(*1/2 out of 5)
Some movies should be made for DVD only. Specifically, The Internship. What seemed like a film with a fair amount of potential, it turns out to have cheesy jokes, shallow characters, and a highly predictable plot. I can't deny that Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn make a great duo, but that's probably the only reason I couldn't walk out of this film. (That, and I had also ordered food while seeing this at Studio Movie Grill. By the way, their food is delicious and is probably the reason I have endured many stupid films. Kudos to SMG). I don't want to spend of lot of time reviewing this, so I am just going to spill it out.
Two salesman are let go from their job and discover that they have to journey onto a new career path. While Nick Campbell (Owen Wilson) finds security in working for his family, he is persuaded by his best friend, Billy McMahon (Vince Vaughn), to apply for an internship at Google. Unrealistically, they are selected for the internship and come face-to-face with a large group of genius prodigies. Placed in the team of outcasts, Nick and Billy strive to learn from the team about modern technology while helping the kids to understand that life isn't really that hard. Only one team will be offered jobs at the end of the internship.
Not a bad idea for a movie, right? But how many movies have we already seen just like this? Role Models and The House Bunny are two particular movies that come to my mind. Don't expect any surprises; whatever you expect to happen is most likely going to happen. The dialogue wasn't bad, but it sometimes caused the film to drag. I wanted to see the characters grow, but it didn't happen.
If you skip this one, don't worry because I am sure we will see others like it in the future.
(**1/2 out of 5)
Now You See Me was one of those films that I didn't think I would be going to the theater to see. A friend of mine told me that it was a decent film, so I decided to give it a shot. This was a hard movie to review because it wasn't that bad of a flick, but it's not going to be a film that audiences are going to remember five years from now.
Essentially, this movie is about four talented magicians uniting for a cause that is not revealed until the end of the film. In the beginning, each character finds a tarot card with a time and date. The characters meet each other and discover blue prints for a spectacular show.
Just like any magic trick, I was wondering how they did the show. Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman) is trying to expose the truth behind their trickery while being threatened by the magic show's prime investor, Arthur Tressler (Michael Caine). Agent Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) is an agent assigned to the case, and his mission is to figure out how the crew is successfully robbing banks. Is it magic? Or is it a well-planned heist? Rhodes is accompanied by Interpol Agent, Alma Dray (Melanie Laurent), who sees the entertainment associated with the magicians' endeavors. Dray believes that real magic may have something to do with the unsolved crime spree.
I will say that the cast was selected well, especially the four main tricksters, played by Jessie Eisenburg, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, and Woody Harrelson. Together, they all had believable chemistry. The acting worked for the film, and so did the special effects.
While the movie was entertaining, the substance that made the film was too tangible. The story focused too much on the actual shows. I would have liked to see more interaction between the characters. Now You See Me truly begins to develop after the third act, but the audience is left with an ending that doesn't exactly answer all the questions.
Overall, the film was fun and had me smiling throughout, but it's not one I am going to remember a year from now. I had almost forgot I had seen it when gathering my films for reviews. For you stay-at-home, Redbox-ers, this will definitely be one of the better films to rent.
"***1/2 out of 5"
That's right! This is what summer action movies are about. A fan of the other films, this one tied up some loose ends, but was also one of the cheesiest in the franchise. Not only did I enjoy it, but the critics and other audiences did, too. I was even surprised that the film wasn't squashed by RottenTomatoes.com.
The film picks up where the last one left off. The characters are all trying to settle down until the F.B.I. brings information to Dominic Torretto (Vin Diesel) that his ex-girlfriend, Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), is still alive. If you can remember from the first film, Torretto emphasizes how important family is. In Fast 6, the team reunites to save Letty, but uncover something that they did not expect.
Filled with fast cars, babes, explosions, and highly unrealistic action sequences, I couldn't help but to smile during the majority of the film. Audiences are beginning to enjoy sequels more because keeping characters means there is more time to grow and empathize with them. I was glad that after Tokyo Drift, they decided to bring back the original cast.
Torretto is still the worst character, but he's still a bad ass. His friendship with Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) features some of the worst dialogue, but it's okay because we know the characters well now. There's still a love triangle in the film. Torretto is awkwardly faced with the decision of getting Letty back and loving her, or continuing his relationship with Elena (Elsa Pataky).
I don't want to spoil anything, but there is a scene during the credits that is very important and crucial to the series. It was a fun twist that I did not expect. I think I enjoyed Fast Five more, but it was a close race.
If you are wanting to see something fun, then lower your expectations and see this movie.
"** out of 5"
As a big fan of Baz Luhrmann and a fan of F. Scott Fitzgerald, it was hard for me to not enjoy the film. While I loved it personally and intend on seeing again, the critic part of me understands why it wasn't the best.
The introduction of the film begins with a twist on Nick Carraway, (played by Tobey Maguire). Don't worry, I am not going to tell you what it is, but I will say that it was a fair attempt at adding depth to his character. Did it change how I felt about the character? No. It was only slightly refreshing to have something seasoned into the story.
The set designs, costumes, and 3D graphics were appealing as with any Luhrmann film. It was not his finest work, but it still grabbed the attention of the audience. Gatsby was surely one of the better 3D films I have seen, being the first time I had really noticed words popping out of the screen. One of my colleagues who attended with me advised that after listening to N.P.R., Luhrmann had purposely made the film three dimensional because he believed that Fitzgerald would have wanted to have the most fancy and trendy presentation. Luhrmann was right.
So where did the film go wrong? Much like the original film, the story dragged. The characters may have been over-the-top, but Daisy (played by Carrie Mulligan), climbed over the success of the original Mia Farrow. I felt Mulligan acted with more depth and featured less coy behavior. Jay Gatsby (played by Leonardo DiCaprio), didn't develop as much I had hoped. What I did like was that the film went at a much faster pace, and featured a great soundtrack.
Much like those who interpret the book, some see it as more of a romance and some see it, like me, as an outsiders view of the "high life" made real.
Overall, the movie does require patience and a familiarity with the book. If you did not enjoy the book or the original movie, chances are you will not enjoy the remake. I, on the other hand, look forward to watching it again.
"** out of 5"
Iron Man 3. Let's start with the first disappointment of this summer.
While I was waiting outside the theater with my friends, I asked one of them if they knew what the plot of the film was going to be. To my surprise, no one had a clue. This is usually a good sign because many previews have been too revealing. I was now somewhat excited to be attending this feature. Entering with high expectations because of The Avengers release, I hoped it would be the best Iron Man. Just like many sequels, I was not impressed with this one.
Tony Stark, (played excellently by Robert Downey, Jr.), is riddled with the decision of who he wants to be. Does he want to be a hero? Or is being a hero just another attribute of his Stark Empire persona? The weight of the world already rests on his shoulders, but now it also rests on the shoulders of his iron suit. Sadly, the side story is not artfully woven into the unoriginal, main plot. I feel that a lot of viewers probably liked the emotionally-driven portion more. I enjoyed seeing his character interacting with a child. At this point in Stark's life, even children know what he did and aspire to be like him.
I saw the film in 3D, which was pointless ,but the 2D show was sold out. The graphics and action sequences were decent. The characters developed, and the villain was frightening.
So where did Stark lose his spark? Too much emphasis was placed on his romance with Pepper (Gwenyth Paltrow). The audience knows that she is sweet and harmless, yet I was not attached to her character enough to really care if she launched herself in the path of danger. Discovering the bad guy's true identity was delayed and too expected. And last but not least, I feel that the humor fizzled in this film.
It might be that I set the bar too high, but I could care less about ever seeing this film again. I had fun watching it, but I'd rather watch its predecessors. Many of my friends enjoyed the film more than I did, and many agreed with me that, overall, it was a weak film.
Welcome to my new movie review website. Due to technical complications on my last site, I have decided to start using Blogger. I apologize for the move, but I hope that you will find coming to this website a whole lot easier.
Also, I have decided to change the scores I give. Because my 1 to 10 scale seemed a little long, I have reverted back to the original and easy-to-interpret five star rating. This system will not only make it easier for me, but for you also. Many terrible movies have hit screens and this makes it easier to weed them out.
If you'd like to read any of my past blogs, you can visit cta0016.livejournal.com.
Here's a little information about me so that you may understand how I review. For starters, like any film critic, I love movies. Located in Plano, I live central to several theaters and go to the movies as often as I can. My job requires me to work overnight shifts, so rarely will I see a movie on opening day. The average movie goer does not see films on opening weekend, unless it's a sequel or film they have been looking forward to. I went to film school at Texas Christian University, then transferred to University of North Texas and graduated with a degree in Anthropology. I changed majors because all I wanted to do was write, and a friend of mine in the film industry told me to try something that required lots of writing. I even took anthropology classes about film. Essays and fiction are what I normally write; bogging is still new to me and definitely not perfected.
****KEEP IN MIND**** Just because I give a film a terrible rating, doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy it. There are some horrid films out there that I enjoy, specifically cheesy action movies. So, be aware and thanks for visiting my blog.
