2013: Bonus: Hansel & Gretel:Witch Hunters

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters

Genre: Action, Fantasy, Horror

Main Players: Jeremy Renner, Gemma Arterton, Famke Janssen

General Gist:  Spin on the fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel

Deb's Take: 
This was definitely a spin off of the story of Hansel and Gretel.  Nothing like a fairy tale.  I went to this with the hubby, we were a little skeptical, and my husband was even more shocked that I suggested this movie.  Last year I really enjoyed the fairy tale spin off movies.  (see my best and worst for 2012), figured this may fall into those same categories.

This one was a little different.  Lots of gore, (which in 3D is very interesting) a Sci-fi sort of twist (which isn't my favorite) but I was sort of pleasantly surprised.  The acting was pretty good.  I wasn't really familiar with the 3 main players, but they all were great in their parts, (and for all you men...who doesn't love a girl in leather?) I was most impressed with Famke Janssen, she did evil well!  I liked how the story was actually a story and not just a gory witch hunt.  There were some funny parts and some suspenseful parts, and lots of gore, but all in all I was unexpectedly surprised that I liked it.  I can't give it a top notch rating, because by no means did the movie move me in anyway, but I enjoyed my date!

Deb's Rate: Matinee

2012: Week 40: Taken 2

Taken 2

Genre: Action Drama

Main Players: Liam Neeson, Famke Janssen,  Maggie Grace

General Gist:  A retired CIA and his wife are taken hostage.  The group who holds him hostage is also the same family who kidnapped their daughter. The group is seeking revenge.

Deb's Take:

Well, this movie definitely makes the most sense if you have seen the first one.  I did, and thought the first one was decent, lots of action and adventure, and I loved the premise of how he figured out where is daughter was.  This one is pretty much the same movie, with a slightly different spin.  All in all the same concept, he has to figure out the details in order to get to the bottom of his ordeal.  I still liked all the small, intricate details of how, as CIA, he has tactics to figure out any mysteries of the kidnapping.  I don’t feel like the movie was real deep or meaningful, there was no hidden message, and the relationships were…basically action, violence, car chase and fighting.  Kind of typical of Liam’s roles recently it seems.

We had a larger crew with us this time, Mom, my 15 year old, and a good friend (soon to be neighbor to Tiff).  Thanks for the company guys! 

The actors did well, and it was a good action film, nothing real major or award winning.  Lots of violence for a 13 year old I think. 

Deb's Rate: Matinee

Tiff's Take:

As Deb said, it helped if you saw the first one and I would agree to an extent.  Yes, you sort of knew the premise behind what was going on but in the end it didn't matter a whole lot.  There was a lot of action and suspense and really not a whole lot of story.  Which I think is fine because I think that's what this kind of movie is all about.  That being said, it's not my favorite type of movie.  I enjoyed it alright but it didn't do a whole lot for me.  It was just sort of neutral.

I did enjoy the company though!  And I loved that the two flanking me on either side were jumping and visibly cringing the whole time.  It made me smile to be with such active movie watchers.     

Tiff's Rate: Matinee

Preview: Another trip in our future.  (And I'll tell you since we're posting this one so late, we did manage to get a movie in on our vacation.  I guess we're surrounded by people who love movies just as much as we do.)