A Good Day to Die Hard Review

The Good: Well Bruce Willis is BACK! The Good: TONS of action. There was so much unnecessary, but fitting, action in this film which would come at no surprise for Die Hard fans. The car chase scene from the beginning of the film sets you up roller coaster ride of suspense, and did I mention Action? Die Hard Fans will definitely appreciate the memorable moments.

The Bad: The father-son relationship seemed a little unnecessary. The whole "I hate you dad...you were never there for us! " thing just got tired real quick. Also, unfortunately the trailers seemed to have given away maybe 3/4 of the action scenes. So by the time you see them, you already know what's about to happen. The twist in the story line is also mild at best, and the movie was just sooo short. (only 1hr 30mins)

 The Reason: While I do think that Die Hard fans will be way more excited to watch and appreciate this, I think it's safe to say that this would be theater worthy if you're an action fan. It would also make for a great rental, but with all the explosions and gun fire, seeing it on the big screen does bring some value to the viewing experience.

Rating: 6.5/10

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The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete Review (2014)

The Good: Really nice performances from Skylan Brooks (Mister) and Jennifer Hudson. They do a pretty nice job of portraying the dynamics of a strained mother/child relationship affected by drug use and poverty. I suppose if I have to say something good about Anthony Mackie I'd say he did a great job at looking like NBA star James Harden in this film.

The Bad: The character development of many of the supporting cast just didn't seem well grounded. For example Jordin Sparks' character seemed to just pop out of nowhere, and her friendship with Mister just didn't come off as natural. Seemed like the director just put her in the movie as a favor or something. Not only was the character development lacking, but so were many other issues in the story itself. There seemed to be more holes in the overall story than actual resolutions. (e.g. The store keeper's actions at the end, or Anthony Mackie's character entirely)

The Reason: This wasn't an entirely bad movie to watch, but it wasn't something you could plan your night around either. It has some rather depressing or sad issues that it deals with, so it's far from a "pick me up" type of movie. This would movie would probably be best for someone who's taking a sociology class or someone who can relate to being in the inner city. It's on Netflix and is ONLY worth the watch if you like the trailer. It is also available on DVD here as well. Otherwise, you're not missing much if you don't see this.

The Rating: 6/10

Interstellar Movie Review

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The Good: As expected, Matthew McConaughey shows off his Oscar Award winning acting chops as well as the supporting cast. The visual effects are great, especially with the help of the 70MM camera used to film it. (Movie purists will appreciate that) One of the most interesting things was the unique look at the effect of space-time relativity and various philosophies that impact our relationships with others. Of course Christopher Nolan delivers a multi-layered story filled with philosophical and scientific nuggets to leave you thinking, wondering, and questioning things even after you've finished watching. It was also enjoyable to have a bit of comedic relief from the military robots. (They may remind you of R2-D2 from Star Wars)

The Bad: Typically with Christopher Nolan films, you're in for a 2-3 hour movie. It's not necessarily the length that is troublesome (because the plots usually keep you locked in), but rather it's the complexity of the many layers buried into the plot. Watching a Nolan film is like going to a university lecture with actors doing the presentation. I'm not saying that it's a bad thing to have deeply intellectual storylines, but I do think that it's fair to say that the average movie goer (who doesn't like sci-fi) isn't always trying to overthink things while trying to watch the film. Some of the concepts in the movie will either require for some people to rewatch the movie again, or go back and read a wikipedia page about it to make sure you really understood what happened. (Like yours truly did)

The Reason: The honest truth is that this movie is for us sci-fi lovers. If you're a fan of Nolan, you'll love this automatically. If you're an average movie goer, who hates the Syfy (SciFi Channel) and couldn't care less about special relativity, then I'd say take caution before watching this film. Similar to the movie Gravity, I believe that this is the type of movie that should be watched on a big screen so that you can get the full experience intended by the director. ONLY go see it in IMAX if you know that you'll appreciate good camera work. This is not like Avatar or Transformers, because nothing is in 3D or all in your face. (3D wasn't needed for the film anyway) This is probably the best and most authentic sci-fi film that we have to date outside of the typical Star Wars and Star Trek series, in my opinion.

The Rating: 8/10


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Edge of Tomorrow Movie Review (2014)

The Good: Tom Cruise doesn't disappoint with his delivery of sci-fi action. Surprisingly, there was a bit of comedic relief with all the "repeats" that occur in the film. One of the best aspects of the movie is how they don't really waste that much time with all of the time loops. You get the idea that he has to repeat the day, and the well planned editing allows us to explore all of the possibilities in the film's story.

The Bad: The supporting cast really didn't seem all that...well supportive. They seemed to just be extras who only become relevant later in the film. Beyond that there may be some out there who find issue with the ending. You will have to pay attention to detail, so there may be some confusion with some of the storyline if one isn't careful. Because of that, some people some may view the ending as a bit anti-climactic. Finally, the movie does seem to feel a little long with all of the continuous time loop possibilities that it seeks to explore.

The Reason: This movie could be easily summed up as Groundhog Day + Elysium+ Oblivion + The Matrix 3. The story is original but you can't help but feel as though many parts of it are recycled. Either way, if you're into sci-fi movies and a decent amount of action, it's worth your time. I'd say it makes for a solid rental to watch at home.

The Rating: 7.5/10

Nightcrawler Movie Review (2014)

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The Good: Jake Gyllenhaal does a great job with his character, "Lou". He really makes you believe that his character is truly disconnected from the normal world. So much so, that some scenes may make you feel slightly uncomfortable the more you realize just how strange "Lou" really is. His overall development is probably the main thing that will keep you interested. Another highlight is the moral ambiguity that the movie tries to press. Was "Lou" wrong for recording "news" the way he did or was it just part of the business?

The Bad: Outside of Jake's character, there really isn't very much to help this movie stay interesting. From the supporting actors to the plot itself, there's just nothing else to really keep you actively engaged. So if you are disinterested in his character, you pretty much have very little reason to continue watching the film altogether.

The Reason: I think that despite some really good acting from Gyllenhaal, this movie just isn't worth your money this weekend. I honestly don't think that many people will want to rent it either. But for movie enthusiasts, who appreciate good acting and a dark suspense genre, this may be something you simply add to your iTunes queue in the far future. Save your money for now.

The Rating: 6.5/10