is just too silly for him to work with.  The way the cold blooded rich guy reacts once he realizes he is in the body of a real person rather than a constructed body is just absurd.  They charge $250 million a shot and do the operation in a sleezy warehouse with plastic sheeting for walls?

If you are a huge Reynolds fan you can wait a month or so and this will be out on Redbox. Otherwise just skip it.

Terminator Genisys

Terminator Genisys

Rating 7.5 out of 10

I am a big fan of the first two Terminator movies.  T2 would probably make my top ten of all time with T1 close behind.  T-G is no 1 or 2, yet I still found it entertaining.

T-G kinda throws all the other Terminator movies into the blender on smoothie then pours it into a nice sometimes complicated cup for your enjoyment.  This is still a bit of a reboot with new actors playing Sarah Conner, John Conner and Kyle Reese.  Arnie is back as as the main Terminator and does a fine job sometimes as the old Terminator and sometimes the young Terminator.

I'm not going to try very hard to explain the plot.  Partly because it would have spoilers and partly because I'm not completely sure I understand it.  Doesn't matter.  The movie starts with young Kyle Reese meeting John Conner and eventually becoming his number one man.  They do a good job of explaining how the machines ultimately take over.  Reese jumps in the time machine and follows the Terminator back to save Sarah Conner.  Only this time when he gets there things have changed a bit.

The goal is still to stop the evil Sky-Net and their computers.  The action is incredible.  The special effects are very good.  It's cool to see young and old Arnie fight.  There is time travel and things that go boom.

If you liked the other Terminator movies you will likely enjoy this one.  Not as much but you will feel you got your monies worth.

Max

Max 

Rating 6 out of 10

Taking the granddaughters to the movies.  Planned to see the animated film Inside Out, but it was sold out.  It was either this or Ted 2.  The girls were fine with the teddy bear movie.  I figured their mom would not be as thrilled.  Max it is.

Max is a military trained dog in Afghanistan.  His handler is Kyle who looks at the dog like family.  When he is tragically killed Max is deemed unusable by other soldiers.  They determine he will either be adopted by the Kyle's family or put down.  The family takes the dog in and puts Kyles younger brother with an attitude in charge.  The brother, Justin, at first wants nothing to do with the dog.  Later there is a side plot of bad Mexican cartels buying guns.

This is a cute enough movie that not long ago would be a Hallmark/Lifetime movie of the week.  It's mostly predictable but in a good way.  The acting is paint by numbers yet good enough.  Some actors you will recognize.

I was entertained.  Probably a good rental.

Magic Mike XXL

Magic Mike XXL

Rating 1 out of 10

Okay we know out of the gate when they did focus groups on this movie they didn't aim it toward 50 year old white guys.  I really wish I had listened.  I rented the first Magic Mike movie and found it to be all over the place.  Poorly shot and written by third graders.  Sad to say Magic Mike XXL is filmed just as poorly.  It looks like it was shot on my old betamax camcorder.  The third graders that wrote the first one were not available so they hired their younger brothers.  Even for this type of movie this is a waste of film stock.  I took my hot date to this movie and she was so bored and aggravated we left before it was over.  I'm sure we missed the big ending.  I'll have to live with that.

The plot, if you can call it that, goes like this.  Mike (Channing Tatum) has moved on from his exotic dancing and has a custom furniture business.  When the band of hunks roll into town on their way to a big male dancer extravaganza in Florida he decides to join in for one last ride.  They travel in a roach coach with plenty of unexplained stops along the way.  Kinda appropriate they ride in a roach coach as they take drugs and drink the whole way.

This is such a mess.  The dialog seems like it's made up on the spot with actors given a general idea what the plot is and told to improvise.  The dancing is pretty comical.

This was a total waste of money and time.  I was not entertained.

Ted 2

Ted 2

I have to admit I was not a fan of Ted 1.  I did not see it in the theaters.  Had no desire to.  My oldest son gave me his dvd to watch even though he was pretty sure I wouldn't like it.  He was correct.  I didn't care for it one bit.  Nothing funny to me with a cute teddy bear that drops F-bombs and smoked dope all day.  I am in Cincinnati watching it rain out my son's baseball game and went to Ted 2 because everyone else wanted to see it and there was nothing else on.

While I'd say for me Ted 2 is far from a good movie but it did have some very funny laugh out loud parts and it was better than Ted 1.

Ted 2 starts several years after Ted 1 with Ted marrying a way too hot female.  A year later Ted and wife are fighting like crazy.  Ted and his best buddy John (Mark Wahlberg) decide the best way to save the marriage is to have a child.  The problem is Ted is a teddy bear and has no male private parts.  In trying to adopt a baby it puts Ted on the governments radar who determines he is not human and now has no rights at all.  They are fighting it in court and lucky for them the pretty blonde lawyer (Amanda Seyfried) gets severe headaches and smokes a bong load of pot every evening.

Seriously if you go to this movie it's not to see a plot.  While still plenty of cussing and drug humor it is toned down a bit from the last one.  As I said there were some laugh out loud moments.  I was mildly entertained.  If you loved the first one you will undoubtedly love this one too.

Jurassic World

Jurassic World

Rating 7 out of 10

I have to admit I LOVED Jurassic Park.  I think I gave it one of my very few 10's back in 1993.  So the bar was set very high for this movie.  It comes close to the bar but in my opinion does not reach it.

With Jurassic World we fast forward 23 years from when the original Park went haywire and people were eaten.  They now feel they have it under control and it's been a type of Disney World with teeth for many years.  People flock to Costa Rica to see dinosaurs up close.  Little kids ride them like ponies.  People kayak along creeks with them.  Huge whale sized shark fish do tricks like Sea World. Already people are getting bored with dinosaurs.  The corporate types are feeling the need to up the ante every couple years to keep attendance up.  As you have seen in the hundreds of commercials to get people in the park they decide to create the biggest, coolest, meanest dinosaur ever.  Amazingly enough that doesn't go well.  People get eaten.

Million$ are spent on the dinosaurs.  No much was spent on the paint by numbers storyline.  I know, what am I thinking?  A complicated plot on a dinosaur movie?  They had a check list.  Need a heartless corporate type that only cares about the bottom line.  Check (Bryce Dallac Howard).  Hunky ultra-maintaince man type that cares for the toothy dinosaurs like they were his kids. Check (Chris Pratt). Evil military guy that only wants to get his hands on the dinosaurs to use at weapons even tho it makes no sense. Check (Vincent D'Onofrio).  Floppy haired kid that needs a hair cut and gets on Royce's nerves.  Check.

This movie moves well and there are some cool dinosaurs.  My movie buddy Ted would say I'm being way too hard on it.  I probably am.  I was hoping for another 10 and got a 7.  Was surprised the special effects was not really any better than 23 years ago.  Shows how incredible the original was.

Still well worth seeing.  I was entertained.

Spy

Spy

Rating 6 out of 10

I broke my own rule about comedies.  I knew better.  It's just not a good idea to go to a funny movie at the early show with a mostly empty theater.  The jokes are just funnier with a theater full of people laughing instead of the one lady two rows behind me that laughs like a goof ball at EVERY joke! I saw this on a rain day in Mobile, Alabama with six other people in the theater.

Not a huge plot here.  A really bad woman ,Raina Boyanov, (Rose Byrne) has a nuke she is selling to the highest bidder with plans of them setting it off in NYC.  Somehow she has a list of all current CIA agents and can spot them a mile away.  Susan Cooper (Melissa McCarthy)  is a long time CIA agent that works in the office running the computer and talking to other agents in the field.  When they need someone to locate Raina, Susan feels she is the woman for the job since no one knows who she is.

Of course Cooper is bumbling and does everything wrong.  Jason Statham plays agent Rick Ford who is afraid of no one and wants to take the woman down against the wishes of the bosses.  Statham is actually pretty funny.  I like Melissa McCarthy.  I was a big fan of her tv show Mike and Molly for the first couple years.  While watching this movie I had to think another actress would have been better suited.  Not sure who I'd pick, but someone like a stockier Tina Fey would be great.

I laughed.  Had I seen this in a Friday night full theater I probably would have laughed more.  I used to like Rose Byrne.  Now I wish she'd eat a cheeseburger.  She is so skeleton skinny she is not even pretty anymore.

I was entertained.  If the trailer looks good to you then I"d say you won't regret spending your money.

San Andreas

San Andreas

Rating 6.5 out of 10

With this movie you get what you see in the trailer.  A disaster movie that reminds of the old Earthquake or Towering Inferno movies of the 70s with much better special effects.  You don't expect too much just huge buildings falling right and left and Duane "the Rock" Johnson's huge biceps flexing.  This movie delivers for what it aims for.  Campy action and over the top acting.

Ray Gaines (Johnson) is an ace helicopter pilot on a search and rescue team outside Los Angeles.  Everyone has heard of the dreaded San Andreas fault that runs along the spine of California and how one way the big one would destroy everything.  That time has finally come and it looks like San Francisco is going to get the worst of it.  That's bad for the residents of San Fran but also bad for Ray Gaines as his daughter is there and he must save her.  After he pulls is soon to be ex-wife off the top of a tall building as it's falling during one of the many earthquakes they head North to San Francisco to get their daughter.  It's all action from there.

This movie is entertaining.  You know what you are expecting.  You will get that and not a penny more.

Pitch Perfect 2

Pitch Perfect 2

Rating 8 out of 10

I enjoyed the first Pitch Perfect.  Not as much as my teenage son or my movie buddy Ted, but I liked it.  I didn't (and still don't) think one of the main characters, Fat Amy, was nearly as funny as everyone else did.  I do like the singing and synchronized moves all the groups make.

With Pitch Perfect 2 we join the ladies four years later.  Now most are seniors at the now famous Barton College.  The ladies have won the US Acapella Championships three years in a row.  When they are invited to do a show in front of the president there is disaster when Fat Amys pant's split and no underwear. They are banned from the US Championships and the only way to redeem themselves is to win the World Championships which no US team has ever done.  Rocket science it's not.

The song choices are spot on for the most part.  Dancing is good.  Just a fun way to blow a couple hours.  For me the absolute highlight of the movie is John Michael Higgins and Elizabeth Banks as the two commentators that constantly had me rolling with their un-PC comments.  "Acapella is for those girls not pretty enough to be cheerleaders".

I was entertained.  I would say a tick below the first one yet still worth watching.  My hot date sang every word and bounced in her seat to where I was afraid we we be asked to leave.  That was fun to watch too.

Tomorrowland

Tomorrowland

Rating 4 out of 10

This movie definitely wins with best advertising campaign of the year.  For months I have been seeing the small clips either in movie previews or later on the tv ads.  The clip of the cute girl picking up a pin with a funky looking T on it and is magically taken to another world where people are using jet packs and George Jetson is flying his car to Spacely's Space Sprockets for work.  The ad's show all the pizazz without a clue what the movie is about.  That pretty much describes the movie.  The movie is amazing to look at.  Almost no plot to speak of. 

The movie starts with the young girl Casey (Brittany Robertson from the tv show Under the Dome) who is so smart she helps her rocket scientist dad solve complicated problems yet is so upset they are closing down NASA she keeps sabotaging the destruction of the space shuttle platform.  Thus she ends up spending the night in jail.  When she gets out she finds the cool round pin in her belongings with a big T (1964 Worlds Fair pen).  This magic pen when she touches gives her a glimpse of Tomorrowland.  She later finds out she is being recruited by a little girl to help save the world and Tomorrowland which was built years ago when the smart people realized we were destroying our planet.  

We are half way thru the movie before pretty boy George Clooney joins.  He was recruited when he was a child then thrown out later for not conforming. When Casey shows up on his doorstep it sets off some alarm that sends robot guys there to destroy them both (go figure).  We then find out the people in Tomorrowland realized the crazy way humans have ruined Earth they don't want them up there to ruin it too. Insert Clooney's politics here. The ending will leave you scratching your head if you are still awake. 

The movie runs an hour forty seven minutes and seems much longer.  The visuals were as I said incredible.  The story was boring nonsense.