Big Hero 6 (2014)

Big Hero 6 (2014)

7/10

Starring the voice of

Ryan Potter

Scott Adsit

Daniel Henney

T. J. Miller

Jamie Chung

Directed by Don Hall and Chris Williams

Big Hero 6 is Disney’s 54th film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, with a significant change from the Marvel Comic it was adapted from.

The movie blends Disney elements with Marvel's. Thanks to the screenplay by Robert L. Baird, Dan Gerson, and Jordan Roberts, the movie has the Disney feel of a happy, lovable story with relatable characters, combined with Marvel's action themes and characters with complex behaviors.

Produced solely by Walt Disney Animation Studios, this wonderful family movie will both interest and captivate your mind. Disney didn’t miss their trademark of embedding lessons here and there for the viewer to pick up on, and they removed anything that would make the story similar to anything we’ve seen before.

The movie’s plot follows 14-year-old Hiro Hamada, who lives with his aunt and older brother Tadashi in futuristic San Fransokyo. Hiro is highly intelligent and loves participating in illegal bot fights, much to the dismay of his brother and aunt.

Trying to distract Hiro from this life, Tadashi introduces him to his friends—GoGo, Wasabi, Honey Lemon, and Fred. He also shows him Baymax, a personal healthcare robot Tadashi created. Tadashi and his friends attend Krei Tech, and Tadashi hopes the inventions Hiro sees there will inspire him to join. Tadashi succeeds, but his untimely death when the college mysteriously catches fire halts Hiro’s interest in joining Krei Tech.

Sad and alone, Hiro accidentally activates Baymax, who then stumbles on one of Hiro’s inventions trying to reunite with its other parts. Baymax traces the invention to its source and uncovers more about Tadashi’s death.

Some notable changes Disney made include making Baymax a product of Hiro’s brother Tadashi, while in the comics, Baymax is a monster (instead of the lovable and huggable robot Disney presented) created by Hiro as a science project to serve as his butler and bodyguard. Also, in the comics, it was Hiro’s father who died, while in the movie, it’s Hiro’s brother’s death that inspires the formation of the group. Hiro’s father isn’t mentioned in the movie.

Although the movie is great and the characterization is memorable, I hope many will appreciate the level of storytelling and fast-paced action it packs. It would be sad if this movie ends up being one of those brilliant films that didn’t get enough credit or celebration. Another thing that will be sad about this movie is if it never gets a sequel, because it deserves one.

Penguins of Madagascar (2014)

Penguins of Madagascar (2014)

7/10

Starring

Tom McGrath

Chris Miller

Conrad Vernon

Christopher Knights

Benedict Cumberbatch

John Malkovich

Directed by Eric Darnell and Simon J. Smith

To be honest, after seeing the movie the first time, I was in line for a second helping. Those penguins crack me up big time, and they are just too cute and wonderful to be overlooked.

It’s about time they had their own motion picture, about them and them alone. The TV series that airs on Nickelodeon is always a riot of laughs, as there’s nothing these penguins won’t do to get to the end of the pressing matter at hand. And in this movie, they showed the same tenacity, and we even get to see how the group was formed.

The movie had many inside jokes to keep you aching for more, and the voice casting was exceptional. We had Tom McGrath, Chris Miller, Conrad Vernon, and Christopher Knights voicing Skipper, Kowalski, Rico, and Private, respectively. We also had Benedict Cumberbatch and John Malkovich as the villainous octopus Dave, or Dr. Octavius Brine.

So, what are our beloved penguins up to now?

The answer is, they were out looking for an adventure.

The movie starts with an introduction to our penguins and how they recruited Private. The group has been together since they were chicks, and they decided from then to be different from the rest. This led them through various ups and downs in zoos, until the movie catches up with the present development after Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (2012).

The group gets accosted by a villainous octopus who is out for revenge against the penguins’ cuteness. This leads them to meet the North Wind (NW), an elite undercover task force that rescues animals in need. The group consists of their leader, a gray wolf named Classified (Benedict Cumberbatch), as dubbed by Skipper, a harp seal named Short Fuse (Ken Jeong), a polar bear named Corporal (Peter Stormare), and an intelligent snowy owl named Eva (Annet Mahendru).

The octopus, Dave, wants to rid the world of the penguins’ cuteness, and the penguins have to stop him, or they will no longer be cute (it sounded better in my head).

The movie had cool dad jokes cheesy lines like:

1. “Nicholas, cage them!”
2. “Drew, Barry, more power!”
3. “Kevin, bake on!”
4. “Charlize, stay on them!”
5. “Robin, write this down!”

After watching this movie, I hope the box office and home media sales bring in the financial investment made for us to see it, because it would be sad if a sequel isn’t made. So, I hope word of mouth drives many to go see this. It’s worth it for both adults and kids alike.

Nightcrawler (2014)

Nightcrawler (2014)

7/10

Starring

Jake Gyllenhaal

Rene Russo

Riz Ahmed

Bill Paxton

Directed by Dan Gilroy

Nominated for numerous awards—which are well deserved—this crime thriller is one movie you’ll watch, and it will stick with you. The characters are memorable, and the plot and the direction deliver a masterclass in storytelling.

The movie tells the life of a sociopath who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. The extent to which he’ll go is not beyond his sociopathic needs, and, as you can guess, he doesn’t care who gets hurt along the way.

The movie is tragic and thrilling, and the sad events that occur at various intervals will make you sit still and wish harm would come to the lead character, Lou Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal). The movie is written and directed by Dan Gilroy in his directorial debut, and it stars his wife, the 60-year-old and still beautiful Rene Russo.

Jake Gyllenhaal had to lose 20 pounds for the movie, which is obvious from the first scene. Lou starts his career as a petty thief, stealing what he can to sell so he can survive. He comes across Joe Loder (Bill Paxton) on his way home. Joe is an independent news cameraman, and Lou sees him capturing footage of a crash. He asks how much Joe was paid for it and decides that making the news is going to be more financially promising than stealing.

Lou starts off small, capturing the aftermath of a carjacking. He then offers the footage to a local TV station, which is ready to pay for the clip. The TV station uses the clip in their morning news, and the news director, Nina (Rene Russo), who buys the footage, encourages Lou to keep shooting and bring the clips to her first.

Lou soon discovers that to get the top—and only—footage of violent incidents, he has to be at the crime scene on time. So, he hires an assistant, Rick (Riz Ahmed), to direct him through traffic.

Lou later realizes that his clips are causing the ratings of the news show to rise and decides to twist Nina’s arm for more money—and her body.

The movie shows that being around a sociopath is only to your detriment. Nightcrawler ended in a way I wouldn’t have guessed, and I was truly thrilled by the events.

A box office hit and a definite award grabber, this is a movie you should see before the year runs out.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)

7/10

Starring

Andy Serkis

Jason Clarke

Gary Oldman

Keri Russell

Directed by Matt Reeves

There are errors, and then there are major, big-time catastrophes.

I made a major catastrophe by waiting this long to see this movie. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is not a movie to overlook at any point in time. This new set of movies is meant to be a prelude to the original series, and this is the eighth theatrical film in the franchise—so far, it’s the best.

The movie received critical acclaim upon its release and was also a box office hit, but the real thrill is in the story.

The apes from the first part, Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), have gathered to form a colony and have grown in numbers. They’re training their children in the sign language and words they learned from their human captors. Caesar still stands as their leader, but the movie is set 10 years after the first, so Caesar now has a family with two sons.

The apes live undisturbed in the woods because, in the human world, the panic caused by the deadly ALZ-113 virus has led to much of the human race self-destructing. Many of them now live in colonies formed across the world, some unaware of the existence of others.

This depth in the story will make you sit and wonder what the movie will bring. The intro scenes feature the apes living together as a colony, hunting and conversing. You might think such scenes would make you doze off, but think again—be ready for the surprise that’s coming.

The acting, especially by the apes, and the visual effects are in a class of their own. The humans in the movie also deliver top-notch performances. Their story begins when they venture into the woods, meet Caesar’s family, and are granted passage to work on a dam to generate electricity.

This action, among others, causes distrust in Caesar’s leadership and leads to a battle between the apes and the human colony. The conflict results in deaths on both sides and sets the stage for an upcoming outbreak of war, which I believe the third film will explore.

There were cast changes made in the movie, and since it’s set 10 years ahead in a world of pandemonium, it was easy to write off the old cast.

This is a movie where you buy the DVDs/Blu-rays for keeps, for future reviews. Don’t be like me, waiting an eternity to see a classic—go see it now.

Be Cool (2005)

Be Cool (2005)

7/10

Starring

John Travolta

Uma Thurman

Vince Vaughn

Cedric the Entertainer

Harvey Keitel

Christina Milian

Andre Benjamin

Dwayne Johnson

Directed by F. Gary Gary

It’s not every day you get to have a movie that you believe is cool, even if everyone else may beg to differ. Be Cool is extremely funny, and the movie’s inside gags are what cracked me up the most. I noticed them as the movie progressed, and thanks to Wikipedia, I’ve listed them below.

The movie is a crime comedy adapted from Elmore Leonard’s 1999 novel of the same name. If you recall, Danny DeVito was in the prequel to this movie, which was also an adaptation of Leonard’s 1990 novel Get Shorty—the same name as the 1995 movie.

Get Shorty showed Chili Palmer’s life when he decided to go into the movie-making business. Here, in Be Cool, Palmer decides to switch to the music business. The switch would have been smooth, but you know Palmer from Get Shorty—Palmer wants, Palmer gets, regardless of who’s in the way.

The movie features enough stars, just like the first one, and it doesn’t just splatter them all over the screen. Director F. Gary Gray made sure they all got enough time to deliver their part in making a great movie.

I love this movie and have seen it quite a number of times, laughing my head off every time. The acting is top-notch, the comedy is well-delivered, and the music… For me, the makers didn’t have to completely focus on that, but they did—the music was off the hook, especially the Aerosmith and Christina Milian duet.

Be Cool’s Inside Gags:

• At the beginning of the film, Chili sees an advertisement for Get Lost, which is the sequel to Get Leo—the film within a film he produced in Get Shorty. He expresses his distaste for sequels, as well as his dissatisfaction in failing to prevent Get Lost from being made, despite the fact that he himself is a character in a sequel. The first line of the movie is Chili disgustedly dismissing the advertisement.
• Tommy proposes the idea of making a movie about a young singer who wants to make it big with the help of a record mogul. This becomes the main plot of the film. Almost every factor Tommy mentioned in his pitch, such as gangsta rappers and the Russian Mafia, ends up happening in the film.
• Chili is asked by Marla, the FBI agent, about his meeting with Tommy. He replies, "I know what you're getting, Marla. You think that I set this up. But the truth is, he wants me to make a movie about him. How can we make a movie when the main character gets popped in the first scene?" The detective replies, "Yeah, not a bad opening." Tommy responds, "Yeah, you're right. You know, that worked for American Beauty." The detective and Marla reply, "Sunset Boulevard." "Or Casino." Well, Tommy was shot early in the movie, if not the first scene.
• When the idea is brought up to Steven Tyler, he vehemently rejects the possibility of being in a film and declares that he is not one of those singers who does bit-part cameos in films—despite the fact that that’s exactly what he’s doing in this film.
• The one time the word "fuck" is used in the film is in talking about the MPAA's policy that the curse word can only be used once without censorship in a PG-13 film without bumping the rating up to R. Be Cool uses that word only once, in the first scene: "Do you know that unless you're willing to use the R rating, you can only say the F-word once? You know what I say: Fuck that. I'm done." For the rest of the film, several characters come close to using this cuss word but are cut off or censored in some way before they can.
• The dancing scene between John Travolta and Uma Thurman is reminiscent of the one they portrayed in Pulp Fiction.

The Interview (2014)

The Interview (2014)

6/10

Starring

Seth Rogen

James Franco

Directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg

If you haven’t seen this movie, I advise you to put everything aside and go see it. I wouldn’t even be offended if you paused reading this review to go watch it—it’s magnificently funny.

For me, James Franco has proven to be an actor to watch out for in the future. He delivers every time he’s on screen and makes any movie he’s in worth seeing. Seth Rogen, on the other hand, has been a bit of a disappointment for me when it comes to movies. I just never find his kind of humor funny, and I feel he’s a little too celebrated and gets too much screen time.

That being said, why I liked this movie and laughed hard at the jokes can be attributed to the long-awaited anticipation of seeing it. Due to a group known as the "Guardians of Peace"—a group the FBI believes has ties to North Korea—Sony Pictures Entertainment was hacked, and several upcoming Sony films and sensitive internal information were leaked. The group demanded that Sony pull The Interview from cinemas, a movie they referred to as "the movie of terrorism."

But later, the movie was released in cinemas on December 25th and online.

Ironically, North Korea and the Guardians of Peace have made this movie a must-watch and even gave Sony a chance to recoup the financial damage they caused.

The movie was originally developed to feature the assassination of Kim Jong-il, but after he died and his son Kim Jong-un assumed power, the writers redirected their focus to the new supreme leader.

The movie’s plot follows two friends: Dave Skylark (James Franco), a talk show host, and his producer Aaron Rapoport (Seth Rogen). They are approached by the CIA to assassinate North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un (Randall Park).

What led to this approach was Dave and Aaron’s ability to get Kim Jong-un to feature on their show, as it was written that Kim Jong-un loved the talk show Skylark Tonight.

What you’ll love most in this movie is Dave Skylark. His ignorance and stupidity are beyond normal, to the point that every time he opens his mouth, nothing meaningful comes out.

Again, I advise you to go see this movie. It’s a guaranteed laugh that Sony packed for viewers—and one that North Korea wanted to deny us. Now, remember it is a comedy, so it is not to be taken seriously.

The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice (2008)

The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice (2008)

6/10

Starring

Noah Wyle

Bob Newhart

Jane Curtin

Stana Katic

Directed by Jonathan Frakes

Aha! This movie had something I was aching to see, a frustrated and tired Flynn Carsen.

I’ve been watching the whole TV movie series, and I have to say TNT did a good job with these films. But I’ve been curious and asking myself: with all this running around the world, saving it over and over again, wouldn’t Flynn be tired and eager to get a life?

Well, this movie answers that question.

In the first movie, he was kicked out of class by a teacher who told him to go get a life. Flynn then got this job, and I don’t think he found a life—he just found something else to distract him from the obvious fact that he didn’t have one.

Being The Librarian means your life is focused solely on service to humanity, but Flynn wants more. In this movie’s premise, Flynn has a nervous breakdown. This breakdown causes the library veterans, Charlene (Jane Curtin) and Judson (Bob Newhart), to doubt whether he’ll return to being The Librarian.

He’s given some holiday time, and Flynn learns the hard way that being The Librarian means you don’t get any days off.

In this movie, Flynn’s female sidekick—which is what he gets in every movie—is Simone Renoir (Stana Katic). Stana plays Detective Kate Beckett on the ABC series Castle, where her acting is top-notch and very impressive. But here, it felt more cheesy, making me wish someone would stick a stake in this woman’s heart—quick.

Simone is a vampire who’s hunting for the man who turned her. Her path intertwines with Flynn’s as he hunts for the Judas Chalice. Flynn’s decision to go after the Judas Chalice is formed when, on vacation, he meets Simone and the men who are after what she guards—a rare medallion that points to the hidden location of the Judas Chalice.

Get ready to meet Vlad Dracula in this movie, but also be prepared to be disappointed by how he’s taken down and destroyed for all eternity—I guess.

TNT’s decision to turn this movie franchise into a TV series is a good idea from where I stand. I just hope we don’t get bored quickly by a bunch of people hunting down mysteries week in and week out.

Now, I guess I can start watching the series and get up to date with the current order of things.

The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines (2006)

The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines (2006)

6/10

Starring

Noah Wyle

Gabrielle Anwar

Bob Newhart

Jane Curtin

Directed by Jonathan Frakes

After seeing the second of The Librarian TV movie series, I’ll be moving on to the third. It’s not that these movies are masterpieces, but they’re good fun for you and the family without worrying about the PG rating.

In this one, Flynn is sent a message from Egypt, which points to the fact that some people are after the contents of King Solomon’s mines. When I was younger, I saw a movie about that mine, so I was interested to see how The Librarian was going to use this myth.

The first thing that caught my attention in this movie is that the writers decided to give us more glimpses into Flynn’s past. Throughout the film, you get to know more about Flynn’s father and what links him to the Library. The second thing that caught my attention is that the bad guys weren’t after the gold in King Solomon’s mine—they were after Solomon’s book, which is believed to have the power of time and space.

To the non-Doctor Who fan, having the power of time and space is very dangerous because the person with such power can rewrite time, travel through history, and change the course of events. Now that we have an idea of the danger if the book falls into the wrong hands, Flynn has to go get it and bring it to the Library, where it will be kept safe.

Nicole (Sonya Walger) isn’t in this movie, and Flynn is on his own—no guardian, just an archaeologist named Emily Davenport and a man named Jomo, who is indebted to Flynn because he saved his life.

In this movie, Flynn is goofier and less Holmes-y (Sherlock Holmes, that is). This could have made the film less interesting and even irritating, but it didn’t because the story that follows makes our Librarian seem more human. He almost gives up the world for his own gain—something I thought he’d overcome with ease.

For me, the writers went all the way to take us on a ride where we can’t guess the turn of events, except for the possible ending: Flynn saving the day.

The Librarian is a movie collection for those who feel Indiana Jones was too R-rated to have on the shelf with the kids running around. So, if you want good homemade fun with an Indiana Jones feel, I suggest you try The Librarian movie series.

The Librarian: The Quest For The Spear (2004)

The Librarian: The Quest For The Spear (2004)

6/10

Starring

Noah Wyle

Bob Newhart

Jane Curtin

Directed by Peter Winther

It’s 2014, and TNT has decided to introduce us to a new series called The Librarians. I started the first episode and had to stop because I felt there was little to no introduction to what this series was about. Using everyone’s best friend, Google, I discovered that there are three movies tied to this series, which serve as a prelude.

The first is The Librarian: Quest for the Spear. Here, we’re introduced to Flynn Carsen, played by Noah Wyle, who is a mix of Sherlock Holmes and Indiana Jones, with a slice of goofiness added to the mix. Flynn is TNT’s Indiana Jones, and the movie is about a Library where mystical and magical artifacts are stored and kept away from those who might use them for selfish needs or to harm the world.

We also get to meet the Guardian, who is assigned to The Librarian to keep him safe.

What can I say? For a TV movie, TNT did all they could to keep you interested in seeing what this movie was about—traveling through caves, discovering hidden chambers, deciphering hidden languages, and even maps that require special tools to read them. This movie has it all, and The Librarian has the knowledge and gift to use and discover these mystical items.

In this movie, Flynn is chosen by The Library as the new Librarian after the death of the former one. It takes Flynn a while to understand what his job entails, but he soon gets involved in a mission to save the world when a mystical spear goes missing after thieves break into the library to steal it.

The spear is the one that pierced Christ on the cross, and anyone who has it will have ultimate power, which can be used to… (take a guess) take over the world.

The spear is in three parts, and the thief stole one part. Flynn has to get the other two parts before the thief does, or else (take a guess again) the world is in danger.

To help Flynn on his way is his guardian, Nicole (Sonya Walger).

In the end, I enjoyed Flynn and his chase. It was like watching a great B-movie version of Indiana Jones.

I’ll be watching the second part, as I’m curious to see what The Librarian will be up to again—what weird, mystical thing will be lost, and only he can find it.

The goofs in the movie were major. At the end, Nicole shows up and tells him a deadly scorpion group has found H.G. Wells’ time machine. Flynn complains about how the bad guys seem to have insect names. This went over my head because, in this film, the bad guys were called the Serpent Brotherhood. So, what was Flynn on about?

Dumb and Dumber To (2014)

Dumb and Dumber To (2014)

2/10

Starring

Jim Carrey

Jeff Daniels

Directed by The Farrelly Brothers

Dumb and Dumber To is mostly a waste of time, and I feel Jim Carrey should have stood his ground about not doing the film. The movie lacked every form of expertise when it came to directing, and the script would have been better if it were written by high school students or toddlers—at least then I’d know they lack the expertise to even come up with an OK movie. And if they did, then they’re truly great students.

The movie stars Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels, who reprise their roles as Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne, respectively.

The Farrelly Brothers started their movie career with the first part of this series, Dumb and Dumber (1994), a movie they wrote, produced, and directed—just like this one. But this movie lacks the fun and charm the first one had. While the first movie was entirely funny and memorable, here, instead of Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne being funny and entertaining, you’ll end up irritated and walking out of the cinema with a bad taste in your mouth.

Regardless of how bad the movie was and how lame the screenwriting felt, the actors were top-notch. I wondered how it would be seeing a fifty-something-year-old Lloyd and Harry, and the two (after a long while) passed as genuine morons instead of overgrown, boring idiots.

The movie starts with Harry learning that Lloyd has been playing a joke on him for 20 years. It continues with Harry discovering he has a child out there. Harry believes he slept with Fraida Felcher and impregnated her, resulting in a daughter whom Fraida gave up for adoption.

Due to Harry’s current issue of needing a kidney, Lloyd suggests they track down his daughter and convince her to donate a kidney to Harry. Lloyd is convinced—and convinces Harry—that family makes the best donors since they’ll be compatible.

They track down Harry’s daughter, Penny, who happens to be adopted by a renowned Dr. Pinchelow. But she’s as dense as they come.

The movie is about how Harry and Lloyd meet Penny and survive assassination attempts from Dr. Pinchelow’s wife and her boyfriend.

Should you go see this movie?

I’d strongly advise against it. The movie didn’t even have a single moment that made me laugh. Every incident in the movie was annoying, and I wished I hadn’t wasted my time and money seeing it.

Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno (2014)

Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno (2014)

7/10

Starring

Takeru Satoh

Emi Takei

Tatsuya Fujiwara

Yosuke Eguchi

Munetaka Aoki

Yūsuke Iseya

Directed by Keishi Ōtomo

Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno is the second part to the 2012 movie and serves as a wonderful setup for Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends (2014). The movie continues the story of Battōsai Himura Kenshin as he trails the journey of a wanderer, choosing not to pick up the sword again and following the path of redemption for a life he has chosen to leave behind.

Once again, Takeru Satoh picks up the reverse-edged sword as Rurouni Kenshin, and his portrayal will be remembered for years to come. His face will be stamped on our minds as Kenshin in the flesh. This movie didn’t tone down the fun and masterful swordplay that was present in the first movie—in fact, I’d say it took it up an extra notch. While you might agree that much of the story has been condensed and some elements removed to keep the movie within a watchable runtime, they still managed to create a wonderful movie in the best way they knew how.

Watch out for the sword display that leads to Kenshin’s reverse-edged sword being broken.

Kyoto Inferno introduces the villain of the Samurai X campaign, Makoto Shishio, played by Tatsuya Fujiwara. We remember him as Light Yagami from the live-action films Death Note (2006) and Death Note II: The Last Name (2006). The movie doesn’t showcase much of Shishio’s sword mastery, though we do get to see Shishio before the fire incident, cutting and slicing people down. He instilled the fear that led the government to attempt to assassinate him.

The movie kicks off where the last one ended. We’re familiar with the protagonist and his crew, and we dig deeper into knowing Saitō, who has a more prominent role in this part. We’re also introduced to more characters, like Shishio’s right-hand man, Seta Sōjirō. Shishio has decided to raise hell in Japan, taking over town after town as he aims to bring down the current government and reign in its place.

The government, unsure how to end this raging war, decides to call back the retired assassin, Himura Kenshin, to take Shishio down. The movie shows the repercussions of Kenshin taking up the task and its effect on his friends. There’s not much to dive into concerning the plot of this movie without breaking into spoilers. The main task here is Kenshin stopping Shishio, and the fights and incidents in this movie are just steps leading to the main arc awaiting us in the final installment of this Shishio arc, Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends (2014).

I believe that in the near future, as mentioned above, Takeru Satoh will be the face of Kenshin that everyone remembers. So, join me in getting these movies and storing them as a collection for the future.

The Princess Bride (1987)

The Princess Bride (1987)

7/10

Starring

Cary Elwes

Robin Wright

Mandy Patinkin

Chris Sarandon

Directed by Rob Reiner

I loved the book to which this movie is based, and I can tell you the movie is just as amazing. Some movies are just classics, no matter when you get to see them—there’s no reason not to like them. The Princess Bride is one such movie. The cast will make you sit tight and enjoy the ride. My favorite cast member was Mandy Patinkin. The first time I saw Patinkin was in Chicago Hope, and then I totally appreciated his inclusion in Criminal Minds. And have you seen him in Homeland?

In this movie, Patinkin plays Inigo Montoya, and his iconic line, “My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father; prepare to die!” was even nominated for the AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes. I know I’m getting ahead of myself, but that’s how much I liked the movie.

The movie features Fred Savage, Cary Elwes, Billy Crystal, and the late André the Giant—a strong cast used in the most appropriate places, making the movie flow steadily. Credit for the flow has to go to the directing; the movie was directed and produced by Rob Reiner (The First Wives Club (1996) & The Bucket List (2007)). Another thrill for me is that Patinkin and Elwes actually did all the fencing themselves. They practiced and learned to fight with both hands for the movie.

Westley (Cary Elwes) and Buttercup (Robin Wright) meet on a farm, fall in love, and decide to marry. Westley goes away to search for riches so he and Buttercup can live happily ever after, but he fails to return. News spreads about his death, causing Buttercup to lose hope and agree to marry Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon)—or rather, she is chosen as the prince’s bride (which she doesn’t object to).

Things change when she’s kidnapped by a Sicilian boss named Vizzini (Wallace Shawn), a giant named Fezzik (André the Giant), and a Spanish master fencer named Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin), who seeks revenge against the six-fingered man who killed his father.

While they’re getting away, they’re chased by the dreaded Dread Pirate Roberts, with no one aware of why he’s chasing them. I’ll stop here and let you go see the film yourself.

This is a movie that’s definitely a keeper for you to watch with your kids and family. It wasn’t much of a box office success, but the home video release (like the movie Clue) gained a cult following.

Look Who’s Talking (1989)

Look Who’s Talking (1989)

4/10

Starring

John Travolta

Kristie Alley

Directed by Amy Heckerling

When I saw this movie as a kid, I hardly understood what was going on. The idea in my head was: it’s a talking baby no one hears. Now, seeing this movie again, I was right—it is a talking baby no one hears. Actually, the movie is more about how a baby views the world, its own perspective on how things are done, and how to get what it wants—while learning you can’t always get what you want.

The movie was made during the time John Travolta was trying to regain the fame he lost as he aged. It made enough money to put the spotlight back on him, but the reason you’re reading this is to find out if the movie is worth seeing or not.

The movie’s idea can be confusing enough to make you think it’s a masterpiece in the making, but that’s not the case. The only good thing the movie had to offer was Bruce Willis as the voice of Mikey. John Travolta’s acting wasn’t impressive at all. When acting like an overgrown child, it’s meant to be done in a way that’s enjoyable, not irritating. The movie’s take on what babies are thinking was damaged when they showed babies communicating in their own language (which reminded me of Baby Geniuses (1999)), which ended up irritating me more than fascinating me.

The movie’s plot was weak, and as it progressed, I was curious to see it fall apart even more. But director Amy Heckerling held the movie together with techniques better known to her.

The movie’s plot is about Mollie (Kirstie Alley), who gets pregnant by a married man, Albert (George Segal). Albert leaves her for a younger woman while she’s pregnant, leaving her to raise the child alone. By her side is James Ubriacco (John Travolta), a taxi driver she meets on her way to the hospital to deliver her son, Mikey.

James loves Mikey and hangs around as his babysitter while Mollie goes out into the world searching for the perfect man for her and Mikey. Meanwhile, Mikey has his own plans for who his new daddy should be.

Regardless of what I feel or say, the movie was a huge financial success. Based on a $7.5 million budget, it fetched over $296 million at the box office, prompting the studio to gear up for a sequel, which was released a year later as Look Who’s Talking Too.

I’ll never give this movie a second watch because, honestly, there’s nothing to watch.

The Apartment (1960)

The Apartment (1960)

7/10

Starring

Jack Lemmon

Shirley MacLaine

Directed by Billy Wilder

The Apartment is one of the most straightforward movies I’ve seen. From the acting to the killer final line at the end—“Shut up and deal”—everything was exquisite. With no hidden messages, cliffhangers, or subplots, The Apartment makes its case that a simple, straightforward plot is best.

It is one of those movies, that has had many references in other movies I have seen, so it was needed for me to see it myself.

The movie is delivered in black and white, and it was Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond’s next big thing after their 1959 hit, Some Like It Hot. Some Like It Hot starred Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon, and Wilder was eager to work with Lemmon again. That led to Wilder casting him as Calvin Clifford (C.C.) "Bud" Baxter, the lead character who owns “the apartment” where most of the movie takes place.

The movie begins with a brief introduction of C.C. Baxter (known as Bud or Buddy Boy), who loans his apartment to his bosses at work so they can have their illicit affairs. What he hopes to gain from this is a promotion, as the five senior colleagues are giving him good reports.

Everything is going well with his plan until he falls for Fran Kubelik (Shirley MacLaine), the elevator attendant at the office. Fran also happens to be seeing one of his bosses. The boss brings her to Baxter’s apartment and leaves her there heartbroken, leading her to attempt suicide. Baxter returns home to find a girl nearly dead in his bed. He saves her but now has to figure out how to keep the matter quiet while still securing his promotion.

Let’s not forget—he’s also fallen for this girl, leaving him in a dilemma: love or promotion.

How Baxter handles it is reason enough for you to see the movie.

Although its release was seen as controversial due to its portrayal of infidelity as something funny and common, and women as mere tools of affection, the movie was still well-received. It earned more than seven times its production cost at the box office. The movie also went on to win five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay. It won the BAFTA Award for Best Film, and Lemmon and MacLaine each won a BAFTA and a Golden Globe for their performances.

The movie can be found on numerous lists of the best movies of all time, and it’s a definite must-see.

Get Carter (1971)

Get Carter (1971)

7/10

Starring

Michael Caine

Directed by Mike Hodges

To be honest, after seeing Sylvester Stallone’s version of Get Carter (2000), I wasn’t overly thrilled or ready to see another revenge plot like the one the movie was based on. Stallone’s version of Get Carter lacked excitement and thrill—it felt more like watching one of those failed action B-movies where the cast seemed more interested in the paycheck than the movie itself.

The Stallone’s version had too many camera tricks, especially in the car rides, that made the movie sometimes feel claustrophobic.

On a boring weekday, I decided to take a chance and watch the original version, where Michael Caine played Jack Carter. The first thing that jumps out at you is the difference in delivery and direction. This difference made me dislike the Stallone version even more. In the remake, Carter was portrayed as an indestructible individual who cared too much about how his actions played out and who they affected. Here, Carter feels real—he makes mistakes, almost gets killed, and runs when he’s outnumbered or in a compromising position. Michael Caine’s Carter doesn’t care how his actions endanger others, leaving you to either like him as an anti-hero or hate him.

The movie follows Jack Carter (Caine), a London gangster who returns to his hometown to uncover the truth behind his brother Frank’s death. Suspecting foul play, Jack begins to investigate and interrogate the townspeople, discovering that there’s more to Frank’s death than he was led to believe.

His actions and investigation spark violence around him, leading to deaths and a tragic ending.

Due to the intense violence and Carter’s uncaring attitude about how his actions affect others, the movie was poorly received in the UK when it was initially released (though the opposite was true in the US). Over the years, however, the film has gained a cult following and is now regarded as one of the best British movies ever made. It’s ranked 16th in the BFI Top 100 British films, and Total Film magazine ranked it the best British film ever made (based on British film critics).

For me, the movie was fascinating, and I fully enjoyed how they made Carter feel like a real gangster—focused on getting the job done, no matter who gets hurt along the way. Caine’s portrayal of Carter is worth recognizing, and for all Caine fans out there, this is a movie you need in your collection.