Now You See Me TRAILER (2013) - Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher Movie HD

Best Movies of 2012

The Avengers

After 2 movies Hollywood finally was able to capture The Hulk exactly like he was in the comics.

Silver Lining Playbook

Very cool movie about Real People. Bradley Cooper finally proves he is a Leading Man.

Breaking Dawn

I dare anyone to show me a vampire movie that was filmed better than this. I didn’t read the books and I was on the edge of my seat. I was thoroughly entertained.

Flight
At 58 years old Denzel once again proves that he is one of the Best Actors in Hollywood. This is the movie he should win an Oscar for. The ending was on point.

Cloud Atlas

Hanks and Halle’s best performances in years. The most creative movie of the year. I can’t wait to see it again.

Le Miz

My pick for the Best Picture of the year with Cloud Atlas as a close 2^nd.

Arbitrage

This is what Wall Street 2 (God that movie sucked) should have been. This is a film that nobody saw or cared about but Richard Gere rocks.

The Master

Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix give the audience a dazzling performance.

Ted

The casting of Mark Wahlberg was genius because we laughed our heads off as he talked to a plant in The Happening so why not have him talk to a Teddy Bear. Seth MacFarlane is right now the smartest guy in Hollywood.

Think Like A Man, Act Like A Woman / What to Expect When Your Expecting

These are 2 RomComs that are not on critics top ten lists but were funny and well done.

 Retro Honorable Mention from 1968:

Night of the Living Dead:

I became a HUGE fan of The Walking Dead this year which stars a new, cool, Leading Man, British actor Andrew Lincoln (from Love Actually). The show also stars Danai Gurira in her breakthrough role as Michonne (I love her performance and character on the show). While waiting for Season 3 to continue I decided to watch the film that started it all by George A. Romero.

Night of The Living Dead is brilliant and Romero was way ahead of his time.  The casting was excellent and the other than the clothes and the cars the film does not feel dated. As with The Walking Dead the writing is great and the characters are well played.

It is sad however that Romero didn’t own the right’s to this original classic and that there have been dozens of spin offs and billions of dollars made on Walking Dead people.

Check it out in original Black and White if you haven’t already, one of the best horror movies of all time!

Zero Dark Thirty

Director Kathryn Bigelow has done a few movies I liked, Near Dark, Blue Steel, and I was one of the few people that loved Strange Days. I didn’t like Hurt Locker and I am not that fascinated like the other critics by Zero Dark Thirty. It’s a good movie but it’s not great. Reason why it is not great because at over 2 hours long you don’t ever get to know who the lead character is? The movie is a chronicle of the decade-long hunt for al-Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden after the September 2001 attacks, and his death at the hands of the Navy S.E.A.L. Team 6 in May, 2011.

The best part of the movie is the end where Bigelow recreates how Osama bin Laden was executed. It takes into fact everything we have heard and read about how it went down. Not sure there will be another movie that will be able to recreate this event as good as Bigelow does. That part of the movie is really all you need to see. The rest focuses on torture methods and Maya, Jessica Chastain’s, relentless pursuit of Osama.

The flaw in this movie is that the audience never gets to know what drives Maya’s character. Did she have someone die on 9/11? Why was her life so private in the movie? For 157 mins. long Bigelow could have given us a little more insight.

Verdict:
It’s like King Kong and Titanic but not anywhere in its class. You know that the ship and the ape are going down but you want to be entertained before it happens, and you want to know and care about the characters. You don’t get that in Zero Dark Thirty.

After Earth - Official Trailer | HD | Will Smith

Les Misérables

It’s been 10 years since I have seen this play in NYC and I forgot how great the songs were. Director Tom Hooper does a masterful job of weaving the story and the music together for 157 minutes and there is not one minute of boredom. The story takes place in 19th-century France, Hugh Jackman, Jean Valjean, who has been hunted for decades by the ruthless policeman Russell Crowe, Javert after he breaks parole, Jackman agrees to care for factory worker Anne Hathaway, Fantine's daughter, Cosette. The fateful decision changes their lives forever.

This is Hugh Jackman’s Oscar moment. He brings his versatile skills from Broadway to this film like no one can ever do. Russell Crowe should not be overlooked. I know that they are focused on giving Anne Hathaway an Oscar for this performance but without Crowe the movie would not have worked. Crowe turns in his best performance in years.

This is the first movie I have ever seen where people were crying on both sides of me in the theater. I Maned Up however and not a tear was shed on my part but bring Kleenex just in case.

Verdict:

One of the best movies of the year. It will make you want to see the play again. My prediction is that this will win the Oscar for Best Movie of The Year.

Django Unchained

Many of you will disagree with me, including Dr. James Patterson who states that this movie will be a Classic??, but I didn’t enjoy Django and I felt it was one of the worst movies Tarantino has made to date. The story focuses on Jamie Foxx (Django) and with the help of his mentor ,Christoph Waltz, sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal Mississippi plantation owner.

I was looking forward to this film because I am a fan of Quentin Tarantino.  He makes “Cool” movies. Pulp Fiction was cool, Reservoir Dogs was cool, Kill Bill was cool, even Inglorious Bastards was cool, but Django at 165 minutes was boring for the first 2 hours. The witty dialogue that Tarantino usually has in his scripts was missing and replaced with the “N Word” repeated over 100 times. I don’t have a problem with that but I thought the term “Coons” & “Darkies” was the term used most often during slavery. Tarantino is in a brief cameo role in the movie refrains from using the “N Word” and refers to Django as “Black” Spike Lee may have a case here.

Django is basically a Black Exploitation movie. Go on Netflicks and watch “Mandingo” (which is a a more accurate movie about how blacks were treated during slavery); also rent “Buck and The Preacher” a Western where Blacks win against whites. My point is The Emperor (Tarantino) Has No Clothes On because he just made a movie that has previously been done before and better. Critics who have not studied film have drank Tarantino’s Kool – Aid and are praising this weak ass movie. The only bright spot is Christoph Waltz performance; he makes Leonardo DiCaprio’s performance look like DiCaprio should go back to acting school. Yes, that’s how good Waltz is.

Finally to see the great Samuel Jackson with shoe polish on his face playing a Step pin Fechit House “N Word” was a devastating thing to watch. I hope Turantino paid him a lot of money because Turantino will make a Boatload of money on this movie that Exploits Blacks and the history of slavery.

Verdict:
Everything old is new again and there is nothing new in this movie. This Generation that missed the Black Exploitation movies of the 70’s will however enjoy seeing Black men win against Whites. Tuarntino recently mentioned in an interview that he wanted to retire before he starts making bad movies. If the overall quality of Django is what we can execpt from him in the years to come then he should retire now.

Worst Flicks of 2012

The Devil Inside:
So bad it’s funny.

Battleship:

My Holiday wish is that I hope I never have to see Brooklyn Decker, Rhianna, and that John Carter dude in another movie.

Rock of Ages:

Take “A” List actors and tell them they can play rock stars then add that overrated idiot, the ex Mr. Katy Perry, and you have a bomb for the ages.

Total Recall:

Now I know why Colin Ferrall cannot open a movie. He has zero star power.

Bachelorette:

Why try to do Bridesmaids again, WHY???

Alex Cross:

Madea trying to be Wesley Snipes, need I say more?

Killing them Softly:

This put me to sleep softly.

Resident Evil: Retribution:

Enough already, yes she looks good in the suit but let’s get to the end of this circus already.

John Carter:

I tried 2 times to watch this (once on a plane) and then I gave up. The hype for this movie made me waste my time trying.

Argo:

The most overrated movie of the year. Ben Affleck portraying a Latino without any effort? He needed to study Al Pacino in Scarface. Also why all the cheap tension building theatrics? We know that they will escape so why not spend more time learning about the enemy? I felt cheated especially with the airport scene at the end where they made the enemy look like The Three Stooges. The Town was a much better movie. What do you think?

Jack Reacher

It seems as if Tom Cruise is not satisfied with having the successful Mission Impossible franchise so with The Jack Reacher books Cruise attempts to launch his next series of films. I have never read any of the Jack Reacher books but early word was that Tom Cruise was too short to play the title character. The story is about a homicide investigator who digs deeper into a case involving a trained military sniper who shot five random victims. The movie is well cast but there is not a lot of punch (no pun intended) in the screenplay. Cruise does his best with the material and he has surrounded himself with a good supporting cast but the movie lacks some of the action that you now can now see at home on cable TV with great shows like Boardwalk Empire, Dexter, & The Walking Dead. There is however a great car chase as well as an interesting view from a sniper’s perspective that I have not seen on film.

Verdict:

This movie builds the foundation on the Jack Reacher character. Cruise fans may feel cheated and want more but I wouldn’t count out this franchise. This could be the case where the second film in this franchise is better than the first.

Pain and Gain Official Trailer #1 (2013) - Michael Bay Movie HD

Cloud Atlas

I am one of the few people who enjoyed all 3 Matrix movies. The first one was the best and the third one was a bit too much but the Trilogy was a daring breath of fresh air from the Wachowski Bros. Consider Cloud Atlas the same. I had no idea what I was going to see because the studio marketed the movie poorly so it was not on my top ten movies to go see. When I finally went to see it I had one of the best movie going experiences in 2012. It’s one of those movies where it actually deserves one word praise such as Innovative, Refreshing, Daring, Breakthrough, Great, etc. Mine would be that Cloud Atlas is one of the Best movies of 2012. It breaks the mold of all the movies that are out today.

The story is about an exploration of how the actions of individual lives impact one another in the past, present and future, as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero, and an act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution.
I tried to figure out the movie from the beginning and I was very frustrated. My advice is to NOT do this and to just enjoy the excellent performances from Tom Hanks and Halle Berry. Everything comes together in Act 3 and you won’t be disappointed. Both Hanks and Halle give their best performance in years and if the person who did the Make-Up does not win an Oscar for this flick then the fix is in.

Verdict:
A movie that you must see on the big screen. This is the movie that Halle should win an Oscar for and not the garbage she starred in with Billy Bob years ago.

Oblivion - Official Trailer (HD)

Hitchcock

There are only 2 reasons you need to see the movie Hitchcock if at all. First Anthony Hopkins gives an amazing performance as Hitchcock. Second reason is if you want to see how he went about making the movie Psycho. That’s it! The movie is poorly scripted and does not tell you much about the man. All the actors involved are “A” List and does the best they can with the script. Even Jessica Biel (Mrs. Justin Timberlake) gives her first decent performance in years. Director Sasha Gervasi focuses on the love story between Hitchcock and wife Alma Reville, played by the great Helen Mirren, during the filming of Psycho in 1959.


Verdict:
Hopkins and Mirren are great but need better material. This movie was better than the HBO Hitchcock movie but not by much.

This should have gone straight to DVD or premiere on Showtime.

Star Trek Into Darkness - Official Trailer (HD)

Killing Them Softly

A full year of drinking election Kool-Aid the very last thing I needed during my movie going experience is a director’s view on politics. That is how Killing Them Softly starts and ends. Director Andrew Dominik makes a huge mistake by adding this in the movie right after an election. The second mistake he makes is casting 2 key actors from the HBO series The Sopranos. The movie is about Jackie Cogan, played by Brad Pitt, an enforcer hired to restore order after three stupid guys rob a Mob protected card game, causing the local criminal economy to collapse. The one right thing about this movie is Brad Pitt who does the best he can with the material. There is lots of slow motion shots and endless dialogue that could have been handled better by Quentin Tarantino.


Veridict:
A must not see! While watching this mess it made me think of why doesn’t HBO just pay David Chase a Gazillion dollars to make The Sapronos movie? Do you think we will ever see a Sopranos movie?

Silver Lining Playbook

This is a cool film that does not fit into any particular niche but it’s a very good movie. Part drama, part comedy, and part love story. SLP is about a teacher played by Cooper who loses it one day and spends time in a mental institution. After being released he moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when he meets Tiffany played by Jenifer Lawrence who was the breakout star of Hunger Games. It’s amazing how Bradley Cooper was in Wedding Crashers and no one noticed him. Now after Hangover he is a leading man. Can anyone become a star? Cooper’s prior movie, Limitless, I felt was high gloss nonsense and made Robert De Niro look like a putz. But in this 2nd pairing with De Niro Cooper shows that he can be a good actor and Robert De Niro, who plays his father, still shows that he can act and has a little fire in the belly. Chris Tucker, who has not been in a movie in 5 years, is in a understated supporting role that works for him.


Veridict:
This movie is about how losers can win. Cooper will be able to break away from Hangover because in this film he shows that he has skills. He should be nominated for an Oscar. What do you think?

Breaking Dawn Part 2

I never read any of the books but I have seen all the movies. I thought that the first film which introduced the characters was good but this last one is great. In Breaking Dawn Part 2, we have Renesmee. Renesmee is Kristen Stewart’s baby with Robert Pattinson and in this movie the Cullens gather other vampire clans in order to protect the child from a false allegation that puts the family in front of the Volturi. Confusing? Somewhat and it will be tough for someone to watch this movie if they have not read the books or seen the previous films. What makes this movie work however is that you have a great villain named Aro who is played by Michael Sheen.
Without him playing a large part in this movie and the ending which has a twist, this movie would be similar to New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn Part 1 which in my opinion are just ok.

Verdict:
Loved it! Makes my Top Ten of 2013. Will this be the last Twilight movie? Based on the Box Office I doubt it, what do you think?

Skyfall

Everyone should know at this point that the Bond franchise will never die regardless of who plays him. Why? Prior to this movie did you not drink the Kool Aid? Everywhere I went or looked prior to this movie opening I was bombarded by James Bond movies, merchandise, trailers, billboards (which were cool) etc. MGM has done a fantastic job marketing this movie.
I admire Daniel Craig's skill as an actor but I don't like him as James Bond (to me Sean Connery is the Michael Jordon of the actors who have played Bond), regardless of that I couldn't wait to see this movie.
I drank the Kool - Aid in all flavors. In Skyfall Bond's loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.
Director Sam Mendes (American Beauty) has brought back the jokes and follows the blueprint of earlier Bond hits by filming in exotic locations, incorporating a great villain, and having beautiful women. Mendes also adds underrated British actress Naomie Harris (Pirates of the Carribbean) to the cast. Look for her to be part of the series moving forward.

Verdict:
Must see movie for all. James Bond is part of our history and has been passed down from each generation.
Millennials will not be disappointed. Who do you think was the best Bond?

Lincoln

Steven Spielberg, Daniel Day Lewis, & Sally Field have all won Oscars and a boatload of awards. So how can this movie be bad? It’s not, this is an excellent movie. If I was not told in advance that Daniel Day Lewis was portraying Lincoln I would not have known it was him, he is that good. Sally Field who was a hottie (believe it or not) back in the seventies plays Mary Todd. Field gained over 20lbs and she nails the role. Spielberg also throws in the great Tommie Lee Jones in a supporting role and he almost steals the show. The movie covers the period during the Civil War when Lincoln struggles with continuing carnage on the battlefield and as he fights with many inside his own cabinet on the decision to emancipate the slaves. I am not worried if the movie portrays all the facts correctly or if Lincoln's voice was booming or not. I was entertained and that's one of the reasons why I enjoyed the movie.


Verdict:

I have viewed every actor that has portrayed Abraham Lincoln in anticipation of this film and Daniel Day Lewis has done the best job to date. Oscars all around for this group, what do you think?

Flight

I was not aware of what Flight was about prior to seeing it. The studio has done a poor job of letting the public know what the movie is all about. I have been a Denzel fan for quite some time but I have to say that this is his greatest performance to date. The story is about an airline pilot who saves a flight from crashing, but an investigation into the malfunctions reveals something troubling. Robert Zemeckis, Forrest Gump, directs and does a masterful job of capturing the airplane accident. The movie also stars Kelly Reilly who has been in various movies but this is a breakout role for her. The movie is engaging and is well paced.

Verdict:
This is a must see movie. It is one of the best movies I have seen this year, Flight is the movie Denzel should win an Oscar for, what do you think?

Identity Thief Trailer 2012 - new 2013 Movie - Official [HD]

Die Hard 5 Official Trailer (2013)

Argo vs. Alex Cross

I give Tyler Perry “Props” for trying to break away from Madea, but to try and play a role that Morgan Freeman used to play is too much of a stretch for him. Perry is just not good at performing drama. In comedies he is great but in a dramatic movie where he is after a super evil dude he is just ok. Speaking of super evil dude, Matthew Fox from Lost tries to break his nice guy typecast and portrays a psycho in the movie. Fox does a better job of transitioning than Perry but his character in the movie is kind of stupid and there is zero character development so you have no idea why he is crazy. So you end up not caring. The movie is a Snorefest and whould have gone straight to video if Tyler Perry was not in it.

It’s Oscar season and studios are shelling out money promoting their movies. Argo is the true story about the 1980 joint CIA-Canadian secret operation to extract six fugitive American diplomatic personnel out of revolutionary Iran. Ben Affleck directs and stars as Tony Mendez (does not look anything like him) the guy who helps extract the Americans. The movie is solid for what it is, a feel good documentary with bits of Hollywood “Sizzle” added in for tension. That’s it. It’s not Oscar worthy and you will not want to watch it again. Ben Affleck is becoming the new Clint Eastwood (actor turned Director) but his prior movie The Town is far more superior to Argo.

Verdict:
If you have to see one then Argo wins hands down. What do you think?

Idris Elba Meets with Producers About Playing James Bond

 Idris Elba as James Bond? Granted, Daniel Craig still has two movies left on his contract, but in the off-chance he bails early (as so many previous Bond actors have), Bond movie producer Barbara Broccolli has met with the actor about assuming the role.
Elba joins a shortlist of replacements once Craig fulfills his Bond duties, including Michael Fassbender, Hugh Jackman and Tom Hardy. What makes Elba becoming a potential Bond particularly intriguing, aside from the obvious race issue, is that the franchise would drift away from a series of actors portraying the same character to dare we say, a reboot?
Naomie Harris, who stars in the upcoming Skyfall told The Huffington Post that, "I didn't realize that there was this talk [about a black Bond], and then I did a film with Idris and he said that he had met with Barbara Broccolli and that it does seem like there is a possibility in the future that there could very well be a black James Bond. And I would have to vote for Idris because I just finished working with him and he's a great guy."
Elba has previously said that he would be honored to play the role should the opportunity come his way.
Keep in mind this was only a preliminary meeting with interested actors and Broccoli has not commented on the matter.
It does raise an interesting question though. Would you support a potential reboot and a black James Bond or would you prefer the role to continue being passed down to dapper white guys?

Taken 2

Taken fans have waited 2 years for this sequel and they pretty much get a so so movie. Don’t get me wrong, Liam Neeson is still great as retired CIA operative Bryan Mills, and the character he plays delivers in spades but there are not a lot of surprises.
This time they (the father of the men he killed in Taken) kidnap Neeson and his wife in Istanbul (would have worked better in the States but directors love scenic locals). Also this time his daughter wants to help.
The action is good but it does not have you on the edge of your seat like the first Taken movie.

Verdict:

This is still a decent action flick but it will make you want to go back and re-watch the first movie. What do you think? Was this movie disappointing?

Looper

This movie has a great script, good acting, and lots of action.The story takes place in the near future when the mob wants to get rid of someone, the target is sent 30 years into the past, where a hired gun (a Looper) awaits. One day a Looper, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, learns the mob wants to 'close the loop' by transporting back Joe's future self.

Where I lost it was with the casting of Jeff Daniels as the bad guy who manages the Looper’s. To me he didn’t come off as someone to fear and I felt you needed like a Giancarlo Esposito from Breaking Bad to play that role.

Bruce Willis is fine but in this movie he plays himself,meaing if you like Bruce Willis you will like him in this movie. Emily Blunt stars as well but in a supporting role. I look forward to her starring in her own movie and showcasing her talents that made her famous from Devil Wears Prada. It's been awhile.

Verdict:
Good action movie and decent Special Effects. Do you agree?

Hotel Transylvania

Selena Gomez is one of the most underrated talents around today.  She stars in this movie with Adam Sandler (who has not had a solid hit in a while) and a few of his cronies i.e: David Spade. The story is about Dracula, who operates a high-end resort away from the human world, goes into overprotective mode when a boy discovers the resort and falls for the count's teen-aged daughter.

The movie is cute and there are no slow spots.

Verdict:

Good movie for the family to see but you don’t need to see it in 3D. DId you like it?

Resident Evil: Retribution

Ok so how does Milla Jovovich end up looking younger and more vivacious in this episode of the series? If she is having work done then her doctor should get an Oscar. Anyway she kicks ass again in her black skin tight outfit similar to Kate Beckinsale’s character in Underworld. They might as well write a story where they end up fighting each other similar to Freddy vs. Jason. That’s something I would pay to see.

For those of you looking to see this chapter in the franchise be prepared to feel as if you are watching a video game. Also Michelle Rodriquez is in the movie but not enough. I wanted to see more of her in action.

Verdict:

The tag line for this movie is "Evil Goes Global", snore! Lets just get to the final chapter already. Do you think we need another Resident Evil flick?

End of Watch

Urban crime dramas when done well end up being instant classics i.e.: Scarface. End of Watch tires to be that Instant Classic but doesn’t measure up. Watching this drama about young LAPD cops makes me wonder can they be that dumb? In the movie two young officers are marked for death after confiscating a small cache of money and firearms from the members of a notorious cartel, during a routine traffic stop. The cops portrayed by Jake Gyllenhaal & Michael Peña come across as High School kids pretending to be cops and You Tubing the experience as they go along. The script by David Ayer is rubbish and any cop in LA that works South Central would realize the danger of the territory they are in. Jake Gyllenhaal & Michael Peña however live in their own bubble and are oblivious to what is happening around them even with repeated warnings throughout the movie. They are just stupid and anyone who thinks this movie is more than just a fantasy should go online and review the daily murders that take place in Los Angeles that is not being reported by mass media. This movie has some decent action scenes that are mounted with tension but decisions made by the main characters are ludicrous.

Verdict:

Maybe there are LAPD cops as stupid as these testoserone Supercops but I doubt it. What do you think?

The Master

The word on the street is that this movie is suppose to be the film about Scientology but isn’t. The story is about a Naval veteran who arrives home from war unsettled and uncertain of his future until he is tantalized by The Cause and its leader played by Philip Seymour Hoffman. What this movie is really about is alcoholism plain and simple. Joaquin Phoenix plays a man that tries to reestablish himself after the war but has became an alcoholic from his past issues and the war.  We learn about this via his relationship with The Master who tries to cure him. The movie is very slow and is not for everybody but if you are a fan of Director Paul Thomas Anderson films (There Will Be Blood, Boogie Nights, and Punch Drunk Love with Adam Sandler which I was one of the few people that liked it) you will enjoy the scenes of two great actors in their prime. This in my opinion is what Director Anderson does best which is bringing out the best performances from his actors.
Joaquin Phoenix does an amazing job of transforming himself into this tortured soul. Take Ray Milland’s drunk in the Lost Weekend, and Nicholas Cage’s alcoholism in Leaving Las Vegas and you have (2) Oscar winners. We may have to add Phoenix even though Philip Seymour Hoffman as The Master gives an Oscar Worthy performance as well.

Verdict:

See with someone who loves great acting. Who do you think does the better job of acting in this movie?

'42' Official Trailer [HD]: The Real Life Story Of Jackie Robinson, Base...

Arbitrage

Before going to see this I thought it was a “ripped from the headlines” story about Bernie Meadoff. I was surprised to find out that this movie is a character study of a different fictional Wall Street executive played by Richard Gere. The story is about a troubled hedge fund magnate desperate to complete the sale of his trading empire makes an error that forces him to turn to an unlikely person for help. The script is well written and you are glued to your seat trying to figure out how thing are going to end for Gere.This is a better than average thriller with Gere giving an outstanding performance. Tim Roth and Susan Sarandon are also in the movie and you see again (it’s been a while since they have been in a good movie) why they are great supporting actors.

Verdict:

Gere does a masterful acting job worthy of the elusive Oscar he has been due since 1977’s Looking For Mr. Goodbar. He has tough competition this year with Joaquin Phoenix in The Master, Daniel Day Lewis as Lincoln, Bill Murray as FDR in Hyde Park on Hudson, and Denzel Washington in Flight. Is Gere due an Oscar?

Bachelorette

This is a “Bridemaids” wannabe movie with a poor script.
The story is about when three friends are asked to be bridesmaids at a wedding of a woman they used to ridicule back in high school.
Where Bridesmaids was funny and original Bachelorette is mean spirited and just not funny. Rebel Wilson, from Bridesmaids, plays the same role she did in Bridesmaids and countless other movies she will be in for the remainder of the year. Director and writer Leslye Headland failed at this first attempt and hopefully we don’t have to suffer through too many more of her movies.

Verdict:

One of the worst movies of 2012.

Lawless

This movie has an “A” List cast and the story is based on real life family.
Set in Depression-era Franklin County, Virginia, a bootlegging gang is threatened by a new deputy and other authorities who want a cut of their profits.
Tom Hardy is a great character actor but here he takes on leading man status and his performance gets lost among the other “A” List actors.
I found the movie to be a bit slow and predictable. I also found Guy Pearce, as the nemesis, good but not as threatening as he could have been. Gary Oldman, who played an amazing bad guy in The Professional, is wasted in this movie and his role is limited. Jessica Chastain and Mia Wasikowska are also wasted and their characters are similar to various other movies.
The best and most surprising performance comes from Shia LaBeouf. He is the only reason I would recommend this movie. He finally shows that he can act among good actors vs. Transformers.

Verdict:

Average movie but Shia LaBeouf’s best performance to date. What do you think?

The Expendables 2

It’s very rare that a sequel is better than the original but in this case it is.
Mr. Church, Bruce Willis, reunites Stallone’s band of dysfunctional heroes for what should be an easy paycheck, but when one of his men is murdered on the job, his quest for revenge puts his team deep in enemy territory and up against an unexpected threat. You can see that more money was invested in this version which equals more action scenes and more stars. Director Simon West, who directed one of my favorite action movies Con Air, does a good job of maintaining the essence of the original.
Crews, who almost drowned on the new Reality show Stars Earn Stripes is hilarious. We also get to see Lone Wolf McQuade, Chuck Norris and Jean-Claude Van Damme (who were not in the original) in superb appearances. One appearance that was not up to par was the Govonator, Arnold Schwarzenegger. He has not been in a major film of late so the audience has not been able to see him age. When you first see him he looks weathered. His lines that are given him in the movie are the same old lines he had 100 years ago. Hopefully Arnold gets his rhythm back and we can see him in one last great action movie.

Verdict:

Better than the first. If you want to see an action movie skip Bourne Legacy and see this. What do you think?

Sparkle

This is a reboot of a movie that precedes the hit Dreamgirls. If you take Dreamgirls out of the equation then this movie would be fair to good. However when you watch it you can’t help comparing it Dreamgirls.
The story is set in the 1960s, where three sisters form girl group and soon become Motown sensations, but fame becomes a challenge as the close-knit family begins to fall apart.
This is a breakthrough role for American Idol winner Jordan Sparks but the true star of this movie is an
Carmen Ejogo who plays one of her sisters. Carmen and Mike Epps (who plays her fiancé) steal the movie. For Whitney Houston fans it’s a sad film to watch. (A lady next to me in the theater was crying every time she came on screen). You don’t see the once vibrant ingénue that we saw in The Bodyguard, what you see in Sparkle is someone who can no longer act with bad makeup and a horrible wigs. Even the one song she sings in the flick is poorly synced with the movie.
You are left wondering what could have been if she stayed away from drugs. There is one scene in the movie where one of her daughters says that she looks tired and that pretty much sums up her performance.

Verdict:

Jordan Sparks is a fine singer but Carmen Ejogo is a damn good actress. I only recommend seeing this movie to discover a new star which is Carmen. What did you think of Whitney in this movie?

The Campaign

I love both Will Ferrell, Zach Galifianakis and I expected this movie to have me crying from laughter, but it didn’t.

The story is about two CEOs who seize an opportunity to oust long-term congressman Cam Brady (Ferrell) by putting up a rival candidate. Their man: naive Marty Huggins (Galifianakis), director of the local Tourism Center.
There are some moments where the jokes are funny but they are few and far apart. It was however refreshing to see Galifianakis play a new character other than the one he plays in The Hangover. There is nothing more I can say about this movie other than don’t see it.

Verdict:
The true life Campaign that is playing out across America now is way better than spending time in a theater watching this. What do you think?

The Bourne Legacy

Matt Damon, like Sean Connery as James Bond, owns this franchise.

So now we have an awesome actor Jeremy Renner (who looks like a young version of Daniel Craig the current James Bond) taking over the role.
Renner is the perfect actor to take over this franchise but the direction and editing leaves a lot to be desired.
The story is about an expansion of the universe from Robert Ludlum's novels, centered on a new hero whose stakes have been triggered by the events of the previous three films.
The one thing that audiences loved about the previous films is the action sequences. This new movie has hardly any and spends too much time with talking heads.

Verdict:
Bourne is Boring!!
What do you think, should this franchise continue or is it done?

Total Recall

Most millenniums’ don’t even remember the original movie, nor do they realize how huge a star Arnold Schwarzenegger was back in the day. So huge that he was able to take a “B movie” and make it a blockbuster hit.
Total Recall is a movie about a factory worker who begins to suspect that he is a spy after visiting Rekall - a company that provides its clients with implanted fake memories of a life they would like to have led goes wrong and he finds himself on the run.
This reboot has the best looking cast of the summer. Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, & Jessica Biel. The story is pretty much the same as the original however the cast is not as good at reprising the roles or filling the shoes of the original actors.
Colin Farrell does not have the charisma to pull this off and he is not an action star ala Jason Stratham and The Rock. Jessica Biel is probably one of the worst actresses ever and Kate Beckinsale pretty much plays the same character that she plays in Underworld.

Verdict:

This movie is like somebody re-gifted a present they received and put shiny new gift wrapping on it. You end up wanting to re-gift it yourself once received.

Oz the Great and Powerful Official Trailer (2013) Sam Raimi Wizard of Oz...

Superman: Man Of Steel - Official Trailer 2012 [HD]

The Dark Knight Rises

The 3^rd film in a trilogy is usually not very good (remember Godfather 3) but this movie is excellent.
The story picks up eight years later from The Dark Knight. A new terrorist leader, Bane, overwhelms Gotham's finest, and the Dark Knight resurfaces to protect a city that has branded him an enemy.
If you have not seen the first two movies then you will be a little lost in the first half so to fully enjoy this Masterpiece view the first 2 films before going to see it.
Director Christopher Nolan utilizes most of the supporting characters from his new classic Inception including Oscar winner Marion Cotillard who is always awesome. The story and characters are strong and Tom Hardy as the villain Bane is great. That’s saying a lot since he has to follow-up from Heath Ledger Oscar winning performance as The Joker. Anne Hathaway as the new Catwoman does a fine job and looks great in the suit but can’t hold a candle to Michele Pfeiffer and Eartha Kitt. She is however way better than Halle Berry was as Catwomen.
Why is Christopher Nolan not being considered one of the top directors of this generation? Hollywood should be praising and kissing this guys ass! He saved the 2012 summer Box Office with this film and it’s not in bullshit 3D which should disappear from all movies. I am looking forward to his next project.

Verdict:

Beautiful, Spectacular, Great summer movie. Even at 164 minutes this is a must see. Way better than the Spiderman reboot. Best movie so far of 2012.

Final Note:

It’s sad what happened in Colorado and it will be scary what will happen to the theater going experience. Movie patrons will probably now be armed. If this clown had tried doing this in another theater he would have been taken out, literally by the audience.

Savages

100 years ago Oliver Stone did the screenplay for the remake of the Paul Muni movie Scarface with Al Pacino and scored a long loved classic hit. Lately Stone has been grasping to become relevant again. His sequel to Wall Street was enormously disappointing, and his movie “W.” about George Bush was utter rubbish. Now Stone rips a page from the outstanding hit cable show “Breaking Bad” and trys to connect with a younger audience by having young dealers who market premium weed rather than premium Crystal Meth. In the movie these Pot growers face off against the Mexican drug cartel who kidnapped their shared girlfriend. Blake Lively from Gossip Girls plays the shared, airhead girlfriend. Her acting still is bad (see The Town) but Stone lets her narrate throughout the entire movie and her voice is annoying! Taylor Kitsch again stars in another bad movie ( don’t go see Battlefield, John Carter, and lets not forget his bathroom scene in Snakes on A Plane) why is this guy still making movies?? He says he’s tough in this movie, he talks the talk, but he’s not in enough action scenes for the audience to believe his character. The only bright spot in the movie is from 2 veteran actors, John Travolta (without his wig) & Benicio Del Toro. They are mesmerizing whenever they are on screen and they clearly are better actors than Taylor and Lively. There is one great scene with Travolta and Del Toro where you see the old Oliver Stone magic but it’s not worth sitting through the rest of this mess.

Verdict:

Watch Breaking Bad if you want to see how drug dealers go up against the Mexican drug cartel. Breaking Bad’s version is believable.

Jack Reacher - Official Trailer (HD)

The Amazing Spider-Man

Is there anything that we don’t know about Spiderman and his origin? No.

Are there movies that come out that are in 3D but really are not? Yes.
So why reboot this Superhero so soon?
The most glaring answer I got when watching this movie is merchandising.
SPOILER ALERT:
There is a scene in the movie where Spidey once again saves a kid. During this rescue the kid has to put on Spiderman’s mask. Kids in the audience were wearing Spiderman clothing fresh from Target and they LOVED this movie. This was also their chance to see a Spidey movie on the big screen.
The movie is about how Peter Parker finds a clue that might help him understand why his parents disappeared when he was young. His path puts him on a collision course with Dr. Curt Connors, his father's former partner.
The story starts out briskly and Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man is a gifted actor. The movie however is 2 hours long and all you really just want to see is Spidey kick ass which does not take place until well into the 2nd act.

Verdict:
Nothing new but I recommend going to see it on the big screen but not in 3D.

Ted

Ok so who do you get to act next to a talking Teddy Bear? Mark Whalberg! He did an excellent job talking to plants in The Happening so I am sure this casting meeting with Seth McFarlane was a slam dunk.

McFarlane’s Ted is about a childhood wish, Marky Mark’s teddy bear comes to life and has been by his side ever since. Whalberg’s girlfriend, Mila Kunis, ends up wanting more from the relationship and does not want to share it with a teddy bear.
This movie is definitely not for kids and that is one of the reasons that make it funny. You wonder why this has not been done before. There was Howard the Duck but you got tired of the Duck after a while and there was no CGI effects back in the day.
Kunis and Walberg have great chemistry together and McFarlane as the voice of the bear is hilarious.

Verdict:
Movie is worth seeing and now I know why Seth McFarlane is paid sooo much money, he’s worth it.

Madea's Witness Protection

It’s time for Tyler Perry to retire Madea for a few years because she is starting to get played out.

This time a Wall Street investment banker who has been set up as the linchpin of his company's mob-backed Ponzi scheme is relocated with his family to Aunt Madea's southern home.
In Witness Madea’s jokes fall flat and this time old man Joe, played by Perry as well, has better jokes.
Perry is trying to cross over by bringing in additional white actors to the franchise. Eugene Levy from the American Pie franchise does a decent job but Denise Richards does a poorly in her performance as a throphy wife.

Verdict:
Remember how funny Ernest (Jim Varney) was back in the day until Ernest Goes to Camp, Jail, School, Africa, and the Classic Ernest Goes Stupid came out. This may be the Blueprint Tyler Perry is following for Madea and he will make a lot of money but the movies will not be funny, and Witness Protection is not funny.

TAKEN 2 - International Trailer (2012) [HD]

Rock of Ages

Tom Cruise as a Rock Star?? He is soooo miscast in this tribute to the eighties flick. Cruise pretty much ruins the whole movie because he brings in too much baggage from all the roles in starred in prior. Even if they cast the movie with an unknown this wanna be musical would be too cheesy to rank anywhere near the last great movie musical Chicago. Speaking of Chicago Catherine Zeta-Jones returns singing and dancing in this movie but sad to say she will not get an Oscar for this flick. The mash up music is ok until you hear Mary J. Blige sing. Her voice is amazing but when you see her on screen she could have forgone eating Ho Ho’s before she went to bed. Finally can Hollywood tell Ryan Seacrest that  his alleged girlfriend, Julianne Hough, cannot act and she is better served going back to Dancing with the Stars.

Verdict:

A monkey named Hey Man steals the movie (Really). That’s how poor the acting is. This movie makes my list of worst movies of 2012.

Flight Official Trailer [HD]: Denzel Washington, James Badge Dale and Jo...

Abe Lincoln Vampire Killer

Abe Lincoln the vampire killer, ludicrous?? Well with all these superhero movies making tons of money, why not take a President, LOL, and give him skills and super strength.

How this book became a bestseller is beyond my small meager mind but I knew that going to see this movie would provide plenty of laughs for me, which it did.
The story is about how Abraham Lincoln discovers that vampires are planning to take over the United States. He makes it his mission to eliminate them.
The movie is long and most of the limited action in the movie does not take place until the last hour. The entire movie is pretty much like a cartoon. Abe Lincoln, played by Benjamin Walker, waits until he’s in his 50’s to go after his nemesis with the same strength and skill he had in his early years?!
His wife Mary, who is played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, is way too pretty and miscast to play Lincoln’s wife who historically was unattractive (remember the Gieco commercial)
Mary also has skills at killing vampires and you will be laughing with tears when you get to the part when she confronts a female vampire.
Anthony Mackie, who seems like he will take any acting job, is Abe’s childhood friend and is wasted in this movie.

Where did I lose it in this movie?
- When Abe Lincoln mentions his entire name various times throughout the movie.
- When I had to count how many times I saw true 3D effects (not many).
- When Harriet Tubman makes a cameo appearance??

Verdict:
Find your laughs elsewhere because this movie is rubbish.

Prometheus

Ridley Scott has made many good to great movies, (Gladiator) this is not one of them.
So the word on the street was that this was not an Alien movie prequel or it was. The bottom line is that it does not make a difference because this is not a good movie.
The story is about a team of explorers who discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.
There is not a lot of action until the 3rd act. For this movie I expected to see Special Effects and scenes that I have never seen before. That’s the essence of a great summer movie. Alas Prometheus fails in this category.
There are many “A” list actors involved (Charlize Theron, Michael Fassbender, Guy Pearce, who I don’t remember seeing in the movie, and Idris Elba) in this project but none of them can fill the void left behind by Sigourney Weaver who played Ripley. Noomi Rapace tries but fails.

Verdict:
This movie should be called Propofol not Prometheus because halfway through it you are asleep.
Aliens 2 is still the best of the franchise.

The Great Gatsby Trailer Official 2012 [1080 HD] - Leonardo DiCaprio, To...

Battleship

How does an actor follow-up a major flop like John Cater? Star in a “B Grade” unoriginal, poorly scripted and directed movie called Battleship.
Taylor Kitsch star of John Carter will probably have a hit eventually (remember how many bombs Tom Hanks was in before he hit pay dirt) but this ain’t it. This movie is about a fleet of ships that is forced to do battle with an armada of unknown origins in order to discover and thwart their destructive goals.
That being said add Rhianna to the mix and you realize 15 minutes into the movie that you wasted your money.
Rhianna needs to stick to what she does best and stay off the screen. Liam Neeson phoned in his part from the set of Taken 2. In other words he is barely in the movie.
There is a corny scene where they incorporate the actual game Battleship (which this movie is allegedly based on) into the movie. Finally the special effects are not on par with effects you see in the Avengers movie so if you saw the Avengers prior to this you will be disappointed in what you see on screen.

Verdict:
There really is NOTHING good that I can say about this movie. Director Peter Berg should go back to acting, back in the day he was really good in the movie The Last Seduction. He should also leave doing movie interviews (his promotion for this movie was a fiasco) and directing to the pros.