Man From UNCLE

Actors: Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander, Elizabeth Debicki, Hugh Grant

Rating: 7 out of 10, A reboot of the 1960’s TV series that was launched when the Bond films exploded on popular culture. I wasn’t a huge fan of the original TV series – I watched it – as any red blooded American boy was expected to do in the late 1960s. I always thought Illya Kuryakin was a lot cooler than the uber-suave Napoleon Solo which was out of step with what was pushed by Cold War sensibilities. I was excited to see Guy Ritchie at the helm as he always finds a way to inject some very sly humor into action flicks. Maybe I was expecting too much. I walked out thinking, well that was okay but I wanted to be dazzled while I was only mildly amused. The more I thought on it I realized the problem was Kryptonian. Superman was so stiff and deadpan that he failed miserably at capturing the wit and charm of Solo. The Lone Ranger (Armie Hammer) on the other hand was superb as Kuryakin, talk about a comeback. Its problematic, however, when a buddy picture only has one of the buddies operational. Ritchie made a gallant effort at trying to recapture the 1960s setting and the story was interesting enough but with Cavill apparently mainlining liquid kryptonite the film falls short. 

MVP: Hammer as the stiff but dangerous Kuryakin

Terminator Genisys

Actors: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Clarke, Emilia Clarke, Jai Courtney,

Rating: 8 out of 10, I know this movie is being skewered by critics and geekdom in general (of which I count myself a proud member) but I kind of liked it. I’ve always considered the series finished after the first two movies which remain near the top of my list of best sci fi movies ever. The third and fourth entries were gallant but abysmal when compared with the original two; lacking the Cameron touch certainly didn’t help. This movie picks up and re-tells the story from the first two movies with a new cast, except for the governator and a completely new premise. There’s more of the Kyle Reese life in the future with John Conner and of course an insidious Skynet upgrade of terminator technology. The story moves along smartly with the requisite non-stop battles, updated with 21st century CGI. The original plot is turned on its head but what I really liked was the almost continual odes to scenes from the first two movies. Some were more subtle than others but they permeate the film from beginning to end. In this re-boot Kyle returns to the past to find Sarah already up to film 2 levels of deadliness thanks to yet another “friendly” terminator’s arrival even earlier in her life. This leads to an interesting dynamic in the central love story between the two. The Khaleesi holds her own as Sarah but Jai Courtney is certainly no Michael Biehn. Ahhnuld figured out a way to age his character to explain away the ravages of the past thirty years and he remains the best thing about this latest movie. My only beef with the film is the toning down to reach a PG-13 rating. The first two movies rocked because of the unrestrained violence which provided the needed edge to outline the desperate struggle of Kyle and Sarah to save humankind. Missing that edge may have generated a few more adolescent ticket sales but hurts the movie. It certainly prevents it from joining the first two movies as epics. Of course I’m prejudiced when it comes to the “myth”.

MVP: Arnold in his signature role

Dracula Untold

Actors: Luke Evans, Sarah Gadon, Dominic Cooper, Art Parkinson, Charles Dance

Rating: 7 out of 10, It was a new take on Dracula (if that’s even possible) as Prince Vlad decides to rent the powers of the local vampire for a few days to head off an invading army of Turks.  He can return to human form if he resists “dining” for three days; you all know where that’s headed.  I liked the movie because it was pure escapism which is what my battered spirits needed at the time, no need to think, just enjoy the ride. Evans is an interesting actor and renewed his action credentials from his recent turn in the Hobbit trilogy. Unfortunately he takes really bad political advice from his advice but you had to see that coming.

MVP: Evans as the completely misunderstood bloodsucker

Focus

Actors: Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Rodrigo Santoro, Gerald McRaney

Rating: 7 out of 10, This is a Will Smith vehicle ably supported by Margot Robbie the unforgettable wife of the Wolf of Wall Street. Smith is excellent as always but labors under the pressure of a character who’s a really bad guy. Smith is probably the most likable actor in cinema today but here he plays a con man who orchestrates thefts at major social events. This type movie only works, at least for me, when the con men are ripping off guys that deserve to be victimized – someone lower on the loathsome scale than the thieves. There’s a few cute twists thrown in but I couldn’t get past the feeling these guys deserve to be incarcerated. Great chemistry between Smith and Robbie elevated it above those thoughts. I should have loved it, what with skimpily clad women, exotic locales and of course Miss Robbie, but I only liked it.

MVP: Robbie as the startlingly hot Jess

Jurassic World

Actors: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Vincent D'Onofrio, Ty Simpkins, Nick Robinson, Omar Sy, B. D. Wong, Irrfan Khan, Jake Johnson

Rating: 9 out of 10, I liked, but did not love the movie. It was a workmanlike effort with all the expected thrills and shocks but this is territory already well covered by the preceding films. Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard are very good in the lead roles but the signature endangered kid roles were glossed over. CGI dinosaurs have reached the point where they no longer have the same wonder the first films generated which means the story needs to make up the lack of compellable factor which isn’t really there. The plot involves a rejuvenation of the park from the earlier films, including some of the old sets (Easter eggs galore). Pratt plays the plucky adventurer with a flock of semi-trained raptors. There’s a needless evil industrial-military game going on behind the scenes which is exposed when the latest creation – a specially “designed” dinosaur escapes and wreaks havoc on humans and dinosaurs alike. The film tried to incorporate themes and plot lines from all three preceding films and this detracted. All this being said, it was a great little thrill ride, well deserving of summer popcorn status but it definitely does not soar.

MVP: Chris Pratt as Owen Grady, cementing his action credentials wrangling Raptors

Run All Night

Actors: Liam Neeson, Joel Kinnaman, Common, Ed Harris, Nick Nolte

Rating: 8 out of 10, Liam Neeson and Ed Harris as aging New York City Irish mobsters – never a bad bet. Their characters grew up as brothers and Neeson served as Harris’ designated assassin. The toll on Neeson’s soul was palatable as he’s become a drunken has been when the movie starts. They both have adult sons who are brought into conflict through a gaping plot hole but that, at least, allows the action to kick into high gear. Neeson sheds his alcoholic haze as soon as his son is threatened and proceeds to go all Brian Mills on legions of overweight Irish thugs while at the same time dodging the police as well as Common as a laser designated assassin sent after them. The action is pretty much non-stop after the catalyzing scene and while that is worthwhile you should see this movie for the scenes between Neeson and Harris. Both actors are in top form and you get a real sense of two old friends who reluctantly allow the mobster “guy code” to fracture their close relationship. This is definitely a “guy flick” as there are no female characters allowed any depth whatsoever. As with any action movie there are times when you have to suspend disbelief, such as how Neeson could be falling down drunk in the late afternoon transforming into the Millsian killing machine by early evening. Good movie with a lot of depth, all of it supplied by Harris and Neeson

MVP: Neeson, who else, as Jimmy Conlon, the father-assassin protecting his son

The Sting

Actors: Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Robert Shaw, Charles Durning, Harold Gild, Eileen Brennan

Rating: 9 out of 10, I couldn’t believe this wasn’t part of my film library and added it immediately upon realizing this shortcoming. The DVD is not a good quality but you can't dim the talent on the screen. Newman and Redford made two of the unlikeliest but likable buddies in movie history. Newman was all nuance while Redford was so much more than a pretty face. This is the mother of all con movies with Newman as the grizzled pro and Redford as the up and coming grafter. They decide to exact some revenge on Robert Shaw playing a truly evil Irish gangster who killed one of their friends. So many twists and turns with a fantastic ragtime score and authentic feel for depression era Chicago. One of the best films ever.

MVP: Newman, as Henry Gondorf, the ultimate in con artists

Tomorrowland

Actors: George Clooney, Hugh Laurie, Britt Robertson, Raffey Cassidy, Tim McGraw, Kathryn Hahn, Keegan-Michael Key

Rating: 7 out of 10, Tomorrowland immediately tapped into several pillars of my childhood fantasies. I actually attended the 1964 World’s Fair in New York City which is the starting point of this Disney vehicle although I think Clooney had more fun on his ride through It’s a Small World than I did. I wanted so much to love this movie because it did tap into those youthful dreams cultivated each Sunday night watching Disney’s Wonderful World of Color. It just misses though by effectively hiding the message of hope and imagination in an obscure plot. Clooney and the young female lead, Britt Robertson, are very good although they lose each scene they share with Athena (watch out for her in the future). The movie spends too little time in the fantastical Tomorrowland and too much getting the heroes there although it was instructive to learn where Gregory House ended up after his television show ended. The movie briefly soars with a siege at Clooney’s house and a glimpsed commercial but I wanted the whole thing to fly and it didn’t.

MVP: Raffey Cassidy emerges as Athena the conscience of Disney

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Actors: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, James Spader, Samuel L. Jackson

Rating: 9 out of 10, Josh Whedon was back at the helm for this sequel to one of my favorite movies of all time. He continues to do a fantastic job of melding all of the prodigious acting star power and plot lines he’s responsible for. It did lack the memorable gathering sequences of the first movie but the action was predictably non-stop and breathtaking at times. The Avengers must defeat an artificially intelligent uber-robot, voiced by the always droll James Spader, and his army of robots. At the same time a mind witch has all of them contemplating their navels for various reasons. While this did little to move the plot forward it did allow interesting insights into some of the origin stores. Whedon walks a delicate line of trying to do too much but accomplishes it through the talent of the actors and the sweet sometimes, amusing side comments and plot lines. It was everything I hoped for and that’s saying a lot.

MVP: Johansson as Natalia is sexy, dangerous, and complicated, in no particular order

Entourage

Actors: Kevin Connolly, Adrian Grenier, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara, Jeremy Piven

Rating: 7 out of 10, I went in to this with a little restraint because the last couple seasons of the television show were horrible. It’s sad when a favorite shown descends into mediocrity and I was interested to see if the movie could recapture some of the whimsical charm of the first seasons. They did. The boys have all grown up a little, well except for Drama, and Ari was toned down a bit to save his marriage. The plot involves Vinny Chase directing his first movie using Ari’s money. The briefly clad females and most of the original characters are all back swirling in Vinnie Chase’s wake. This was a real cameo-a-palooza where virtually everybody in Hollywood stops by for a few seconds. Ronda Rousey has a bit part because that seems to be almost required nowadays. The best part of the recaptured charm though was the relentless attack on the overwhelming pretention of the movie business which rang so true. It was a nice escape for a couple hours with old friends.

MVP: Dillon as the always underappreciated older brother Johnny Drama

Spy

Actors: Melissa McCarthy, Jason Statham, Rose Byrne, Miranda Hart, Bobby Cannavale, Allison Janney, Jude Law
Rating: 9 out of 10, Downright hilarious, one of the funniest films I’ve seen in a very long time. McCarthy is tone perfect as an underutilized CIA employee whom the field agents rely on but who never gets her chance to shine. This changes with an unexpected death as she is thrust into the middle of a nuclear weapons crisis. I have not laughed this hard or continuously, while sober, in years. It’s obvious McCarthy adlibbed a number of her lines which are the strength of the hilarity; especially when she and Rose Byrne are playing off each other. The women dominate this flick with Allison Janney stealing some scenes as McCarthy’s boss. Jason Statham is outrageously funny doing a perfect send up of himself as a self-important yet ultimately clueless spy whom McCarthy has to rescue. The dialogue is unremittingly profane which I kind of liked, why can’t women swear like dock workers or male action stars. This film may actually be a game changer because it is a female driven action comedy that works on every level. Go see this, as long as your tolerance of the f-word is high, you won’t be disappointed
MVP:   McCarthy as Susan the wonder spy

Furious 7

Actors: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Kurt Russell, Jason Statham

Rating: 9 out of 10, You don’t go into a Fast and Furious movie expecting grand thespian adventures. What you do get is a series of car stunts, beautiful women, totally impossible action sequences, and some real heart. This was strange on a couple levels. First and foremost was knowing Paul Walker died in the middle of filming. Wondering how they would handle it was in the background throughout. I won’t go into detail in case you haven’t seen it but I thought it was perfect. Understanding we’re not talking War and Peace here but it was classy, poignant, and true to the themes of the series. Nuff said. The other strange aspect was seeing my wife’s favorite boy toy, Jason Statham, as the villain. He’s so charismatic that it was tough reimagining him as truly evil, but he gave it a worthy effort. The film itself was a thoroughly enjoyable romp through the misadventures of the Furious gang, elevating their scams to the global terrorism arena. Needless to say there were the usual plot holes you could drive one of their souped up cars through but this is to be expected and almost reveled in. A lot of harmless fun if you go in sans your Oscar ballot and need for reality.
MVP:  Diesel as Toretta, because this will always be Diesel's show

 

Mad Max Fury Road

Actors: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Nicholas Hoult, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Riley Keough, Zoë Kravitz, Abbey Lee, Courtney Eaton

Rating: 10 out of 10,  picks you up from the first scene of an unfortunate two headed lizard’s demise and deposits you two hours later absolutely spent from the unrelenting action. While this may have Tom Hardy billed at the title character this is Charlize Theron’s movie despite Hardy being a fantastic reboot of the character Mel Gibson lofted to iconic status. Max is making his way through the desolate landscape dodging marauders and memories when he’s accosted by the minions of a truly terrifying warlord. His subsequent road to escape and teaming up with Theron is amazing in the minute details, the horrific battles, and the stunning exterior shots. Make sure you see this movie and see it on the big screen to truly enjoy it. Be warned though, you may leave needing an oxygen mask – great movie!!!!!!

MVP:   Theron as Furiosa – dominates!

Insurgent

Actors: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Ashley Judd, Jai Courtney, Ray Stevenson, Zoë Kravitz, Miles Teller, Kate Winslet, Octavia Spencer, Naomi Watts, Suki Waterhouse, Rosa Salazar, Daniel Dae Kim, Jonny Weston, Emjay Anthony.

Rating: 8 out of 10,  I’d hazard to say this was even better than the first movie which is hard to do with a sequel. Shailene Woodley continues to blaze and carries the movie with ample help from a coldly evil Kate Winslet. Woodley as Tris and her boy toy have escaped the remains of walled in Chicago and are fomenting revolt against the very uptight Winslet. If you have trouble suspending disbelief it begs the question why Winslet armed with fabulous futuristic technology can’t find a bunch of teenagers running around inside the walled city with her. Miles Teller still hasn’t recovered from Whiplash because he couldn’t pick a side but plays a bigger part in this movie which was also welcome. The finale was highly predictable but satisfying and the special effects were dazzling. Go see this movie though for the interplay between Winslet and Woodley, two generations going head to head with the viewer as the winner.

MVP:   Woodley as Tris – carries the action and the emotion – will win an Oscar someday

Black Hat

Actors: Chris Hemsworth, Tang Wei, Viola Davis, Holt McCallany, and Wang Leehom.

Rating:  7 out of 10,  The latest from Michael Mann starring Thor himself as a computer nerd – bit of a stretch there. The plot has a computer genius cyber attacking both the Chinese and US. They form a joint investigation team led by Thor’s college roommate from China. They have to get Thor out of prison to help out and some very intelligent, if at times confusing, sleuthing ensues. They shoehorn in a love story that doesn’t make sense at the time but indicates there may be hope for Sino-American relations after all. Thor does get to bash people around with some tables which was more believable than his keyboard stroking. I liked the movie but I thought they waited way too long to reveal the evil mastermind. Thor cuts a swath through a myriad of henchmen before we ever meet the bad guy directing them and then he’s barely developed character wise. This hurts a plot centered around the confrontation between he and the good guys. Mann does his usual extremely competent job of getting a stellar cast to shine and delivers some real shocking moments in the final third. Well worth the watch, a solid if not spectacular effort.

MVP:   Tang Wei as Thor’s love interest – smart and beautiful

Walk Among the Tombstones

Actors: Liam Neeson, Dan Stevens, David Harbour, Boyd Holbrook, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Brian "Astro" Bradley

Rating:  8 out of 10, The next in Liam Neeson’s middle aged renaissance of action parts.  He plays an alcoholic ex-NYC cop who is drawn into the search for a pair of serial killers stalking the high end of the city’s drug traffickers. This is an interesting movie that doesn’t fall into the usual Hollywood trap of making everything about the action.  It takes a withering look at the lives of the people involved and Neeson’s search for his own humanity.  He takes a young homeless African-American boy under his wing while trying to solve the ongoing series of murders.  The movie takes place in 1999 which is kind of scary because I get the impression the movie makers consider that a long time ago.  I truly enjoyed this movie on all levels as all the flawed characters and two really spooky villains  hurtle towards the inevitable confrontation.  I love reading detective novels set in New York City and watching this was like reading one – really fast.

MVP:   Neeson understatingly awesome as the flawed hero Matthew Scudder

Ex Machina

Actors: Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, Oscar Isaac, Sonoya Mizuno

Rating:  8 out of 10, Ex Machina was science fiction at its most intelligent. The special effects were impressive simply because they were understated and used to just support the plot instead of being the end all be all of the film. The plot of androids and artificial intelligence is well trod SF territory but this may be the smartest look at it in film history. A young man is selected for a mysterious task at the isolated home of an IT genius/billionaire. Upon arriving he’s introduced to Ava whom he must interview to assess the quality of her AI. There’s a lot of subtext as to who is playing who and what the ultimate rationale is for the entire exercise. The decisive resolution says a lot about the arrogance of intelligence and the very “human” need for freedom. Clearly one of the best films I’ve seen this year and well worth the road trip.

 As

MVP:   Isaac continues to impress as Nathan Bateman, the mysterious genius

Chappie

Actors:  Sharlto Copley, Dev Patel, Jose Pablo Cantillo, Sigourney Weaver, Hugh Jackman, Watkin Tudor Jones, Yolandi Visser

Rating: 6 out of 10, I liked this a lot better the second time through. I’ve been a big fan of South African director Neill Blomkamp since I saw District 9. He explores the well tread territory of a self-aware robot but the transition he chooses is so flawed as to defy adequate condemnation. The film includes his usual breathtaking special effects and gore spattered fire fights which are the only things making this watchable, well that and Dev Patel. Patel plays the inevitable brilliant scientist who creates Chappie only to run afoul of dastardly Hugh Jackman in one of his rare bad guy turns. Chappie’s education falls into the hands of what might be the two most annoying characters in cinema history. I guess they’re rock musicians trying to be actors and I truly hope their band is successful because they had no business being in this movie. Their turn as a pair of gangsters and the huge amount of time Blomkamp stays with them really sunk the movie for me. I know this is science fiction but the plot has to make some kind of sense and I could have looked beyond the gaping plot holes if not for the soul grating presence of Ninja and Yolandi.

MVP:  Patel as the brains behind Chappie 

The Gunman

Actors:  Sean Penn, Jasmine Trinca, Javier Bardem, Ray Winstone, Mark Rylance, Idris Elba

Rating: 7 out of 10, A Sean Penn vehicle in which he tries to follow Neeson’s footprints into middle aged kick assery. Penn, one of the least likable actors around, struggles to be someone you can root for here. He obviously got himself in great shape for his role, obviously taking the Stallone process of heavy P.E.D. use. Unfortunately this meant he felt the need to take his shirt off in nearly every scene, even in the middle of a gun fight. We get it Sean, you worked your ass off but get over yourself. Meanwhile back in the slip shod plot Penn (also a co–writer) managed to shoe horn in the predictable ultra-evil multi-national corporation while he surfed the yet undiscovered beaches of the wartorn Congo. This film lacked the relentless pace which made the first Taken so enjoyable. Events would start build up and then come to a screeching halt as we had to let Penn emote about his choices in life and a recurring headache. He would have been better advised to not take himself so seriously, channel a little bit of his inner-Spicoli and have some fun with the role.

MVP:  Sean Penn as the angst ridden Jim Terrier 

Kingsman: The Secret Service

Actors:  Colin Firth, Samuel L. Jackson, Mark Strong, Taron Egerton, Michael Caine.

Rating: 10 out of 10, The best word to describe this flick is fun – it’s a hoot from beginning to end. Colin Firth (who can do anything) is a senior and very lethal secret agent who recruits a young ne'er do well. The movie moves relentlessly but never loses its sense of fun (there’s that word again). Samuel L Jackson is in full camp mode as a lisping super villain ably assisted by a young lady with razor sharp prosthetics (you kind of get the idea). The movie is very violent but in a cartoonish way that makes it entertaining. Seeing the usually staid Firth clean out a church full of red necks followed by the biggest head exploding panorama in cinema history will give you an idea of what awaits you. The young lead actor, Taron Egerton, took a while to grow on me but he held his own with Firth, Mark Strong and Michael Caine – no mean task. Plant you tongue firmly in cheek and go see this movie – just so much FUN!!!

MVP:  Firth, as the staid but supremely deadly Galahad

Jupiter Ascending

Actors:  Mila Kunis, Channing Tatum, Eddie Redmayne, Tuppence Middleton, Douglas, Sean Bean

Rating: 9 out of 10, This hasn’t received a lot of love from the critics but it was a true attempt at science fiction on a colossal scale. Mila Kunis plays a contemporary Chicago cleaning woman who’s unwittingly heir to one of the great family fortunes in a galaxy spanning empire. She’s unaware of this until Channing Tatum, sporting elven ears as a disgraced genetically enhanced soldier, shows up to rescue her from a series of alien assassination attempts. (I know most of the ladies are now wondering how Tatum could possibly be “enhanced” any further) Since I’m a certified sci fi nerd I really liked the movie which focused, maybe a little too much on the technology of the hidden civilization which is several million years in advance of ours. The criticisms are valid as there’s a lot of stop and go and jumping around without fully fleshing out who all the players are. It’s a little bit of a mess but it’s a gloriously beautiful and textured mess. In a huge plot twist, Sean Bean doesn’t get killed.

MVP:  Channing Tatum as Caine Wise, shoe surfing the Chicago skyline

American Sniper

Actors:  Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Luke Grimes, Kyle Gallner, Sam Jaeger, Jake McDorman, Cory Hardrict

Rating: 9 out of 10, The movie featured Eastwood’s usual technical expertise and the story was very compelling. I think it connected with a lot of Americans because it was so unapologetic, as Hollywood is certainly wont to do. A simple Texas guy has a gift with his rifle and is motivated to protect his fellow countrymen. The left wing nutbags came out bemoaning the glorification of violence but I thought it did a great job of painting the price Kyle paid for his heroics. That’s really my only complaint about this superb movie – they didn’t really explore in any great depth how Kyle overcame his PTSD. It seemed one minute he had it and then all of a sudden he was better. Cooper richly deserves the accolades he received as the title character delivering some real nuance to the role as a supremely tough guy dealing with some demons. They also did a great job with the military aspects; spot on with American military jargon as well as the small unit tactics such as room clearing. War is a very nasty affair – the supremely violent human expression – to sugar coat it would amount to undue veneration. Eastwood eloquently demonstrates war isn’t something to be taken lightly, there’s real pain associated with the sacrifice.

MVP:  Cooper as the Legend, Chris Kyle

Interstellar

Actors:  Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, John Lithgow, Michael Caine

Rating: 9 out of 10, I’m a fairly jaded movie goer so when a film makes me sit up in wonder it’s pretty special.  The movie is set in the near future with the world on the brink of total disaster and becoming unlivable. McConaughey plays an astronaut given the mission to travel to some new worlds to locate a potential new home world for the human race. It’s a long movie but well worth the escape into space. As with all of the Nolan’s work there are levels within levels.  How he makes quantum physics and time distortion interesting is almost as incomprehensible as the theories themselves. Yet he succeeds through the medium of truly outstanding actors and the central plot line of the love between a father and daughter. The last part of the movie is what 2001: a Space Odyssey should have been. Instead of Kubrick’s over the top visual blitzkrieg Nolan takes some even more complex issues and provides enough clues for the audience to make sense of it. I was dazzled, which is kind of cool, because it doesn’t happen all that often any more.

MVP:  McConaughey as Coop lends real depth as a father torn beteween duty and lover of his family

The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies

Actors:  Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Luke Evans, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ken Stott, James Nesbitt, Cate Blanchett, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Orlando Bloom.

Rating: 9 out of 10, I'm an unrepentant geek I am when it comes to Tolkien and the movies. I still remember sitting next to a heating vent on cold December mornings before junior high school marveling at the world unfurling for me as I read first The Hobbit and then The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Then you put this fascination up on the big screen as perfectly as Peter Jackson has done over the last fifteen years and I'm apoplectic. The Hobbit will always suffer when compared to The Lord of the Rings because the story is so much smaller in scope, despite Jackson’s best efforts. The battle scenes in this latest film comprise fully half of the entire movie and are unremittingly exciting.  Jackson has come to rely a little too heavily on his CGI but seeing the five armies assemble and then go at it was worth the wait.  I think Jackson kept Thorin Oakenshield in his A-Hole stage a little too long but he also wisely went to Martin Freeman’s heartfelt Bilbo every time some humanity and common sense needed injecting. There was so much going on in so many different locations but Jackson expertly wove an understandable journey for the viewer.  I loved the movie and can’t wait to watch all six of the two trilogies in one sitting (probably have to wait for my wife to be out of town for that).

MVP:  Freeman really grew into Bilbo and made him the lovable conscience

Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1

Actors: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Wright, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland.

Rating:  8 out of 10, This takes the Katniss Everdeen story beyond the games into the full-fledged rebellion her actions generated.  This is an obvious transition movie to get all the pieces in place for the final confrontation.  There’s not as much action and we spend a lot of time watching Jenifer Lawrence emote about the unfairness of her choices while experiencing a series of really bad hair days.  Luckily she’s such a great actress that’s not a bad fate for any movie goer but overall the movie was pretty depressing. Now we’re forced to wait year so the movie makers can wring the last possible dollar out of the franchise instead of delivering a completely satisfying movie. I still can’t get the damned Hanging Tree song out of head either.

MVP:   Lawrence as Katniss can now effortlessly carry a very big movie

Horrible Bosses 2

Actors: Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Charlie Day, Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, Chris Pine, Christoph Waltz

Rating:  7 out of 10, I loved the first movie which was raunchily funny throughout.  They weren’t able to maintain the magic in this second outing.  The three leads were still funny but the Jason Sudekis character wandered into the idiotic personae of Charlie Day’s which meant Jason Bateman was the only sane one in the bunch.  There was still a lot of really funny banter between the three boneheads who now try their hand at kidnapping instead of murder and it goes predictably and very entertainingly south.  Bateman remains the absolute master of the offhand hilarious comment. This one was nowhere near as funny as the original because the three guys were supposed to be regular Joes caught in a bad situation not of their own making.  Here they are buffoons and a long way from the likable trio of the first film.  The best parts are saved for the supporting characters who are uniformly awesome.  Kevin Spacey in his Shark mode, Jennifer Anniston channeling her naughty side again, Jamie Foxx as MF Jones and new bad boy Chris Pine completely steal the movie and I found myself anxiously waiting for them to reappear on the screen.  Overall, still a funny movie, but the original set the bar too high.

MVP:   Jason Bateman as Nick Hendricks, the everyman saddled with two complete idiots

Maze Runner

Actors:  Dylan O'Brien, Aml Ameen, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Will Poulter, and Ki Hong Lee.

Rating: 8 out of 10, This is apparently another one of those “young adult” series of books cloned from the DNA of the Hunger Games.  I was pleasantly surprised by the flick which was well edited and boasts a plot that keeps the action and tension taut enough to ignore the obvious inconsistencies and plot holes. The story revolves around a group of teenaged boys thrown into the middle of a maze with their memories wiped out. The door to the surrounding maze opens each day which allows the boys to explore before nightfall when menacing robotic creatures called “grievers” wander the maze to kill. This was an updated take on the Lord of the Flies with the millennial youth doing much better with their isolation than their predecessors, or so it appears on the surface.  The movie is carried by the young cast, especially Dylan O’Brien in the lead role, who was so good in last year’s The Internship. This kid’s got a real future, someone to look out for.  I know this movie was aimed for the young fans of the books (if the teenybopper mutterings from the last row of the theater were any indication) but the film got my attention as well. I really liked this movie.

MVP:  O’Brien as Thomas the central character who easily carries the movie

John Wick

Actors:  Keanu Reeves, Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen, Adrianne Palicki, Bridget Moynahan, Dean Winters, Ian McShane, John Leguizamo, Willem Dafoe,

Rating: 9 out of 10, A cross breed of Shoot ‘Em Up and Payback with Keanu Reeves as a very dangerous hero.  He plays a retired mob hit man who, shortly after the death of his wife, is wronged by the son of a former associate. Reeves then spends the rest of the movie relentlessly chasing Theon Greyjoy all over New York City with legions of double tapped Russian mobsters in his wake. This is exactly what you expect going into an action/revenge flick; it doesn’t apologize for the cartoon level of violence but revels in it.  The pace is outstanding and Reeves is surprisingly good even though he only says six or seven words for the entire movie (probably a correlation there).  There’s a very cool vibe to this movie, a real win for Keanu, thoroughly enjoyable, as long as you can stomach multiple head shots and a dead puppy. One of my favorite films of 2014.

MVP:  Reeves in the title role as the completely bad ass John Wick

Fury

Actors:  Brad Pitt, Logan Lerman, Shia LaBeouf, Michael Peña, Jon Bernthal

Rating: 9 out of 10, A Brad Pitt vehicle set in the last days of World War 2 with Pitt as a tank commander fighting his way across the remnants of the 3rd Reich.  He and the rest of his veteran crew take on a fresh-faced newcomer, Logan Lerman, to replace a dead comrade.  The movie boasts some truly amazing battle scenes where some obvious effort went into realism.  The movie is more about the loss of humanity of the veteran crew (all excellent actors) caused by years of war.  You see Pitt trying to hang onto the last vestiges of his own humanity when he sees himself reflected back in Lerman’s reactions.  Despite their fragile existence living on the edge of barely retained sanity, fighting together establishes a bond that excuses their descent to a certain degree.  A really well done war movie, brutal to the extreme, but so is war.  I spent my entire career in light infantry and didn’t work a lot with tanks (they referred to us as “crunchies”).  Tankers were a strange, fatalistic breed which the movie does a great job of capturing.  Infantrymen have a healthy respect for tankers, probably dating back to the initial training where they have a sixty ton, armored beast come straight at you and do a couple pivot steers directly on top of your position.  A change of underwear is usually required afterwards.

MVP:  Pitt as Wardaddy balancing brutality and humanity

Vegas Vacation

Actors:  Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Randy Quaid, Ethan Embry, Marisol Nichols as

Rating: 6 out of 10, The worst of the bunch by far because Chase always managed to make Clark somewhat likable if extremely flawed. Here he’s just an A-hole undeserving of his family. The kids make a comeback and Cousin Eddie re-appears which is always welcome. Wayne Newton’s pursuit of Ellen doesn’t play well although D’Angelo still had “it” at this point. The best plot line has Ethan Embry as Rusty mirroring Chase’s futility at gambling with his own success. Time to send Chase out of pasture – he’s just not that funny and the material was too main stream, losing the edge of the earlier efforts.

MVP:  Embry as the very lucky Rusty

European Vacation

Actors: Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Dana Hill, Jason Lively, John Astin

Rating:  6 out of 10, Obviously made quickly to ride the success of the first film this is still somewhat funny as the Griswolds win a European vacation and all that entails. This might have been a much better film except for Dana Hill as the daughter Audrey. She is so grating that I wanted to mute the sound each time she came on screen. It was funny to hear Clark saying he hardly recognized his kids anymore since they changed with each movie. There were the obvious gags at British politeness, French rudeness, German beer drinking, and Italian fashion which was funny if a little too safe.

MVP:   Chase the ever oblivious Clark Griswold

Vacation

Actors: Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Randy Quaid, Dana Barron, Anthony Michael Hall, John Candy, Imogene Coca, Christie Brinkley, Jane Krakowski

Rating:  7 out of 10, This was much better and more edgy than I remembered as Clark Griswold savages his family across the USA on a family vacation. I had forgotten how attractive D’Angelo was in her prime and she is the best thing about this movie as the long suffering Ellen Griswold. The first of four sets of actors to play the Griswold children do a good job of capturing sibling distress in the car’s back seat. The movie’s best when it deals with the family and supporting characters as Chase isn’t funny when on the screen by himself. The movie has aged well though and still captured some heartfelt laughs.

MVP:   D’Angelo as Ellen Griswold 

The Drop

Actors: Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace, James Gandolfini, Matthias Schoenaerts, John Ortiz, James Frecheville

Rating:  9 out of 10, The Drop  is billed as James Gandolfini’s last movie.  In reality this is Tom Hardy’s movie and it is powerful.  It’s not an action packed thriller but a look at the gritty underside of organized crime in Brooklyn.  The plot jumps around a lot but in doing so provides the necessary clues for a fantastic climatic confrontation. Hardy is completely believable as a seemingly inept, but sweet hearted bartender for the devious Gandolfini.  They’re under pressure from Chechen mobsters to recover money stolen in a late night stick up while Hardy adopts a pit bull puppy and Noomi Rapace.  I can’t say too much because it would ruin the fantastic scene between Hardy and Rapace following the super bowl.  The movie ends with maybe the best line in cinema this year, “No one ever sees you coming, do they?”.  If you love character driven drama and great acting –go see The Drop.

MVP:   Hardy dominates as the very deep and well camouflaged Bob Saginowski

Lucy

Actors:  Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman, Amr Waked, Choi Min-sik.

Rating: 9 out of 10, Scarlett Johansson has an accidental drug induced ability to fully access her brain’s capacity (insert comment here about what an actor’s brain would really be capable of).  The enhancement turns her into a superhero and she starts globetrotting and time travelling to link up with Dr Morgan Freeman to preserve her knowledge before she burns out.  Old Boy himself, who was responsible for the enabling drug is hot on her heels with a seemingly endless supply of henchman.  Since this was a Luc Besson movie the climax takes place in Paris.  Since this was a Luc Besson movie the action is almost non-stop, filled with huge plot holes, and immensely entertaining.

MVP:  Johansson owns the movie transitioning from ditz to superhuman Lucy

Jaws

Actors:  Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, Robert Shaw, Murray Hamilton, Lorraine Gary

Rating: 9 out of 10, I finally added this superb movie to my collection and was reminded again of Spielberg’s early genius. The tension he builds for the first half of the movie when you don’t even see the shark is palatable and makes the first true sighting that much more terrifying. The musical score is probably the most evocative in the history of cinema gets a big assist with the terror. The relationship he establishes between Scheider, Dreyfuss, and Shaw on the boat defines a “guys’ night out” comradery which then turns on a dime with the recounting of the Indianapolis disaster. The mechanical shark is kind of quaint by today’s CGI standards, its even missing its whole tail in one scene but this movie still works on so many levels. I was afraid to swim in even a pool after I saw this the first time and now it will take weeks to get Quint’s ditty-  “Farewell and adieu to you fair Spanish ladies, Farewell and adieu to you ladies of Spain” out of my mind.

MVP:  Roy Scheider as police chief Martin Brody balancing small town politics, a fear of water, and a humongous shark

Gone Girl

Actors:  Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry, Carrie Coon

Rating: 9 out of 10, Fincher can do so much with a crime story and he brings a character here that will enter the cinema hall of fame for villains. The mystery is removed fairly early but that just permits the exploration of the depth of pure evil in this character. I won’t ruin it for you by saying more; other than you’ve got to see this movie. It’s the best thing Affleck’s ever done acting wise and Pike certainly left her Bond girl status well behind.  The story revolves around Affleck’s missing wife (Pike) and whether he killed her or not. Fincher offers a withering indictment of America’s penchant of rushing to judgment with empty headed, big mouthed “legal experts” assaulting the air waves with their theories. Definitely one of the best movies of the year, there were several gasp out load moments as well as nearly continuous tension. You’re almost out of breath by the end – don’t miss this one. Neil Patrick Harris is definitely going to stick to dudes after this experience.

MVP:  Carrie Coon as Margo, Affleck’s twin sister who nails the role and rthyms of siblinghood

Big Trouble in Little China

Actors:  Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, Dennis Dun, James Hong

Rating:  8 out of 10, I could not believe this beloved old movie was not part of my library – something that was recently rectified.  Re-watching it I was reminded how much fun it was, especially Russell channeling his inner John Wayne to play the bombastic, deeply flawed hero. This is John Carpenter at his best giving us too many unbelievable concepts to process while poking loving fun at the B-movie genre.  This film definitely belongs in the category of guilty pleasure but what a true pleasure it remains and Kim Cattrall was smoking hot before Sex in the City wrung all the joy out of her.     

MVP:   Russel as the blow hard, very imperfect hero Jack Burton

The November Man

Actors:  Pierce Brosnan, Luke Bracey, Olga Kurylenko, Wuill Patton, Bill Smitrovich

Rating:  8 out of 10, Brosnan has made an interesting late career out of playing retired spies after getting booted from his 007 gig. He’s back again as an ex-CIA operative who gets pulled back into the business where he has to confront old friends and a lethal protégé he trained. The movie had a lot of well-choreographed action as Brosnan kills his way from Moscow to Belgrade while romancing a couple of Russian beauties along the way. I did have some problems with the editing which jumped around a little too much. Red herrings are fine but only in moderation. The plot couldn’t decide what the real story was:  the confrontation or the underlying mission to discredit the Russian politician or rescue the damsel(s) in distress. When a movie tries to be everything to everybody it will fail due to its two hour life span.  All that being said the action and Brosnan lift this flick into the eminently watchable level; just suspend your disbelief upon entering.

MVP:  Brosnan gamely holding onto his 007 skills in the title role

The Equalizer

Actors:  Denzel Washington, Chloë Grace Moretz, Marton Csokas, David Harbour, Bill Pullman,  Melissa Leo

Rating:  8 out of 10, I was interested to see how they would transform Denzel Washington into a smartly dressed English ex-spy a la the 1980s TV show.  Since it is Washington he more than made this part his own.  He plays an insomniac ex-spy leading a mundane life working at a Boston area Home Depot like store.  In one of his late night sojourns at a local diner he befriends a young Russian hooker who eventually requires his assistance.  The first part of the movie is almost too slow but by the end you realize it was needed to set up the second half action.  Washington is perfect for this part as a lethal killing machine who starts mowing down the evil doers with a deadpan expression which eloquently states – “how could you be this stupid?”  Washington captures the humanity behind the violence which makes his character very compelling.  The climatic confrontation may cause you some nervous discomfort the next time you visit a Home Depot, so prepare yourself; great flick.  Seeing it a second time I can’t believe this didn’t make the top ten for the year.

MVP:  Washington, of course, as the very dangerous Robert McCall

Brick Mansions

Actors:  Paul Walker, David Belle, RZA, Catalina Dennis, Ayisha Issa

Rating:  7 out of 10, I think this movie would have gone directly to DVD instead of the theaters if not for Walker's death. It’s a Luc Besson (whom I love) product so there was a lot of action as well as French speaking actors trying unsuccessfully to hide their accents as Detroit politicians. Since this was set in the future maybe the Québécois migrated south to fill the vacuum that is Detroit since the Americans gave up on it. The nasty bits of Detroit are surrounded by a huge wall and the action involves Walker as a driven cop assisted by a parkour dude trying to take down RZA (who seems to be channeling Elmer Fudd with a pronounced lisp) who stumbled upon a neutron bomb (because those are just lying around). The plot is more than silly and boasts a fairly high unintentional comedy level but is rescued by David Belle. The movie is worth seeing just to see this guy bouncing all over the urban landscape with incredible parkour moves. It’s always a stretch for Walker to play a tough guy as it is here but Belle is mesmerizing to watch. It was like Cirque de Soleil on amphetamines cross bred with martial arts. It was also Besson so the action just rocked while not making a lot of sense, I loved it
MVP:  Belle, of course, as the nimble Lino