Movie Review Monday: American Ultra

Welcome to another edition of Movie Review Monday!

This week's film is the 2015 action movie, American Ultra, starring Jesse Eisenburg and Kristen Stewart.

I'm going to put this out there at the outset here, I was very misled as to what this movie was going to be. I thought it was a spoof of Bourne Identity based on the trailers that came out, but it was not anywhere close to that. While it had some funny moments, it was more straightforward than I was hoping for. It wasn't a bad movie overall, I just felt like it is something different that the studio didn't really know what to do with or how to best market it.

The premise is that a stoner, Mike (Eisenburg), finds out his is a actually a secret agent after the government comes to kill him and his training is activated. His girlfriend, Phoebe (Stewart) works to help him figure everything out and fight back.

The action is pretty good in this movie, and it has some funny beats like I said. The whole package is entertaining enough but it feels like a sort of half baked (pun intended) idea. It isn't enough of a comedy or enough of a spy movie or enough of an action movie to satisfy any of those cravings. In the end, it's a sort of average, forgettable movie that while it didn't feel like an entire waste of time, I wouldn't have been upset if I missed it in hindsight.

I caught American Ultra streaming on Hulu, and you can check it out there too if you so choose, but it isn't all that I hoped it would be.

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Movie Review Monday: Spy

Welcome to another edition of Movie Review Monday!

This week's film is the 2015 action comedy, Spy, starring Melissa McCarthy, Jude Law, Rose Byrne, and Jason Statham.

I rented this the other day to watch with my partner rather than going out to see a movie and we were very pleased. The powerhouse team of Paul Feig and McCarthy create comedy gold again with Spy. It's a silly, fun action comedy spoofing the antics of spies, which certainly isn't totally original territory, but they still make it feel fresh with their unique charm. In light of enjoying the recent Ghostbusters film in theaters, this movie proves why they were on such a roll going into that movie.

We follow McCarthy's character, Susan Cooper, who goes from lowly desk worker in the CIA, to full fledged spy and we see all the antics in between. Cooper's goofy aliases and silly spy gadgets were my favorite parts. The ensemble is great in the movie too. Everyone plays their parts well, especially Statham and Law as very distinct agents. Statham being the sort of meathead, do whatever it takes action hero type he is known for, while Law is the classic Bond-esque agent.

Spy is definitely worth a rental. I don't know if I would have loved it if I paid full price at the theater, but it was a fun romp for a lazy night.

You can find Spy at Redbox or any of your favorite VOD providers.

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Summer Movie Musings: Ghostbusters

Greetings!

I saw this "controversial" new film the weekend it came out with my partner. I mentioned in a recent geek out post, but I wanted to get around to giving some more detailed thoughts on the movie. Also, I say it was "controversial" to say that I don't believe it was, but I know other, less open-minded people did.

I enjoyed this movie. It's not the greatest film ever made, but it doesn't have to be. It's a perfectly fun summer movie that honors its past, and paves a positive way forward for the future. It allows for more diverse representation in our heroes and media in general, and I think it provides positive role models for young women.

We've had a lot of nostalgia marketing lately, with reboots, remakes, and repackaging of all the things we loved from the 1980s and 90s. Some of these efforts are done well and others are not. It's really 50/50 for me usually whether or not it feels like pandering. Stuff like the Jump Street movies are fun, things like the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies are not. Stuff like Jurassic World is decently fun, things like another Indiana Jones moving being in the works or something like Independence Day: Resurgence feels unnecessary. Just because Star Wars did it pretty well with The Force Awakens doesn't mean we need some other franchise movie that picks up 30 years too late.

If we're going to have more reboots, I'd want them to be done well and in a fresh way like Ghostbusters. Star Wars and Star Trek and many other reboots have struggled with simply rehashing old story lines with a shiny new veneer. Ghostbusters embarks on a new path and has clever humor and good action. It's just a good movie on its own outside of any of the female empowerment aspects of it, that is just a nice bonus.

I hope you enjoyed Ghostbusters if you saw it. I hope others go out and see it to enjoy it and to support making more movies like this.

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Movie Review Monday: Hot Fuzz

Welcome to another edition of Movie Review Monday!

This week's film is the 2007 action comedy, Hot Fuzz, directed by Edgar Wright and starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost.

I had seen bits and pieces of this movie before, but I surprisingly never sat down and watched it all the way through. I'm a big fan of Shaun of the Dead, saw The World's End, and really loved Scott Pilgrim (all directed by Wright) so I figured I should check this one out too.

Hot Fuzz is a silly, fun, action comedy made in homage to all the great action movies of the 1980s and 1990s. It follows a London cop (Pegg) who gets reassigned to a sleepy little town and gets partnered with a local cop (Frost) and they soon discover more is happening beneath the veneer of this picturesque village. While the film is a bit slow to start, once it kicks into high gear, it is a lot of fun.

While Shaun of the Dead will still be my favorite of the "Cornetto Trilogy" of films, Hot Fuzz is a solid installment. The World's End was fine but I think lacked a good punch at the end. What I do appreciate about all of them is that there is a good heart to them. They're not just empty satire, which is fine, but the addition of some relationship stuff and genuine emotions really adds something to each of the films. Hot Fuzz is no different, and is also boosted by Wright's typical fun visual quality, with quick cuts and intense zooms. There are jokes happening in layers in a lot of the scenes, and a lot of great running gags and callbacks.

I definitely recommend all of the "Cornetto Trilogy". They're unique, fun, heart-filled, smart movies. I feel like they're better than a lot of the movies that come out nowadays.

You can watch Hot Fuzz right now on Netflix.

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Movie Review Monday: The Hunger Games - Mockingjay, Part 2

Welcome to another edition of Movie Review Monday!

This week's film is the recently released The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2 starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth among many others.

I've reviewed the two previous films, Catching Fire and Mockingjay Part 1, here on the blog, and thinking back to all of them (even the original), I think Mockingjay Part 2 is the best of the bunch. It is a culmination of all of the plot threads of the franchise, and is an emotional, intense film. Everyone's performances are great, the action is awesome, the stakes are high and as someone who didn't read the books, I didn't know what was going to happen next.

I've warmed to this series more and more because I think the films have gotten better as the series went on as they focused more on the revolution than the Hunger Games since those were at best just different unusual action set pieces without much personal connection to what was going on. This movie is deeply personal, heavily narrative driven, and is just a thoughtful story.

I knew going in that some people did not like the ending from the book, but watching the movies and seeing what they emphasized, I felt as though the ending was good and made sense for the story. I really enjoyed how much the movies went into the politics and mechanics of a revolution versus it being just an action movie without any depth. How a revolution uses propaganda, treats the enemy, and transitions power are all interesting concepts to watch unfold on screen here and are just intriguing to me in general.

I encourage folks to check this entire franchise out (you can stream the first three installments). It is a great young adult franchise that seems to me to be far superior to the Divergent or the Maze Runner movies, which seem to be poor copies of the Hunger Games franchise (while they aren't exactly alike, they both seem to be going for the same exact market of dystopic light sci-fi action stories for young adults).

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Movie Review Monday: Hunger Games - Mockingjay, Part I

Welcome to another edition of Movie Review Monday!

This week's film is the 2014 blockbuster, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I, starring Jennifer Lawrence and a stellar ensemble cast.

In anticipation of the final chapter of this film series coming out in a few weeks, I wanted to look back and review the most recent release (read my Catching Fire review too!) to get myself mentally prepared.

We pick up this movie right after Catching Fire and the plot focuses on Katniss (Lawrence) being strongly pushed into being the symbol for a growing revolution against the Capital. She has her reservations, partially being about not knowing how to be a rebel leader, and also not wanting to get the people she cares about (or anyone else for that matter) hurt or killed on her behalf. We see Katniss begin to warm to the idea as she realizes the true reach of the Capital's carnage.

We also see Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) become a weapon of the Capital's propoganda and he serves as their sort of antithesis to Katniss. An interesting part to this movie (since it is mostly slow moving) is the gradual tension, anticipation, and building up towards something more, as well as how much the importance of symbols is explored. People need something (or someone) to believe in, and a lot of times the images we use are very carefully crafted versus being genuine moments, and both sides in this story utilize artificial symbols to achieve their ends, further deepening the shades of grey for each.

While this movie isn't the best of the series, it is a solid movie which definitely is comparable to Deathly Hallows Part I in that it allows for some breathing room and plot development where if this was just one movie, it would feel rushed and/or shallow.

Make sure to catch up on the full story since you can find the other Hunger Games movies available to stream on Hulu and Amazon Prime right now (the original movie isn't on either service at the moment but you could just rent it from any video-on-demand provider). They're all great and it is a solid sci-fi universe to explore. I've only watched the movies and I enjoy it a lot.

Definitely check back here on the blog to get my thoughts on the final chapter, Mockingjay Part II, when it comes out in theaters on November 20.

Thanks for stopping by!

Movie Review Monday: Mad Max - Fury Road

Welcome to another edition of Movie Review Monday!

This week's film is the recent fourth entry in the venerable Mad Max franchise, Mad Max: Fury Road, starring Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron.

This movie serves as a spiritual reboot and successor to the original three films, which starred Mel Gibson in the title role. It isn't retelling anything anything we've seen before but has the same character (Max) in the same setting (futuristic, dystopic Australia) simply just treading new thematic territory.

The plot surrounds Max (Hardy) once again a reluctant hero as he encounters a small group of females escaping their camp and being led by Imperator Furiosa (Theron). Furiosa's group is being chased across the desert by the camp's leader, Immortan Joe, and his crazed band of henchmen.

I really enjoyed this movie. It got a lot of positive buzz over the summer and I'm bummed I missed it in theaters. The visuals are amazing, the action is intense, and the story is great. Hardy and Theron carry the film well and the weird, wild universe they're put within is intriguing to explore. You really get invested by the end of the film, and the ending is very cathartic and well done.

You also don't need to watch any of the other Mad Max films to fully enjoy Fury Road, but if you do, you'll catch some nods to the past movies. I watched the original and the second in the series, and both were moderately enjoyable but Fury Road blows both of them away. It's unique, original, and entertaining, which is of course the most important thing.

While Mad Max: Fury Road isn't available on Netflix or Hulu, you can rent it now from whichever On Demand service you choose or you can get it at Redbox (which is what I did). It's well worth the rental!

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What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 10/16/15

Greetings!

Here's what is going on in my world this week:

• Fear the Walking Dead

Over my long weekend break back in NJ (the reason for no posts on this past Monday or Friday), I sat with my partner and watched the entire first season (only six episodes) of Fear the Walking Dead (FTWD), the new companion series to hit show, The Walking Dead (TWD). My partner and I are big fans of TWD so we wanted to check out FTWD to see how it holds up. The answer is that FTWD is both similar and different to it's counterpart, in good ways and bad (I'm a very relative person). It's slower moving and smaller scale but also leads nicely to a different focus than our badass survivors in TWD. These people are still figuring everything out and aren't as hardened yet but are becoming acquainted with their new normal in terms of what kind of things they'll have to do to get by. I'm intrigued to see where the show goes, and I hope it doesn't just become The Walking Dead: Los Angeles since they have an opportunity here to tell a very different kind of story with FTWD.

• Arrow

After what many deemed (myself included) to be a rocky third season, this new season of Arrow is hopefully going to right the ship a bit. I like the bit of a lighter tone the show has been taking, as well as getting deeper into the relationship Oliver has with his team. I'm still a big fan of this show and have been for a while since I think it has some of the best action sequences on TV and builds up in its own way to the expanded, shared universe with The Flash. I look forward to it helping to expand the universe even further as it works to set up the new mid-season series, Legends of Tomorrow.

• The Flash

The first two episodes of season 2 have aired so far and this show is keeping the positive momentum going from their debut season. They're still going all in on pulling from their awesome comic book lore, introducing the multi-verse, the original Flash Jay Garrick, and continuing to maintain the expanded, shared universe of the show. I can't wait to see threads from season 1 picked back up as well as fun uses of the multiverse such as seeing different versions of our core cast in Earth 2 for example. If you haven't watched this show yet, get on Netflix and watch the whole first season, you'll be glad you did!

Thanks for stopping by!

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 10/02/15

Greetings!

Here's what is going on in my world this week:

• Vixen

I just finished watching this whole animated web series this week (the final episode premiered on Tuesday) and I really enjoyed this quick, six episode companion to the highly entertaining DC TV universe of Arrow and The Flash. It introduces a compelling new character (Vixen) who has a mystical amulet that gives her the power to mimic the characteristics of any animal who has ever lived (the strength of an elephant, the speed of a cheetah, etc.). I hope that she can come into the live-action shows at some point, since her introduction brings in an entirely different mystical & magical element to this already expansive and awesome comic book TV universe. Definitely check it out if you're a fan of Arrow and The Flash so that you're in the loop when both of those shows come back soon.

• Heroes Reborn

The complicated history of the television show Heroes is back in the limelight as the "reboot" mini-series Heroes Reborn premiered last week (second episode aired last night). I checked out the premiere online after it aired, and it isn't perfect, but it isn't horrible either. It is definitely very different from the first (and best) season of the original show's run. I am intrigued enough to keep with it for a little bit, but I am worried it is not going to pay off since it has been so uneven out of the gate.

• Agents of SHIELD

The third season of this show premiered this week, with a further re-invigoration as it continues to find its identity. We now have Inhumans front and center for most of the proceedings, and the show is getting more comfortable and confident with accepting it's comic book roots as a result. I am really enjoying Daisy/Skye ("Quake") taking a bigger role in the show, since her character was sort of underdeveloped in the first season. She is a much better character now and the show is setting up some neat threads for Civil War ahead of that film's release in May 2016. SHIELD definitely isn't the best comic book TV show on the air right now, (I put it behind Flash and sort of tied with Arrow), but it is still an entertaining romp in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that continues to grow in fun new ways (I can't wait for Jessica Jones on Netflix soon!).

Thanks for stopping by!

Movie Review Monthly: August 2015

Welcome to this monthly wrap up of my weekly movie reviews!

This month had a wide array of movies available to stream instantly. Each week I hope to bring you a fresh new review of a movie in the Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime streaming library (or perhaps even somewhere else). Recommendations for films to check out are always welcomed!

• Star Trek - Insurrection
• The Skeleton Twins
• National Treasure
• Welcome to Me

Thanks for stopping by!