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.

Holiday Season Movies: A Quick Summary

We're back!

We took a little break in 2013, but we decided we really missed our weekly movies. We didn't like being out of the loop.  Mostly, we missed the time we spent together going to the movies. So here we are.

Before our first official review for 2014, we thought we'd give you a little breakdown of the movies we saw over the holidays.  There were some good ones in there we think are worth mentioning.  Five movies in less than a month. Guess we are coming back with a bang!

Frozen:
Deb:  This movie was the best Princess Disney movie I have seen in a very long time.  The music was superb, the concept was different and it was about sisters!! I would give this one an Opening Day review.  You and your kids will love it.

Tiff:  I really liked this movie too but the beginning story line was a little rushed and weak.  From an adult standpoint.  My kids however, loved it.  I liked the idea that true love wasn't just a romantic concept.   I give this one a Friday Night rating.

Saving Mr. Banks:
Deb: So different than what I thought it was going to be. I love a true story.  This one made me want to go out and buy the Mary Poppins Series.  Great acting.  (not necessarily a kid movie, they would probably get bored.) Friday Night at its best.

Tiff:  This was definitely a deeper movie than what you think you're getting into.  Very well done and acted.  Agree with Deb, not a good kids movie.  Definitely worth a Friday Night.

The Wolf of Wall Street:
Deb: WOW, WOW and WOW.  Pushing movies to their limit in more ways than one.  I did really love it! Great Acting, Crazy out of control story.  (Lots of nudity, sex and drugs so be aware).  Friday Night Rating from me.

Tiff:  This movie was dirty and wrong but so very good.  Lots of sex, lots of drugs and more than a  little uncomfortableness.  Make sure you go with an appropriate companion.  Leo was really great in this.  I give this an Opening Night.  

American Hustle:
Deb:  Think 70's at its height.  Great job with setting the stage, costumes and personalities.  The movie did get a little long for me, the story was lengthy but I never guessed how it would end.  Matinee

Tiff:  Didn't get to see this one.  Maybe I can check it out on Netflix someday.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty:
Deb:  This one was Quirky at best.  I have a hard time with movies that push the limit on reality.  This one did, but the relationship was endearing and the message was positive.  Great Rental     

Tiff:  Didn't get to see this one either.  Wasn't super interested.  I guess I'm fine with missing this one.


What movies did you see over the holiday that you think are worth mentioning?

2012: Week 48: Silver Linings Playbook

Silver Linings Playbook

Genre: Comedy, Romance

Main Players: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro

General Gist: After a stay in a mental institute, a teacher moves in with his parents and begins to work on trying to reconcile with his wife.  Along the way he meets a young woman with issues as well.

Tiff's Take: 
This movie was sort of crazy.  Crazy in the fact that the characters were a little off (or a lot) and there was so much arguing and yelling and things going on.  This might have been a little too much for some people but it surprisingly was not for me.  I really loved this movie.  

Crazy really worked well for these characters and boy did the actors play the part.  The chemistry between Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence was great and I loved the humor.  There was one scene that got me and Deb so tickled we could hardly stop laughing.  I think people were looking at us funny.  Over all it was a pretty predictable story line but it was so enjoyable that it didn't matter at all.         

Tiff's Rate: Opening Night 

Deb's Take: This movie played up Crazy to a different sort of level.  I think the craziest part, the fact that more than likely there are households like this one in the world for real!  I think I liked this movie because it made me feel a little less crazy. 

I agree with Tiff,  the movie was pretty predictable, and very out there, but there was good character development, good relationship development (even in all it's craziness) and great chemistry.  The movie was funny, (yes Tiff and I were laugh crying at one point, although the full theatre did not seem to find as much humor in the scene as we did) as well as touching.  There was a little disconnect from time to time, however, I think that only enhanced this movie.  All the main actors were great, and I really enjoyed the show.  I don't think it's Academy Award worthy, but worth a good night out.

Deb's Rate: Opening Night

Preview: Movie Mania...we have 7-8 movies we want to see in the next 3 weeks. We'll see what happens.  Our Last Hurray!

2012: Week 36: The Words

The Words

Genre: Drama, Romance 

Main Players: Bradley Cooper, Zoe Saldana, Dennis Quaid, Olivia Wilde, Jeremy Irons

General Gist: A writer finds someone else's story and publishes it as if it's his own work.

Tiff's Take:  
This movie had a really interesting concept.  It was like a story within a story within a story.  I should mention it was a little confusing too.  Generally speaking I thought it was a decent movie.  The story was good, the acting was good and the chemistry between the actors were good.  But...I felt like there was information missing here and there.  Or maybe just depth.  I don't know.  It just didn't have that emotional pull like I thought it would.  It left me wanting a little more.  And did I mention it was confusing?  Unnecessarily so.

I thought Bradley Cooper and Zoe Saldana had great chemistry but Dennis Quaid and Olivia Wilde just didn't seem like a great fit.

So this one was sort of neutral for me.  Not bad but definitely not great.  Probably not worth going to the theater for this one.  

Tiff's Rate: Rent It

Deb's Take:
I really was expecting more from this movie.  The previews were misleading to me.  I expected a love story, intertwined with an authors challenging dilemma.  Well, I suppose that is what it was about,..kind of.  The movie was slow.  I felt like I got lost in boredom at some points.  I wasn't really buying the relationships and the plot was weak.  I feel like the movie could have been good, but it was a story, about a story book, about a story...too many stories.  (lol...side note, I didn't read Tiff's review, as I usually don't, before I wrote mine..sometimes our conversations is just too similar!!)  The worse part was the ending.  Nothing was wrapped up, nothing seemed to be resolved and all in all I was disappointed.

The actors did okay in their parts, but I think it's hard to act a poor movie sometimes.  I also think the premise behind the movie could have been quite intriguing if written better.   All in all I expected more and got less.  I actually don't have a whole lot to say because I just really didn't like it.

Deb's Rate: Don't Bother...read a good book instead!

Preview:   "Won't Back Down" is on the docket this week.

2012: Week 34: Hit & Run

Hit & Run

Genre: Comedy, Action

Main Players: Dax Shepard, Kristin Bell, Bradley Cooper, Tom Arnold

General Gist: An ex-con, who is in a witness protection program, comes out of hiding to help his girlfriend get a job.  They are then chased by his former gang of thieves. 

Deb's Take:

A little set up here.  I watch “Parenthood” , the weekly T.V. series.  I absolutely love the character “Crosby”, played by Dax Shepard.  I hadn’t heard much about this movie, but noticed he was starring in it and thought it looked good enough.   If that wasn’t enough, there was a long long list of cameo performances in this movie, along with a list of just darn right funny people.  I mentioned to Tiff, that following the movie I thought maybe Dax (who also wrote and directed the film) must have just started calling up all his buddies and asking them to play in his movie.  (I looked it up…I was right).  His fiancé (girlfriend, wife, not sure what they officially are) Kristen Bell played opposite him, and..of course it worked.  Duh, they are a couple and they didn’t have to pretend.  Then you have this crazy list of actors you never expect to see..Tom Arnold, Bradley Cooper, Jason Bateman, Joy Bryant (plays Dax’s wife on “Parenthood”), Beau Bridges, and Sean Hayes.  AND…on top of those actors, there were some I didn’t know that cracked me up!

Ok, so as far as the movie…it was pretty much, fast cars, crude/rude humor and roll your eyes stupid funny. The movie covers only a couple day time period, and is pretty much just a car chase.  There is a little relationship stuff, a little nudity, although not the kind you might expect, and a lot of stupid laughs.   Exactly what appears to be expected from Dax Shepard.  ( I didn’t realize he used to play on “Punk’d”)  This movie is not intended to challenge any part of your brain, but rather to allow your brain to fall into the depths of pure jelliness (I am not sure what other word to use).  That being said, if you are in the mood, and not easily offended, go and enjoy yourself with a male friend, he will thank you for the offer.  It is a guys movie, but one this sister really enjoyed.

Deb's Rate: Friday Night

Tiff's Take:
Russ and I use to see Dax Shepard on Punk'd and think he was hilarious.  So it's no surprise I thought this movie was funny beings that it was written and directed by him.  I wish Russ had seen this one with me though.  I think he would have liked it even more than me.  Here's why.  Even though this has a relationship aspect to it, it really is coming from the viewpoint of a man.  Not too mushy and not necessarily the main focus.  Also, cars and driving cars are a big part of this movie too.  Russ would have eaten this up.  I definitely couldn't appreciate it like he would have.  And of course it was funny with some really funny actors.  There were a lot of great cameos. 

My only beef with this movie was that it was a little choppy.  It wasn't quite as fluid as I thought it should be.  I'm not sure if this was the first movie he directed but it sort of felt like it.  But still enjoyable and surprisingly sweet in parts.  I loved all the actors and thought that the chemistry between Dax and Kristen was great.  I always thought they seemed like an odd couple in real life but after seeing this movie I can see how it works. 

Tiff's Rate: Matinee (but on the Friday Night side of Matinee)

Preview: Prescreening of "Pitch Perfect", (no it's not a baseball movie)

Week 22: The Hangover II

Wow, I can't believe we are on week 22! This year is flying by, almost to the half way point. Well, as Tiff already posted, we say The Hangover II. I did see The Hangover and let me tell you, that was one of the funniest movies I have seen! Like this movie, it has a lot of crude humor, and nudity, and kind of out of control crass situations. I think the downfall, was the fact that I saw The Hangover and because it was so good, I wanted this one to match it...

The premise behind this movie was basically the same, bachlor party gone bad. The thing about the first one, was all the situations were so "real" In this sequel, that situations seemed a little far fetched, not so believable. The humor was there, and I did enjoy the actors Bradley Cooper (one of my favorite hotties) Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis. Zach did make the funny more funny, and unfortunately, I think really he was the only funny one. I did not like Ken Jeong in this one, (or the first one) and he kind of got on my nerves...and he played a much bigger role in this movie so I wasn't as impressed.

Really, the whole suite theatre experience was the cool part of this movie for me. I would highly recommend if you haven't tried a movie suite experience do it! It was pretty cool to have comfy seats, wait service and drinks all while watching a movie! I will definately be patronizing that theater again!

As far as the movie...I did laugh, I was glad I was with my brother and sister and people my age and not my mom and dad. (even at 40 some things just aren't comfortable around your parents!) It wasn't as good as the first one, but it was light hearted and fun. Best quote: "My uncle once saw an albino polar bear"

If you want some laughs go see it, but don't expect it to compare to the first, you will be let down! See you next week!

Week 22: The Hangover Part II

Over Memorial Day weekend we went and saw The Hangover Part II.  I'll admit that I didn't see the first one.  I usually don't do that but I figured I wouldn't really be missing out on the plot line by not seeing the original.  I think I was right but it did make me want to see the first one.  I hear it was better.

One thing that made this particular movie fun was the ambiance.  We went with my brother and sister-in-law and a bunch of her family to a theater downtown that had the studio suites that served food and had big reclining chairs.  It was pretty cool.  We decided we'll have to go back with our spouses next time and get better seats. (We were in the first row.  Not ideal.) 

But the movie itself...I thought it was pretty good.  Not hilarious though.  I actually thought it was more shocking then funny.  It reminded me a lot of that movie with Cameron Diaz called Very Bad Things.  Do you remember that one?  About a bachelor party that went bad.  Sort of black humor kind of movie.  I thought The Hangover Part II was funnier but sort of along the same lines. 

I thought all the actors were good.  Zach Galifianakis was probably the best.  But Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms were really good in this kind of comedy too.  Oh and Ken Jeong who played Mr. Chow was good. 

Remember that this is the kind of movie you probably don't want to go with your parents or grandparents.  It wasn't overly sexual (I thought Black Swan was way more sexual) but it was crude with a lot of nudity.  Male nudity at that.  Frontal male nudity.  You don't see a lot of that in movies.  Overall I thought this movie was decent but can imagine that the first one was a lot better.  And not as many laugh out loud moments as you might think.

To Sum it up: Vulgar, good comedic characters but falls a little short of belly laughing humor.  

Week 14: Limitless

This week we went to Limitless. Bradley Cooper plays a writer who is in a slump, and takes a pill which is suppose to access more brain power than the normal human is able. He finds that it works, but with gliches and, like any drug, withdrawls. The story takes you through his climb through the corporate world, while on this drug. Robert DeNiro also plays a major role in this film.

Although I was super psyched based on the premise, and I did feel both Bradley and Robert did a great job playing their parts, the film was disappointing to me. The movie seemed to continually try to hit a climax, and always seemed to fall short. There was a stuggle to find an ending, and to find a way to wrap the whole thing up. In the end, I wasn't impressed with how little was accomplished in the film. The movie was slow, there never was a big climatic point, and the end was a huge let down.

Like I said, I did feel Bradley and Robert played their parts well, they did a good job with what they were given, but I just didn't feel like they were given a whole lot to work with. This type of storyline has so much potential. The writers could have gone in so many good directions, instead it kind of just fizzled.

Not a great one this week, don't recommend it, maybe next week will be better! See you then

Week 14: Limitless

This week we saw Limitless.  Bradley Cooper plays the main character.  He plays a washed up writer with major writer's block.  He basically looks like a bum who hasn't taken a shower in weeks.  He runs into his ex-brother-in-law who gives him this pill that supposedly allows you to use the "other" 80% of your brain that us humans haven't tapped into.  Suddenly he can see clearer and knows how to fix all his problems.  And he ends up looking a lot better too.  Well, of course there are side effects and he gets into all sorts of trouble.  It's actually a little gory in some spots.

Really, it was a pretty interesting concept.  Although, there were some parts where the cinemotagraphy (not sure if this is the write word - Austin you would know) actually made you a little dizzy when you're zooming through the city at warp speed.  I guess it just added another element of interest.  And I thought Bradley Cooper was a good fit.  He was believable as a bum and he was beleivable as an uber-smart, put together guy.  Probably because he's not this major good looking guy but also a step above the guy next door.  In my opinion anyway. 

Robert De Niro was also in it as a high-powered exec who tries to use Bradley Cooper's character for his own use.  And the girlfriend was played by Abbie Cornish.  I haven't seen her in a lot before but she was good.  Nothing exceptional.

Overall, I think this was an interesting movie and made you think but it wasn't much more than that.  I did enjoy it though.

To Sum it up: Cool concept, a little disorienting but keeps you thinking.