My 2016 Movie Rankings

1. Arrival (5 Stars)
2. The Revenant (5 Stars)
3. Star Wars: The Force Awakens (5 Stars)
4. Sing Street (5 Stars)
5. La La Land (4 1/2 Stars)
6. Captain America: Civil War (4 1/2 Stars)
7. Swiss Army Man (4 1/2 Stars)
8. Kubo and the Two Strings (4 1/2 Stars)
9. Deadpool (4 1/2 Stars)
10. Zootopia (4 1/2 Stars)
11. Hunt for the Wilderpeople (4 1/2 Stars) 
12. Train to Busan (4 1/2 Stars)
13. Nocturnal Animals (4 1/2 Stars)
14. The Lobster (4 1/2 Stars)
15. The Jungle Book (4 1/2 Stars)
16. Manchester by the Sea (4 1/2 Stars)
17. Fences (4 1/2 Stars)
18. Indignation (4 1/2 Stars)
19. Anomalisa (4 1/2 Stars)
20. Gleason (4 1/2 Stars)
21. Don't Breathe (4 Stars)
22. 10 Cloverfield Lane (4 Stars)
23. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (4 Stars)
24. The Witch (4 Stars)
25. Green Room (4 Stars)
26. Star Trek Beyond (4 Stars)
27. Midnight Special (4 Stars)
28. Doctor Strange (4 Stars)
29. Carol (4 Stars)
30. Everybody Wants Some!!! (4 Stars)
31. The Nice Guys (4 Stars)
32. Pete's Dragon (4 Stars)
33. Don't Think Twice (4 Stars)
34. Hell or High Water (4 Stars)
35. Hacksaw Ridge (4 Stars)
36. The Edge of Seventeen (4 Stars)
37. Loving (4 Stars)
38. Lion (4 Stars)
39. Moana (4 Stars)
40. Finding Dory (4 Stars)
41. Maggie's Plan (4 Stars)
42. Eye in the Sky (4 Stars)
43. Miss Sloane (4 Stars)
44. Purple Rain (4 Stars)
45. Sully (4 Stars)
46. Cafe Society (3 1/2 Stars)
47. Captain Fantastic (3 1/2 Stars)
48. A Bigger Splash (3 1/2 Stars)
49. The Shallows (3 1/2 Stars)
50. Queen of Katwe (3 1/2 Stars)
51. The Accountant (3 1/2 Stars)
52. The Magnificent Seven (3 1/2 Stars)
53. The Light Between Oceans (3 1/2 Stars)
54. Bleed for This (3 1/2 Stars)
55. Moonlight (3 1/2 Stars)
56. Florence Foster Jenkins (3 1/2 Stars)
57. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (3 1/2 Stars)
58. Denial (3 1/2 Stars)
59. Kevin Hart: What Now? (3 1/2 Stars)
60. Jason Bourne (3 1/2 Stars)
61. Our Kind of Traitor (3 1/2 Stars)
62. The Hollars (3 1/2 Stars)
63. Mike & Dave Need Wedding Dates (3 1/2 Stars)
64. Sing (3 1/2 Stars)
65. The Secret Life of Pets (3 1/2 Stars)
66. Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (3 1/2 Stars)
67. Demolition (3 1/2 Stars)
68. Rule's Don't Apply (3 1/2 Stars)
69. Keanu (3 1/2 Stars)
70. Triple 9 (3 1/2 Stars)
71. Bad Moms (3 1/2 Stars)
72. Trolls (3 1/2 Stars)
73. Weiner-Dog (3 1/2 Stars)
74. Race (3 1/2 Stars)
75. Miles Ahead (3 1/2 Stars)
76. Me Before You (3 1/2 Stars)
77. Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (3 1/2 Stars)
78. Concussion (3 1/2 Stars)
79. Eddie the Eagle (3 1/2 Stars)
80. Kung Fu Panda 3 (3 1/2 Stars)
81. 13 Hours (3 1/2 Stars)
82. The Finest Hours (3 1/2 Stars)
83. Storks (3 1/2 Stars)
84. The Infiltrator (3 Stars)
85. Deepwater Horizon (3 Stars)
86. Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (3 Stars)
87. The Neon Demon (3 Stars)
88. Pride & Prejudice & Zombies (3 Stars)
89. Snowden (3 Stars)
90. Allied (3 Stars)
91. Birth of a Nation (3 Stars)
92. War Dogs (3 Stars)
93. Ghostbusters (3 Stars)
94. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (3 Stars)
95. Criminal Intelligence (3 Stars)
96. The Girl on the Train (3 Stars)
97. X-Men: Apocalypse (3 Stars)
98. The Angry Birds Movie (3 Stars)
99. Hardcore Henry (3 Stars)
100. Sausage Party (3 Stars)
101. London Has Fallen (3 Stars)
102. Money Monster (3 Stars)
103. Now You See Me 2 (3 Stars)
104. A Hologram for the King (3 Stars)
105. Nerve (3 Stars)
106. Free State of Jones (3 Stars)
107. The BFG (3 Stars)
108. Risen (3 Stars)
109. Love & Friendship (3 Stars)
110. Inferno (3 Stars)
111. Alice Through the Looking Glass (3 Stars)
112. Hands of Stone (2 1/2 Stars)
113. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2 1/2 Stars)
114. Ben-Hur (2 1/2 Stars)
115. Hail, Caesar! (2 1/2 Stars)
116. I Saw The Light (2 1/2 Stars)
117. Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2 1/2 Stars)
118. The Legend of Tarzan (2 1/2 Stars)
119. Miss Hokusai (2 Stars)
120. Warcraft (2 Stars)
121. Criminal (2 Stars)
122. Assassin's Creed (2 Stars)
123. Passengers (2 Stars)
124. Collateral Beauty (2 Stars)
125. Independence Day: Resurgence (2 Stars)
126. Allegiant (2 Stars)
127. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (2 Stars)
128. The Huntsman: Winter's War (2 Stars)
129. Southside with You (2 Stars)
130. Suicide Squad (1 1/2 Stars)
131. Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk (1 Star)
132. Ratchet & Clank (1 Star)
133. The Dressmaker (1 Star)

Assassin's Creed Review

Going into 2016 it was looking like it could be the year we finally got some quality movies based off video game franchises. The first movie I thought would reverse the curse was Warcraft and if you read my review, you know that I did not enjoy that movie at all. Now this week we get the Assassin's Creed movie. This is a movie I was looking forward to mainly because I've played most of the games in the series and enjoy the actors that are starring in it. Unfortunately the video game movie curse continues, because Assassin's Creed is not that good.

The Assassin's Creed movie is about a man named Callum Lynch (Michael Fassbender) who is on death row for murdering someone. The night he is executed, a lady by the name of Sophia Rikkin (Marion Cotillard), actually interrupts it and basically kidnaps him. Sophia informs Callum that the company she works for, Abstergo Industries, needs him to find this ancient artifact, the Apple of Eden. Abstergo wants to use the Apple of Eden to perfect mankind by removing our free will since it is free will that causes humans to be violent to one another. To find the Apple of Eden, Callum must enter a device known as the Animus that will link him up with an ancestor's memories. While in the Animus, Callum gets transported to 15th century Spain and gets to experience what his ancestor, an assassin named Aguilar de Nerha, got to experience.

Now the plot of Assassin's Creed may sound a bit insane, but it does stay pretty accurate to what the video games are like. In each game, you play as a present day character that enters the Animus and then you play as one of his ancestor in some historical time period. Unfortunately for the movie, you spent most of the time with the present day character, whereas in the games you are mainly in the past playing as the ancestor. In fact in the video games, the present day stuff is usually the worst part of the game.

There was one thing that I enjoyed about the Assassin's Creed movie and that was the action. When in 15th century Spain, the action looked and felt like the game. Aguilar and his band of assassin's use a lot of the tactics that are used in the game like running around the city, fighting large groups of bad guys and using hidden blades to silently kill those around them. I felt that the way these action scenes were shot got me engaged in the film and made me feel like a part of the action. I also found that a lot of the parkour stunts were really well done. Unfortunately with these action scenes, they kept cutting back to present day to show Callum in the Animus fighting "holograms" of what Aguilar is actually fighting. This caused the scenes to be pretty jarring.

But, like I previously stated, you don't spend a lot of time in 15th century Spain, so the rest of the movie is completely boring. None of the characters have any depth to them so you never care about what they are doing in the movie. The final act of the movie has these characters that join Callum in the fight against the bad guys, but you never really get to know them. Apparently they are supposed to be other assassins but since you don't spend any time with them beforehand in the movie, so as an audience member you don't really know why you should root for them, other than the fact that they are helping Callum. You also don't really have a reason to root for Callum. At the beginning of the movie you see him as a kid, and then the next time you see him, you are told he is a murderer. You are never shown that he is a guy that is capable of being a hero. Also the main plot point is to find this Apple of Eden artifact. Not once are you shown what the Apple of Eden can do, so you have no reason to believe that it is anything special.

The Assassin's Creed movie is frustrating. The part where it succeeds is also the part where the video games it is based on succeed. Unfortunately, they decided to focus on the boring parts of the game and make that take up over 60 percent of the movie. If they would have stuck with the 15th century Spain time period and focused on the assassin's quest to protect the Apple of Eden, the movie could have been really fun. Instead we get a bunch of uninteresting characters that we don't care about because you never spend any time with them.

I think if you are a fan of the video games, wait to see this when it is available to rent. If you have never played the games or even heard of the games, stay away from this movie, I can't imagine you finding any enjoyment in it.

2 out of 5 Stars

The Edge of Seventeen Review

As a 33-year-old male, I wouldn't expect a movie about a 17-year-old female to be one that I would relate to. Surprisingly, though, I found the movie The Edge of Seventeen to be extremely relatable and enjoyable to watch.

The Edge of Seventeen is about a high school junior named Nadine (Hailee Steinfeld) who is extremely awkward others and only has one true friend, Krista (Haley Lu Richardson). One day Krista starts dating Nadine's brother, Darian (Blake Jenner) and this causes Nadine's world to fall apart and makes her feel like she has no where else to go in life. Woody Harrelson is also in the movie, playing Mr. Bruner, one of Nadine's teachers and Kyra Sedgwick plays Nadine's mom, Mona.

What I enjoyed most about The Edge of Seventeen was that it was relatable. I've always been one to feel like a loner that has only a couple of people that I would call true friends. I've always been one that can be awkward around members of the opposite sex. I've had unexpected tragic events happen in my family life. And I've been jealous of those closest to me. These are all things that Nadine goes through during the movie and because she goes through them, just like I have, I can relate to her and feel what she is going through. While watching the movie, there were a few times where I just wanted to put my arm around Nadine and say, "Don't worry kid, it's going to be okay".

I also enjoyed most of the performances in the movie. This movie lives and dies on Hailee Steinfeld's performance. Hailee comes across as genuine and at times absolutely hilarious. There were a few scenes, especially those with Woody Harrelson, where I was wondering if they were ad-libbed. Many of the jokes would come randomly and felt organic with the scene. Woody Harrelson also surprised me with this performance. In a lot of Woody's more recent performances he is very eccentric and appears to be on numerous drugs, but in this movie he is calm and actually feels like an adult. It feels strange describing him that way, but if you watch this movie, I think you would agree. After one scene later on in the movie, I was actually wondering why Woody accepted this role because it isn't like anything I've seen him in recently. The surprise performance for me though was from Hayden Szeto, who plays Erwin, an awkward teen who has a crush on Nadine. Whenever he was on screen you knew you were going to laugh as well as say "awwww, that's so cute" from all the awkward things he would do around Nadine. Blake Jenner and Haley Lu Richardson gave okay performances. At first Blake's character wasn't given much to do besides be the typical popular jock, but towards the end of the movie he did get a little more depth. Haley's character is your standard best friend in these high school movies and isn't given too much to do, but she does a good job at it. The one performance I didn't really enjoy was Kyra Sedgwick. Her character was just mopey and sad throughout the entire movie. She never really felt like a real person. Her actions always seemed extreme and unrealistic.

Besides Kyra Sedgwick's performance, if I had to pick something I didn't like, I would have to say it would be the flow of the first half the movie. While watching the movie, something just felt off about the first half. Not all the jokes were landing and the story was just up and down. There would be some really funny jokes flying back and forth between characters and then all of a sudden a fight between either Nadine and Darian or Nadine and Krista would occur and kind of take me out of the movie. It wasn't until the movie decided to stick with one story beat and tone that I could finally get into the movie and emotionally get invested in it.

For some reason I have a hard time not trying to compare this movie to Juno. When Juno came out in 2007, I absolutely loved it. I haven't seen it in a few years so not sure how it still holds up, but I feel that it was an edgier movie with better jokes and I enjoyed the music a lot more than what is in The Edge of Seventeen.

The Edge of Seventeen ended up being way more entertaining then I thought it would be. There were numerous laugh out loud moments caused by jokes I was not expecting. I found a lot of the movie to be relatable and sweet. The performances from Hailee and Woody were worth the price of admission alone. For the me, The Edge of Seventeen doesn't reach Juno levels, but I still had a really good time and can easily recommend it.

4 out of 5 Stars

Arrival Review

And with that, I now have a new #1 movie of the year, Arrival!

Arrival is a movie directed by Denis Villeneuve, who also directed Prisoners and Sicario. It is about a linguist named Louise Banks (Amy Adams) who is recruited by the US military to try and communicate with aliens that have landed in twelve different locations around the world. With the help of Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner), Louise must learn to decipher the alien language to determine if the alien lifeforms are here for peace or war.

There is a lot to say about Arrival, but I will try and keep it brief and spoiler-free.

First off, this movie is stunningly beautiful. Just like Denis previous films, the landscapes are gorgeous, the colors are vibrant, and you can't help but have your breath taken away scene after scene with the way the camera moves. The very first time Louise and Ian arrive at the alien spacecraft in Montana, you get this swooping helicopter shot that shows the gorgeous landscape of Montana as well as this simple alien spacecraft that is unlike anything seen in other science fiction movies. Most movies have bright lights and intricate shapes on their spacecrafts, but this one just looks like a skipping stone, super sleek and simple. Another gorgeous scene in the movie is the first time Louise and Ian enter the alien spacecraft. When you see them interact with the spacecraft, the expressions on their faces were the same that I had on mine. The amazement and intensity of it made it feel like you were there with them.

There performances in Arrival were outstanding. Amy Adams knocks it out of the park. At the beginning of the movie you learn about her character's past and it is completely heartbreaking. Throughout the movie Amy brings out this subtle broken and helplessness and you can feel the pressure she is under to succeed. With Jeremy Renner's character, you always feel this sense of optimism. Just the look on his face makes you feel like everything is going to be okay and the answers can and will be found.

Another aspect of Arrival I really enjoyed was the score. The score was done by Johann Johannsson, who also did the score for Denis Villeneuve's Prisoners and Sicario. I thought the score did a great job of building up the tension and then would also bring out this sense of peace and tranquility for each scene. It's the first score this year where I sat there and wanted to listen to it over and over again.

The message behind Arrival is also important for the world we live in today. The movie shows the need to communicate and to attempt to understand one another regardless of barriers. It also shows the importance of working together peacefully and not jumping straight to violence.

Arrival is the first movie this year where I am dying to see it again and again. I also want to read and learn as much as I can about it. I want it to consume my life and be on my mind 24/7. The ending of the movie is emotionally devastating and I just want to experience it over and over again. I just want to feel that shock and awe.

Everyone should run out and see Arrival and see it on the biggest screen possible. It is stunningly beautiful, the story is emotion and important, the performances are fantastic and the score is absolutely lovely. Please go see this movie.

5 Stars

The Girl on the Train Review

For the past four weeks, a movie with actors and actresses I really enjoy has been released and I end up finding them to just be okay. This week The Girl on the Train is released and just like Snowden, The Magnificent Seven, and Deepwater Horizon, it is just an average movie.

The Girl on the Train is based on a book with the same name and stars Emily Blunt, Rebecca Ferguson, Haley Bennett, Justin Theroux and a few other people that aren't really worth mentioning. Two years ago Rachel (Emily Blunt) got a divorce from her husband Tom (Justin Theroux) because he was cheating on her with a women named Anna (Rebecca Ferguson). Rachel now rides a train each day to the city and the train just happens to go by Tom and Anna's house. While riding the train Rachel lets her mind run wild and makes up stories about all the people in the houses the train goes by. Two houses down from Tom and Anna lives Scott and Megan Hipwell. In Rachel's mind Scott and Megan have the perfect relationship and show what love is all about. One day this perfect relationship is ruined for Rachel when she witnesses something and Megan ends up going missing. Rachel decides she must put the puzzle pieces together and figure out what happened to Megan, but along the way she starts to wonder if she had something to do with Megan's disappearance.

Right away, the best thing about The Girl on the Train movie is Emily Blunt. She gives a pretty solid performance as Rachel. You really feel how devastating the divorce was for her and how vulnerable it has made her. Emily does a great job showing not only the physical affects of the divorce but also the mental ones. The look on her face throughout the movie lets you know something isn't right with her mentally. One problem I did have with her character though was that she wasn't that likable so many times throughout the movie, I didn't really care what was going to happen to her. I don't blame Emily for that though, that was a story decision and I can see how it may have been necessary for her character arc but left me feeling cold for most of the movie.

For being a psychological thriller, this movie is extremely slow. It takes a while for Megan Hipwell to actually disappear and once she does, it feels like it takes forever for the actual process for it being resolved to take place. Early on in the movie you spend a lot of time just getting to know Rachel, Megan and Anna. There is a lot of jumping back in time and learning what happened in the months/years prior to the present day events. Many of these flashbacks don't provide that much useful information and make you only dislike the characters even more. Also they try to make it seem like Rachel had something to do with Megan's disappearance, but not once do you feel like Rachel is actually in any danger of being caught by the police and being accused of a crime. The main cop in the movie, played by Allison Janney, speaks to Rachel multiple times and acts like she knows Rachel did it but never brings her in and never acts like she is close to bringing her in.

The Girl on the Train has been compared a lot to the movie/book Gone Girl and at times while watching the movie, it was hard to not think about Gone Girl. Now I haven't seen Gone Girl since it was in theaters in 2014 so I don't remember the little details about it. Some of the basics are easy to compare with both dealing with a girl that has gone missing and couples dealing with infidelity, but as a movie, Gone Girl was way more engaging. Near the end of The Girl on the Train you can tell they were trying to have their Gone Girl moment with a scenes that were extremely violent, but they weren't all that shocking like the one in Gone Girl.

There were a few scenes in the movie involving a computer that drove me nuts. I know these scenes are extremely minor and most people won't notice, but for me they instantly took me out of the movie. In these scenes, a character is trying to log on to someones computer. The problem is the computer is locked and they need to enter a password. Normally on a computer when you enter a password, you do not see the actual characters of the password, but in this movie, they show the word the person actually guessed. I know, I know, this is an extremely minor gripe, but I couldn't stand it.

The Girl on the Train was an okay movie. Emily Blunt gives a solid performance and there were some twists and turns in the story that kept me guessing. The problem is that I didn't really care about the characters so I wasn't too interested in some of the twists and turns. At times the movie got extremely slow and that took a lot of the thrills and suspense out of it for me. I haven't read the book so I can't say go see the movie if you loved the book, but I can say that it probably is only worth watching at home and not on the big screen.

3 out of 5 Stars

The Dressmaker Review

It's not often that while watching a movie, I get a strong desire to walk out, but while watching The Dressmaker, I felt that desire often.

The Dressmaker is about a women named Myrtle "Tilly" Dunnage (played by Kate Winslet) who, after 25 years, returns to her hometown of Dungatar in the Australian outback to take care of her sick mother. While in Dungatar a lot of strange and random things happen, but the story mainly focuses on Tilly trying to figure out what happened 25 years ago when a young boy named Stewart Pettyman had died and she is unsure if she is the one that killed him.

Outside of Kate Winslet's performance, I hated this movie. The tone was all over the place. At times it would be a serious drama and the next moment it would be a slapstick comedy. I found these shifts in tone to be very off-putting and distracting. A lot of the characters in the movie just seem to be way too over the top and unnecessary. For example there is the town doctor who is a hunchback and he just stumbles around town and his wife uses pillows to bounce him around town. I just never understood why he was there. Also so much goes on in this movie that the main storyline of wondering what happened to Stewart Pettyman isn't even brought up for large portions of the movie. Many times throughout the movie something would happen and I would wonder what is going on and what does this have to do with anything.

Another thing that bothered me was the age of the characters in the movie. Tilly's love interest in the movie is played by Liam Hemsworth and I think you are supposed to believe that he went to school with Tilly when Stewart died. I can accept that Liam's character is in his late 20's but believing Tilly is as well was not happening for me. Because of the actor's age difference I wasn't feeling the romance and never really felt a chemistry between them. Partly that can be due to the fact that I don't think Liam is that good of an actor.

I did not enjoy The Dressmaker at all. The story and tone were all of the place. Many of the characters are annoying and serve no purpose. The love story never made sense with chemistry that was nonexistent. It's not often I feel like I'm wasting my time watching a movie, but I felt that way throughout watching The Dressmaker.

1 out of 5 Stars

Deepwater Horizon Review

Sometimes a movie comes out that after seeing it I really want to love, but the more I think about it, the more I struggle to find something to latch onto. For me, Deepwater Horizon is one of those movies.

Deepwater Horizon is a movie about the oil spill and explosion of the Deepwater Horizon that took place back in 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico. The movie stars Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell, John Malkovich, Dylan O'Brien, Kate Hudson, and Gina Rodriguez. Mark Wahlberg plays Mike Williams, an oil rig worker, that is sent to the Deepwater Horizon to work for twenty-one days. When Mike arrives on the rig with Jimmy Harrell (Russell) and Andrea Fleytas (Rodriguez), they start to realize something isn't right. A crew that was in charge of running some tests on the drill, end up leaving the rig without performing these important tests. The call for them to leave without performing the tests came from the higher ups like Donald Vidrine (Malkovich). When Mike and Jimmy confront Donald, he lets Mike and Jimmy perform some tests and with the results convinces them to start drilling. Soon disasters strikes and the crew on the rig must work together to reach safety.

What bothered me about Deepwater Horizon was the pace at which things moved. I felt that the beginning the movie spent a lot of time allowing the audience to get to know the characters and I just wanted to get to the action. Then once it got to the action everything happened so quickly and then the movie ended. There were so many characters that emotionally I never got invested in any of them. I was a tad invested in Wahlberg's character but the ending wrapped up so quickly I didn't have time to get emotional.

I was impressed with the action in Deepwater Horizon. The effects used made it look real and made me feel like the actors were in actual danger. There was only a couple of times where I could tell that the flames were actually computer generated. Kurt Russell's character gets some pretty graphic damage done to his face and the make-up used on him looked incredible.

Overall I thought Deepwater Horizon was a solid movie. I never got emotionally connected to the characters like I was expecting to. I thought the action was good and definitely deserves to be seen on the biggest screen possible. I don't regret seeing Deepwater Horizon, I was just expecting a little more.

3 out of 5 Stars

Sully Review

If a movie stars Tom Hanks there is a good chance I am going to like it and Sully is no exception to that rule.

Sully is directed by Clint Eastwood and stars Tom Hanks, Aaron Eckhart, and Laura Linney. Tom Hanks plays Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, who successfully landed US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson River in New York City in January 2009. The movie focuses on the plane landing itself as well as the investigation that takes place days after the incident. Aaron Eckhart plays First Officer Jeffery Skiles and Laura Linney plays Sully's wife, Lorraine Sullenberger.

Since the movie is called Sully, this movie either succeeds or fails on Tom Hanks' performance and for me that is where this movie succeeds the most. I thought Tom Hanks did a great job of bringing out the heroic side of Sully. He really felt like a regular guy that pulled off a remarkable feat by saving 155 passengers. There was this vulnerability to his character where you felt bad for him because of the investigation that followed after the crash. Having seen what he did to land the plane you know that he did something heroic, but you have the National Transportation Safety Board trying to figure out if he actually did the right thing and instead of saving people actually endangered them. Throughout the movie I found myself wondering if he actually did the right thing and you also see that on Tom's face where he too thinks he made a mistake. It was those moments where Tom questions what he did that really made me question his actions. I also liked that you got to see how Sully struggled with the new found popularity and being a celebrity. It was something that he wasn't comfortable with. One moment he is just a regular pilot and the next he is on every news station and people are shouting his name while he walks down the street. Tom Hanks' performance made that feel authentic.

Another thing that must work for this movie to succeed is the actual landing of the plane on the water. The scenes that showed this event were intense and had me on the edge of my seat, which is impressive given I already knew the outcome. One thing I liked about it was that they showed it from various angles. You first experience the landing from the cockpit with Sully and Jeffery. You see what they had to do inside the cockpit and the communication between them and air traffic control. I enjoyed getting to see how air traffic control handled the situation and their emotional connection to a single plane. You also get to experience it through the eyes of those on the plane itself. You see the calmness in the flight attendants and the fear in the passengers.

Sully wasn't a completely perfect movie for me though. I found the beginning of the movie to be fairly boring and was struggling to stay awake. The movie starts out a few days after the landing has occurred and Sully is still in New York while the investigation is going on. Sully is in a state of shock and struggling to comprehend what he just went through and I felt that since I haven't really seen what all he went through, I was emotionally disconnected to the character. After I finally saw what happened and got to experience the landing, I was more emotionally connected to Sully. Also during this part of the movie, Sully kept having visions of a plane flying into buildings in New York City and I found these to be a tad disturbing and slightly unnecessary. There was also a couple of one liners that seemed completely unnecessary and distracting.

Sully is a movie that overall I really enjoyed. It has solid performances from it's leads especially Tom Hanks. The movie started out pretty slow, but once it got into the details of the landing, I was fully engaged. I think that this is a movie that should be seen on the big screen because of how the landing plays out, the sound and visuals were fantastic. Sully probably won't go down as the best Tom Hanks movie but it is the best of his most recent ones.

4 out of 5 Stars

Storks Review

So far in 2016 pretty much every animated movie has featured talking animals. The trend continues with the newest animated movie called Storks. Like I said in my The Secret Life of Pets review, some of these movies have been pretty good while others not so much. For me Storks sits right in the middle. It was entertaining for the most part, just not very deep.

Storks takes place in a world where storks have stopped (not sure there is a world where they even started) delivering babies and instead deliver packages from an Amazon-esque site called Cornerstore. One day, a boy named Nate, decides he wants a baby brother and writes a letter to the storks asking them to deliver one to his house. A human orphan named Tulip, lives with storks and receives the letter and accidentally creates the baby via the Baby Making Machine. Tulip with the help of a stork named Junior (voiced by Andy Samberg) must work together to deliver the baby to it's new family. Along the way they run into various things that get in their way like a pack of wolves and an annoying pigeon that works at Cornerstore.

While watching Storks I was fairly entertained. I found myself laughing out loud during various parts of the movie. The funniest parts for me came from jokes that dealt with how people interact around babies. One thing I hear all the time is how great babies smell and that was a running joke throughout the movie, especially with the pack of wolves. I also enjoyed a scene where Tulip and Junior try to get some sleep but the baby will not let them and you just see the physical pain that it is causing them. Another scene I enjoyed was one where Tulip and Junior fight some penguins but they have to do it silently because the baby is sleeping.

I also thought the voice acting was pretty good in this movie. Andy Samberg was pretty entertaining as Junior. Usually Samberg annoys me, but since it was just his voice I found him enjoyable. Katie Crown voices Tulip and I thought she did a decent job. Katie is a voice actress on the show Adventure Time, which I have never watched, so before this movie I had never heard of her. I really enjoyed Ty Burrell as Henry, Nate's dad. He isn't given too much to do but I enjoyed watching him be a busy dad that then becomes obsessed with helping his son. Jennifer Aniston voices Sarah, Nate's mom. She is a pretty forgettable character. Kelsey Grammar was okay as Hunter, the stork boss of Cornerstore. He is only slightly menacing and I wish he had more to do. Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele play the two leaders of the wolf pack when they were on screen I enjoyed them, but they are mainly there for laughs and not much else.

Even though I was entertained during Storks, it never reaches the emotional stakes that Pixar or even Dreamworks can attain. It's a very surface-level movie with it's laughs and story beats but has no depth that makes you emotionally attached to the characters. The main thing that kept me from being emotionally attached is that some of the characters have no reason to being in the movie. The movie tries to have these villains that have no motivation and never pose a threat to Tulip and Junior. One of the "villains" was just really annoying to me and pissed me off anytime he appeared on screen. Another character was just creepy and had no reason to be in the movie.

Storks was an entertaining movie that kids will enjoy and parents will laugh but will find not need to revisit.

3 1/2 out of 5 Stars

Southside with You Review

When you go into a movie that is about a famous couples first date, you would expect to feel a connection between the characters. I must say that I did not feel a connection at all between the characters in Southside with You.

Southside with You is about the first date between Barack Obama and Michelle Robinson (yes that Barack and Michelle). The movie takes place in Chicago in 1989 where the two work at a law firm. This is the first movie directed by Richard Tanne and stars Parker Sawyers as Barack and Tika Sumpter as Michelle.

I'm going to keep this short and simple, I was completely bored watching this movie. I felt that there was no chemistry between Barack and Michelle. For most of the movie Barack just looks up and down Michelle's body in this super creepy way and made me feel a little uncomfortable. Tika's performance as Michelle was rigid and lifeless. It seemed like it wasn't until three quarters into the movie that you finally saw her smile and that was probably because Michelle was drinking. If someone is on an enjoyable first date, you would expect them to smile a little more. Michelle was not likable at all, she was angry for most of the movie and I could never imagine someone falling for her. Barack had charisma and charm and seeing him interact with Michelle was frustrating. For a lot of the movie I was wondering what Barack saw in her and was wondering why did he want to date her so badly. The dialog between Barack and Michelle was pretty painful and uninteresting. A lot of the things they talked about seemed forced. There were multiple lines that just seemed like they were thrown in just so the audience could say "Hey I heard about that in the news". It never felt like an actual conversation two people would have on a first date.

I do have to give the director a little credit though. The movie was beautiful to look at. There were some fantastic shots throughout the movie. Also the movie had some great music.

Southside with You was a huge disappointment. This movie was completely boring and there was no chemistry between Barack and Michelle. This was a romantic movie that completely lacked any kind of romance. There is absolutely no reason to see this movie and the more I think about it, the more I dislike it.

2 out of 5 Stars (and falling)

Don't Think Twice Review

Seeing Don't Think Twice was a very rare movie going experience for me. I didn't have any real knowledge or connection to any of the actors in the movie, the plot was about things that don't really interest me and it felt like nothing really happened in the movie. Yet I have to say, I really enjoyed Don't Think Twice.

Don't Think Twice is about a group of friends that are part of a New York improv troupe. The main goal for the members of the troupe are to become a cast members of the hit show Weekend Live (basically Saturday Night Live). When one of the members ends up getting hired to join Weekend Live, the remaining members start to wonder what to do with their lives and tension starts to mount.

The movie is written and directed by Mike Birbiglia, who also stars in the movie. I have seen Mike in a couple movies, but I don't remember him from any of them. The only thing I remember him from is seeing him on Conan O'Brien's talk show. The movie also stars Keegan-Michael Key (Key & Peele), Gillian Jacobs (Community, I think), and then three comedians I have never heard of, Kate Micucci, Chris Gethard and Tami Sagher. There are also a couple cameos from some famous comedians. I think not knowing the cast helped keep me from comparing them to previous roles and made it feel like they were just playing themselves in this movie.

What I really liked about Don't Think Twice was the connection and bond within the improv troupe. The movie did a really good job of making it seem like these were real friends that have been performing together for many years. It was fun watching them interact with each other and just witness them going through life together. One character has a family emergency come up and watching how the group came together felt special and authentic. Two members of the troupe are in a relationship and the way that it plays out was really emotional and kept me invested in the movie. It was also fun watching what ended up being a behind the scenes look at what it's like to get on a show like Saturday Night Live. For comedians, that show is the pinnacle of making it, so watching these characters strive to get there was interesting.

If I had to pick something I didn't like about the movie, I would probably have to say that for a movie about comedians, it isn't really that funny. Going into the movie, I thought it was going to be a comedy, but it ended up being more of a drama with the occasional laugh. But I would have to say I kind of preferred that it was a drama so it isn't really that much of a negative.

Don't Think Twice surprised me. All the actors are relatively new to me, the main subject of the movie was something that I have no interest in and nothing really happened in the movie, but I still had an enjoyable time watching it. I recommend seeing this movie. It is probably the most "real" movie I have seen this year and it surprisingly hit me emotionally.

4 out of 5 Stars

Don't Breathe Review

About midway through the movie Don't Breathe, I realized I had a huge smile on my face, does that make me a sick and twisted individual?

Don't Breathe is a horror film starring Jane Levy, Dylan Minnette and Stephen Lang. This movie has a fairly simple premise, Rocky (Jane Levy), her boyfriend Money, and Alex (Dylan Minnette) decide to break into the house of a blind man (Stephen Lang). Something goes wrong while they are in the house and the blind man locks the three teens inside the house. Will the three of them make it out alive or will the blind man be able to handle the home invaders?

What's really interesting about Don't Breathe is that you don't really know who to root for. The blind man is just protecting his house. The three teens are committing a crime and they are on his property so he has every right to protect himself. Throughout the movie, I found myself rooting for the blind man and looking forward to what he would do to the home invaders. But as the movie progresses you do start to wonder if maybe the blind man isn't that innocent and there is more to him than just some lonely hermit. This causes you to maybe start to root of the teens, but you still have this sour taste in your mouth that maybe they do deserve what is happening to them.

The performances in this movie are pretty spectacular. Stephen Lang does a marvelous job as the blind man (and yes that's what he is listed as in the credits). He doesn't have a lot of dialog but his facial expressions are able to show a wide range of emotions from rage to toughness to fear. When you look at him, you wouldn't expect him to be afraid, but then you remember that he is blind and he doesn't really know where the intruders are at in his house so at times he can be pretty vulnerable. Because they are trying to avoid the blind man, Jane Levy and Dylan Minnette have to do a lot of their acting without words as well. If they were to speak or make any type of sound, the blind man would find them. This causes a lot of their fear and anxiety to be shown via facial expressions. I feel like they both did a great job conveying what was going through their heads and that immediately help put you as an audience member into their shoes.

Even though the premise of Don't Breathe is pretty simple, there were still some fun surprises and twists. I felt like the movie was predictable in all the right places and then would throw a twist at you at just the right moment. Early on in the movie, they show you certain things around the house and you just know that those items will play into the story in some way and I really enjoyed that kind of foreshadowing. There is one twist that doesn't really fit with the rest of the movie and probably could have been left out, but it did lead to a moment that made me gag which I'm not sure has ever happened in a movie before.

I was really surprised with how much fun I had with Don't Breathe. I highly recommend seeing this movie if you are a fan of suspense and enjoy being stressed out while watching a movie. Maybe I am just sick and twisted, but I think you too, will find yourself with a smile on your face while you watch Don't Breathe.

4 out of 5 Stars

Kubo and the Two Strings Review

In recent years there have been many attempts at making movies based off video game properties and all these attempts have failed and failed miserably. But sometimes a movie comes along like Kubo and the Two Strings, that plays out like a classic video game adventure and makes you wonder, why do they keep attempting to make movies of video game properties when they can make solid original adventure movies?

Kubo and the Two Strings is a stop-motion adventure movie from Laika, the studio that brought us Coraline, ParaNorman and The Boxtrolls. This movie is about a young boy named Kubo, who must go on an adventure to find his father's ancient battle armor. Kubo doesn't go on this journey alone though, he is helped by a monkey named Monkey (voiced by Charlize Theron) and a beetle-like man named Beetle (voiced by Matthew McConaughey). Along the way Kubo must avoid his evil aunts (voiced by Rooney Mara) and his grandfather, Raiden the Moon King (voiced by Ralph Fiennes) as well as various other creatures.

There are a lot of positive things to say about Kubo and the Two Strings. First off, I really enjoyed how the adventure played out. It truly played out like a video game. There was great world building at the beginning that explained the lore of the world. There were three parts to the armor that Kubo had to find and those played out like mini-dungeons that are found in video games with a boss battle at the end of each. At the completion of each "dungeon", Kubo gained new abilities that would aid him on his next task. While watching the movie, I kept thinking about how much fun this adventure would be to play out at home in a video game.

Another great part of Kubo and the Two Strings was the stop-motion animation. This movie was absolutely beautiful to look at. The design of each character was unique and original. I loved the design of Monkey the most and multiple times throughout the movie I was wishing I could have a figurine of her. There were multiple times throughout the movie I would be sitting there awestruck in wonder on how did they make this movie. Most animated movies today are made using computers, but this was made using stop-motion puppets and the fact that this movie has epic battle scenes you just can't help but wonder how long each of those scenes took to make.

The characters in Kubo and the Two Strings are also fantastic. I loved the passion that Kubo would have when he was telling stories to those in his village or when he discovered a new skill. I loved the banter between Monkey and Beetle. They were constantly shooting one-liner jokes at each other that would cause everyone to laugh. The evil aunts brought this extreme evil and creepiness to the movie. Every time they were on the screen you would forget you were watching a "kids" movie because they were super scary, I can definitely see them causing nightmares for little ones (and maybe me too).

The only real issue I had with the movie was the main villain, Raiden the Moon King. They kind of build him up through the lore with bits of information here and there, but they never showed him until the very end. This caused me to not really feel his impact on the story and how things wrapped up. Previously I compared the adventure in Kubo and the Two Strings to a video game and this complaint I have with the villain is one I have with many newer games. You get this great adventure with solid boss battles throughout, but then last boss is just underwhelming and leaves you wanting more.

Kubo and the Two Strings is a fantastic adventure that everyone should go see. The story is exciting and keeps you engaged the entire time. The characters are hilarious and fun to be around. The visuals are incredible and you will have a smile on your face the entire time because of how beautiful it looks. Movies like this don't come around often and when something original and fresh like Kubo and the Two Strings comes out, it should be seen and seen on the biggest screen possible.

4 1/2 out of 5 Stars

Wiener-Dog Review

Sometimes a movie comes around where I know nothing about it and that movie ends up being completely insane and bonkers. Wiener-Dog is one of those movies.

Wiener-Dog is a dramedy (drama-comedy) written and directed by Todd Solondz and stars Kieran Culkin, Danny DeVito, Greta Gerwig and a few others. The plot of this movie is a little hard to explain so I will just give a basic summary. Wiener-Dog is about a dachshund that moves from owner to owner and how she affects their lives. The movie is composed of four short stories, with only the first two having a shared location.

Wiener-Dog was an interesting experience that can be truly hard to describe without going into spoilers. The comedy throughout can be very dark and at times uncomfortably funny. I found myself often just shaking my head and laughing and wondering what is going on. In one scene the dog's first owner gives her some granola bars that cause her to have extreme diarrhea. The camera slowly pans along the side of the road just starring at the mess the dog has made. This goes on for longer than it comfortably should and you just sit there wondering when will it go away. Wiener-Dog also has this really random intermission halfway through, which seemed odd for a movie that is only 90 minutes long.

The performances in this movie are okay. I thought Greta Gerwig was enjoyable as the vet tech that takes care of the dog after getting sick from the granola bars. Danny DeVito was also good as a grumpy film school professor who no one likes and is stressed out about a script he wrote. I didn't feel like there were any stellar performances though. This may be due to the fact that I didn't really enjoy any of the characters. No one of them were very relatable and they never gave me a reason to care about their stories.

I could probably say more about Wiener-Dog, but don't want to get into all the minor details and spoilers. I will say that this movie is not for everyone and has a scene at the end that can be pretty disturbing and will upset a lot of people. If you are willing to see a movie that is a little different and at times can be pretty fun in a very dark way, then give Wiener-Dog a watch.

3 1/2 out of 5 Stars

Gleason Review

I find that documentaries can be tricky. Sometimes they can be about really great topics, but are one sided and preachy. Sometimes their subject matter can be completely boring or be horribly made. Or the topic can be great, not preachy, helps tell all sides to the story and can be well made. I feel that the documentary Gleason falls in the latter.

Gleason is a documentary about the former New Orleans Saint football player named Steve Gleason. Gleason became a local hero for New Orleans fans in 2006 when he blocked a punt early on in the teams first game back in the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina. This moment brought hope and excitement to a city that was down on it's luck after the devastating storm. Nationally, Steve wasn't that well known since he mainly played on special teams. That all changed in 2011 when he was diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS, also known as Lou Gerig's Disease. The documentary, Gleason, tells the story of Steve's life after being diagnosed with ALS and how he and his wife, Michel, must work together to raise their son, River, who was born 6 months after Steve was diagnosed.

The one thing I can say about Gleason is that it can be a tough watch. It is a gut wrenching film that will have you crying throughout. These tears aren't just from sadness, though, there are times of great joy and love in this documentary. You get to see Steve and Michel's love for their son, River. A lot of the footage in this documentary is from Steve's video blog that he is creating for River. Steve knows that at some point ALS will take away his ability to speak, so he records as many videos as possible so that River can some day watch them and learn from Steve. You get to see Michel's love for Steve, no matter how hard it is for her to take care of him. There are things Michel must do that almost bring her to her breaking point, but her love for Steve keeps her going. You also get to see Steve's relationship with his own father and how that affects the way Steve wants to raise River. Through Steve's relationship with his father, you learn about Steve's faith and believes about God and religion. Another aspect you get to see is that Steve is not just fighting to stay alive for his family, he is fighting for everyone else that is suffering with ALS. You learn about his foundation, Team Gleason, and how they what those with ALS to live their life to the fullest and achieve their dreams.

Reviewing a documentary feels weird. You can't judge it on an actors performance or the special effects. If I had to nitpick it, I would say the only negative were some editing choices. At times the emotions would seem to ramp up and then it would cut away. There was one scene in particular where it got really emotional between Steve and his dad and then it just seemed to cut away and left a jarring feeling inside me. Other than some minor editing, I was emotionally invested in this documentary. I loved laughing at the jokes Steve and Michel make throughout it. I enjoyed crying with Steve and Michel when River is just starting to speak and tries to say "I love you". I enjoyed being inspired by Steve's will to keep fighting not just for himself but for others with ALS.

I don't really want to say too much more about this documentary because I feel like it needs to be seen and experienced. The main subject matter for this documentary may seem sad and depressing, but while watching it, you can't help but feel inspired and hopeful. Steve's attitude and love for life is infectious and warms your heart. So please, go see Gleason, but remember to bring the tissues, because you will need them.

4 1/2 out of 5 Stars

For more information about the movie and Steve's foundation, Team Gleason, go to http://www.teamgleason.org/

Suicide Squad Review

I don't know if there is anything more frustrating than watching a movie and knowing that there is potentially a great movie inside but overall the movie is complete garbage. Suicide Squad is a perfect example of this.

Suicide Squad is a comic book movie directed by David Ayer and stars Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Jared Leto and a slew of other actors. In Suicide Squad, a US government agency puts together a task force made up of supervillains to take down any potential threats that the military cannot handle like Superman for example. This supervillain task force is made up of Deadshot (Will Smith), Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), El Diablo (Jay Hernandez), Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney), Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), Enchantress (Cara Delevingne) and Slipknot (Adam Beach). The crew is also joined by Rick Flagg (Joel Kinnaman) and Katana (Tatsu Yamashiro). And yes that is a lot of characters and they throw even more at you, but I'm not going to list them all. When disaster strikes in Midway City, the Suicide Squad must go in and try to save the day before the entire world gets taken out.

Lets start with what I liked about Suicide Squad. The main group of characters in the Suicide Squad are fantastic. Margot Robbie absolutely nails it as Harley Quinn. She does a great job of playing a completely crazy women as well as someone with great heart and love and can switch between the two at a drop of a hat. Will Smith is wonderful as Deadshot. He has great one liners and brings a lot of emotion to a character that is a hired assassin but just wants to be with his daughter. Jared Leto played the Joker and you was absolutely insane. He brought this crazy energy to the movie and you never knew what he would say or do next. Jai Courtney was actually tolerable in this movie and I think thats because he doesn't really have to do much, but when he is on screen, he is pretty funny and entertaining. Most of the other characters, though, could have been played by anyone else or completely left out of the movie.

Another thing I enjoyed was the action. Most of it was just shoot-outs, but when you get to see Harley Quinn fight it was usually in tighter corridors and a lot more physical than other characters. It was also fun to watch what each member of the team brought to the fights. I would have enjoyed seeing them play off of each other a little more though, but since this is the first time they have been together I will give it a slight pass. Another thing that bothered me about the action was the things they were fighting were pretty faceless (they actually were faceless zombie like creatures) and never really seemed to be a menacing threat.

Now let's get to the fun, this movie is a hot mess. The villain is completely pointless and appears to have just been thrown in so the Suicide Squad has someone to battle against. When you are first introduced to the villain you see them absolutely destroying the city and taking out people left and right. But then suddenly it stops and allows for the Suicide Squad to be brought together. One moment they show the skyline just being destroyed and the next you see a little smoke coming from some buildings but no further damage is being done. The villain also doesn't really appear to have any kind of motive. They casually say a line that is supposed to indicate what they are upset about, but there is no proof that that reason is actually true. And maybe this is a spoiler, but they show the location of the villain, you see the type of building they are in from the outside. Then they show where the Suicide Squad is supposed to go to stop the villain. These are two visibly different locations, there is no surprise when the Suicide Squad reaches there destination and the villain isn't there. It's not that hard to just show the inside of the villain's lair and make us think the Suicide Squad is going there and then surprise us. Let the audience go on the journey with the crew.

Another extremely annoying part of the movie is the usage of music. For the first half of the movie, they constantly play various hit songs from all sorts of bands which include, The White Stripes, Kanye West, Queen and the one that caused me to give up on this movie, Eminem. I enjoy Eminem, so it has nothing to do with that, it has to do with the way the song fit in with the scene. It was completely jarring and out of place. Another frustrating part about the music, was that they would play these hit songs during the fight scenes at the beginning. Then the movie reaches a certain point and they quit using the songs and just use the film score. Once they used the film score, the fight scenes were way more entertaining and fit in with the flow of the movie. For the first half the movie, it felt like you were watching a mini trailer while the songs played.

Suicide Squad is a movie that has a fantastic cast that plays wonderfully fun characters. Margot Robbie is fantastic as Harley Quinn, Will Smith is great as Deadshot and Jared Leto is a blast to watch as the Joker. Unfortunately they are thrown into a story that is pretty pointless. The plot was extremely messy and the villain served no purpose. Things would happen that would just cause me to shake my head and wonder why. I cannot recommend this movie at all. I wish I could say go see it for Margot, Will and Jared, but you would have to sit through a completely disappointing movie that isn't worth your time.

1 1/2 Stars out of 5

Captain Fantastic Review

Seeing the movie Captain Fantastic taught me two things. First, sometimes your expectations for a movie can be too high that no matter what, the movie will not reach those heights. Secondly, having to pee at the end of a movie really makes the ending drag on, especially when the movie feels like it has three different points at which it could have ended.

Captain Fantastic is an indie drama starring Viggo Mortensen as Ben, a father who is trying to raise his six kids while his wife is in the hospital. Ben's family isn't your typical family though, they live in the middle of the forest just outside of Seattle, Washington. One day, Ben learns that his wife has passed away, but his father-in-law does not want him to go to the funeral. If Ben does go to the funeral, he will be arrested on the spot and his kids will be taken from him. That threat does not stop the kids from wanting to go to the funeral, so Ben and the kids hop on their bus and drive down to New Mexico. Will this road trip bring the family closer together through this hard time or will Ben lose those that mean the world to him, his kids?

The performances in Captain Fantastic are what stand out the most. Viggo Mortensen was truly mesmerizing. Viggo brings this warmth and emotionally relatable energy to his character. Whenever he is on screen, you never want to see him leave it. You get emotionally connected to Ben and that's because Viggo never makes him feel like a character on the screen, but rather a friend or a family member. Viggo also elevates those around him. The actors and actresses playing his kids are fairly inexperienced and some are pretty young. Not once during the movie did the kids feel out of place around Viggo. They felt like they were his actual kids and that they were a real family going through this tough time.

I also really enjoyed watching the family dynamic, especially at the beginning of the movie. It was great to see how Ben was teaching his kids to survive in the forest. Seeing how they each had to perform daily chores for the family to thrive. Seeing them all get pushed to their physical and emotional limits and their father being their to support them every step of the way. Later on in the movie, you get to see how these teachings may help in the forest, but in the real world, the kids still have a lot to learn. In one scene, the family is at a restaurant and the kids have no idea what Coca-Cola is and Ben just tells them "It's poison water".

If I had to pick something I didn't like about Captain Fantastic, it would have to be the pacing. It's hard to describe, but at times I felt like something would happen and suddenly the flow of the movie would be off. Once scene in particular that did this was when they rob a grocery store. I don't know why but that scene just felt off. It didn't feel like something the family would actually do. Also the movie felt like it wanted to end multiple times. Something would happen that normally would seem like a perfect ending to a movie, but then it just keeps going. Then you reach another perfect time to end and it continues to keep going. I can see how it helps to answer some questions that the audience may have, but sometimes we don't need to know everything.

Captain Fantastic was an extremely enjoyable movie that is funny, touching, original and thought-provoking. The performances by Viggo Mortensen and the kids were outstanding. The family dynamic was a joy to watch. Emotionally, this movie didn't reach the heights I was hoping for and I think thats do to some pacing issues at the end. I still think you should see Captain Fantastic. Movies like this need to be seen so they can continue to be made.

3 1/2 out of 5 Stars

Jason Bourne Review

Jason Bourne is back and he is still trying to find the answers to the questions he has about his past. The movie Jason Bourne is the fifth movie in the Jason Bourne franchise and stars Matt Damon as the title character. Bourne has been off the grid for ten years, when suddenly Nicky, played once again by Julia Stiles, finds him and gives him some information that may help him learn more about his past. Will this information finally clear things up for Bourne or will it only create more questions? This movie is directed once again by Paul Greengrass, who directed The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum. Also starring in this movie are Tommy Lee Jones, Alicia Vikander and Vincent Cassel.

So far the Jason Bourne franchise has been pretty spectacular, that is once you forget about The Bourne Legacy, which didn't have Matt Damon or Paul Greengrass. The big question for me going into this movie was would it live up to the first three movies in the franchise or has this franchise lost it's magic and it's time to move on. After seeing Jason Bourne, I would say it falls somewhere in the middle. Some parts of the movie are fantastic while other parts feel like we have been there, done that, let's see something new.

Most people go into a Bourne movie looking forward to the action and this movie delivers in that category. The trailer for Jason Bourne hints at a car chase down the Vegas strip during the middle of the night and boy was that a fun scene to watch on the big screen. Cars are getting smashed left and right and the camera puts you right into the action and makes you feel like you are dodging the cars along with Bourne. Another great chase scene involves Bourne on a motorcycle being chased through a riot in Greece. In this scene you have cops blocking off roads causing Bourne to chase his route numerous times. Along with that, you have protestors throwing Molotov cocktails and shoving burning couches off rooftops that Bourne must dodge. This movie also delivers with some great hand-to-hand combat. During these scenes you can feel the punches being landed. You can feel the chaos and the brutality.

The performances in this movie are pretty solid, especially from Tommy Lee Jones and Alicia Vikander. Tommy Lee Jones plays CIA Director Robert Dewey and like most of his roles recently, he is constantly grumpy looking but he actually smiles a couple times which was fun to see. Alicia Vikander plays CIA agent Heather Lee. Her character is given more to do then most in the movie and goes through various arcs which were fun to see. Vincent Cassel plays an assassin and it seemed like he enjoyed playing that role. Unfortunately I am a little torn with Matt Damon's performance as Jason Bourne. When he is thrown into action he is a blast to watch, but when he isn't fighting anyone, he is very straight face and emotionless. His character didn't have a wide range of emotions like he did in previous films, he is just a one note character. For the first time in the franchise, I wasn't really rooting for Jason Bourne, I was just there for the action and didn't really care what he was going to learn about his past.

The various storylines within Jason Bourne are pretty uninteresting. Besides Bourne trying to learn more about his past, you also have to deal with this giant social networking company that is about to release it's next product. And like most tech movies now, the issue of personal security comes up and the government has to get involved. This storyline was not needed at all. It was only there to help facilitate the movies villain and in the end, there was never a pay off, but I guess that's what sequels are for.

Jason Bourne is a pretty solid action movie. The hand-to-hand combat is brutal. The chase scenes are thrilling and will put you on the edge of your seat. For the most part of the performances are enjoyable, especially Alicia Vikanders. Unfortunately, the character of Bourne was kind of lifeless and I was never rooting for him. The story itself can be rather dull and uninteresting. But, even with those negative points, I still feel you should see this movie in theaters, just maybe see it at a matinee price.

3 1/2 out of 5 Stars

Star Trek Beyond Review

Growing up I watched a lot of the original Star Trek television series. My dad was a huge fan so it was constantly on our television. I always enjoyed the adventures of Kirk, Spock, Scotty and Sulu. I remember the episode where they drank tranya. I loved the fury little tribbles. As I got older, though, I never kept up on the newer series like The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine. Since my dad never watched them, I didn't watch them. We had all the movies recorded on VHS tapes, but I only remember watching The Voyage Home. I liked that it took place at an aquarium and dealt with a humpback whale. I had a thing for aquariums growing up, hence while I also watched Jaws 4 a lot, but thats for another time and place.

In 2009, when J.J. Abrams decided to reboot the film franchise with the original characters I was pretty excited and boy did that movie deliver. In 2013, J.J. Abrams came back to direct another Star Trek movie, Star Trek Into Darkness. Most people were negative about that movie, but I enjoyed it. Now in 2016, we get yet another Star Trek movie, Star Trek Beyond, but this time with Justin Lin directing. Justin Lin was able to rejuvenate The Fast and the Furious franchise, so I was interested to see how he would handle this one. Unfortunately after seeing the first couple of trailers I wasn't one hundred percent sold on this new movie. Would Justin Lin be able to deliver a quality movie or would it be a disappointment like all the other sequels that have been released so far this summer?

Star Trek Beyond takes place with the crew of the USS Enterprise in the middle of their five-year mission. They come across an escape pod with a sole survivor that tells them that her ship is stranded and she needs help. Captain Kirk, played once again by Chris Pine, decides to help, but along the way disaster strikes. It is is up to Kirk and his crew to find out what is going on and help those that are in need.

I thought Star Trek Beyond was a lot of fun. Just like he did with The Fast and the Furious franchise, Justin Lin brings these great action set pieces that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The action flowed smoothly from character to character which is important when you have a movie with this many important characters. The visuals were bright and eye catching and never felt like it was created on a computer or that a green screen was used. I also liked that the action wasn't just people shooting blasters at each other and space dog fights, there was some solid hand to hand combat. The star of the hand to hand combat was Sofia Boutella, who plays Jaylah. Sofia was previously seen kicking ass in Kingsman. I look forward to seeing whatever action movie she stars in in the future.

Another great aspect of Star Trek Beyond is the chemistry between the actors. These actors act like they have been stuck on the Enterprise for two plus years. The banter between them is hilarious, especially between Zachary Quinto, who plays Spock, and Karl Urban, who plays McCoy "Bones". Karl was probably the funniest person in this movie. His character was constantly getting dragged into doing things he didn't want to do and his reactions were priceless every time. It was also fun to watch any of the crew members interact with Spock. You could tell they were tired with how literal he is. You could sense he got under their skin just a little but they were finally comfortable enough to tell Spock how it should be.

I feel like I can't talk about Star Trek Beyond without bringing up Anton Yelchin. Just over a month ago Anton passed away and this is the first film released since his death. It was pretty heartbreaking seeing Anton on the big screen after such a tragic event. But it was also a joy just to see him on the big screen one more time. You can see why he was considered one of the best actors on the rise. His performance was fantastic. It seemed like he had a lot of fun playing Checkov. He ended up having a lot more screen time than I thought he would have and I'm glad, we as an audience, got to spend that time with him.

For me the only disappointing thing about this movie was the villain, Krall, played by Idris Elba. His character fell into the Bane from The Dark Knight Rises trap. For the first half the film I struggled to understand what he was saying. I also didn't feel that he was that menacing. There are a few times he tries to be menacing but never comes across that way and just seems pointless. Also his motives aren't that clear until much later into the movie.

Star Trek Beyond is a great summer blockbuster. The action was spectacular. I was on the edge of my seat and loved how it was choreographed. The visuals were stunning and the hand to hand combat was intense, much better than the hand to hand combat from the original TV series. The chemistry between the cast was fantastic. I loved watching the way they interacted with each other. It felt like they were a family. The summer of 2016 has had some major disappointments when it comes to blockbusters, I'm glad to say that you must see Star Trek Beyond in theaters, you will enjoy the wild ride.

Hunt for the Wilderpeople Review

It's not often I go into a movie completely unaware of what it is about. Usually I would have seen the trailer for a movie a few times or have seen a few reviews online. The only thing I did know about Hunt for the Wilderpeople was that it currently sits at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. After having seen Hunt for the Wilderpeople, I can say that I am glad I knew nothing about the plot and that the score on Rotten Tomatoes is accurate. Hunt of the Wilderpeople is outstanding!!!

I don't want to say too much about the plot of Hunt for the Wilderpeople, so I will keep this brief. Hunt for the Wilderpeople is about a foster boy named Ricky Baker. Ricky is taken in by a couple when something suddenly goes wrong leaving him and a cranky old man named Uncle Hec on the run from the law in the New Zealand bush. Uncle Hec is played by Sam Neill in what has to be his best performance since Jurassic Park. Ricky is played by the relatively new Julian Dennison (this is only his third movie).

What is great about Hunt for the Wilderpeople is the relationship between Uncle Hec and Ricky. The two of them could not be anymore different yet similar in many ways. Ricky is this rough and tough kid from the streets that just wants to be a gangster, yet is just a sweet and gentle young lad. Uncle Hec is a grizzled old man who as been living in the New Zealand bush for years and has had very little interaction with other people, let alone teenagers. It was hilarious to watch Ricky make pop culture references and having Uncle Hec be completely clueless to what Ricky is talking about. It was also fun to watch Ricky act like a tough gangster yet be completely out of his element in the New Zealand bush. The differences they have end up forcing them to rely on one another and with that brought a lot of heart to the movie. I used to be a young adult leader that worked with middle schoolers and I got to know a kid that was just like Ricky so I could relate to what Uncle Hec had to put up with. I could relate to dealing with a rough and tough kid that could be annoying at times but deep down is one of the sweetest people you could ever meet.

This movie also has a lot of laughs with the social worker named Paula, who needs to locate Ricky, and the cops trying to assist her. Paula will stop at nothing to get Ricky back and that puts her in some hilarious scenarios. At one point, Paula and Ricky run into each other with only a stream separating them. This leads to some great dialog where they argue which one is like the Terminator and which one is Sarah Connor. It's these little pop culture references that I really enjoy in movies. By Paula's side is a police officer named Andy, who Paula seems to have no respect for. At one point in the movie she says, "Let's call the police" and he is like "I am the police". It's these things like this help keep the laughs consistent throughout the movie.

The only thing I can think of that bothered me about Hunt for the Wilderpeople, was that at times there were some pacing issues. At the beginning of the movie, it was hard to tell whether this movie wanted to be a comedy or a serious drama. There would be a few jokes and then get really serious and then get back to the jokes only to be hit with more serious situations. At a certain point in the movie, the jokes and the serious situations started to flow together a lot better and that caused my enjoyment in the movie to pick up and remain until the end. This is really just a minor gripe and didn't change how I felt about the movie overall.

Hunt for the Wilderpeople is one of those movies that don't get released often. This movie will have you in tears, whether its because you are laughing so hard or because you are crying from the touching moments Ricky and Uncle Hec experience. The performances by Sam Neill and Julian Dennison are fantastic. The supporting cast is phenomenal and bring some of the movies best one liners. If you have the opportunity, please go see Hunt for the Wilderpeople. It will be one of the most original movies you will have seen in a long time and with this being the summer of sequels it will be a much needed experience.

The Infiltrator Review

The Infiltrator is a true story crime drama about a U.S. Customs special agent that goes undercover to bust the famous drug lord Pablo Escobar. The movie stars Bryan Cranston as Robert Mazur who goes undercover as Bob Musella. Musella is a businessman that helps launder money for Pablo Escobar's drug organization. The movie also stars John Leguizamo as Emir Abreu, who goes undercover with Mazur, and Benjamin Bratt as Roberto Alcaino, a man who is high up in Escobar's organization that Musella becomes close friends with.

This movie is pretty simple so there isn't much to say about the plot. Most of it we have all seen before in other movies, just with new names and faces. Luckily for this movie, the actors in this movie make it watchable. Bryan Cranston was a joy to watch whenever he was on screen. He is believable as this special agent that must go through some dangerous situations while interacting with the drugs lords. You feel his pain and anguish as he as to juggle his family life along with the drug life. He is a likable guy, so you can believe that those in the drug organization would let him in without asking too many questions. John Lequizamo was also great in this movie. His character was the complete opposite of Cranston's. He doesn't always play by the rules, likes to have a little fun and sometimes trusts people he shouldn't. Lequizamo brings this energy to the movie that at times is very serious.

The Infiltrator mainly deals with the money side of the drug world, because of that, it can be pretty boring at times. It deals a lot with transferring money from one bank to another or from one business to another. For me that wasn't that interesting. I would have like to see more of the transferring of drugs and learning how it got into the U.S. rather than just money transferring hands electronically. I've always heard Pablo Escobar is a legendary drug lord and it would have been nice to spend more time with him rather than those a little bit lower on the ladder. I have not seen Narcos on Netflix, but I have a feeling this could be an interesting companion piece to that tv show. 

The Infiltrator has a decent story that can be interesting at times but the performances are what make this movie watchable. Bryan Cranston is great like always. If this movie seems like it would be interesting to you, I would say watch it at home when you can rent it in a few months.

Ghostbusters Review

In 1984, the original Ghostbusters was released. I wasn't even a year old yet so it never really had an immediate impact on my childhood. In 1989, Ghostbusters II came out and I remember seeing it in theaters and enjoyed it. I remember the creepy pink ooze, the scary painting and the cute little baby. But it still never really struck me as a movie I needed to watch over and over again. Now in 2016, we get yet another Ghostbusters movie, but this one isn't the sequel everyone had been hoping for, well almost everyone, I didn't really need one. Nope, instead this was a reboot. This reboot would have a whole new cast and the events of the first two films never happened. Would this reboot live up to those first two films or would it fail to reach the cultural impact of those films.

The 2016 Ghostbusters is directed by Paul Feig and stars Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones as the four members of the Ghostbusters. The Ghostbusters start investigating these strange ghost sightings that are happening around New York City. They must find out where these ghosts are coming from as well as convince those around them that ghosts are real.

For me this new Ghostbusters movie was pretty hit or miss.  For the first half or so of the movie, I was really enjoying it. I was sitting there thinking this is a pretty fun movie, I could see myself buying it. It was funny and the characters were interesting. I was curious about the adventures the Ghostbusters were going on as well as interested in the technology they were creating to capture the ghosts. But then at a certain point I thought, I'm kinda bored now. The pacing just started to feel all over the place. One minute the jokes were flying left and right and then the next thing you know, it gets bogged down by side characters that told jokes that just fall flat or story elements that weren't really needed. The comedy would start to pick back up again, but then they throw in some cameos for fan service that would just take you out of the movie. Especially when you have people in the audience trying to explain to others who the cameo is. Also at times, it felt like the main actresses where acting in a parody or an extended Saturday Night Live sketch. It felt like they were going over the top with their performances and that took me out of the film.

There were two performances in Ghostbusters I really enjoyed. These were by Kate McKinnon and Chris Hemsworth. Both their characters pretty much only had one shtick, but that was okay with me. McKinnon's character, Dr. Jillian Holtzmann, was the groups crazy inventor. She always had this crazy look on her face and would move her body in strange ways. She brought this fun energy to the team. Chris Hemsworth played Kevin Beckman, the teams clueless receptionist. With Chris Hemsworth, it was just fun to see him play a comedic character. In the past we have seen him in the Marvel superhero movies or in dramas like Rush and In The Heart of the Sea. His roles have all been more serious, it was fun to see him loosen up a bit. It felt like he was have a blast playing Kevin Beckman and made me curious about how much of his lines were ad-libbed.

I also enjoyed most of the third act of the movie. The visuals were great. The ghosts had this bright vibrant color that was very appealing. I also liked that you finally got to see the Ghostbusters use the technology that they had been working on throughout the movie. Each character had their own set of weapons and it was a lot of fun watching them work together to fight the ghosts.

The new Ghostbusters movie is all over the place. At times I was having a fun time watching it, but then something would happen that would take me out of it. When the jokes landed, they were great, but often, especially with the side characters, the jokes fell flat. The cameos were unnecessary and distracting. At times the movie felt like a parody of the ones made in the 80's and other times it felt like they were making something original and clever. I think Ghostbusters can be a fun time but probably doesn't need to be experienced in theaters. Save your money and rent it when it comes out on Redbox.

Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates Review

Comedies are an extremely hit or miss movie genre. Some contain original premises and jokes while others are just a bunch of poop, fart and sex jokes. For me, the movie Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates falls right in the middle. Parts feel original and the rest is just crazy, insane sex jokes.

This movie is about a pair of brothers, Mike (Adam DeVine) and Dave (Zac Efron), who ruin all family events they go to due to their crazy party antics. When their sister is getting married in Hawaii, their parents tell Mike and Dave that they must bring dates to the wedding in hopes that it will calm them down. They post an ad on Craigslist that ends up going viral and lands them on The Wendy Williams Show. Tatiana (Aubrey Plaza) and Alice (Anna Kendrick) end up seeing Mike and Dave on TV and decide they want to be the girls that go with them to Hawaii. The only problem is that Tatiana and Alice are actually bigger partiers than Mike and Dave. Will Tatiana and Alice keep Mike and Dave in check or will Mike and Dave ruin their sister's wedding day?

For comedies to work there needs to be chemistry between the leads and with this movie the chemistry is fantastic. Adam and Zac did a great job of bringing that brotherly chemistry to Mike and Dave. They were able to bounce jokes off each other left and right that were highly enjoyable. Then you have Aubrey and Anna who had this great dynamic between them that only occasionally got annoying. Whenever the four of them are on screen together you can tell that the movie was probably a lot of fun to make. Everyone seemed like they were having a great time and because of that, I had a fun time watching the movie. Also I absolutely love Anna Kendrick and her charm comes through every time she appears on the screen.

Another important part of comedies are the jokes. In Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates I felt that the jokes came at a decent pace and the shock value was pretty consistent throughout. For most comedies the third act always seems to slow down and get serious with the jokes slowing to a halt. When I started to feel like this movie was falling into that trap, they were able to pull the rug out from underneath me and give a pretty hilarious and shocking scene. Also in the latter half of the movie there is a scene where the Mike and Dave's sister is getting a massage that goes insanely off the wall and is absolutely hilarious.

Unfortunately this movie doesn't hit all the marks of a comedy classic. Adam Devine is a comedian that gets on my nerves quickly. He is just incredibly loud and obnoxious and I get tired of him if he is on screen too long. If the other three actors weren't in this movie I would have been really annoyed. Also this movie doesn't have that much heart. Most of the characters are not likable at the beginning of the movie and they never improve throughout. Anna Kendrick's character has a little bit of an arc, but they had to keep reminding you throughout the movie about her past. It would have been more enjoyable to see her change than spend time watching her reminisce about the past.

Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates was a lot of fun. I was laughing throughout the entire movie and loved the chemistry between the leads. The jokes were completely inappropriate and at times cringe worthy, but for me they never went too far. Unfortunately the characters never change throughout the movie and are not that likable. I think this movie is a rental when it comes out on Blu-ray in a couple months. You will enjoy the laughs while watching it, but you will not need to see it again.

The Secret Life of Pets Review

So far in 2016 we have had two solid animated movies, Zootopia and Finding Dory. We have also had some not so stellar, but watchable, animated movies, Kung Fu Panda 3 and Angry Birds. As well as one downright boring animated movie, Ratchet & Clank. This week another animated movie gets released, which category will The Secret Life of Pets fall in?

The Secret Life of Pets is about this dog named Max (voiced by Louis C.K.), who lives with his owner, Katie (voiced by Ellie Kemper), in an apartment in Manhattan. When Max's owner goes to work, Max and the other pets around the apartment interact. Whether it is hanging out on a walk or sneaking into each others apartments. One day, Max's owner comes home with a giant new dog named Duke (voiced by Eric Stonestreet). Max immediately does not like Duke and demands that Katie get rid of Duke. Katie just hears barking, but Max thinks she can understand him. Duke overhears this and decides he needs to get rid of Max. While at the dog park, Duke tricks Max and drags him off into the city streets. Max and Duke end up getting captured by Animal Control, where they run into a cute little bunny named Snowball (voiced by Kevin Hart) and his crazy cast of misfits. Snowball and his crew do not have the best of intentions when it comes to Max and Duke. Will Duke and Max make it back to Katie or will they be strays for life?

What I enjoyed most about The Secret Life of Pets was the small jokes about the way pets act when their owners are not around. You see Max just sitting by the door, patiently waiting for Katie to come home. You have Chloe (voiced by Lake Bell), a cat that doesn't like her cat food and just wants to eat the food in the fridge. Chloe also has the stereotypical cat attitude of "I don't care about my owner". There are dogs that just bark at squirrels sitting outside their window. There is Sweet Pea, a parakeet, that breaks out of her cage and uses a fan to act like she is a fighter pilot. I also really enjoyed Snowball. He was completely insane and a blast every time he was on screen.

I also enjoyed the adventure that Max and Duke went on to get back to Katie. I was never bored with it. The things they encountered felt original and the characters they ran into brought a fun energy. The laughs seemed to come at a consistent pace. When the action felt like it was about to slow down, it would cut to another cast of characters and pick right back up. The runtime of the movie also helps. Since it is roughly 90 minutes long, there isn't a lot of fluff and goes by really quickly. It never felt long but also didn't feel like it was missing anything.

The one thing that The Secret Life of Pets lacked, that great animated movies have, is that emotional punch. At one point in the movie, it felt like they were going to hit us with a sad, teary-eyed scene, but then nothing happened with it. I never felt that the main characters were in any real sense of danger. There are no scenes in this movie that reach the heights of the first twenty minutes of Up or the beginning of Finding Nemo or the ending of Toy Story 3.

The Secret Life of Pets was a lot of fun. I was laughing throughout the entire movie. I enjoyed watching the relationship with Max and Duke. The supporting cast brought a lot of fun energy to the movie and helped mix things up when needed. If you have kids this movie is a must see. Kids will love the bright colors and laugh at all the crazy characters. Adults currently have pets or grew up with pets will relate to a lot of the characters and their crazy little antics, but will probably disappointed it never reaches the emotional heights of Pixar classics. If you are looking to have a fun time at the movies, go see The Secret Life of Pets, it is an enjoyable little adventure.

Swiss Army Man Review

What would you do if you found a farting corpse that has an erection that works like a compass? Yes, you read that right, a farting corpse with a compass erection. In the movie Swiss Army Man that is what Paul Dano finds while stranded on a beach.

Swiss Army Man stars Paul Dano, as Hank and Daniel Radcliffe as Manny. Hank is stranded on an island and about to commit suicide. Right when he is about to hang himself, he sees a corpse lying on the beach. When Hank approaches the corpse, it starts to fart. Hank decides to use the farting corpse has a jet ski, yes that's how powerful the farts are, and rides it to the mainland. Unfortunately Hank is now lost in a forest and must use the corpse, who's named Manny, to reach civilization. Manny soon starts to talk to Hank. At first Hank is frightened, but soon enjoys having someone to talk to. Along the way, Hank teaches Manny about life and with the assistance of Manny, Hank learns more about himself.

Just be reading the first line of this review, you know this movie is probably going to be insane, and boy is it. Visually Swiss Army Man was fantastic. Most of the movie revolves around Hank explaining to Manny what it means to be alive. To do this, Hank uses garbage that is found throughout the forest to create objects that resemble items most people use on a daily basis. For instance, Hank is describing what it's like to ride on a bus. Hank recreates a bus using branches and takes magazine ads and arranges them on a device that he spins to make it look like the scenery moving past a bus window. He also takes pencil eraser tops and makes them into headphones. It was these little subtle details that would bring smiles to my face.

Another thing I really enjoyed was just how multi-purpose Manny's body was for Hank. Manny would spit out drinkable water for Hank to drink. And when I say spit, it wasn't just little drops of spit, it was a fire hose of water coming out of Manny's mouth. Manny's farts weren't just used to move along the way, they could be used to start fires so Hank could cook and keep warm. Manny's erection was used like a compass that allowed Hank to find his way out of the forest. His body could be used as a tool to chop down trees and fire rocks at creatures so Hank could have food to eat. All these new discoveries were a joy to learn about and discover and you couldn't help but laugh every time Hank learned a new way to use one of Manny's special abilities.

The performances by Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe are fantastic. For most of the film Radcliffe is just lying or sitting there, staring off into space. But just watching him do that, without blinking and occasionally saying a few words, was mesmerizing. It was also a blast to watch the way he would react when Paul Dano's character would teach him something new. In Swiss Army Man, Paul Dano once again proves he is one of the best actors around. He was stellar as Hank. Watching him be confused by what was going on with Manny was a joy to experience. I had a smile on my face pretty much the entire time because of the chemistry between Dano and Radcliffe.

The only negative thing I can think of when it came to Swiss Army Man is that I was never emotionally gut-punched. I feel like that is a negative thing I bring up for a lot of movies I see, but I really enjoy when a movie hits me and brings me to the verge of tears. With Swiss Army Man, I never felt that and for the most part I'm okay with that. It didn't really take away from the experience. It is just a minor gripe.

Overall I absolutely loved Swiss Army Man. It is a completely original experience that is a blast to watch. I was laughing throughout the movie and in awe of all the things Hank would do to Manny. Visually the movie is fantastic and creative in every way possible. The performances by Dano and Radcliffe were spectacular. Swiss Army Man is a movie that needs to be seen. It is completely insane and a joy to experience. Please go see Swiss Army Man, you will never see anything like it.

Our Kind of Traitor Review

I don't know what author has had the most books turned into movies, but I have feeling John le Carre has to be near the top. Our Kind of Traitor is his tenth book to be turned into a movie. Previous ones include The Constant Gardener, A Most Wanted Spy, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and The Tailor of Panama.

Our Kind of Traitor stars Ewan McGregor as a college professor named Perry. Perry and his wife, Gail (Naomie Harris) are on vacation when they run into Dima (Stellan Skarsgard). Dima is a Russian money launderer who fears he and his family are about to get killed by the Russian mob. Dima gives Perry some important information and wants him to give it to MI6 in hopes they will move Dima and his family to London. Unfortunately the British government needs more information and Dima will not give them more unless Perry is involved. Perry and Gail find themselves in a world that is way more complicated then they would like, but care about Dima and his family and want to see them safe.

As a British spy thriller, Our Kind of Traitor succeeds for the most part. Throughout the film I was on the edge of my seat. I was eager to see how Perry would get out of the various situations he finds himself in. There is one scene in particular where Perry must help Dima get out of a hotel where he is meeting with the Russian mob. Unfortunately, the scenes of tension where followed lulls, that took me out of the movie. Our Kind of Traitor also has scenes that are by the numbers for spy thrillers. There are corrupt government officials, paper work that gets in the way and gets resolved at the last possible moment, and scenes where normal people act like they are trained killers. It would have been nice for a little bit of originality.

The performances in Our Kind of Traitor are all pretty decent. I thought Ewan McGregor did a fine job as Perry. For the most part he seemed believable as a college professor that was in over his head. The only problem I had with his character was when he had to fire a gun or fight someone, it just felt out of place for a college professor. I would have liked to have seen Namoie Harris have a little more to work with. Early on in the movie you learn that her character and Perry's marriage is on the rocks, but that tension never really arises again and seems to get resolved quite nicely. Stellan Skarsgard also does a decent job, but his performance just reminded me of his character in the Thor movies.

Our Kind of Traitor was a solid spy thriller that had me on the edge of my seat for various parts of the movie. The plot was interesting enough and the performances were decent. I would say this is a movie that doesn't need to be seen in theaters, but is well worth a rent.

The Legend of Tarzan Review

The Legend of Tarzan is a movie that feels like a bad sequel to a movie that would have probably been good if they had actually made it.

The Legend of Tarzan takes place years after Tarzan (Alexander Skarsgard) and Jane (Margot Robbie) have met and have moved from the jungle to England. Tarzan, who goes by Lord Greystoke, is invited to go back to the Congo and report on the developments of the Belgium government, who are in control of that region.  When Tarzan, along with Jane, arrive, they learn that the Congolese population is being enslaved and the man in charge, Captain Leon Rom (Christoph Waltz), wants to capture Tarzan and give him to Chief Mbonga (Djimon Hounsou), a leader of one of the African tribes. The Legend of Tarzan also stars Samuel L. Jackson. The movie is directed by David Yates, who also directed the last four Harry Potter movies and is also directing Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

For me The Legend of Tarzan was a mess. The story was all over the place. It contained flashbacks to when Tarzan's parents were killed and he briefly how he was raised by the gorillas and also when he first met Jane. Considering the main focus of this movie wasn't his origin, it was a little annoying to have these flashbacks. I would have preferred to have just seen a movie that was the origin story. I was more interested in seeing Tarzan with the gorillas and seeing the dynamic between them. The story line involving Chief Mbonga was not needed. For the entire length of the movie I was wondering why does he want Tarzan so badly, this story doesn't make sense and then you finally learn why and it gets resolved in two seconds. Another problem I had was Captain Rom. He never felt menacing. There was no reason for us as an audience to feel that Tarzan was in any real danger.

Not only was the story messy, the CGI in this movie was laughable. Throughout the movie you could tell when a green screen was used. In the flashback scenes, both Tarzan and Jane had these light halos around their faces, telling us that the bodies were someone else and they just added the actors faces later. When Tarzan is swinging in the trees, nothing about it is believable. The vines look extremely fake and the green screen jumps out at you. For a Tarzan movie, swinging in the trees is important. If the creators of the movie can't get this right, why did they even make the movie.

Within The Legend of Tarzan, you can tell there is an interesting movie somewhere inside, unfortunately it is only briefly seen in the flashbacks. The story was uninteresting, the villain was never a threat and the effects were laughable for a major blockbuster. There is no reason for anyone to see this movie. It's completely forgettable and hopefully this won't become a franchise.