2014: Week 30: Lucy

Lucy

Genre: Action, Sci-Fi

Main Players:  Scarlett Johansson,  Morgan Freeman, Min-Sik Choi

General Gist: A woman is kidnapped and by happenstance, ends up injected with a drug that allows her brain to function at a higher percentage than imaginable.

Deb's Take:
I loved the concept of this movie.  That fact that we as humans use only up to 7-10% of our cerebral cortex is really quite unfathomable.  Also, the fact that we haven't learned, evolved, captured...the ability to use more of our brain is mind boggling.  This movie idea had so much potential.  Predicting what would happen if humans had the capability to tap into a higher brain potential is intriguing.  This movie did lay a different idea out there.  I got the concept, and was interested in the theory, I just feel like the movie wasn't great at it's presentation of the idea.  Hollywood kind of got in the way of this one for me.  The movie played a good spin on brain power, but I wish the action, gun fighting, drug dealers wasn't part of the movie.  I think Scarlett Johansson did well.  I liked her character, and I feel like she captured the personality that the story was setting.  I just didn't feel like the movie tied everything together well.  Morgan Freeman's role could have been much more played out, and I also feel like the movie sort of balked the ending.  Here's a nice little present with a bow...we are done here.  I just wasn't impressed, but I really wanted to be, so rent it...it will give you something to speculate.

Deb's Rate: Rent It

Tiff's Take:
Yeah, I agree.  This movie had a lot of potential.  The concept could have turned into a great movie, like Inception, that really made you think about, well, thinking.  But it really fell short.  One issue with this kind of movie is that if it's not done right it can be really confusion and hard to wrap your, apparently, underutilized brain around.  This one had a little bit of that going on.  And it got a little too philosophical for my liking.  And not because I don't like philosophical but because it didn't fit well with the rest of the movie.  

The acting was okay for me.  I usually really like Scarlett Johansson and I think she did great with what she was supposed to portray but I guess I just didn't really like her character.  It was sort of uninteresting.  The French policeman was sort of a weird addition and Morgan Freeman was boring for me as well.  

What could have been a lot better movie was just sort of blah. 

Tiff's Rate: Rent It

Preview: Guardians of the Galaxy

2014: Bonus: The Lego Movie

The Lego Movie

Genre: Animation

Main Players: Voices of: Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Morgan Freeman, Liam Neeson, Chris Pratt

General Gist: An "average" Lego is mistaken for a master building in hopes of saving Lego Land from tyrant, Lord Business.

Tiff's Take:
We took our now nine year old son to this for his birthday along with nine other boys and a tag along sister.  Are we crazy or what? 

My son is a huge Lego fan whether it is a toy, video game or movie.  Always has been.  So this was a no brainer for his birthday party which happened to be around the same time this came out.  Perfect. 

As an adult, this movie was great.  It was funny and fast moving which is always good when your watching a movie for the sake of your kids.  I thought it was pretty clever too.  I liked how the ending really tied everything together.  Really well done.

From a kid standpoint, my son and his friends seemed to love it.  It kept all of their attention throughout the whole thing.  That's a success right there.  As for my almost six year old daughter, it was a hit too.  I will say that having an older brother makes her used to "boyish" type things.  And she loves going to movies no matter what they are.  She usually enjoys the popcorn more than anything.  But if you have only girls in your family who are much more interested in princesses I could see how this would be a little boring for them.  But our whole family enjoyed this show immensely.       
         
Tiff's Rate: Friday Night

Preview: Going to a movie tonight.  I think we missed out on seeing any more Oscar nominations so just a normal ole movie will have to do.

2012: Bonus Review: Week 28.5: The Dark Knight Rises/Giveaway!

The Dark Knight Rises

Genre: Action, Adventure

Main Players: Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Joseph Gordn-Levitt, Michael Caine

General Gist: The last of a trilogy...Batman...need I say more?

Deb's Take:  So….My sweet dear sister was able to get free screening passes to this movie, playing on the IMAX,  and so graciously gave them to me and my husband to use since our kids were out of town and she knew my husband was sort of stoked to see the movie.  I thanked her so profusely as I knew it would be a fun date.  Plus, I think deep down neither of us (my sister and I) were really too excited about seeing this movie and so we didn’t feel like we would be missing out if we didn’t go as our weekly movie..Let me tell you….We were sooooo wrong.

As you know, I am not real gung ho about super hero movies.  I usually leave those to my son and husband.  I have gone to more in the last year than ever in my life though, and I think I am getting a better taste for what is good and what isn’t.  This one totally rocked the house.  It probably helped that it was in the IMAX theatre, but all around it just was super  cool.  I have to say, I was tired when we left to go to this movie, some small little part of my brain was secretly hoping that the screening line would be too long and we wouldn’t get in so I could go back home and call it a night.  Well, the line was super short…the theatre was almost empty actually..and I am so glad we went.

Every actor in this movie was perfect for their part.  Both my husband and I agreed we were a little concerned that Anne Hathaway wasn’t going to be able to pull off “Catwoman”  well, she did, and I no longer see her as the “Princess Diaries actress”.  This could be a really long post if I stated all the good in this movie, action, cool cars, good adventure, action, action, action….but I won’t.  The only downfall…Tom Hardy’s character, “Bane”, was hard to understand sometimes.  I chalked it up as my poor hearing, but my husband said the same thing, and I heard some 20 somethings say they couldn’t understand him either, (he did have a weird mask on mind you).

I think you should go if you like adventure, and if you like Batman especially.  I liked it so much I am willing to give someone two passes to go see it!  I want to share!  So, tomorrow, Friday, I will pick a winner but you must post either here or on our Two Sisters  facebook  page the answer to this following question…I will pick a winner randomly from all who post…Who are three actors who have played “Batman” in the past?

Deb's Rate: Opening Day


Preview: We're thinking a popcorn giveaway.