Movie Review: 12 Years A Slave

Watch out Oscar 12 Years A Slave wants and will get a whole lot of you.

Best Picture (Possible). Best Actor (Yes). Supporting Actor and Actress (Possible).

A true story of a free black man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery. His 12 year odyssey of brutality and hopelessness will bring you to tears.

A part of our sad history that needs to be remembered.

There is a whipping scene that is so brutal and so realistic I do not know how it was filmed.

A little too self indulgent at times. But otherwise a fantastic movie.

3 and 3/4 stars out of 4

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Movie Review: Last Vegas

This is a over 50 buddy/frienship movie that works.

“Hangover” for the over 50 crowd with humor that made me laugh.

The story of broken friendships that need to be mended over a weekend of craziness in Vegas. Enjoyable and funny and poignant all at the same time. This just goes to show what good actors are of doing.

2 and 3/4 stars out of 4

Movie Review: Enders Game

Insightful story written over 20 years ago that predicted the use of video games as training tools to teach and train fertile young minds .

The military is using kids to train and learn military ways to defeat an alien menace in a video game type setting.

Orson Scott Cards story explores the military motto of win at all cost. Instead of looking at the problem from all sides.

The movie does a good job at bringing this to light and making you think about what  is the right way to solve a major problem like this.

2 and 1/2 stars out of 4

Movie Review: Counselor

After a very cunning beginning this movie goes downhill fast.

Characters that you don’t give a shit about and way way too many scenes that add nothing to the movie and go nowhere.

This movie had a first for me: I watched a car get fucked. Yes Cameron Diaz almost gets stuck to the windshield.

The point of this movie is never trust a woman.

1 and 1/2 stars out of 4

Movie Review: Fifth Estate

Over 2 hours long a and the first half of the movie with its surrealistic approach bored the shit out of me.

90 minutes would have covered everything you needed to know about the self centered Julian Assange.

Everything had to be about him and too hell with anyone else or how it would effect them.

Last half of the movie was about the Afghanistan paper leaks. Interesting and suspenseful at the same time. Julian worked with some media outlets to get the information out to the general public. His lack of sympathy for how the release of this unedited information would effect people is the crux of this movie.

Could have been a good movie if edited down to a reasonable time.

1 and 1/2 stars out of 4

Movie Review: Carrie

What a waste! It cuts out the heart of the original movie and tries too hard to make this Carrie a likeable and sympathetic character. Cuts out most of the religious eeriness and creepy feel of the original movie.

The prom scene is a laughable joke. Drenched in blood but Carrie has almost no blood on her face (we don’t want to cover the actresses face) and her dress is only partially covered in blood. I did laugh at the stupidity of this scene.

Carrie is sympathetic too some of her fellow students this time. She saves the good ones.

Don’t bother. Watch Sharknado. You know you are supposed to laugh at it

1 star out of 4

Movie Review: Escape Plan

Too man moving parts to be believable or good. Convoluted story plot about always being able to escape from the “escape proof” prison. Always a weak link on the inside to make things happen. Way too many story plots like this.

The double cross was way too transparent and the location of the prison was too easy to figure out.

Saying all of that it was Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sly Stallone that made the movie some what enjoyable to watch . Perfect rolls for these rapidly aging actors.

2 stars out of 4

Movie Review: Captain Phillips

Tom Hanks delivers another Oscar worthy performance.

Taunt and tense. Cat and mouse.  This describes the way the movie plays out. If this is the way it really happened: WOW.

The story of normal people put in a hopeless situation and  how keeping your cool against impossible odds will help you survive.

In the last 5 minutes Tom Hanks delivers an emotional roller coaster ride  that will leave you breathless.

3  3/4 stars out of 4

Movie Review: In A World…

This is Lake Bells feature length directorial debut. She also wrote the movie. Not bad for a first time effort.

In the male dominated world of voice overs she is trying to make a name for herself.

Family, friend and work relationships complicate her life. Too much on the family stuff and not enough of the work stuff for me.

Interesting and enjoyable movie. She has a future as a director.

2 1/2 stars out of 4

Movie Review: Machete Kills

In a movie like Machete Kills you would expect blood, guts, lots of explosions and boobs. Sadly they forgot the boobs this time. Everything else is there.

But the movie had a fatal downfall: it was a virtual setup for the next movie. I found this very distracting.

Should have been non stop mayhem and to hell with story. Not up to par with the first movie. And I think a big disappointment with the fans. The movie is drying at the box office.

And did I say no boobs. What a waste.

1 1/2 stars out of 4