The Fault in Our Stars Movie Review

Despite The Fault in Our Stars having an extremely sensitive and emotional subject matter, I had a smile on my face for much of the film.

The Fault in Our Stars is based on the best-selling novel by John Green. It’s the best book to movie adaptation I’ve seen in a long time. I say this because it avoids both book and movie clichés, nicely, while offering a fresh look at the teen’ romance genre.

Director, Josh Boone tells the story of a sixteen-year-old cancer patient played flawlessly by Shailene Woodley. Woodley’s character is forced to attend a support group where she meets a boy. They quickly become friends and we watch as their relationship blossoms into something more. The boy-meets-girl plot may be old, but it’s far from stale.

Gripping, realistic characters and down to earth stories helped ground the messages in this movie. Never once did the ideas brought up in the film feel forced. The creators did an excellent job at leaving the big questions about life up to the interpretation of the viewers. Yet enough of the simple plot points were answered to leave us satisfied.

The acting was brilliant and made the whole film work. Each character was likable and had arcs; whether they were important to the story or not, they were still entertaining.  The dialogue was realistic throughout the movie, creating an immersive experience that carried viewers into the world of the characters.           

Unfortunately, the film did suffer some off-beat moments and a few scenes felt slightly prolonged. There were also a handful of tear-jerking scenes toward the end, that came across as forced. 

The Fault in Our Stars offers great performances that are well worth the watch, and the heartfelt story is one that will make you stop and evaluate life. Put this film on your must-watch list of 2014.

A-  

Boyhood Movie Review

Once in a while a film comes along that not only makes you step back and look at the way movies are made, but forces you to reflect on how your own life is unfolding; Boyhood is one such film. Boyhood took 12 years to create, and the unique storytelling style is a refreshing break from many recently released movies. 

Boyhood tells the story of a family going through a string of milestones.  The film is easy to relate to because many of us are currently experiencing, or have already reached,  each of these phases.

As time goes on, the film grows with the characters, further captivating the audience. Scenes mature along with the cast, gradually becoming more intimate and open.  The vision, dedication and follow-through it took to create such an epic project is clearly evident on screen. We’ve had some great films come out in 2014, but nothing even remotely close to Boyhood. The film-making technique that is showcased in this piece of art is truly something special.  

As for Boyhood’s near three hour runtime, I would change nothing. The few minor complaints I had during the movie were washed away after seeing the perfection in this touching story.    

Boyhood is easily the best film of the year, a masterpiece I wish every person could experience.  It’s a life-impacting creation, and when people ask me, “What’s one of your favorite movies?” I will reply Boyhood, for years to come.

A+

Locke Movie Review

For a film that takes place in a car, during it’s entire runtime, Locke is surprisingly exciting. Of corse, the concept couldn’t have been pulled-off were it not completely thought-out and efficiently executed.

Locke tells the story of one man, over the coarse of one night, while driving in his car. In order to avoid spoilers and get the most out of the unpredictable plot twists, I won’t  reveal too many details.  

What Tom Hardy delivered to the screen was one of the best performances of the year. The way Hardy, as an actor, sucked me into his character was unlike anything I’ve seen in cinema. The brilliantly executed, single character aspect was the most exciting part of the movie. Much of the tension was built around how Tom Hardy sounded and his mind-grabbing voice inflection. When he got nervous I could put myself in his shoes...when he got angry I sank in my seat.

The reason the emotion worked so well was because it felt like the viewer was in the car with Hardy. Many times in movies, certain situations that would be shocking in real life, come across as less intense. For example, the way death is portrayed in various films is not as uncomfortable for the viewer as it would be in reality. My point being, the level of emersion this film captured, felt so real, I would flinch when Hardy dropped the F-bomb. I felt like I was siting in the backseat of his car, watching his life crumble. Lighting, editing and the soundtrack all helped encompass the mysterious tone that raised uncertainty throughout the film’s entirety.

My only complaint with the film is its abrupt ending; I would have liked to seen the plot carried over into a different setting as a closer. But, if you see Locke, which I highly recommend, you’ll understand where the creators were coming from when they ended the film the way they did.  Sometimes, I just like seeing a visual close to what’s been eluded to.

Locke is a great film, movie lovers can’t miss. Hardy's compelling solo roll is the most Oscar-worthy performance yet this year, one worth seeing.

A

Guardians of The Galaxy movie review

Not only did Marvel make one of their greatest films yet, but one of the funniest movies of the year. Guardians of The Galaxy was a perfect balance between Star Wars, Star Trek and Spaceballs. It took a lot of the things I liked about those franchises and put them together into a hilarious, action-adventure film.

Guardians of The Galaxy’s plot wasn't the shining star; that was saved for the characters. The film follows five unique characters who come together to save the galaxy. The film utilized a plot devise, in the form of an orb, that had the ability to destroy planets. The Guardians fight across the galaxy, attempting to protect the orb and defeat villains who want it. At first the cookie-cutter plot had me worried, and it wasn't until the movie started fleshing out the whole cast, that I got immersed. Even though the plot never got me fully into the film, the characters created were so entertaining I forgot I was watching a movie with a weak format.

 This is one of my favorite Marvel movies for many reasons, first and foremost being the gut-busting humor that worked so well, it almost overshadowed the great action sequences. The film had unique characters with well developed personalities and backstories that made the far-fetched plot, believable in almost every scene. The acting was some of the best the Marvel franchise has ever seen. There was also an excellent soundtrack that was not overplayed and the fact it was wacky and dramatic at the same time, made for heartfelt, yet serious feelings that came with perfect timing. The film balanced humor and raw emotion, separating the two with precision. It was one of the most fun movie-going experiences I’ve had this year. Everyone in the audience was laughing, having a great time and thoroughly enjoying the movie for what it was. It was one of those movies that gets you thinking, “Why can’t more be like this...fun, humorous and clean entertainment appealing to a wide-range of viewers?”        

Despite truly enjoying Guardians of The Galaxy, a few things could have been improved upon, starting with the plot which was far from creative and didn’t come close to equalling the rest of the film’s greatness. There were also some scenes that could have been improved on, namely when the villain appeared on screen.  The thug got the job done but was nowhere near as entertaining to watch as the Guardians. Lastly, one of the Guardian’s team members could have been fleshed out better which would have allowed viewers to connect with him, sooner. 

Guardians of The Galaxy was funny, entertaining and full of heart. If you’re a Marvel fan it’s a must-see, and for everyone else, it’s worth taking a chance on...just go in with an open mind and be ready to laugh! 

B+ 

The Expendables 3 Movie Review

I was able to catch an early preview for the latest installment in the action movie franchise, The Expendables 3. Stallone and his team, known as “The Expendables” set out for the third time on screen, in this explosions galore action film. When an enemy from the past appears, they must reassemble to take down the villain, this is nothing we haven’t seen a billion times before, ugh.  


One thing I noticed right away was that it looked like the actors wanted to be there, and this really showed with the great chemistry between the handful of leads from scene to scene. The best thing about this film is the cast, just as it was in the first two movies. The cast is arguably the main reason the majority of people even watch the Expendables. From old timers like Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, to Hollywood’s latest action stars like Jason Statham, the franchise seems to have seen them all. To me, this is the most entraining thing about these films, seeing the greatest action stars of all time on screen, together. This appears to be the main objective  for the crew when making these movies, and it’s safe to say, they have reached their goal with all three films. Some of the action sequences were fun to watch play-out only because of the actors. Unfortunately, the PG-13 style violence and predictable shootouts ruined many of the fire fights throughout.     


The pacing was slightly shaky at times, causing for it to feel like the majority of the runtime was wasted by following the exact same format from the first two films. Not that I ever got bored, I just found myself predicting the outcome of the movie by the 20 minute mark.  As many action movies are guilty of, cheesy dialogue is littered throughout the film, yet it didn’t bug me as much as usual, because it felt humbly self aware. Unfortunately it was far from perfect at hiding it’s flaws, as the extremely unrealistic scenes kept me from enjoying the movie. With the R rating lifted, the much tamer PG-13 rating shows more than I would have liked to seen. The film seemed to hide the more gritty, bloody violence, from the first two films with a much more stylized violence which made the action sequences feel more like a superhero flick than a shoot 'em up action. The two hour runtime seemed far too long and could have easily been cut down to improve the overall tone and pacing. Watching the body count rise to insane heights wasn't as entertaining as the first two, as the killing felt much more glorified and unrealistically clean. Not that I’m a blood craving teen’, but I would have liked to seen more of the carnage as it was brought to the table in the first two, as that would have made much more sense. This film felt like it belonged in a more tween appropriate franchise rather than a bloody action saga. Even though this move made sense for marking, it wasn't the most entertaining transition, especially for more mature followers.                 


Despite the film using every action movie cliché in the book, I found the The Expendables 3 somewhat entertaining. At this point in the franchise you know what to expect out of these films, and it delivered just that. The Expendables 3 isn’t a film you need to rush out and see, but it will be a fun catch with friends at a cheaper theater further into it’s release. Even though it would have been nice to see something different out of the franchise, it accomplished what it set out to do by making an entertaining summer action movie.

C-

The Purge Anarchy Movie review

The extremely disappointing home invasion movie from last year gets a sequel...yikes! The first Purge was a big letdown for me, mainly because the creative plot was overshadowed by the weak, cliché elements that packed the runtime. I wasn't expecting much of an improvement, but I’m pleased to say, yet another 2014 sequel took me by surprise, with a far better installment than expected. 

The Purge Anarchy follows exactly what I wanted to see out of the first film and right away this got my full attention. Instead of showcasing the generic home invasion style, ‘Anarchy took it to the streets. Rather than following one protagonist, the film walks in the footsteps of five. These characters cross paths in a turn of events that take place during Purge Night, the one night a year where all crime is legal.  

Out of the five main characters I only took a liking to one, Frank Grillo. His role was a saving grace, and was one the most compelling aspects of the film, along with the plot.  The up-close and personal cinematography in the beginning of the film instantly connected me with the characters, both villains and victims. 

One thing I really respected about ‘Anarchy was it didn’t try be something it wasn't, much like 22 Jump Street; this is very important for viewers to keep in mind. Despite the extremely far-fetched plot, I thought ‘Anarchy came across as clever in some scenes, and handled fear and the action movie style the film heavily focused on, very well. I like how the action sequences were filmed, as they had just enough “shaky cam” to create visual action without giving me a headache. The film had an adult Hunger Games vibe to it, but still came across as original.           

The weakly cast supporting characters and repetitive plot twists became old and frustrating. Much of the acting felt rough around the edges and the dialogue occasionally came across as forced. There was a plethora of unrealistic and distracting scenes, which brought down the fear the movie tried to capture.

At this point I’m confident viewers know what kind of film they’re getting into, and what to expect. Even though it’s far from a perfect presentation, I found ‘Anarchy surprisingly fun and entertaining. I would recommend Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes over ‘Anarchy, if you plan on heading to the movies and are have to choose between the two. 

C- 

   

Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes Movie Review

Let’s be honest, good sequels have been lacking on the big screen since the brilliant, Dark Knight Trilogy. Hollywood owed us one, and fortunately, this film delivered above and beyond.      

Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes is the sequel to 2011’s surprisingly good, Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes. The Dawn’ picks up 10 years after the events from the Rise’, by showcasing a post-apocalyptic setting in San Francisco. We learn early in the film that a worldwide epidemic has wiped out the majority of the population, and tension is still building between human and ape. We also see that the apes have evolved into their own culture.  This was executed with what can be argued as the best setup to a film, all year. Once the ape and human cast is developed, most of the plot revolves around attaining a power source for the make-shift city. What seems like an easy job for the humans quickly escalates to the brink of war, when they find out the ape’s colony is too close for comfort.   

From the first shot in the film I was 100% in the ape’s world, which was the exact opposite of what I was expecting. While I enjoyed the first film, I didn’t think the second one would pull me into the ape-world. If there’s one good thing that 2014 has done with movies, it’s the surprisingly good films it has produced, and I’m happy to say Dawn’ is one of them.

This film did so many things extremely well, it’s hard not to rave on, but a few points are superior, and worth touching on. First, the setup for the apes as characters was truly something special to experience in theaters. The apes are the true driving force of the film and were so well related on screen. Watching them go about their every day lives was incredibly believable; It was the flawless special effects that deserve all the credit. The way it depicted the apes was perfect. If you thought the CGI in Transformers or any other 2014 release looked good, be prepared to be blown away. I can argue this film contains the best special effects of the year, and it’s safe to say I haven’t seen emotion captured so well in special effects since Avatar. 

Aside from the gold the film struck with showing the apes on screen, Dawn’ was visually breathtaking without even showing the CGI. The pacing felt solid due to realistic tension building scenes, as they were entertaining without being stylized, which is always a respectable quality about films. The action sequences were terrifically directed and really showed up on screen. Beneath the flashy action and spectacular CGI, Dawn’ is epic all the way down to the the emotional core that was portrayed with care.    

My only gripe with the sci-fi action film is the unnecessary  amount of establishing dialogue that is littered throughout. Even though this may not seem like a huge problem, it bugged me more than usual because the film was on a higher level than what some of the dialogue showed. When this flaw occurred it took me out of the immersive world the film believably portrayed. This could have been fixed simply by visually showing, on screen, what the dialogue established, without having to talk and foreshadow what was going to happen.  It would have been nice to see the passing of time achieved by action, no forced dialogue.    

With the wave of popular movie titles recently released, it’s safe to say Dawn’ is the best choice for a movie night. The overall great experience I came away with is precisely why I go to the movies, and that’s saying something special. I think it’s one of the best films of the year, one that can’t be missed. 

A-