2014: Week 31: Guardians of the Galaxy

Guardians of the Galaxy

Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Main Players:  Chris Pratt, Zoe Zaldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper (voice), Van Diesel (voice)

General Gist: Four unlikely characters find themselves in a battle against Ronan the Accuser when they come in possession of an Orb ,with power to destroy a civilization.

Deb's Take:
I have grown to love the Marvel movies.  I can't say I am no longer a super hero movie fan, because I think the last five I have seen I have really enjoyed.  Tiff and I are having a fun time trying to tie the characters from each Marvel film to each other. 

When I saw the previews for this movie I was skeptical.  It looked sort of goofy and cheesy.  I'm glad the previews were wrong.  This movie was entertaining.  I really enjoyed the humor.  I liked the storyline and the interplay between the characters.  Chris Pratt was a fun actor to watch.   Honestly there wasn't really anything I didn't like about the movie.  Great entertainment, especially if you are a Marvel Fan.

Deb's Rate: Friday Night

Tiff's Take:
Why am I never more excited to see a Marvel movie?  I am always sort of so so about going to one then I always end up really enjoying them.  You think I would learn.

I'll be honest, I really didn't think I would like this one.  Actually I didn't really have a desire to see it at all.  I mean, come on.  One of the characters is a raccoon.  And a tree.  I thought it would be epically stupid.  It was, however, not epically stupid but funny, action-packed and thoroughly entertaining.  Again, why am I surprised?  I can't say this is my favorite Marvel movie (I'm more of a Thor girl) but definitely a good one.

Tiff's Rate: Friday Night

Preview: Might see Transformers for a date night but probably will see something else with just the sis.

2014: Week 21: X-Men: Days of Future Past

X-Men: Days of Future Past

Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Main Players: Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence (and a whole crew of others)


General Gist: Wolverine travels to the past to try and change the fate of humans and mutants.

Deb's Take: 
I think I have mentioned recently that I haven't always been a big "superhero" movie fan.  Over the last year or so Tiff and I have been to a lot of these movies.  The Marvel/Superhero genre has been on a big upswing, or so it seems.  I have found myself much more inclined to going and more impressed with what I see.  I will always be a drama, romantic girl at heart, but I have an open mind and find these movies quite entertaining as well.  As far as X-men, I was introduced to these characters about 20 years ago.  There was a Saturday morning cartoon that came on and my husband always got up to watch it..(even before kids!)  I took an interest and was intrigued. 

I liked this one!  There was a different twist.  This one had a lot of Hugh Jackman, and he's a fine man to see a lot of.  The movie kept my attention with all the action, and the characters played their parts well.  James McAvoy was impressive in his role.  I liked all the actors quite honestly.  It's a superhero movie so the ending is pretty predictable, but after two weeks of boredom this movie hit the spot. 


Deb's Rate: Friday Night

Tiff's Take:
I never make going to X-Men movies a priority but I'm not sure why.  I've seen enough of them so far to realize that I thoroughly enjoy them.  I don't think there's been one I haven't liked.  This one was no exception. 

Hugh Jackman does an amazing job as Wolverine and I'm always majorly impressed with how he can bulk up for this role.  I know he's not super old but he's no young buck either. The fact that he can get so ripped is, well, impressive.  And easy on the eyes. 

I am a huge fan of Jennifer Lawrence so she can really do no wrong in my eye.  I liked her as Mystique.  Like Deb, I liked all the actors.  They all were great in their roles and this movie was entertaining in every way.  Can't go wrong with an X-Men movie.  One of these days I'll remember that.


Tiff's Rate: Friday Night

Preview: Maleficent

2014: Week 14: Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Genre: Action, Adventure

Main Players: Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L Jackson, Robert Redford

General Gist: The second movie in the Captain America Saga

Deb's Take: 
I started out this adventure a few years ago, and am surprised at the changes in my taste of movies.  I never was a big "super hero" fan, however, since the whole Marvel productions have been sweeping out theatres over the last few years I am becoming a bigger fan.

I really enjoyed this movie.  I liked the chemistry between Johansson and Evans.  The role of Falcon, played by Anthony Mackie was a great addition.  I liked seeing Robert Redford, 78 years old and still a badass.  This movie had a lot of action, a little humor, great stunts and graphics.  If you are a super hero fan this one should keep you extremely entertained and happy. 

Short and to the point!  If you like superhero movies, it's a go!

Deb's Rate: Friday Night


Tiff's Take:
I feel the same way as Deb.  I never have really wanted to see a super hero movie.  It's never been on the top of my list.  But these days?  You bet I'll go to one.  I've really enjoyed all the Marvel movies.  I'll admit that the first Captain America wasn't my favorite.  I've always been more of a Thor girl.  This one though was great.  It was better than the first and that's a hard thing to do.

I also like the chemistry between Johansson and Evans.  The actors were all good.  I just really enjoyed this one.  Not much else to say.

Tiff's Rate: Friday Night

Preview:  Have a couple more reviews coming..a bonus and Week 15

2014: Week 12: Divergent

Divergent

Genre: Action, Adventure

Main Players: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Ashley Judd, Miles Teller, Zoe Kravitz, Ansel Elgort

General Gist: A futuristic Chicago is divided up into five factions.  Every 16 year old has to decide what faction they belong in.  One girl realizes she doesn't fit into just one faction and has to figure out what that means.

Tiff's Take:
Such a highly anticipated movie!  I love these kinds.  Reading all three books in the series within about 9 days helps a little with the anticipation.  I felt a little bit like a teenage girl waiting for this one.

Let's start out with, of course the book is better.  That's a given like 99.9% of the time.  But obviously some do it better than others.  This one was on the better side of it.  It wasn't perfect but it was good.  The main reason I thought it was so good was the casting.  Maybe not everyone physically looked exactly how I envisioned the characters in my head but they all played the part so well.  It seemed like the actors really got the characters.  Shailene Woodley and Theo James played the parts of Tris and Four fantastically.  I was worried that Shailene wouldn't seem weak enough to play Tris but she really nailed it.  And Theo James. *swoon*  I felt like there was a lot of hype from the teenage girls about him.  Boy am I on that bandwagon.  Not only is he easy to look at but he really took on the Four persona.      

Was it perfect?  No.  Did it leave you a little disappointed after reading the book?  What movie doesn't.  Am I still thinking about it?  Yes.  Do I want to see it a second time?  Is it wrong if I say I do?  I think not.

Tiff's Rate: Friday Night

Deb's Take:
I didn't read all three books in the series like my dear sister (I did read the first one in a day or two though).  How can you not look forward to a movie that was a book?   It's all about bringing the characters to life.  Movies like this are about the anticipation, the energy in the theatre as everyone waits to SEE what they have only imagined.  The whole experience is just fun.

I will agree with Tiff, the book is always better.  A book allows you to see in the brain of the characters, allows you to know their thoughts,  not really possible in a movie.  So..yes the book was much, much MUCH better.  So, let's take the book out of it.  The movie was good.  I believe the casting of Tris and Four were good.  I didn't like Eric and Christina so well..Peter was right on.  I think where the movie was lacking was the whole romance between Four and Tris.  I just didn't get that "first love" passion.  They had good chemistry, but the movie didn't play on that.  I also was unimpressed with the relationship between Tris and her parents.  I felt it was to surface.   I guess when I think about it, none of the relationships were very impressive, and unfortunately that's what makes a good movie for me. 

I'm a little less forgiving with this one.  I think it could have been better, I think the directors got a little lazy and let the book do the talking.  Can't wait to read the next two books though!


Deb's Rate: Matinee

Preview:  One of us is traveling this week so we might have to go to different movies.  
(or maybe two sisters will become one sister and a brother for a twist.)

Bonus Review: Week 27.5

The Amazing Spider-Man

Genre: Action, Adventure

Main Players: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Sally Field, Martin Sheen

General Gist: Pretty sure everyone knows the general gist.....

Deb's Take:   My son really wanted to see this movie, so my husband and I were able to take him for a “middle child” date.  (My husband was looking forward to it as well).  I hadn’t planned on going initially, but getting to spend time with the family and going to a movie go hand in hand. 

It seems like I have seen so many “super hero” movies in the last two years  I wasn’t really sure how this one could be any different than the last 30.  Actually, it really wasn’t in my eyes.  Same story, different actors, different scenes, better graphics, stunts etc….So, I will take a look at the actors..I do like Emma Stone.  She is just a sort of down to earth, “real” person kind of actress.  She made the chemistry of the romance work.  Andrew Garfield was so-so.  He did fit the whole broken teenager role of Spidey, but I wasn’t sold on his macho attitude and romance abilities.  I think who I liked the most was Sally Field, and not because this role was amazing, but because I just love her!  I was shocked to see her and Martin Sheen in this remake, who would have guessed.

All in all, the movie was…Spiderman, nothing too special for me.  I will tell you that my son liked it “better than any other Spider Man movie because it actually followed the true storyline of the comics.” My husband agreed.  Again, lost on me, but oh well, still a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon with my boys.

Deb's Rate: Matinee

Preview: The sisters reunite after 3 weeks of vacation!

Week 51: Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

How is it that I get so behind in posting my reviews?  I have three movies swirling in my head right now.  These last few of the year might be short and sweet.
For week 51 we went and saw Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.  I was a big fan of the first one so I was looking forward to this.  Russ was a big fan of the first one too so he was actually looking forward to seeing this movie.  When he's excited about seeing a movie I'm happy because that means he'll try hard to go with me.  So this movie ended up being a date night for us sisters.  Love it when it works out that way.

This is the second installment of the Sherlock Holmes movies with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law.  I totally agree with Deb.  They have great chemistry together in the movie.  I love the humor and wit.  Actually, Robert Downey Jr. has good chemistry with Rachel McAdams too even if they didn't have as big of a role this time around.  Generally speaking I love Robert Downey Jr.'s humor and he is no exception in this one.  I love the visual effects as well with the dark atmosphere and cool slow mo action shots.  It all works wonderfully.

Definitely a fun one to see in the theater. 
To Sum it up: Good action, good banter and just plain good entertainment. 

Week 51: Sherlock Holmes-A Game of Shadows

This movie was a good "take your husband out on a date" movie. I had not seen the first one, but was told it didn't matter. I think it may have helped a little, but I don't think I lost any of the intention by not seeing the first one.

We also got to enjoy the movie with our friends. Thanks for coming with us Steve and Shelley.

The main players: Robert Downey Jr.-He did excellent. Jude Law-Amazing as well. These two had great chemistry and worked well together. Kept me entertained with humor and quirkiness. Roomi Rapace- She did a great job. Excited to see her in a different role to see if she is a great as she seems.


Overall impression: Good movie, lots of adventure, action, and twists and turns. Good couples movie!

Next review to follow soon.

Week 43: The Three Musketeers

This weekend we went and saw The Three Musketeers.  I hadn't heard a lot about this movie but you can guess what type it is based on the title.  I generally like these type of movies but wasn't sure if it would be anything special.  Turns out it wasn't.

Basically, it's about three washed out musketeers who are rejuvenated by a young musketeer who is looking to change the world one great cause at a time. The three actors who played the original musketeers were Matthew Macfadyen, Luke Evans and Ray Stevenson.  The younger one was played by Logan Lerman.  I'm not sure if it was bad acting or just plain boring characters but all of these guys were completely forgettable.  Not one of them jumped out.  I almost forget what they all looked like as I'm writing this.

The villains were played by Orlando Bloom and Milla Jovovich.  I've decided I'm not a big fan of Milla.  It seems like I've seen her in other things and she's been okay but in this she just wasn't.  And don't even get me started on Orlando Bloom.  I love Orlando Bloom.  I've loved him in everything he's been in.  But I can't believe he was in this movie.  The character just didn't work for him and even he was forgettable.  What a shame.

Overall I think it was tyring to be a little like Pirates of the Caribbean and failed miserably.  The special effects were too over the top and the music was exaggerated and corny.  And I don't usually even notice the music.  It's set up to be a sequel but I really hope its not.  If it is I really hope Orlando Bloom doesn't sign up for it again. 

Too Sum it up:  Boring characters, boring plot line and a sad use of one of my favorite actors.

Week 34: 30 Minutes or Less

So this week was 30 Minutes or Less.  Hmm...what to say about this movie.  I should start by saying this wasn't exactly our first choice for the weekend.  One we were going to see didn't have the right times and the other one had spousal conflicts.  (Talk about demanding husbands.  Geesh.)  So alas, we saw this movie.

Now in all fairness, I don't really think this movie was targeting me and my sister.  The intended demographics were probably closer to 17 or 18 year old boys.  I sort of figured this going into it but I also thought it would be funny enough that it wouldn't matter.  Actually, I'm curious if my brother Keaton saw this. He might like it a lot. 

So two of the main guys were Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network guy) and Aziz Ansari (Can't think what he's in but you would recognize him).  They played two guys being forced to rob a bank.  They were a little bit of a weird duo in this because they were funny but serious at the same time.  This kind of comedy can totally work but for whatever reason it totally didn't.  I couldn't figure out if it was stupid funny or serious funny.  You know what I mean by the difference right?  And I also felt like Jesse Eisenberg had to dumb himself down for this role. 

The other two guys played by Danny McBride and Nick Swardson were just awful.  Again, it was a strange mix of are they slow in the head or criminal masterminds.  And they were crude and a little disgusting so that just added to the confusion. 

So, I guess what I'm saying is don't waste your money unless you fit in the demographics mentioned above.  Don't get me wrong.  There were some funny parts but they didn't make up for the rest of the movie.  

To Sum it up: Funny but not funny. Okay actors but not good acting.  

Week 30: Captain America: The First Avenger

This week we saw Captain America: The First Avenger.  Yes, another super hero movie.  I think this year will be deemed the year of the super hero and Natalie Portman.  What do you think?  Seems about right.

I basically agree with Deb on this one.  The super hero aspect was okay but mixing super heros with a war setting just didn't work for me.  I guess it seems like a disservice to soldiers.  It diminishes what they stand for.  Who knew I was so patriotic.   

I will admit though that the transformation from skinny weak guy to big tough soldier was impressive.  Whatever digital programming they had to do on that seemed realistic.  There was maybe only one scene where it didn't look quite natural.  But really overall very well done. 

I did like all the actors in this movie but I will admit I had a hard time looking at, Chris Evans, the main character without seeing the pre-transformation guy.  Not that that is a reason not to like a movie.  Just an observation. I agree with Deb about the leading lady.  Hayley Atwell looks like she might be a new up and comer. 

To Sum it up: Good special effects, pretty good actors but not digging the super hero/soldier mix.

Bonus Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Ahh, such a bittersweet moment.  All the books are read.  All the movies are watched.  I am officially done with the Harry Potter series for good.  I remember I read the first book late in the game.  There were a couple books out already when I first heard of them.  That was right after I got married and lived in Maryland.  That was almost 11 years ago.  Holy cow.  That's a long time to devote to one series.  It was so worth it.

On Monday I went to see the final chapter, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.  I always look forward to these movies because I love seeing the books come to life.  Also, there is such a large span from when the book comes out to when the movie comes out so you get to enjoy it like it's the first time.  That way too, you forget the details of the book and can really enjoy the movie without picking it apart.

And the verdict?  It was great!  Because of the way the book is written, Part 1 was a lot slower.  It couldn't really be helped though and was necessary to build the story.  It made the excitement of Part 2 that much better. This one had a lot more action and you finally got to see Hogwarts again and all the characters you loved from the previous movies/books.  You can really tell that the actors have matured too.  In the first movies they were okay but the story line and the "magic" really made the movies.  With this movie I felt like they finally hit their full stride.  What a great way to end the series.

To Sum it up: Lots of action, lots of emotion and a perfect ending. 

Week 25: X-Men First Class

This week was X-Men First Class.  Another superhero movie.  Have you noticed how many have come out recently?  Marvel is making a killing this year.  Just like last week with Thor, I expected to like this but wasn't expecting to enjoy it quite so much.  Although, I thoroughly enjoyed all the other X-Men movies I've seen so I'm not sure why its such a surprise.

This movie was a prequel to the other X-Men movies.  It was about how they all started.  I wish I remembered more of the other movies so it all made a little more sense but you didn't really need to know it all in order to enjoy this movie.

I thought all the actors were good.  I thoroughly enjoyed James McAvoy playing Charles Xavier.  I can't really place him in another movie but I liked him.  The other people were good too.  I really enjoyed seeing what each character's special power was.  I think that's part of X-Men that I like so much.  Kevin Bacon was a surprisingly good bad guy.  Oh, and I loved the 5 second cameo with Hugh Jackman.

I would highly recommend this movie.  Very entertaining.

To Sum it up: Good characters, very entertaining and a lot of action. 

Week 24: Thor

This weekend we went and saw Thor.  I would have never pegged myself for liking superhero movies so well but I have to admit that the last couple I've seen I've really liked.  This was no exception.  This movie was actually really entertaining. 

The main character, Thor, was played by Chris Hemsworth.  I've never seen him before but he really was spot on.  He had the body, look and personality for the role.  Thanks to my sister-in-law, we were also scoping him out to play Jamie in the Outlander series.  Not that there's a movie coming out or anything.  But if there was, he'd be perfect.  Just slap a Scottish accent on him and voila.  But that's beside the point. 

And again, Natalie Portman.  I can't believe she's in another movie.  Seriously, how many has she been in?  She was really good too.  I'm always a little surprise how funny she can be.  I thought she had a good mix in this movie. 

The plot was about two battling planets, one good one bad.  Thor, from the good planet, was suppose to be King but his dad banished him to teach him a lesson.  He ends up on earth, meeting Natalie's character scientist Jane.  The main gist is while Thor is on earth the good planet is in trouble.  Thor learns his lesson about being too arrogant and finds a way back to his planet to save the day.  In the meantime, he falls in love with Jane.  Even though the love story aspect was quick and a little shallow it still worked in this movie.  The action and humor made up for it.  I would definitely recommend this movie.

To Sum it up: Great cast, good amount of humor and thoroughly entertaining.  

Week 21: Pirates of the Caribbean 4

This week we went to "Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides", starring Johnny Depp, and Penelope Cruz. I haven't seen any of the 3 previous "Pirates" movies, but was told it didn't matter.. and it didn't. The story line may have had a few references to the previous movies, but I didn't feel lost, or that I was missing some great detail.

I was shockingly surprised how much I liked this movie. Johnny Depp is often an "ify" actor for me, Penelope Cruz is as well...but I really liked them in this movie. The movie was extremely entertaining, and had a lot of funny parts. The story line stayed active, as did the supporting actors.

I was also quite impressed with all the supporting roles, and how well the story line all fit together. I guess I never really had an interest in seeing the movies, but think I will try and watch the previous 3 now.

Short and sweet this week. But all in all a great movie to go see to enjoy your afternoon.