Carrie

It's hard to believe that Chloë Grace Moretz, the star of the new Carrie, is only 16 yrs. old and has already been in 30 movies. I didn't know about her until her breakthrough performance in the movie Kick-Ass.
For everyone who has seen Carrie with Sissy Spacek this version is pretty much an exact remake with nothing new to add. Even Moretz performance is understated. It seems at times that she is just following the blueprint that Spacek has set.
The Prom Bloodbath scene is improved and you can compare them by watching the movie and getting on Netflicks when you get home to see the original. Julianne Moore as the mother is good but she can't hold a candle to the original mother Piper Laurie. She was freaking crazy good!

Verdict:
Think of this movie as the remake of Psycho with Vince Vaughn. There is no need for this movie because why mess with a classic.

Machete Kills

I enjoyed the first Machete and was looking forward to this one but Machete Kills is a huge letdown.
The flick is about how the U.S. government recruits Machete to battle his way through Mexico in order to take down an arms dealer who looks to launch a weapon into space.  Mel Gibson is the bad guy and he does the best he can with the material that is given him. Why is Gibson working in this Grindhouse wannabe movie anyway??? Isn't he a billionaire??
Sofia Vergara from Modern Family also is in the movie but I was not dazzled. This movie also had Lady Gaga and Charlie Sheen ditto on their poor performances. The only bright spot in this movie is Amber Heard. If you have not heard of Heard you will because she is the new It Girl in Hollywood.
Director Robert Rodriguez has a good track record but this movie is a speed bump to his body of work. The Machete joke just goes on too long and viewers will lose interest as I did halfway thru the movie.

Verdict:
Skip at all cost. Makes my list of the worst movies of 2013.

Non-Stop - Official Trailer (2014) [HD] Liam Neeson

Enough Said

This movie is one of James Gandolfini's last roles and I was a big fan of his.
Given that this is not one of his greatest roles. Gandolfini gives a good performance of a man who gets into a relationship with Julia Louis-Dreyfus.  But it's Dreyfus that steals the movie. The film is about a divorced woman, Dreyfus, who decides to pursue the man she's interested in, Gandolfini, and learns he's her new friend's ex-husband.   
Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays a masseuse and gives a great performance which should make her eligible for an Oscar nomination. There are also a number of other "A" List supporting actors that round out the cast.
One interesting thing about this movie is it shows the life of a masseuse and what they have to deal with in a typical day.

Verdict:
See it for Julia's performance.

Gravity

Director Alfonso Cuarón has created a feast for the eyes for all movie lovers.
Gravity is about a medical engineer and an astronaut work together to survive after an accident leaves them adrift in space. The movie stars George Clooney and Sandra Bullock as the only 2 people in the movie!?! Now I felt I couldn't deal with having to watch these two for 90 minutes but there is so much going on that you forget that they are the only 2 stars.
You must see this movie on the big screen in order to enjoy what Cuarón has created. If you have the coin see it in IMAX 3D do so, this movie was made for it.
I don't give a damn about the technical aspects and if what we see is true for astronauts. I just want to be entertained and taken away and this movie succeeded in doing that.

Verdict:
Must see for movie fans.

Runner Runner

Take the movie Boiler Room, which has Ben Affleck playing a prick similar to Runner Runner, and the movie 21(movie about college students trying to win at gambling) and you have Runner Runner.
Both Boiler Room and 21 were good movies, Runner Runner is not.
The movie stars multi talented Justin Timberlake who portrays a poor college student who cracks an online poker game goes bust, he arranges a face-to-face with the man he thinks cheated him, a sly offshore entrepreneur played by Affleck.   
The movie is mindless entertainment and not believable. Anthony Mackie stars as the FBI agent that is trying to bring down Affleck but he is too young to be in the role. Gemma Arterton portrays the hot girl that Affleck has but Timberlake wants.

Verdict:
Timberlake fans need to skip this. Save your money for all the Oscar movies that will be coming out in the next few weeks.

Rush

Thor as a race car driver?
Chris Hemsworth nails the role of James Hunt in Director Ron Howards re-creation of the merciless 1970s rivalry between Formula One rivals James Hunt and Niki Lauda.
Actor Daniel Brühl who plays Niki Lauda is excellent and this is a breakthrough role for him (I never heard of him before seeing this film).
Ron Howard has done great films but after the horrid 2011 movie The Dilemma I thought he was past his prime. Howard however keeps you riveted to this movie/documentary by focusing on the rivalry of these two characters. There is unexpected chemistry between Hemsworth and Bruhl.
I am not a big fan of Grand Prix/Formula 1 movies because most of them were meandering messes that involved long race scenes and a love interest. This may be the best Grand Prix/Formula 1 movie ever seen. Sorry Steve McQueen and James Garner.

Verdict:
This is a very good movie. Way better than I expected. Believe it or not but this can be a date movie because the film incorporates the personal lives of both men. So bring your ladies, plus you know they want to see Hemsworth.

Baggage Claim

If you have read prior reviews on this blog you know that I feel that Paula Patton cannot act.
Given that what do you expect from her being a lead actress in this film??
It is probably the worst movie of the year I have seen to date.
This alleged RomCom is about Patton's character pledging to keep herself from being the oldest and the only woman in her entire family never to wed, She embarks on a thirty-day, thirty-thousand-mile expedition to charm a potential suitor into becoming her fiancé.
Adam Brody and Jill Scott co-star and thank God because they provide the one or two laughs in the entire movie.
The story is weak and Patton's acting is weaker. She always has this look on her face throughout the movie as if she is high or that there is nothing much going on upstairs.
The only enjoyment I had watching this movie was the fact that I was on 34th St. in NYC and a older gentleman sitting next to me kept talking to the screen and making jokes.
Only in NY.

Verdict:
Never, ever, waist 96 minutes of your life to watch this film.