Actors: Jennifer Anniston, Jason Sudeikis, Emma
Roberts, Will Poulter, Nick Offerman, Kathryn Hahn, Ed Helms
Rating: 8 out of 10, Jennifer Anniston in her
underwear– I was all in. It turned out to be a very low brow, very unapologetic
comedy that had my wife and I laughing out loud almost continually. I’m sure the
critics will lambast the crude level of comedy but this was honestly very funny
stuff. I did mention Anniston in her underwear, right? She’s
really carving out a niche as a middle aged hottie and whatever she’s paying
her personal trainer is money well spent. Jason Sudekis A movie
about a drug dealer, a stripper, a street person, and a dork posing as a model
family while smuggling several tons of weed out of Mexico doesn’t seem like fertile
comedy ground. It was.
MVP: Miss Anniston, in flagrante as Sarah/Rose
Actors: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Diane
Lane, Russell Crowe, Antje Traue, Christopher Meloni, Kevin Costner
Rating: 9 out of 10, It’s a
much darker take on the Superman legend. My wife was really taken with the new
actor playing the lead. She was emoting vigorously anytime he appeared on
screen without his shirt on – I guess I‘ll have to start working out more. I
know the film hasn’t been reviewed very well but I liked it. There was a little
too much of fights between people who couldn’t hurt each other but the action
was relentless and spirited. The acting
chops of the cast goes deep into the supporting actors. I liked the take Shannon made with General
Zod and Adams was her typical awesome.
MVP: Adams as a
much more believable and likable Lois
Lane
Actors: Paul Giamatti, Dustin Hoffman, Rosamund Pike,
Minnie Driver, Scott Speedman, Dustin Hoffman
Rating: 7 out of 10, A
fairly entertaining film chronicling the life of a Canadian television producer
who fights well above his weight in the love department. His story is told almost exclusively through flashbacks
which can be tricky but handled well here.
He’s introduced as a complete creep but we learn about his journey
through three marriages how he got to that point and we’re eventually allowed
to see there was more, well concealed depth.
This is one of those movies you’ll be tempted to give up on, but if you
hang in, you’ll be rewarded.
MVP: Hoffman as Barney’s artless yet loyal cop
father
Actors: Jaime Fox, Channing Tatum, Maggie Gyllenhaal,
Jason Clarke, Richard Jenkins, Joey King, James Woods
Rating: 7 out of 10, The
latest destruction of the White House with Channing Tatum once again establishing
his action star credentials. He even
found ways to have his shirt ripped off a couple times (for the ladies). There were some absolutely gaping holes in
the plot but we’re talking popcorn fare here.
I had some serious problems with the ludicrous military scenarios which were
obviously thought up in Hollywood
and not Ft Bragg. I ended up liking the
flick because there are a lot of funny side comments while things are blowing
up left and right. Any movie with Maggie Gyllenhaal and a mini-gun in the oval office is worth a watch.
MVP: Tatum as the Cale the shirtless savior
Actors: Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes, Ray
Liotta, Ben Mendelsohn, Rose Byrne
Rating: 6 out of 10, A very ambitious movie that
features Gosling only rarely falling into his patented thousand mile stare
method of acting. He plays a low life,
heavily tattooed crook trying to connect with an infant son. He has a tragic encounter with Cooper as a
wannabe good guy cop falling victim to his own ambition. The female characters are kind of wasted here
although Mendes wears the hell out of an early t-shirt. This movie had some
lofty goals but gets in its own way with a very clunky pace that had my finger
twitching towards the fast forward button.
A near miss but a clear one.
MVP: Bradley Cooper as Avery Cross the conflicted “good
guy”
Actors: Tye Sheridan, Jacob Lofland, Matthew
McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Sam Shepard, Michael Shannon
Rating: 9 out of 10, A story
about two Arkansas
redneck kids living on the river and helping a fugitive they find in a boat
stranded atop a tree doesn’t sound like the premise for a great movie. It is.
This is due in large part to the completely authentic performances of all
the actors but especially the young actors, led by Sheridan as Ellis, an
oversexed 14 year old with a hair trigger right cross and a belief in true
love. He alongside his partner, Neckbone
(I’m not kidding) help McConaghey figure out how to remove his “lucky” shirt – a
cool inside joke. A great look at a
seldom seen underside of America
where honor and love are just as important; maybe more so. A great movie.
MVP: Sheridan
as Ellis, more than willing to fight well above his weight
Actors: Ryan Reynolds, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Bacon,
May-Louise Parker, Stephanie Szostak, James Hong, Marisa Miller
Rating: 7 out of 10, Okay, but I held much bigger
expectations given the concept of deceased cops policing the supernatural back
on earth. I liked it a lot more on a second viewing. I thought going in that the
casting was superb with Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges as the leads. This should be right up Reynolds’ alley where
he could be at his smart ass, wisecracking best but for some reason he decided
to play it straight and serious. I don’t
know if it was the writing, direction, or this movie was shot during his
breakup with Scarlett, but he was pretty one dimensional which surprised
me. This movie just misses
because they don’t mine the deep well of comedic possibilities the concept
presents. It’s tough to like a movie
where the lead isn’t that likable. On
the up side Bridges obviously had a lot of fun with his over the top cowboy
ghost with coyote issues, Mary Louise Parker was delightful in a supporting
role, and Marissa Miller was, well Marissa Miller, nuff said..
MVP: Bridges as Roy the elder RIPD cop with Coyote
issues
