Quick Description

Hate movie spoilers? Good! You'll get straight to the point, quick, and spoiler-free movie reviews to help you spend your time and money wisely on movies. I'll give you the Good, the Bad, the Reason, and the Rating about each movie. ***Please disable any popup blockers***

Monday, September 23, 2013

Prisoners Movie Review (2013)



The Good: Hugh Jackman does a stellar job, as you could probably expect from the trailer. Despite his questionable actions, he does an excellent job of portraying his character's struggles with blurring the lines of what's right or wrong. All of the supporting cast, especially Jake Gyllenhaal, do a great job of keeping this movie feeling authentic. The suspense of this movie doesn't take long to take effect, and it doesn't stop until the very end of the movie. The story line was original and full of twists and turns to keep you guessing.

The Bad: This movie was a little over 2.5 hours long. While the movie does use this time to develop the deep plot and character development, viewers may get a little lost with all of the details. The big reveals are not going to be plain as day if you're not paying attention or if you missed a few parts of the movie. I can foresee some people feeling a little dissatisfied, but later having that "ahh-haa" moment once certain parts of the movie are explained. (I'm guilty of this) A minor issue I didn't like was the fact that they never really show how the girls go missing in the beginning. (Don't worry that's not a spoiler.)

The Reason: This was a very emotional and suspenseful movie. If you have children, or young family members, try to think of them while watching this movie. That will help you relate the characters and really appreciate this movie the way it was intended. Be sure to pay attention because this movie is filled with details that are meant to be pieced together from the beginning to end. The moral questions that this movie raises definitely helps this movie stay relevant even after the credits. This film is more than worth your time and money. Go watch it and come back and let me know what you thought about it.

The Rating: 8.5/10

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Riddick Movie Review (2013)



The Good: Vin Diesel is a natural action star. He gives you the cool, rugged and edgy demeanor that we've come to expect and appreciate in an anti-hero. The action scenes were good and some parts were unexpectedly more gory than the trailer promoted. Riddick's survival skills are put on display for the first quarter of the movie, so if you're into shows like Man vs. Wild then this will pretty much be the same deal, except on another planet.

The Bad: As with many action flicks, this movie's story line was pretty flat. It's pretty predictable, just like the previous movies ( Pitch Black and Chronicles Of Riddick). Outside of Vin Diesel, the acting is pretty bad. Characters make cheesy jokes that warrant a chuckle or two at best. The entire two hours of this story probably could have been cut short if so much time hadn't been spent on showing just how much of a survivor Riddick can be. That part probably could've just been assumed with a few cut scenes. Lastly, one of the coolest things about Riddick is the fact that he can see in the dark. Unlike in the original Pitch Black movie where his eye sight made him so unique, it's barely highlighted in this film. That's kind of like having a batman movie without him using any gadgets or Superman barely ever flying.

The Reason: If you were a fan of the previous installments of this film series, then you'll more than likely enjoy this 3rd sequel. It's pretty much the same cookie-cutter formula that the others used, so don't expect anything radically different. The rated R rating is justified as this isn't really a movie for kids given the adult language, brief nudity, and violence.
Wait for this and watch it at home. Good movie, especially for fans, but not really worth spending theater money on.

The Rating: 6.5/10

Insidious 2 Movie Review (2013)




The Good: James Wan (Director) is a probably one of the best directors to do horror in our generation. He's done other movies such as Insidious, The Conjuring, Saw, and Dead Silence Movie. (BTW, he's also directing Fast & Furious 7). So yeah, James has earned my respect in the movie making business. The suspense of this movie doesn't disappoint. While it's not directly "In your face" scary, this movie's atmosphere screams creepy. It's to the point that you would never want to trade places with any of the characters in the movie. The story line is probably the best part of this movie because it's so layered. Dare I say it's probably the first time I've seen a horror film dig ALMOST as deep as Inception. (Yup I said it) So be sure to pay close attention. Oh and most surprisingly, this movie actually has some funny scenes. Those ghost hunter guys provide much needed comic relief aside from the time you're gripping your seat from all of the suspense.

The Bad: While the story line is masterfully done, it can be confusing for a few reasons. If you haven't seen Insidious 1, then you'll definitely miss out on the connections the movie tries to make. If you're the type to get up during the movie and go get food or take bathroom breaks (pet peeve), then you'll definitely miss out on some parts of the movie. Because the movie demands that you pay such close attention, I can see casual movie goers potentially being lost and confused during many parts of this movie.

The Reason: You should watch this movie because this is how horror movies are supposed to be done. The director doesn't do the lazy job of just using the stale, over used formula that we've come to see in recent horror films. The horror and suspense do not take long to pick up, and the movie's run time will not make you go to sleep either. Again, I'd recommend seeing the previous movie first because this sequel ties into the first one, and does a lot of jumping back and forth in time. (sort of) If you don't feel like watching the original again, (which you should because it was good) then feel free to read the wiki page of Insidious so that you at least won't be completely lost. I would definitely recommend this as theater watch, given that you follow my advice above. Besides you'll probably want to watch this in the theater anyway because creepy movies like this may not be that easy to watch at home, at night, by yourself, in the dark!

The Rating: 8.5/10