OFF WEEK - A Million Ways to Die in the West

I've had to concede to myself that there will be weeks in which I won't have time to update this blog. It's not necessarily because I won't have time to write a review; it's more based on the time, or lack there of, that I have to watch a movie.  I could write and have written in some instances about movies I like but haven't seen recently.  However, when I do that, I tend to not be nearly as motivated in my writing, and the blog suffers.  

In place of writing a crappy review here and there, I've just decided to write a short paragraph for those weeks about a movie that is coming out soon that I'd like to see or a movie I've never seen that I intend to watch as soon as time permits.  Some of these will classics, some will be indies of which you may have never heard, some may will be unreleased titles.  Regardless, it will turn out better than if I just force an entry about something I'm not really motivated to write.

The more I learn about this movie is the more unsure I am about it. I think it could be funny, but I think it could be too over the top. It's gonna go either way. It does have a lot of people in it that I really like, Giovanni Ribisi, Neil Patrick Harris, Liam Neeson. On the other hand, Seth MacFarlane hasn't ever impressed me outside of Family Guy. I never did watch Ted; it just seemed to crude for me, and that's saying something. I feel like there could be a lot of awesome gags in this flick,but at the same time, those gags could be really over used, too. I'll probably give this one a watch, but there's not way I'm paying $10.00 to see it in theaters with all the other awesome movies coming out this year. 

Don Jon

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlet Johansson, Julianne Moore

Directed by: Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Rating: I Liked It

When I first heard that Levitt was writing, directed, and starring in a movie, I was 100% on board. From his days on Third Rock from the Sun, I was a fan. Since he's taken on roles in 10 Things I Hate About You, The Dark Knight Rises, and Inception, among others, I've only come to appreciate his talent even more. However, writing/directing is a whole different ballgame than acting, but Levitt definitely stepped up to the plate here. 

I watched the movie, or started to I should say, with my roommate. She gave upon the film about twenty minutes in after the word "p***y" was used at least a couple of dozen times. She's not a fan of the word in general, but even someone who doesn't mind foul language at all might have been on the border line of offended in this case. Levitt knew what he was doing, though. He was setting up his character to make a huge change by the end of the film, and you can clearly see that transition. 

Jon (Levitt) is a guy who spends his days taking care of his body and his car, while his nights are spent picking up different women for meaningless sex. On top of that, no matter how good the sex is, Jon has a pornography problem. I won't spoil it, but he goes into detail explaining his fascination in the film. He also explains there are only so many things that he really cares about, the four things mentioned above (his body, his car, his girls, his porn), along with his "pad", his family, his church, and his boys. Pretty much anything else means nothing. 

Then, one night at the bar, he meets Barbara (Johansson), and he turns his life around in lots of ways. They start to get serious, but she's not interested in sex until after they meet each other's family and friends, Jon gets a good job and gets back in school...basically, until she's molded him into exactly what she wants him to be. Through all this time we meet his family and his friends, all while learning a little more about Jon. We see him make a transformation, learning a lot about himself and deciding that he needs to make some decisions. 

It's a cool story to watch unfold at my age. If you put the porn addiction to the side, Jon is just a twenty-something trying to figure out what's going on in his life, exactly what most of the people watching this movie probably are. For that matter, it might not be porn addiction, but most of us have something that complicates our life to the same degree, some thing that we think about too much and never let anyone else know about. Levitt just presents this phase of life in a very entertaining way. 

The story is good, and there are moments that are great, if only because of how real they feel. I remember one scene with Barbara and Jon in a department store very clearly feel really, really awkward. Once Julianne Moore's character, Esther, enters the picture, you get a good idea of how things are going to turn out for everyone. The casting in this movie was great, too, espeicially Jon's family. His sister, who doesn't say anything until her enlightening line toward the end of the film, which makes it all that more enlightening. 

All-in-all, I'd recommend giving this a watch. It's funny but real enough to let someone my age connect with the characters and story. It's not one I'll probably ever watch again, but I'm glad I finally sat down to watch it the one time through. 

OFF WEEK - Annie (2014)

I've had to concede to myself that there will be weeks in which I won't have time to update this blog. It's not necessarily because I won't have time to write a review; it's more based on the time, or lack there of, that I have to watch a movie.  I could write and have written in some instances about movies I like but haven't seen recently.  However, when I do that, I tend to not be nearly as motivated in my writing, and the blog suffers.  

In place of writing a crappy review here and there, I've just decided to write a short paragraph for those weeks about a movie that is coming out soon that I'd like to see or a movie I've never seen that I intend to watch as soon as time permits.  Some of these will classics, some will be indies of which you may have never heard, some may will be unreleased titles.  Regardless, it will turn out better than if I just force an entry about something I'm not really motivated to write.

I never really connected with the original film version of Annie as a kid, but I remember watching it a couple of times. I just watched the trailer for the original film on YouTube to compare it to this one, and even though I wasn't a huge fan of the original, I think it will be hard to duplicate, particularly in the area of characters. 

I think Jamie Foxx will pull off his role just fine, and I'm sure most of the other actors in less important roles will be good. My main concern is in the title role and seeing Cameron Diaz portray Ms. Hannigan. Carol Burnett has some big shoes to fill, especially in this iconic role. Just from the trailer, I don't know that Diaz has that spark. Furthermore, I can't see this capturing the musical magic that the original did more than thirty years ago. Maybe I'm wrong... I kind of hope so. This won't be a theater watch for me, but it's intriguing enough that I will probably give it a shot on home release. 

OFF WEEK - Transformers: Age of Extinction

I've had to concede to myself that there will be weeks in which I won't have time to update this blog. It's not necessarily because I won't have time to write a review; it's more based on the time, or lack there of, that I have to watch a movie.  I could write and have written in some instances about movies I like but haven't seen recently.  However, when I do that, I tend to note nearly as motivated in my writing, and the blog suffers.  

In place of writing a crappy review here and there, I've just decided to write a short paragraph for those weeks about a movie that is coming out soon that I'd like to see or a movie I've never seen that I intend to watch as soon as time permits.  Some of these will classics, some will be indies of which you may have never heard, some may will be unreleased titles.  Regardless, it will turn out better than if I just force an entry about something I'm not really motivated to write.

I wasn't a huge fan of the Transformers growing up, but the movies caught my interest when they were first announced. After watching the first one, I was enticed enough to continue watching the series. I have to say that Dark Side of the Moon was my favorite, thanks in large part to Alan Tudyk's appearance. He can make any movie a little better. 

Over the last couple of years, though, I've found a new appreciation for another actor, Mark Wahlberg. I always thought he kind of took himself too seriously, but after seeing some of his more comedic roles, I've changed my opinion on the topic. I think he'll be a cool addition to this franchise, and I think he'll be a better lead than Shia LaBeouf was. I don't dislike LaBeouf, but he's not exactly my favorite either. If nothing else, I'm excited to see robot dinosaurs. 

Robocop (2014)

Starring: Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton
Directed by: Jose Padiha
Rating: I Really Liked It

I have to start off by saying that it's been a few years since I most recently watched the original Robocop, but I've still got a pretty good idea of how it all went down in that movie. Still, I'm going to try and avoid a lot of comparisons, because I don't really remember the details well. This will be more of a straight up review of the remake, with just a little comparison to the original on a few key points. 

First, I think that Kinnaman did a great job as the title character. Whether he was trying to portray his more human side or was dealing with the machine taking over, you believed his actions, facial expressions, and demeanor. It's hard to see some characters portrayed by new blood, but this one was an easy transition. His supporting cast, particularly Oldman and Keaton, did an excellent job in their respective roles. 

Outside of casting, the pace of the movie felt good. It kicks off right away with a broadcast from The Novak Element, a fictional TV program hosted by Pat Novak (Samuel L. Jackson), offering a political commentary piece on the use of drones in American law enforcement. This fight is what kicks off the entire "robocop" program, seeking a way to put a machine on the streets of the US despite the laws that are in the way. It presents the loophole needed. From there, we jump right into the action that leads Det. Alex Murphy to a near-death explosion, creating the perfect candidate for the program. We quickly pick up the information we need to get into the rest of his story as Robocop, and the pace never slows. 

Despite the explosions and gunfire, the side of the story that appeals most to me is the internal struggle between man and machine. Dr. Norton (Oldman) initially leaves all that makes Murphy human in his mind, but is later convinced by Sellars (Keaton), the man funding the project, to do whatever it takes to make Murphy a more efficient machine. It's then that Norton removes all of Murphy's humanity, only to find later that the soul will find a way back to him. 

Another aspect of the movie that jumped out at me was the visual aspect. From the on-screen views of Murphy's computer display, to the sleep black color of his armor and motorcycle, to the completely beliveable, everyday future technologies, the filmmakers did a great job with the movie's look. It really all came to a head when we see Murphy stripped down to what little bit is left of his human side, a brain and a set of lungs with a heart, basically. All the rest of him we see is machine. 

To wind everything together, we do get a few direct throwbacks to the source material. The drug, Nuke, that makes a large appearance in the original makes a cameo in this remake, but doesn't take a center role like the original. We also get the classic "dead or alive, you're coming with me" line from Murphy. It's almost like a "yippe ki-yay" from John McClane. 

Overall, I say this is a great action flick. It kept me interested the entire run time, and I can't wait to see what else may come from the series to surely follow. I'd even recommend seeing this one in theaters. Not many movies out there deserve the money you have to spend to see it on the big screen, but if you're looking for a good shoot-em-up, this one is a good pick for it. 

OFF WEEK - The Bag Man

I've had to concede to myself that there will be weeks in which I won't have time to update this blog. It's not necessarily because I won't have time to write a review; it's more based on the time, or lack there of, that I have to watch a movie.  I could write and have written in some instances about movies I like but haven't seen recently.  However, when I do that, I tend to not be nearly as motivated in my writing, and the blog suffers.  

In place of writing a crappy review here and there, I've just decided to write a short paragraph for those weeks about a movie that is coming out soon that I'd like to see or a movie I've never seen that I intend to watch as soon as time permits.  Some of these will classics, some will be indies of which you may have never heard, some may will be unreleased titles.  Regardless, it will turn out better than if I just force an entry about something I'm not really motivated to write.

The last movie I saw with John Cusack that involved a motel in the middle of nowhere is one of my favorite suspense movies. Identity was a psyholigical thriller that leaves you guessing at every turn. This movie doesn't look like it's going to be exactly like that, but I do see some similarities, particularly the mystery around the bag. Plus, you've got De Niro in the movie, too, so, that doesn't hurt anything either. This will probably be a home movie experience for me, but I'm still intrigued. 

The Lego Movie

Starring: Chris Pratt, Will Arnett, Elizabeth Banks, Will Ferrell

Directed by: Phil Lord & Christopher Miller

Rating: I Liked It

While this movie carries a deserved 97% fresh rating over at Rotten Tomatoes, I don't think I'd personally give it a nine out of ten or better. I did enjoy the movie. It had moments that made me laugh, moments that made me feel all sappy, and a little bit of a deeper meaning for kids and adults. My slightly less than perfect rating may have something to do with the pops it was given before I went to see it. So many people were talking about how good it was that I was really just set up for a fall. 

The good parts were definitely good. Seeing the main character, Emmet (Pratt), who is just a regular everyday kind of guy, step up to give a speech in front of his superiors that include Batman, Abraham Lincoln, and Gandalf was fun. Watching the clever twist of names of real world elements (a tube of scratched up Krazy Glue becomes Kragle) was a lot of fun. Seeing Liam Neeson play both good cop and bad cop in the same character was great. The transition scenes made with real Lego pieces with audio provided by human sound effects were amazing. 

The best part about the movie, though, is the messages it sends, and I make that plural, because I believer there were two very distinct messages, one for adults and one for kids. The message for the kids was pretty straight forward: everyone is special; you just have to find out what it is that makes you special. It wasn't some new-age ideal about everybody getting a trophy, but more about how each individual has something special to offer to the world and working to find out what it is. The message to the adults watching the film was a little more in-depth. 

The movie starts with a pretty glaring political commentary. The best example is the TV show that is everyone's favorite, a mindless comedy, Where Are My Pants? We follow that up with the hit song, "Everything is Awesome" and find out its sung by everyone everywhere. The shocker comes when we learn that the villain of the movie is now the president of the world, using all of these things to distract the masses from his evil master plan. The movie doesn't focus on this directly, but it does make you think about how we live our lives. 

So, with everything I mentioned above, I'd have to say that I did enjoy the movie, and I would recommend it for kids of all ages, even though some of the gags are run a little in the ground. I definitely think it could wait for a DVD/Blu-Ray release. It's not a theater must-see. It has done well enough to already have talks of the sequel in the works.