The Summer Sizzle Has Ended

     It's official: This summer's movie season has officially ended.  There is one movie on my list to see right now (Boyhood; running time 2hr 42min), and it's only playing in independent cinemas.  Last weekend, three movies were released: The November Man, As Above/So Below, and If I Stay, none of which peaked my interest.  So what did I do?  I went and saw Guardians of the Galaxy again.  I caught up on some of my Netflix shows, and I rented movies.  This week, I will just do a quick review of each movie I rented.

     I didn't have high expectations for The Amazing Spider-Man 2, which is why I probably ended up liking it.  I don't know the comics as well as some, and did not know that a certain character would be getting the ax, so I was somewhat shocked at the twist.  It was one of the better rentals available right now, but wasn't the most "amazing" movie I've seen lately.  Good rental.

     As a huge fan of the Muppets, I knew what to expect from The Muppets Most Wanted.  While it did not compare to it's predecessor, I still enjoyed it.  It's a little bit darker than the other films, and the celebrity appearances are still galore.  Tina Fey and Danny Trejo had me laughing.  I was also glad about closure that was given to the fans about Rizzo not being in the last film.  Fan film.  Fun film.

     About Alex is a film in the reunion genre.  After Alex attempts suicide, his friends all reunite to take care of him.  The chemistry between the actors was excellent.  While the story was not exactly original, the dynamic of the characters had me hooked.  I enjoyed this film for the aesthetics, but it's a film that you will only want to see once.

     I feel bad for this film.  I really do.  I had read the book.  The movie followed it well.  Unfortunately, the critics nailed this film.  They said that the acting and story were fine, but the director made it look like another tween film, not bringing anything new to the dystopian dramas (I have a feeling we will be hearing a lot of this with The Maze Runner and others in progress).  It's wasn't bad at all.  I recommend renting it.

     A Haunted House 2.  I'm a Marlon Wayans fan.  I laughed twice in the film.  It sucked.  Skip this one.

     I know This is 40 has been out a while, but I had never made the time to see it.  I finally got my chance to rent it this weekend.  It became available to digitally rent on September 1.  Just like most of Judd Apatow's films, it was a great story, but the film was way too long.  At one point, I took a twenty minute break.  I haven't reached 40 yet, but, to me, their relationship was believable.  If you have the time to spare (2hrs 14min), then give it a shot.

There you have it.