Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (2014)

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (2014)

6/10

Starring

Ed Oxenbould

Steve Carell

Jennifer Garner

Kerris Dorsey

Dylan Minnette

Directed by Miguel Arteta

Let’s start this review with a question: “Have you seen 13 Going on 30?” That Jennifer Garner movie from 2004, where she makes a wish and it comes true? This movie is just like that—complete with a wish—but this time, Garner is 10 years older, and it’s her child in the movie who makes the wish and turns his life… well, not upside down like in 13 Going on 30, but in his family’s favor.

Walt Disney didn’t bother to change their family movie formula. Things start off okay, then they don’t look okay, then everything goes berserk, then it’s okay again, and they all live happily ever after. The end.

That said, this was a nice movie with enough captivating moments to keep you glued—if you don’t mind the predictability. The warm, feel-good ending is what made me like the movie, not the series of embarrassing events that didn’t quite live up to the dramatic title.

Alexander (Ed Oxenbould) is about to turn 12, and his day is going from bad to worse. His birthday plans are ruined by a classmate who decided to have their party on the same day. Then, his teacher forces him to look after a guinea pig, and to top it all off, he burns the book of the girl he has a crush on.

Meanwhile, at home, everyone else seems to be having the best day ever. His mother (Jennifer Garner) is in line for a promotion, his unemployed dad (Steve Carell) just got a job offer, his sister (Kerris Dorsey) landed the part she wanted in a play, and his brother (Dylan Minnette) is going to prom with the most popular girl in school.

Feeling sad and alone, Alexander wishes that everyone in his family would experience a “Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” so they’d understand how he feels. And, as mentioned earlier, the wish comes true.

The movie’s mouthful of a title, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, is based on a book of the same name published in 1972 and written by Judith Viorst. The screenplay was written by Rob Lieber, and the movie was directed by Miguel Arteta (The Good Girl (2002)).

In the end, I thought the actors were good enough to keep you wanting more. Steve Carell and Jennifer Garner were strong enough as adult actors to carry the movie, leaving little for the kids to do—but they did it well enough for me.

Since the movie was a financial success, we might see more adaptations of Judith Viorst’s books. I haven’t read any (not even this one), but you know Disney—they’re relentless when it comes to making sequels out of successful films.

Taken 3 (2015)

Taken 3 (2015)

3/10

Starring

Liam Neeson

Forest Whitaker

Famke Janssen

Maggie Grace

Directed by Oliver Megaton

It took a lot for me to sit through this movie. It’s not totally a drag, and it’s not boring either. The best word for it is “WASTE.” It is a waste of time in the cinema for me.

Waste of talent, waste of reels, and a complete waste of money!

Liam Neeson plays Bryan Mills (again) in this third—and I’m happy to say, final—movie in the Taken series.

Did I hear a hallelujah?

This movie isn’t just flogging a dead horse. It’s more like committing genocide in a desolate region. We get it, Bryan Mills is a badass. If you take something from him, he will find you, get you, and kill you. We didn’t need to see him do it three times.

The fact that I’m watching him do the things I already know he can do keeps the fun the movie is supposed to deliver at bay. The story shows that the writers have lost focus. The movie is titled Taken, not “Bryan, The Homicide Detective.”

Here’s the plot:
Bryan’s ex-wife is planning to leave her new husband. She’s getting comfort from Bryan when, suddenly, she’s killed, and her body is planted in Bryan’s apartment to make it look like he did it.

Then the cops show up, and he beats them up.

A badass detective tries to catch him, and he says, “GOOD LUCK” (get it?).

Then he gets help from his former CIA operative friends and gets his revenge.

In this movie, nobody is taken who needs rescuing—just the life of someone Bryan loves gets snuffed out, causing Bryan to go back into his box of “I’m a bad guy” and unleash some whoop-ass on the culprits.

Plagued by bad directing and a plot with more holes than a strainer, I had to endure it to the end, watching a movie where I already knew how it was going to finish.

Why didn’t Luc Besson just stop at making one of these movies?
Well, I guess the money the studio was offering was too good to pass up, because this movie just showed us what we already know. Nothing different was added or taken (no pun intended) from the movie’s foundational plot.

Don’t bother seeing the rest of the Taken franchise. Just watch part one and toss the rest. If you’ve already been unfortunate enough to see this, well, I guess you’ll have to agree with me: this was CRAP!!!

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

8/10

Starring

Ralph Fiennes

F. Murray Abraham

Mathieu Amalric

Adrien Brody

Directed by Wes Anderson

The Grand Budapest Hotel starts off seriously, with Jude Law being inquisitive about the hotel and Zero Moustafa (F. Murray Abraham) sitting him down to explain how he acquired The Grand Budapest Hotel. It really is a fascinating movie, about how many events in a hotel can actually be placed together to make an engaging watch.

The introduction of Monsieur Gustave H. (Ralph Fiennes) is quite different from the introductions of the author and Zero Moustafa. We find Gustave already at work, steadfast as the hotel manager. The introduction of Young Zero Moustafa (Tony Revolori) with his fake mustache made me giggle a bit. This was one of those movies I didn’t bother reading about beforehand—I just wanted to be surprised and entertained. And to be honest, I was.

The Grand Budapest Hotel will take you by surprise as the events start to unfold. Once you’re hooked on the story, you won’t want to miss a thing. The movie boasts a huge cast, each playing a significant part in the grand design envisioned by director and writer Wes Anderson. Anderson drew inspiration from the writings of Stefan Zweig, and this British-German film feels like a work of art. Anderson paints a vivid picture of what a great cinematic experience should feel like on a celluloid canvas.

Monsieur Gustave is a popular concierge at the legendary Grand Budapest Hotel. He gets his kicks by sleeping with the elderly, acting as their companion when their husbands are away or dead.

Everything is going well for Gustave until one of his guests dies mysteriously at her home, leaving him a priceless painting. Her sons, unwilling to share anything with Gustave, make every effort to get rid of him.

The movie’s adventure takes Gustave and Zero from the hotel to jail. Gustave breaks out, tries to get back on top of things, and there’s a shootout, leading to a magnificent ending.

In the end, you’ll applaud the cast and director for such a great job and be thankful for the accolades the movie received. It earned 11 BAFTA nominations (including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Actor for Fiennes), a Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, and 9 Academy Award nominations (including Best Picture and Best Director).

A huge financial success and critical darling, I can’t think of any good reason why you shouldn’t see this movie, if you have not seen it already.

The Bucket List (2007)

The Bucket List (2007)

6/10

Starring

Jack Nicholson

Morgan Freeman

Directed by Rob Reiner

I don’t think cancer should be something to joke about, let alone make a laugh-out-loud movie about. I also don’t think death should be made fun of. But regardless of what I think, The Bucket List is a movie I enjoyed when it first came out in 2007, and I still found myself laughing when I watched it again in 2015.

For me, the cast was a golden pair. The story could have been better, but when you look at the events in the movie and the unfortunate way the two leads (Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman) met, you can’t help but laugh.

After the film, the term “bucket list” became a permanent part of the English dictionary. So, if you’re wondering where the term came from, there you go.

The movie didn’t start off great. The introduction of the leads could have been given a grander gesture, but the director went for a subtle intro for Morgan and a loud, obnoxious one for Jack. The director’s aim—plain to see—was to make you feel sympathy for one and a nagging dislike for the other.

The movie’s plot revolves around these two guys, Carter Chambers (Freeman) and Edward Cole (Nicholson). Both have cancer and have been given less than a year to live.

Feeling sad and down, wishing they could get more out of their lives, they decide to go on a once-in-a-lifetime trip with a list of things they want to do before they die.

In the end, you’ll either hate it or love it, but this was a good film. Although it received mixed reviews, and Roger Ebert—himself a cancer patient—didn’t like the film because he didn’t fancy the idea of his ailment being turned into a joke, the movie is a keeper for fans of both leads. It was also a financial success in its own right. If I come across this movie again on cable, I’ll sit tight and give it another watch. It is not a cinema movie, it is a sit down and laugh movie, with a cast that tries hard enough to make sure you enjoy your viewing.

It was fun seeing what these old guys were up to, now that they knew they had only a few months to live. If it were me—or if it were you—the question I’d like to ask is:

Wouldn’t you also want to go out with a bang?

Justice League: Throne of Atlantis (2015)

Justice League: Throne of Atlantis (2015)

4/10

Starring the voice of

Matt Lanter

Sam Witwer

Jason O'Mara

Shemar Moore

Jerry O'Connell

Directed by Ethan Spaulding

If I don’t write this and get it off my mind, this crap will continue to plague my thoughts. The voice acting was okay, and so was the animation—it was the story that was the problem.

I didn’t like this movie at all.

Justice League: Throne of Atlantis is a direct-to-video animated superhero movie from the DC Universe Animated Original Movies. This time, the spotlight is on another Justice League leader, Aquaman. It’s based on the Throne of Atlantis story arc written by Geoff Johns and serves as a sequel to Justice League: War (2014). Keep in mind that the DC New 52 is in full swing, and the DC universe has been rocked with remixes in the lives of many heroes and villains. This movie has its own remixes too.

Here’s the new take on Aquaman: before, he was a pure Atlantean who joined the Justice League to protect Earth. In the New 52—and in this movie—he’s a wreck looking for answers. Oh, and he’s now half-human and half-Atlantean. For the full story depth, I’d recommend watching the movie or reading the comics.

The movie focuses on the origins of Aquaman, Arthur Curry. Here, Curry is a drunk grieving the death of his father. Meanwhile, Atlantis is being rocked by a coup, and Queen Atlanna has sent for her son Arthur Curry to come and lead Atlantis, as she doesn’t trust her other son, Orm.

My take on this movie? It could have been better written—or maybe not made at all. I would have preferred a movie about Aquaman when he was already Aquaman, instead of wasting an hour watching Cyborg try to reunite the Justice League, who haven’t even agreed to call themselves “The Justice League” yet.

The movie didn’t do any favors for Barry Allen (Flash) and Hal Jordan (Green Lantern) either. I thought Shazam was the kid in adult clothes, but in this movie, it seems he wasn’t the only one skipping school to hang with the guys. They made Flash and Green Lantern act and think like kids too.

This is a movie I’d like to forget soon. During these times, I wonder if DC will not decide to end all these half-baked animations which do not add up to nothing worth seeing.

Maybe it is a financial thing for them, but what I do know is I plan to stop giving them my money to see such things anymore.

The Boxtrolls (2014)

The Boxtrolls (2014)

6/10

Starring the voice of

Isaac Hempstead-Wright

Elle Fanning

Ben Kingsley

Toni Collette

Jared Harris

Directed by Graham Annable and Anthony Stacchi

I just couldn’t help but like this stop-motion animation. It didn’t start as one of those animations that immediately draws you in and keeps your interest to the end. The Boxtrolls had me on the edge of my seat, ready to walk away, while a friend kept trying to convince me to see it through.

After I got past the first 25 minutes, I began to laugh and enjoy the movie. It delivers its uniqueness in a way that’s entertaining and fun for both adults and kids. Based on the book Here Be Monsters! (2005) by Alan Snow, Laika—the stop-motion animation company—purchased the movie rights. With the help of screenwriters Irena Brignull (Shakespeare in Love (1998)) and Adam Pava, Laika brought this story to life, earning the film an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature.

Laika’s first production was Coraline in 2009, followed by ParaNorman in 2012. While Coraline was met with critical acclaim, I believe ParaNorman was even better and showed how much Laika has mastered the art of 3D stop-motion animation.

Back to The Boxtrolls: the movie is about a little boy believed to have been stolen and eaten by the monsters of the fictional town of Cheesebridge. The town’s pest exterminator, Archibald Snatcher, strikes a deal with the city’s mayor, Lord Portley-Rind. Archibald offers to exterminate every last Boxtroll in Cheesebridge in exchange for membership in the city’s prestigious cheese-loving council, known as the White Hats.

Archibald dreams of the day he’ll sit in the council with the town’s elite, tasting cheese and discussing the town’s future. The funny thing? Archibald is allergic to cheese.

Things are going according to Archibald’s plan until Lord Portley-Rind’s daughter discovers a boy living among the Boxtrolls—the same boy the town believes was eaten by the Boxtrolls. Now grown and called Eggs, the boy investigates the capture of the Boxtrolls by Archibald. Believing he’s a Boxtroll and not a human, Eggs struggles to fit into the world he truly belongs to.

You can draw a lot of similarities from this plot to the story of Tarzan or The Pied piper of Hamelin, but the movie tries very hard to make its own path and stand out with its own characters.

In the end, I was glad I sat through the movie, and I hope many others will take the time to watch it too and appreciate the art of 3D stop-motion animation.

Birdman (2014)

Birdman (2014)

5/10

Starring

Michael Keaton

Edward Norton

Emma Stone

Zach Galifianakis

Directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu

A movie about excessive self-love and a total disregard for the opinions of others—that’s what Birdman delivers. The movie isn’t half bad as an Oscar contender, but I was expecting more given its numerous Oscar nominations (not to mention the international accolades it boasts). It received nine nominations in total, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Supporting Actor and Actress.

I think there is a group of people who decide based on their own opinions what movies should win awards and which shouldn’t.

Produced, co-written, and directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, I’ll be honest—I had to fight to stay awake while watching this movie and grew tired of waiting for it to end. If it weren’t for Edward Norton and Michael Keaton’s overbearing and captivating performances, I would have walked away. I may not have liked the movie or its directing style, but Keaton and Norton were in a class of their own. Their delivery was so good it felt unreal. I watched as these two tried to outdo each other on screen, delivering line after line in a movie about putting on a Broadway production.

Birdman stars Michael Keaton as Riggan Thomson / Birdman and Edward Norton as Mike Shiner. Riggan’s acting career is on the decline—he played the character Birdman in three movies and now isn’t getting any offers. Desiring one last hurrah, Riggan decides to produce and star in a Broadway adaptation of a Raymond Carver story. Riggan struggles to put the production together while being tormented by the voice of Birdman, who criticizes him relentlessly. He even imagines himself performing feats of levitation and telekinesis.

While all this is happening, Riggan is also trying to cope with Mike Shiner, a popular Broadway actor with a big ego, and his daughter, who is recovering from drug addiction.

This is a movie that deserves accolades for the acting delivered by Keaton and the rest of the cast (Keaton won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy). However, I’m not convinced it deserves praise for its story, even though Alejandro won Best Screenplay at the Golden Globes. I guess we’ll have to see how the Oscars play out.

In conclusion, if you want to see incredible acting, this is a movie for you. The cast will wow you. I also recommend giving it a watch—maybe you’ll have a different opinion than mine, and if so, please let me know.

John Wick (2014)

John Wick (2014)

8/10

Starring

Keanu Reeves

Michael Nyqvist

Alfie Allen

Directed by Chad Stanhelski

Amazing movie and a wonderful beginning to the franchise.

Seeing the preview makes you realize we have another Bryan Mills on our hands. Unlike Taken (2009), where Mills was an all-around good guy who just happened to be pushed too far, John Wick is an all-around bad guy who just wants to be left alone.

The movie boasts excellent and talented choreography that will make you love the character. The gunplay and martial arts are sights to behold. A Facebook group I’m in compared John Wick and Bryan Mills, asking who is more deadly. John got plenty of kudos for his sharpshooting and the sheer determination he showed in hunting down his target—something you have to see to admire.

Keanu Reeves was thrilling to watch, playing a role he seems born for: a quiet man living a quiet life until strange events pull him back in, forcing him to kick ass in ways no one else can match. We saw this in The Matrix (1999) when he played Neo and in Constantine (2005) as the titular John Constantine. Both movies, like this one, are must-watches.

The movie’s direction starts off a bit clichéd at first, with the whole “let’s all fear the wrath of John Wick” theme being overdone in the beginning. But when John suits up and starts delivering justice to those who took the life of his dog (yes, you heard me right—if you haven’t seen this movie, you’ll understand why the massive fear of him was splashed all over our faces early on), the film truly comes alive.

John Wick is a retired hitman who gets pulled back into the life when the son of his former boss kills his dog and steals his car. With the help of a close friend, John wreaks havoc on his former boss’s operations and goes all out to avenge the death of his dog.

In the end, I was energized and thrilled as I sat through the movie, wondering, “In Taken (though I haven’t seen Taken 3 (2015)), Bryan never got his ass handed to him like John did.”

Before I forget: The bad guy was just stupid. Here, I blame the writers. If they wanted to make John unstoppable, fine—but having the bad guy catch him, only to take him to a hideout and try to teach him a lesson before killing him? That was dumb.

Also, the story is simple, almost to a fault—just a straightforward revenge setup that reminded me of a ’90s action movie, which I liked, though some might not. Some side characters are underdeveloped, and the dialogue feels a bit stiff at times. A few action scenes, while well-choreographed, start to feel repetitive. The world-building is intriguing but has no real depth, which I also liked since it leaves us wondering how the assassin underworld really works.

Go see John Wick.

Edward Scissorhands (1990)

Edward Scissorhands (1990)

6/10

Starring

Johnny Depp

Winona Ryder

Dianne Wiest

Directed by Tim Burton

Edward Scissorhands is the name of the movie, and watching it 25 years after its release was enlightening. Based on a story by Tim Burton, this film has been rated by him and Danny Elfman (who composed the score) as their favorite work.

The movie was a huge success and marked Burton’s next release after the triumph of Batman (1989). It was well-received by critics and even earned an Academy Award nomination.

Edward Scissorhands was the first collaboration between Johnny Depp and Tim Burton, and together they’ve made eight films to date of writing this review. Watching the movie gives you a deeper view into the mind of Burton, whose love for Gothic themes shines brightly in this movie.

Depp’s character, Edward, is an unfinished science project created by a scientist who designed him in a gothic style. Edward spent years alone in a castle until a woman found him and brought him home to live with her. A man with scissors for hands, he was both an attraction and a wonder to behold. Soon, Edward became popular and even made the news. Things might have gone well for him if he hadn’t fallen for Kim Boggs (Winona Ryder). But, as often happens, a woman complicates things.

Edward got mixed up with the wrong crowd and found himself in trouble, which brought an end to the fairy tale of the man with scissors for hands.

Depp’s acting in this movie was magnificent. He used this role to break away from his teen idol status, which he gained from 21 Jump Street. While others, like Winona Ryder and Dianne Wiest, had roles that might be forgettable, Depp’s performance certainly isn’t.

This movie is captivating. Watching it now, I was struck by the lack of logic in Edward’s character, but once I suspended my disbelief and accepted the movie for what it is—a work of fiction—I began to love it.

The movie’s ending is tear-jerking. Although our protagonist lives on, the story concludes on a sad note, showing that many in this world would give anything just to be part of it. The world—and we as individuals—are often too busy focusing on ourselves and trying to get what we want from others to notice that others, too, have burdens they wish they could share.

Here’s a classic movie that every film lover must see. So, go watch it.

Chef (2014)

Chef (2014)

6/10

Starring

Jon Favreau

Sofía Vergara

John Leguizamo

Scarlett Johansson

Directed by Jon Favreau

Chef is a feel-good movie that will make you smile by the end. You keep waiting for everything to fall apart, as they often do in movies like this, but it doesn’t—and the movie just leaves you feeling good. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a movie that felt this uplifting, and it was nice to be reminded that stories can have joyful endings (you know, the “they lived happily ever after” kind). What made it even better was that this movie was written, directed by, and starred Jon Favreau—the same guy behind Iron Man.

I wasn’t initially looking forward to seeing this movie because when one person writes, directs, and stars in a film, I start to doubt the depth and strength of the story. Chef didn’t completely eliminate that thought, but it made me realize that when a writer directs their own movie, it often comes out in a way that feels like the director knows exactly what they’re doing. It gave me the feeling of, “I’m in safe hands.”

Jon Favreau used aspects of his own life in this movie, like coming from a broken home, struggling to balance being a dad with his career, and deciding to step away from big-budget films to direct this low-budget indie project. Similarly, his character, Carl, leaves a major restaurant to work in a food truck.

Carl (Jon Favreau) is a popular and successful chef working at a reputable restaurant owned by Riva (Dustin Hoffman). Riva insists that Carl stick with what works when a food critic visits, but Carl wants to try new menus. He reluctantly sticks to the old menu and gets panned by the critic. The review goes viral online, and Carl’s angry reaction leads to him leaving Riva’s restaurant and becoming infamous for not handling criticism well.

Carl decides to spend more time with his son and ex-wife, hoping the scandal will blow over. Inez (Sofia Vergara) suggests he use this time to start a food truck business, where he can be his own boss and decide what goes on the menu.

Honestly, the actors in this movie delivered flawless performances. It felt like everyone was playing a role perfectly suited for them, and I was so impressed that I got completely lost in the movie’s world.

The movie has earned over $45 million, which is a huge financial success for an independent film. I hope many people get to see this movie and appreciate it as much as I did.

Wild Hogs (2007)

Wild Hogs (2007)

6/10

Starring

Tim Allen

John Travolta

Martin Lawrence

William H. Macy

Ray Liotta

Marisa Tomei

Directed by Walt Becker

No matter how much critics pan or trash this movie, I think it was one of the funniest films I saw in 2007. Wild Hogs, to me, had everything—silly misunderstandings leading to strange and totally ridiculous events that had me rolling on the floor laughing the first time I saw it.

Watching the movie again eight years later, I was still laughing hard. And boy, do I hope the gang will get together for another adventure in being men.

The movie’s plot revolves around four friends: Doug Madsen (Tim Allen), Woody Stevens (John Travolta), Bobby Davis (Martin Lawrence), and Dudley Frank (William H. Macy). They all miss the old days when they had control over their lives and could do whatever they wanted.

Hating their current lives and envying Woody, who seems to have it all, Woody inspires them to leave their boring routines behind and hit the open road on their bikes in search of adventure. Doug’s wife is on board with the idea, but Bobby has to lie to his wife, claiming he’s going to a conference, while Dudley, being single, has no such worries.

Their journey starts off well, but things take a turn when they run into trouble with a real biker gang, the Del Fuegos, led by Jack (Ray Liotta). Woody accidentally blows up their bar and hides this information from the others.

Now, unknowingly on the run, these four friends have to find a way to survive the open road, which proves to be more than they bargained for.

The downside for me in this film is Martin Lawrence. That dude overacts all the time. It’s not just unfunny—it’s downright irritating every time he does it. In the entire movie, he was the only one I wished wasn’t there. His overacting made every scene he was in feel unreal and just plain weird.

Other than that, the rest of the cast was fantastic, and I really enjoyed seeing Ray Liotta in a movie that wasn’t just another low-budget project.

In the end, you’ll either love this movie for what it delivers—good, wholesome family fun—or hate it for playing it safe. Regardless, the movie was a huge financial success, making over four times its $60 million production cost.

I love this movie, and saving it as part of my archive is a must. I hope you’ll enjoy it too as you sit and watch it with your family.

The Guest (2014)

The Guest (2014)

6/10

Starring

Dan Stevens

Maika Monroe

Brendan Meyer

Lance Reddick

Directed by Adam Wingard

Independent films are always interesting to watch. Some aren’t worth the time, while others are simply magnificent. The Guest falls into the latter category. The movie features some very interesting acting, and the story is good enough to keep you glued until the end. I have to be honest, I do not find independent films fascinating, but this stands out.

Written by Simon Barrett, the constant co-contributor of director Adam Wingard, the duo managed to create this low-budget film and make it as compelling as big-budget ones, even without intense graphic scenes or over-the-top stunts.

The movie might lack some background on who the lead character was in the past and what prompted him to be so violent and unstable. But honestly, who cares when a movie grabs your attention and moves at such a fast pace? You’ll forget about these little hitches and get swept up in the moment, only recalling the glitches much later—like the lead, David Collins, walking away at the end after being stabbed and shot twice.

This gripping movie is about a man who claims to be a soldier and introduces himself to the Peterson family as a friend of their deceased son, Caleb, who died in the Afghanistan War.

Caleb’s mother welcomes the man, David Collins (Dan Stevens), into her home, but the rest of the family is initially skeptical. However, they soon warm up to him. After David moves in, a series of accidental deaths and unfortunate events begin to occur, all of which seem to be linked to someone in the Peterson family.

David becomes deeply involved with the family, making it a priority to protect Caleb’s younger brother and sister. But Caleb’s sister grows suspicious of David. When she calls his army base to investigate, she uncovers unsettling truths about him. Unfortunately, no one seems interested in what she has found or what she has to say about David.

After watching the movie, I was eager to see more films Adam and Simon had worked on. Their earlier collaboration, You’re Next (2011), was a huge financial success. Made on a budget of $1 million, the movie earned over $25 million at the box office and holds a 74% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. I think The Guest is a great film for everyone to see, but keep in mind it’s a psychological action thriller and isn’t suitable for kids. It’s perfect for a night in with your significant other.

Godzilla (2014)

Godzilla (2014)

7/10

Starring

Aaron Taylor-Johnson

Ken Watanabe

Elizabeth Olsen

Juliette Binoche

Directed by Gareth Edwards

This is a fine movie that blends human drama with the thrill of monster-vs-monster action as Godzilla takes on two gigantic creatures that feed on radiation. The monsters, called MUTOs (Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organisms), are looking to breed. No matter how hard humans try to stop them, the situation only becomes more tragic, pushing the entire human race to the brink of extinction.

The writers and director focused more on the tragic events surrounding these monsters than on the monsters themselves, which, to me, was the selling point of the movie. Godzilla saving the day happens in the background, but it’s still a sight to see as he battles these creatures, nearly getting himself killed in the process.

Godzilla is a fire-breathing anti-hero monster whose main goal is to destroy other monsters like him. You could argue that he has a selfish motive—wanting to be the only one of his kind—since he attacks the MUTOs because they’re planning to mate. Or, like the scientists in the movie, you could see him as nature’s way of maintaining balance between humans and monsters.

The Godzilla franchise has been running between Japan and the USA since 1954 and holds a Guinness World Record as the longest continuously running movie franchise. This film is a modern retelling of Godzilla’s origin story.

The movie starts with clips of nuclear explosions and experiments dating back to 1954. In 1999, a tremor breaches a nuclear reactor, causing Joe Brody to lose his wife. Fifteen years later, Joe is obsessed with uncovering the truth about what happened in 1999 and travels to Japan to investigate. His son, Ford, now a Naval officer, joins him to help. They’re detained and taken to an underground facility beneath the reactor where Joe’s wife died. There, they discover the government has been hiding a pod, from which a winged creature emerges—a creature that seems unstoppable.

There’s much more to this story than what I’ve shared here, so I recommend you go see the movie for yourself and experience the excitement it delivers.

Since this is what Universal is planning to use to create their MonsterVerse, it will be nice to see how it started and how far they can go. I for one thing the MonsterVerse idea may not go as smoothly as they hopped. I think it will be best to make these movies independently, instead of trying to link them all together.

Hercules (2014)

Hercules (2014)

4/10

Starring

Dwayne Johnson

Ian McShane

Rufus Sewell

John Hurt

Directed by Brett Ratner

To be honest, this movie was crap. The story was way off, uninspiring, and the only thrill you’ll feel is if you watch it the way I did.

How was that?

I went into the movie thinking, “This has nothing to offer, and all I’m doing is watching Dwayne Johnson and smelling what The Rock is cooking.” I laughed my way through the film—the absurdity of the plot is uncanny. I kept wondering if the comic book (Hercules: The Thracian Wars by Steve Moore) that the movie was adapted from was just as weird.

That aside, the acting was interesting. While I’m a Dwayne Johnson fan, it was Ian McShane, Rufus Sewell, and John Hurt who kept me focused from beginning to end.

The movie’s plot follows a disgraced hero, Hercules (played by Dwayne Johnson), who leaves Athens with his crew and becomes a mercenary. They’re hired by a king to help fend off threats invading his kingdom. Things seem to be going smoothly until Hercules discovers that the king is lying and is actually planning world domination. Now, Hercules—who helped train the king’s soldiers—has to fight against the very men he trained to stop a mad king.

The movie made good use of graphics, and I was impressed by the wolf fight scene. Toward the end, Hercules takes on three wolves, which was fun to watch.

The part that had me questioning whether the screenwriters were paying attention was when Hercules’ character shifted from a legendary demi-god to a mere mortal, only to suddenly display demi-godlike powers when the plot demanded it.

By the end of the movie, I found myself laughing at the silliness of the script, the predictable plot twists, and a director who needs to take a break from churning out subpar films in 2014. Brett Ratner must not have had a great year, as all three of his 2014 films received low ratings. While Hercules did well at the box office, Jersey Boys underperformed, and Horrible Bosses 2 was just horrible.

Should you see this movie? Well, if you’re like me and enjoy Dwayne Johnson, go ahead. But if you’re looking for a good movie, be prepared to be disappointed. This movie does not live up to the idea of who Hercules is, and I feel it drowns the idea of him that many of us have in mind of the Greek god.

Noah (2014)

Noah (2014)

6/10

Starring

Russell Crowe

Jennifer Connelly

Ray Winstone

Emma Watson

Directed by Darren Aronofsky

As an epic film, Noah is classy enough to appeal to fans of grand, sweeping stories. It’s the kind of movie epic lovers will find intriguing and won’t mind revisiting. I waited patiently to see this film, and when I finally did, I was met with a mix of excitement and thrill. The movie delves into the personal struggles Noah faces and the trials his family endures as they witness the world around them collapsing. The screams of the desperate, the chaos of the flood, and the emotional weight of their journey kept me engaged throughout.

The plot centers around the biblical story of Noah, whom God calls to build an ark and gather pairs of every animal to survive a catastrophic flood meant to cleanse the earth of humanity’s corruption. Noah’s family is tasked with joining him on this journey, but the emotional toll of watching others perish while they survive is a heavy burden to bear. The film does a great job of portraying Noah’s internal conflict—his unwavering faith in God’s plan, coupled with his fear and uncertainty about where that plan will lead.

One of the standout aspects of the movie is its acting. Jennifer Connelly, once again, proves her mastery of the silver screen. This marks the second time I’ve seen her co-star with Russell Crowe, and just like their mesmerizing performances in A Beautiful Mind (2001), they deliver equally compelling chemistry here. Crowe’s portrayal of Noah is intense and layered, capturing the character’s moral dilemmas and spiritual struggles with depth. The supporting cast, including Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, and Anthony Hopkins, also adds to the film’s emotional resonance.

While the special effects weren’t groundbreaking, they were effective enough to convey the scale and gravity of the story. The ark itself is a marvel to behold, and the flood sequences are both awe-inspiring and terrifying. The visual effects team did a solid job of bringing this ancient tale to life, even if it didn’t reach the heights of some modern blockbusters.

One controversy surrounding the film was the lack of racial diversity, particularly the absence of Black characters. As a Black person myself, I understand and appreciate the importance of representation in media. However, this wasn’t a major issue for me personally. My primary concern with the movie was the creative liberties taken with the biblical story. The filmmakers remixed the narrative a bit too much, adding elements and subplots that weren’t in the original text. While this made for an engaging cinematic experience, it could mislead viewers unfamiliar with the Bible into thinking this is how the story actually goes.

Despite these issues, Noah is a fun and thought-provoking film that’s worth watching. If you haven’t seen it yet, I recommend giving it a chance. It’s a visually stunning and emotionally charged retelling of one of the most iconic stories in human history.