Devil's Knot - On Netflix

(***1/2 out of 5)
     As many of you already know, the only big film to come out this weekend was Transformers 4.  I will most likely see it, but it's not one I care about enough to see on opening weekend.  Therefore, I was subjected to the Decent Movie Hunt on Netflix.  Trying to find an enjoyable movie on Netflix (that isn't a piece of junk) is a challenge, one that I enjoy.  Each week, I browse and browse until I find something interesting.  I've finished season two of Orange is the New Black (great show).  The summer of 2014 is not the summer of films.  Summer of 2015 will be, but this summer, uneventful.  My Netflix "Recommends" section revealed Devil's Knot.  I had seen the preview for this movie not long ago, and had planned on seeing it.  I gave it a shot.
   The movie is a typical Southern murder mystery, except that it is based on the real story of the West Memphis Three.  Three teens are accused of murdering three young boys in a ritual involving witchcraft and satanism.  I was so young when this event happened that I barely remember it.  I just remember brief clips on the news.  Pam Hobbs (Reese Witherspoon) is a mother of one of the murdered children.  Like the rest of the small town, the evidence points to the three teenagers who the town considers "weird."  Ron Lax (Colin Firth), a private investigator, sees this story on the television and is inspired to help the accused.  While most of the movie takes place in a court room, the horrific story unfolds, causing the defense and the offense to question the side they should support.  While Pam wants justice for her son and the others, she also begins to question the story.  Is it possible that the town might be sentencing three innocent teenagers to death?
   I was highly intrigued by this film.  I had to use all of my will power from getting onto the internet to know how the story ended.  The film was haunting and emotional.  The direction was handled appropriately, helping me sympathize for the characters.  I also love the setting of the South.  Many of the critics panned the film, but I think that it is because with two Academy award winning actors, they might have had their expectations too high.  Reese Witherspoon's character was believable.  While Pam wasn't the most dynamic character, I had no issue with her acting.  Colin Firth?  Not his best performance.  But I think his character was not well-developed either.
   Overall, this film was highly underrated for something that went to Netflix at such a fast rate.  I recommend it if you want a good murder mystery to watch.  And for those of you who do not have Netflix, I did see it for rent at Red Box.  Is it worth buying?  Not until it's in the $5 bin at Walmart or Target.  I'm just glad I found something good enough to watch that prevented me from looking for news on a possible Sharknado sequel.

22 Jump Street

(***1/2 out of 5)

     And here you have it ladies and gentlemen: the bromantic comedy of the summer.  This film was full of laughs, but a story very different from the first.  If you are looking for a warm comedy with lots of rated-R humor, go to the theaters and see 22 Jump Street.
     I'd have to say that this films predecessor, 21 Jump Street, was funnier, but this one didn't fall far behind.  Schmidt and Jenko appear in an action-packed opening, but it results in ultimate failure, causing them to be reassigned on a college mission.  Unlike the first film, Jenko (Channing Tatum) gets to have all of the fun, where Schmidt (Jonah Hill) is the campus loser.  This change ultimately impacts their friendship.  The film constantly teases the masculinity and femininity of the characters.
     It did not have an intense "cop mission" like the first film.  Don't get me wrong, it does have one, but the film focuses on the meaning of being a team.  It hilariously criticizes that meaning of bromance, even with a scene where they are treated as if they are romantically involved.  The film made a great oddity out of their friendship.  These two actors have great on-screen chemistry.  There are a few references to the last film, but if you haven't seen it, you will still enjoy the sequel.
     Speaking of sequels, I was upset that the film often made fun of sequels in the film industry.  I feel as if this happened because there will not be a third film.  After reading several interviews with the actors, it sounds like this story is over.  There credits of the film also make fun of this.  I felt like the film was criticizing itself, which dropped my opinion of the film, only slightly.  Proving that people do like sequels, this film had the second biggest R rated comedy opening weekend in film (The Hangover II being the first).  Maybe that will change the producers and the actors minds.
     If you are looking for some summer fun, go see 22 Jump Street.  The only other competing film right now, in my opinion, is Neighbors.  And if you are looking for one more laugh, there is a little stinger after the credits.

X-Men: Days of Future Past

(*** out of 5)

     I am a huge nerd and was so excited about this film.  The films continue to impress me, especially after the last film, X-Men: First Class.  It was fun, action-packed, and character-driven.  I couldn't believe the producers were able to get so many academy actors into one film.  Most films that have tons of famous actors tend to "droop," and I think that's the only reason I gave this film a three-out-of-five rating.  My best friend and I discussed that we thought this was the second best film, First Class being the best one.
     If you haven't seen the previews, which will not ruin the movie, the plot is simple.  Set in the future, humans and X-Men face extinction after a robot designed by men turns against its own kind.  The opening is an intense sequence.  It's dark, and the characters that we loved are all grown up and ready to die if they need to.  It opens with Charles Xavier and Magneto working together.  This is how desperate the mutants have become.  It was in the last film that the audience discovered their previous friendship.  Kitty, who you may remember as the girl who can run through walls, has figured out a way to time travel in short distances.  It's dangerous and can damage the physical body.  In order to prevent the extinction of the world, someone must travel back in time to stop the production of the robots.  Logan, aka Wolverine, is the only one who can survive physical damage in time travel of this proportion.  He must travel back to create an alliance among the mutants.
     The majority of the film takes place in 1973.  All but Logan are young.  There are a few flashes to present day, but not many.  There were so many characters brought back in the film, that it lacked certain character development, a pet peeve of mine.  The story made up for this.  The audience gets a lot of Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence).  She is the one who the plot focuses on as, believe it or not, the enemy.  Because I have seen all of her movies, I'm used to seeing her as the heroine.  This was great!
     The ending of the film was an adrenaline rush.  Obviously, I can't tell you what happens, but you won't be disappointed.  For comic book fans, there IS something after the credits.  I had no idea what it was but I was later informed.  Overall, if you haven't seen the other X-Men films, you probably won't understand this one.  Watch the last four films and then see this one.  You won't be disappointed.

Godzilla

(** out of 5)

     When the teaser trailer for this remake appeared at Comic Con over a year ago, the film became extremely hyped up.  So, did this film really roar to life?  Sadly, I did not think so.  I took me a while to figure out if I even liked the film or not.  I had reevaluate my expectations of the film, because there are many films that I have had too high of expectations for.  I did not want to discredit the film on these grounds.  Was it a fun movie? Sort of.
     The opening of the film is about a man studying patterns in earthquakes.  Godzilla's previous invasions were kept a secret.  They used the bombing of the Pacific Islands as previous war grounds.  I found this to be creative.  The scientist leaves his child at home to head to work with his wife.  I developed feelings for the husband and wife, but that part of the story ends abruptly. I felt like I had wasted my time.
     Many years later, the son is introduced as a grown man in the military.  He lacks any type of character development.  This strongly hurt the film; I did not care if he lived or died.  His family is briefly throughout the movie.
     The film did follow the traditional Godzilla films.  It focused more on the peril of the monsters and less on the destruction of humanity.  In most end-of-the-world films, there is at least one character that I want to win.  Half-way through the film, the plot becomes pointless.  The audience was simply waiting for the monster fight to take place.  When a character announces that the monsters will fight, it just becomes a waiting game and the film drags until the last twenty minutes.  Was the fight worth the wait?  Not really.
     Is this film worth seeing in the theaters?  No.  Worth renting?  Sure.  I believe the film was heading in the right direction for a Godzilla revamp, but it didn't succeed.  The action was fun and the graphics were decent, but overall I would say it's okay to skip this one entirely.

Short Term 12 - On Netflix

(**** out of 5)

     Short Term 12 is an independent film and remake.  While most people have never heard of it, this film received critical acclaim by Rotten Tomatoes.  It is one of the highest scores this famous film review website has ever given.  One of my film friends down in Austin, Texas, advised me that I should watch this on Netflix.

     While reading the review, I read a synopsis of the plot.  For the first time in forever, the synopsis did not reveal much about the film.  I wish this happened more often.

     Short Term 12 is centered around Grace (Brie Larson), who works at a home for disturbed children.  There is never an actual summary of the place itself, but Grace walks newcomer Nate (Rami Malek) through the facility and its functions.  The film follows Grace through her daily life as an employee and as a person, and how such a small person can carry some of the hardest burdens.

     Grace truly cares for the kids, but she must also explorer the life she has away from them.  She faces individual choices, and is not the most accepting of help from her co-worker/boyfriend, Mason (John Gallagher Jr.).  It's an extremely touching film.  I was highly impressed.

     In my opinion, Brie Larson is underrated.  She has incredible talent.  Don't believe me?  Watch The United States of Tara. She also made an appearance in the Spectacular Now.  I wish the film had been nominated for Academy Awards, because it definitely deserved a few.  If you have Netflix, you can stream it online.

Man of Steel

(**out of 5)

     I think the other critics nailed it when they said that Man of Steel "was the most anticipated film of the summer but also the biggest disappointment."  I was stoked about seeing this, but I also didn't expect anything great because I don't enjoy the direction of Zack Snyder.
     This is yet another action film in which I did not feel for the character.  I did not care if Superman lived or died.  He did not develop any strong connections, and I am surprised that a sequel to this is already being filmed.  Russell Crowe was the only redeeming factor of the film.  The opening was great and the scenes he appears in throughout the film feel the most important.  Lots of talent was wasted on Diane Lane.  She was not the quirky mother from the original.
     I am not going to spend much time on this one.  Incredible graphics.  Russell Crowe.  And nothing else.

1 Year Later

It's almost been one year since my last post.  Oops!  Due to my work schedule (back on night shift), I was not able to make it to the movies for a while.  However, now that summer 2014 is here, I will try to do this differently.  I did see every Academy nominated film.  If I have time, I will try to post some reviews for those of you who are still renting flicks rather than making it to the theater.