The Maze Runner

(*** out of 5)

     I don't want to lie and say I had no intention of seeing this movie, but it was definitely at the bottom of my list.  On a late night whim, and a desire to see something on the XD screen, I wound up seeing The Maze Runner.  Due to the overwhelming amount of Dystopian dramas, my first thought when I heard of this movie was that it was going to be just like all of the others, featuring a romantic, teen-drama, you-have-to-save-your-family-and-the-world, film.  To my surprise, it wasn't.
     The Maze Runner is about a colony of boys who wake up in the center of maze, with no recollection of who they are or where they came from.  The maze opens during the day, and a group of "runners" maps as much of the dangerous labyrinth as they can, before the doors close at sundown.  The main character has memories and a dire urge to make it out of the maze.  His new presence jeopardizes the colony for unknown reasons.
     After seeing the film, I read the critics reviews and I would have to agree with them one hundred percent.  This director created a sense of urgency, as well as a darker tone, making it a refreshing change from the other films out there.  At times I was scared for the characters, because without a past, they don't really have a meaning.  I have not read the books, but I enjoyed the way the story was told.  Was it worth seeing in the theaters? Definitely.  The graphics are amazing and it was a fun film. 

Mortified Nation: A Documentary that Shares the Shame

(***out of 5)

     Yet again, there was another uneventful weekend at the box office.  Thankfully, I am part of a small film critics forum that helped me find a film.  To be honest, I had never heard of the Mortified movement.  Several people get on a stage and read entries from their childhood journals.  It's embarrassing for the people on stage, but heartwarming because the audience can relate to the tough times of being a teen.  You should expect to smile, and to feel for each individual character.  After watching the documentary, you will want to go out and read all of your old journals.  In the preview, one of the directors basically tells us, that no matter who you were growing up, we all went through the similar struggles.  This movie is streaming on NETFLIX.  It's better than anything that hit theaters this weekend.
     The documentary covers parts of several different stories.  I noticed on Netflix, there is the ability to watch a separate documentary that is mostly just stories.  The documentary intrigued me, because I was thinking, "Why would someone want to get on stage and humiliate themselves like that?"  This is covered in the feature, so I won't spoil it for you.  If you have Netflix, give it a watch.  It's also available to rent on iTunes.

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.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

(** out of 5)


     What can I say other than there aren't any films out right now that I haven't seen?  This was a last minute decision, on my part, and on the part of the studio that decided to make this film.  It looked like it was done in a rush, and well, it doesn't beat the original.
     This is a Michael Bay film.  You will see some of the exact direction styles, and even hear some of the exact same sounds heard in the Transformers movies.  And Shredder was, pretty much, a transformer.  He is even referred to as "robot ninja" in the film.  I also wanted this movie to be more about the turtles and less about April O'Neal (played by the most talented actress in the history of cinema, Megan Fox).  Please note that was sarcasm.
     I think the director and producers had a hard time trying to make this a kid-friendly film, but a fan-friendly one, too.  It wasn't serious enough for older audiences, but it was a little too violent for younger audiences, earning it's PG-13 rating.   The film wasn't horrible, but it wasn't anything worth remembering.
     The villains of the movie are a gang called The Foot that are raiding and stealing from the city.  The turtles have never been outside the sewer, and while they are going against Master Splinter's rules, they decide to become a group of vigilantes to help New York.  April O'Neal discovers the vigilantes and must help them on their mission.  Pretty basic story.  There's also some funny jokes and some not so funny ones.
     TMNT really picked up about two thirds through the movie.  A great action sequence takes place on a mountain, followed by rooftop battle in the city.  Being a huge fan of the television show LOST, I laughed at the reference made at the end.  There's also some superhero jokes, and a fart or two.  I think the audience that appreciated the movie were fans of the originals.  The story did not elaborate on their love for pizza or skateboarding, but both are in the film.
     Not the worst movie, but not really worth the money.  I'd recommend waiting for this one when it comes out to rent.

Guardians of the Galaxy

(**** out of 5)

     Yes! Yes! Yes!  This film was the surprise hit of this summer.  I enjoyed it so much that I constantly browse movie times to see if I can squeeze it into my hectic schedule.  The previews did not do this film justice.  The night I saw it, I was extremely sleep-deprived from a long day, but I was dragged opening night by a friend.  From the beginning of the movie, I was wide awake and hooked.  If you haven't seen this film, you are missing out.  Go see it.
     Why is this movie so popular?  If you are like me, you saw the preview and thought, well, that looks okay.  And it also looked kind of stupid.  I don't know much about comics, and I didn't know what I was about to watch.  I just remember a talking raccoon and a giant tree-monster-thing.  Not to mention, the lead actor, Chris Pratt, hasn't really been a lead in a big film before.  What made this film different from all of the other comic book movies that Marvel has put out?  I'll tell you: it was hilarious.
     Guardians was not just an action-packed film, but I was laughing throughout the entire movie.  There are jokes from the beginning to the end, making it entirely different from the serious Marvel movies that have one or two jokes strategically placed in the films.  In other words, the other Marvel movies are serious.  Guardians was not, making it refreshing.  Something new.  Something different.  There's even jokes about genitalia; one of them particularly had the entire audience burst out laughing.
     What's the plot?  A group of misfits and renegades are forced into saving the universe by stealing an ancient artifact that could end life as we know it, if it falls into the wrong hands.  There's a thief, an assassin, a bounty hunter and his sidekick, and a soldier seeking revenge.  And don't expect them to like each other right off the bat, because they don't.  They grow together and bond by the end of the film.  The on-screen chemistry worked well.
     I loved this film.  I was worried how Chris Pratt would be as the lead in Jurassic World, but after seeing Guardians, my confidence has been lifted.  Go see Guardians of the Galaxy.  I hope you won't be disappointed.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

(* out of 5)

     Look at the poster for this film.  It's an English speaking ape, riding a horse with an assault rifle.  I hated it.  I am clueless as to why the critics gave it such high ratings.  I saw this film with a friend who really enjoyed it and was upset that I didn't appreciate it.  I will write a few good things about it, but this movie was stupid.
     First of all, the last film was entertaining (Rise of the Planet of the Apes, starring James Franco).  I had anticipated that the sequel would at least be comparable to the first film.  It turned out to be a political film, mostly centered around the apes.  There is a clan of humans that is still alive, and they are discovered by an army of apes.  Cesar, the ape from the first film, is the leader.  Just like his previous owner had given him a chance, Cesar wants his army to give the humans a chance.  Can they be trusted?  Or will they try to put them in cages again?  The main human characters are trying to generate electricity to their colony, but the water wheel is located in the forest of the apes.  A treaty is formed, but is slowly torn apart by prejudices and misunderstanding.
     The movie is a lot of talking and not that much action.  There are also a lot of subtitles, so if you have vision problems, make sure to sit somewhere that won't hurt your eyes.  It's a slow film, but if you like political discussion in movies, you will probably enjoy it.  The movie is also more related to the traditional Apes films.
     The film felt long with a two hour and ten minute running time.  After all of the talking dies down and the action beings, there is a scene that ruined the entire thing for me.  Look again at the poster.  Imagine the ape on the horse jumping through flames, yelling and double-wielding guns.  I burst out laughing.  So did other people, including my friend.  For a scene that seemed so epic, it was ruined in a second.
     Not a fan.  I will more than likely never see this one again.  I do not recommend it.

Lucy

(**1/2 out of 5)

     When I first heard about Lucy, which was not long before it's release, I thought, Wow, this sounds like an interesting summer film.  How come I haven't heard anything about it?  Due to the amazing graphics in the film, I assume that's where the marketing money went.  Overall, the movie was somewhat entertaining, but if you haven't seen it, you aren't missing out on my much.
     I have never seen anything starring Scarlett Johansson that thoroughly disappointed me.  While I do not believe that every film she has done is amazing, I've never left the theater wishing I hadn't seen the film.  If there had not been a Hollywood star in this film, I wouldn't have seen it.  Her acting was fine, as was Morgan Freeman's.  The graphics were incredible.  The sound mixing may get it nominated for an Academy.  The story, while short-lived, was fun.  Like the majority of this summer's films, it didn't do well.
     Didn't they already make a movie just like this?  That was the common question I heard anytime this film was brought up in conversation.  The problem is that no one seemed to be able to pinpoint what movie this was.  And why?  Because it was a relatively low-budget film called Limitless, starring Bradley Cooper.  He finds a drug that helps him unlock a higher percentage of his brain, just like Lucy does.  While I don't deny that this is an interesting concept for a movie, Limitless seemed more realistic to me.  In Lucy, her brain allows her to do things such as changing her physical appearance and killing someone just by looking at them.
     The film started out with a wonderful plot for a thriller.  Lucy is abducted and forced to be a drug mule.  While in route to board an airplane, she is apprehended and beat.  A kick to her stomach causes the drug to release inside of her, and that's when the movie really begins.  Lucy has to understand what is happening to her before time runs out.  Unfortunately, the film ran out too early.  I had so many questions that I was hoping would get answered.  The movie picks up it's pace, and then ends.  Just ends.  The running time for Lucy was just a little over an hour and a half.  The movie needed to be longer, especially since it's a film that was supposed to require a lot of thinking.  As a graduate in anthropology, I enjoyed some of the references such as the title, but felt things were made too obvious.
   So, should you see this film?  Maybe if the options at Redbox or the Dollar Theater are limited.