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Heels (2021)
Small town wrestling with Heart and Soul! Don't need to be a wrestling fan to love this!
I came to this show because I am a huge fan of Stephen Amell from Arrow and Alexander Ludwig from Vikings. I was really hoping they both did justice to a show based in a small country town. Happy to say, they bring great authenticity to the characters they play. Both of the Canadian actors portray country small town folk very accurately and do an amazing job with the accents(which I was nervous about with Amell but thankful he nailed it!) I loved Stephen Amell in Arrow but it's very nice to see him a real grounded role where he can show his acting chops a lot more. Alexander Ludwig does a great job as always and brings a great physicality to his character and the show.
More than anything, the writing shines in this show. One can tell how well both the writers and producers knew this subject matter and it shines. I have a lot of roots in small country towns like Duffy and it's nice to see a show that represents my background and not just another show based in LA or NYC.
Hands down 10 out of 10 for this show!! Can't wait for more episodes!!!!!
Buddy Games (2019)
Funny raunchy buddy movie
This may not be the hangover but it doesn't try to be more than it is. This is a fun movie to watch if you are in to some really raunchy comedy showing just how much fun six best friend idiots can have together!! Don't listen to all the negativity, anyone who gave it a bad review knew they were going to hate the movie before they started it. If you are into this type of humor, you won't be disappointed!
San Andreas (2015)
Great visuals, that's about it...
Hard to fall asleep in this one. There is maybe ten or fifteen minutes in the whole movie where some sort of action isn't happening. Earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, buildings collapsing, and of course, more earthquakes. That is what we were promised and they delivered. Sure, the movie seems really unrealistic at times, but at least they advertised exactly what is actually in the movie. Although the acting could have been done by anyone really, the CGI and earth-shattering action is enough to at least have fun while watching San Andreas.
What I mean by unrealistic is mostly things that you would expect. It would be impossible to actually just pick up some random boat and drive it all the way over a tsunami while dodging a humongous cargo ship that for whatever reason is coming right at you. Or after a tsunami does devastate a city and leaves the whole city flooded, it would be extremely difficult to drive a boat straight through the city because of the untold wreckage that would lie in front of you. There are a lot of other gaps in logic with this flick, but I knew what I was walking into and it came as no surprise to me watching those gaps.
I will say this, Dwayne Johnson a.k.a. "The Rock" has turned into a box office draw in the past couple of years. Whether it is his charm, his silverback gorilla sized body, or whatever, people like to see him on the big screen. He did a decent job in this movie. To be honest, the role could have been played by anyone as long as they were muscular enough which may be the reason why Dwayne Johnson was cast. But, the role did not require any acting, or any of the roles in the movie for that matter, but still the whole cast did a good job at the roles they were given and no one was terrible.
Now we come to the exciting parts, the action. Mainly talking about the earthquakes and tsunamis sequences. This movie kind of reminded me of an earthquake version of The Day After Tomorrow. I do not want to ruin the story of San Andrea for anyone but the plot is more or less the exact same just switching out an apocalyptic storm for the biggest earthquake in recorded history. It was impressive to see exactly how an earthquake would completely level a city. Getting a visual of an entire city being hit by an earthquake like it is a little town built by legos is nothing short of extraordinary. Everyone will at least enjoy the visual side of what the movie has to offer.
Does San Andreas have it's faults? Without a doubt, but it is still fun to watch. I recommend you see San Andreas either in theaters or on DVD, but it will probably be more fun to be see in theaters.
For more of my reviews, go to my website at reviewsbywest.com
Tomorrowland (2015)
Left wanting something more...
Tomorrowland: The last time I saw a film based off of a Disney theme park was Pirates of the Caribbean and it's sequels. The original Pirates of the Caribbean film I hold at high regard. I knew that Tomorrowland would not be as good as the Pirates' films but I still had above- average expectations. The movie was maybe slightly above average at best, but I did not by all means walk away in awe as I did after seeing Pirates of the Caribbean. Although George Clooney and Hugh Laurie give their all, with meager script-writing and a less than climatic ending, the audience cannot help but walk away seeking someone more.
As seen upon in the trailer, the place known as "Tomorrowland" is the future. It is a place where all of the geniuses in Earth's history came together to try to change the world for the better. People like Shakespeare, Newton, Edison, Einstein, the list goes on. This should be the main attraction and should be given a large majority of the screen time of the movie. Unfortunately, this is not the case. They spend too much of there time trying to get to "Tomorrowland" and not enough time actually being there. When they finally get there, there is not much more climatic actions happening than those that have already happened. It feels as if they kind of lost energy towards the end of the screenplay and just said whatever it will be decent.
They wrapped up the end nicely and were able to bring up some actually pressing issues in our world today without overcomplicated itself. To put it simply, the movie's first half is above average but the second half is not.
The effort in the acting by the cast was well-appreciated and might have been part-savior for the movie. George Clooney did an incredible job in each scene he was in and we have all grown to expect nothing less from him. Hugh Laurie carries the helm of the respectable villain, a role we can all easily see him playing and one he does well. The real surprise came from the main actress of the movie, Brittany Robertson. She gave the best performance of the movie and stole each scene she was in even in spite of such veteran actors such as Clooney or Laurie.
Do not come in expecting too much and you might be able to leave feeling satisfied enough not to feel as if you wasted your money. I recommend you see Tomorrowland in theaters or on DVD.
For more of my reviews, go to my website at reviewsbywest.com
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Mild Max
I have only seen bits and pieces of the original Mad Max films so I won't be making any comparisons between the two. Without a doubt, this was one of the most unique movies I've seen. I have never been able to say about a movie that it was the weirdest and darkest, but very well-made films I have ever seen until I sat down to watch Mad Max: Fury Road. Still, I felt very mislead because it didn't advertise the fact that there would be less than 150 lines of dialogue in the whole that definitely resulted in the lack of character depth and acting in the film. Despite some of it's shortcomings, Mad Max: Fury Road delivers in it's promise of a movie that is ninety-nine percent action with some of the most realistic effects ever seen on the big screen.
I am a huge fan of Tom Hardy. I think he is a great actor whose best films still lie in front of him. But, if you are going to hire a great actor in a big budget action film, give him something to work with. It is pretty hard to act in an action movie when you get virtually one line of dialogue ever five minutes. I would not be surprised to learn that Charlie Theron(who has the most screen time) and Nicolas Hoult had more lines that Tom Hardy. I understand, I understand this is an action film, but that is not an excuse for lack of character depth and development in the movie. Yes, Max is just a "Road Warrior" whose mind will always be the same, but that does not mean he has to be a static character throughout the whole movie. The only person whose character changed during the movie was Nicolas Hoult, a supporting actor. I feel that any good movie needs a good amount of character development to make the story interesting and exciting, especially for an action film.
Enough about the bad aspects of the movie. Now, we are going to talk about the without a doubt best part of the movie, the action. So basically, the whole movie is one giant car chase with minimal breaks in between. Naturally this calls for some great action sequences. From what I read on the movie, George Miller(the director) wanted to use CGI very sparingly and use as much on-set action as possible to give the movie a very realistic style. He achieved action filmmaker Hall of Fame by using so. Never have I quite seen explosions and action sequences in a film quite like the ones in Mad Max: Fury Road. So many times during the movie, I kept asking myself "how the hell did they film that?" The answer even if told to me, I probably still wouldn't be able to comprehend.
The screenplay as I said before is mainly just one incredibly well-filmed car chase and since it is based in an apocalyptic desert wasteland where a warlord is hunting the main protagonist down, there can't be much clearly outlined direction says the plot is as Max said in the first few seconds of the movie, "Survival."
Keep in mind that this movie is very dark in it's action with incredibly intense action sequences not for the faint of heart. If you can handle that though and like to see good action movies, I recommend you see Mad Max: Fury Road while it is still in theaters.
For more of my reviews, go to my website at reviewsbywest.com
Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 (2015)
Still managed to fall short of my very low expectations...
Today's theaters are constantly filled with terrible stupid films that have no business being made. Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 was no exception. Yes, the movie knew it was stupid, but it was not nearly as good as the original Mall Cop which was barely passable to begin with. Even with Kevin James' slapstick comedy routine, Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 will surely be a comedy quickly forgotten.
The biggest problem I had with this movie is they advertised it as some sort of "epic" hotel heist where Paul Blart is the only one who can stop them. In reality, that story lasts for about twenty or thirty minutes. The rest is filled with hit and miss inspirational speeches about how mall cop's are the unsung heroes of the world. Nothing flowed properly in the movie. There was no climax scene in the film whatsoever. It was simply one giant mess.
I do think Kevin James is funny, but he only seems to be funny with Adam Sandler. When I thought about it, the only films he has done where people actually laughed are when he shared the screen with Adam Sandler. Kevin James still tried his best, but not even Will Ferrell could have saved this movie from complete disaster. The rest of the acting was nothing special along with practically every other facet of the movie.
If you want to see a decent comedy, watch one of Netflix's recommendations because there are no good comedies out right now. I do not recommend you see Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 in theaters or on DVD.
For more of my reviews, go to my website at reviewsbywest.com
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Not as good as the first but still worthwhile
Age of Ultron: Watching Marvel films, it is hard to deny it is a lot of fun. We all know the films will never win any Oscars(outside of a long shot Oscar for best visual effects). The first Avengers was the most fun many people, including myself, have ever had watching a movie. The action, story, characters were all outstanding and wildly entertaining. With this sequel, most probably found themselves expecting a worthy successor. Although the beginning starts a little shaky and the villain isn't quite advertised accurately, Avengers: Age of Ultron still delivers incredible action and fantastic visual effects to leave the audience satisfied walking out the door.
I was pretty worried at the beginning of the movie. The dialogue was poorly-written and corny taking the audience away from the action and storyline. I was just hoping it would not be like this the whole movie. Thankfully, it wasn't but more on that in a second. Ultron, the new villain, in the movie was advertised as a very serious, powerful foe. Although Ultron is without a doubt powerful, the dialogue written for him was also very one-sided, and stupid giving no depth to the character. Yes, it is a "robot", but he is also supposed to be a highly, artificially intelligent life form. Ultron should have been portrayed this way, but sadly they flip-flopped between and powerful and serious to stupid and unnecessary one-liners.
As I said earlier, the movie had a rocky start but found it's stride after a few scenes. The thing Age of Ultron did the best, which not many other film franchises can did, is it found a way to balance all of it's characters. They have more star power than almost any film to date, and though there was not a lot of depth to some characters, we still got a feel at each and every character that was in the film. The thing that was the best move for the franchise was really exploring Hawkeye's character and developing the beginning conflict between Iron Man and Captain America. I do not want to give away any details, but suffice to say, it was enjoyable to say the least.
The real reason most people come to see a film like this is because of the promised great action sequences. Between Hulk and "ultra" Iron Man battling it out in the streets, Captain America hurling a motorcycle at an assault vehicle, and Thor knocking out over a thousand robots, great action sequences was surely delivered. Each actor did a good job as well. Robert Downey Jr. added his hilarious sarcastic humor to the movie and everyone in the audience appreciated it.
Is Avengers: Age of Ultron as good as the first? No, but it is still a quality sequel and you can't go wrong with watching it. I recommend you see Avengers: Age of Ultron while it is still in theaters.
For more of my reviews, go to my website at reviewsbywest,com
Fast & Furious 7 (2015)
Paul Walker would be proud!
Furious 7: Without a doubt, this is the biggest fast and furious movie to date. Everything is bigger. The action scenes are bigger, the car scenes are even faster, and of course, "The Rock" is bigger. Furious 7 was already highly anticipated, and then tragedy struck, Paul Walker was killed in a car crash when filming. He will always be sorely missed and no one can ever take his place. Even though some of the dialogue and action might be a little cheesy, with great action and car sequences, Paul Walker got the send off he deserved in the series he dedicated his life to.
What I mean by cheesy dialogue is primarily applied to "The Rock's" lines in the movie. He still has a supporting role but it is not nearly as big as his role in the previous two films. To put it simply, his entire dialogue is a series of one-liners to show how big of a badass he is if for some reason you can't already tell. It is amusing still, but it gets slightly irritating after a while. Once he takes out a few helicopters single handedly, you forget those lines and just laugh and love the enormous action taking place. The trailer also clearly shows Jason Stathom who plays Deckard Shaw in this installment as the main villain, but he really is only sprinkled throughout the plot. He never really gets the same screen time Luke Evans, who played Owen Shaw, in the previous installment got. Nevertheless, in the screen time he gets, he acts like the ultimate badass that he is and we can't ask for anything more.
The action and car scenes speak for themselves. In some of the tallest buildings in the world, we see Vin Diesel and Paul Walker practically fly a car straight through three of them and you can't ask for more than that. Sure, it might be outlandishly crazy but everyone should know walking into this movie that it is a hardcore action-car film, not an art film. The fight scenes are also pretty well done. Seeing Vin Diesel and Jason Statham going in a slow-mo glorifying fight to the end shot is incredibly funny and widely entertaining at the same time.
The acting is what we have come to expect from each cast member. They all own their roles. They are their characters at this point. Sure, some may not consider it "real" acting but the actors did their part for the movie and you can't ask for anything more. Also, as I said earlier, Paul Walker's send off really was tremendous and many of the audience members might actually find themselves tearing up towards the end as we all listen to the song "See You Again," which I think might be nominated for an Oscar for best original song.
If you just want pure-thrilling entertainment with some laughs thrown in here and there, you should definitely see Furious 7. Since this is a movie where it is a hundred times better on the big screen, I recommend you see Furious 7 in theaters.
For more of my reviews, go to my website at reviewsbywest.com
Run All Night (2015)
Entertaining Liam Neeson action movie, nothing more, nothing less
Run All Night: As I have said before, Liam Neeson is the king of action movies. He was practically born to play the star of action movies. At times though, it feels a little repetitive. Yes, he is a good actor, but the character he plays is more or less the same. Still, there is no doubt his action movies(with the exception of Taken 3) are entertaining, I came expecting an entertaining action movie and that is what I got. Although Run All Night is no different than other recent actions movies, with great looking action sequences and Liam Neeson at the helm, you can't help but enjoy the ride.
As I said before, I have seen the same character Liam Neeson plays in Run All Night in a lot of his other movies. He has a troubled past and those once close to him never talk to him anymore. His past always involves killing people and he is very remorseful. Then a situation calls for his "special skills" and he needs to use them to save the people he use to be close too. At a certain point, Liam Neeson needs to do something new. He can probably do one or two more of these movies before the general public starts to get sick of all of it. I believe Liam Neeson is a very good actor and he has just been pegged as an action actor by studios. Once the time comes for him to go back to more serious acting, I think he will be able to handle it.
Just because I have seen this kind of movie before does not mean it is not entertaining. The car chases in particular were the most exhilarating. They were the parts of the movie where the audience was at the edge of their seat. And of course, the fight scenes were very well choreographed. They happen with such precision that it makes it look like a real, intense fight which is what we have come to expect. I don't know if anyone else in the audience appreciated this, but the cinematography was actually much better than other recent action movies. The shots where they take you all the way through New York City were probably my favorites but other shots where they added so much to the scenes and kept the movie just being a mediocre action flick.
The acting was what the movie needed. Nothing spectacular from anyone, but the roles they play do not really require much depth from any of them. Liam Neeson plays his good old badass father we have all come to cherish and it is definitely why everyone came to the theater.
If you just want a good action movie, this won't be a terrible choice. I recommend you see Run All Night in theaters or on DVD.
For more of my reviews, go to my website at reviewsbywest.com
Cinderella (2015)
Have courage and be kind!!!!
Over the last ten years, at least ten films included some form of the classic tale of Cinderella. Maybe one or two of those was decent. What so many of those films tried to do that was the overall cause for their demise was they each tried to change the story in some way. What this Cinderella film did was stick to original story without any big changes. All Disney had to do was implement there never-ending charm into the movie and it worked perfectly. With great directing from Kenneth Branagh, great performances from the entire cast, and perfect production design to top it all off, Cinderella turns into pure magic.
The only thing I conceived that might have made this movie slightly better was if they just created one more obstacle that Cinderella has to overcome before her happily ever after. It seemed to me it did not take much for her to achieve her fantasy ending, but this is a minor error from my perspective and this movie was still gold without it.
There are so many great things that all came together in this movie, it is hard find a good one to start on. The directing is a good place to start I guess. Kenneth Branagh to me always has a style to his directing, in fantasy movies, where he takes a screenplay that nearly any other director would make look horrendously stupid on the screen, and make it work. Watching Thor(which was directed by Kenneth Branagh) to Thor: The Dark World(which was not directed by him), it was apparent to me that they switched directors because I could not get over how all the scenes in Thor: The Dark World that took place in a mystical land looked so stupid. Branagh makes a fairytale such as Cinderella which many consider to be silly and turns it into a breath of fresh air. Branagh also hired the perfect production, costume, and make-up and design teams for the movie because the whole look of the movie was exactly what it needed.
The acting in this movie was the best I have seen in a while. Everyone played their roles down to a tee. The one who really stole the show was Cate Blanchett, who played the evil step-mother of Cinderella. She owned every scene she was in and it was amazing how fast she got you to hate her. Lily James, who plays Cinderella, also did a fantastic job. Not every girl can play a role where the character has to live her life with kindness and courage no matter what comes her way. Richard Madden(from Game of Thrones), who plays Prince Charming, was truly just charming in every single scene he was in. He got the audience to fall in love with his character immediately and never let it go for one second.
I would also like to point out how great of a message this movie had. The message was to live your life with kindness and courage no matter what and just to be positive in general. It is a great message and it is one I wish more films would make.
If you do not like fairy-tales at all, I suggest you steer clear of this one. For the rest of the people, I highly recommend Cinderella as your first choice walking into the theater.
For more of my reviews, go to my website at reviewsbywest.com
Hot Tub Time Machine 2 (2015)
Not Even worth the price of admission....
Hot Tube Time Machine 2: What possessed the producers to make a sequel to the modest hit Hot Tub Time Machine is beyond me? After reading the screenplay for this movie, a thirteen year old would think this is stupid. Yes, it has it's moments where you go so over the top that your body practically forces you to laugh. Outside of those five funny moments, you will find yourself wondering who thought this was going to be funny. With way over the top juvenile humor, terribly written and executed jokes, Hot Tub Time Machine 2 will be a sequel no one will remember.
The screenplay is definitely the worst thing about this movie. It is no plot of any kind. You could take a nap for an hour in this movie and still not miss anything important. There is no big "Oh No" moment or climax anywhere in the movie. You would think that a movie that has to do with time travel has at least a semi-interesting storyline, but no, it is just a stupid comedy film.
Most people probably do not know anyone who is in this movie with the exception of Craig Robinson. He was the funniest in the movie, but that is not really saying a whole lot because the others were terrible. The only think that was funny was a few scenes of Craig Robinson and some physical humor. Anyone can be funny if they have a great joke written for them. The comedians that are remembered for a little while are the ones that have a crappy joke written for them and they still find a way to make it funny. None of those comedians are in this movie, they went to a movie that could actually be funny.
If you want to see a funny movie, Kingsman: The Secret Service will give you comedy and action, while Hot Tub Time Machine 2 gives you next to nothing. I do not recommend you see this in theaters or on DVD.
For more of my reviews, go to my website at reviewsbywest.com.
Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)
Who doesn't love a good action movie!?!?!?
Kingsman: The Secret Service- Today's spy movies feature too much goriness and unneeded intensity that the final product always turns out generically the same and adds nothing to the genre. To put it simply, they have no style. Kingsman: The Secret Service, I am very happy to say, is an exception. Stylish is the best way to describe this movie. It is the best spy film I have seen since Casino Royale. It is a breathe of fresh air to see a movie that perfectly balances action and comedy together. It is more like the Pierce Brosnan Bond films and in my opinion, those were the most enjoyable. With great action, witty humor, and great performances from the whole cast, Kingsman: The Secret Service is the most enjoyable film of the year so far.
Is it perfect? No. No film is ever perfect. The only flaw I could see though was some of the action sequences seem really far-fetched and hard to believe. I believe this is on purpose though. This is the quintessence of why kids want to be super-spys when they grow up. It so much fun and the spies always seem to do it with what today would be called "swag."
The best aspect of the movie was, no matter what it was doing, it was doing it with style. It added something to the genre. Even though it didn't hold back on violence, it didn't focus on it and that was a huge difference in making it stand out from the other spy thrillers of the past. Everything going on in the film was so much fun. The action they did, no matter if a guy was getting cut in half or one guy was taking on a platoon of bad guys, no one ever had to turn away because it was never too much violence, it was just enough. The director, Matthew Vaughn, said this movie was in part a tribute to the old Bond films. He definitely did them an honor.
The acting and action were both equally the best parts of this movie. Colin Firth by far had an incredible performance as the suave, badass Kingsman Harry "Galahad" Hart. No one could've played his part better. The way he was able to carry himself throughout the movie was the same kind as the likes of Pierce Brosnan, Sean Connery, and Daniel Craig. When I watched the trailer for Kingsman, I wasn't sure who the actor playing the main character was. Taron Egerton is his name and I believe the casting department did a great job at choosing an up and coming actor to play Gary "Eggsy" Unwin. This way, the audience did not think of him as any other characters as they were watching the movie and were able to believe his transformation into a Kingsman very quickly. He delivered a great performance as Eggsy, and you could tell he was having a lot of fun while doing it.
Be aware there is a good deal of violence in this movie. But, if you are a fan of spy films or good action films in general, I recommend you see Kingsman: The Secret Service while it is still in theaters.
For more of my reviews, go to my website at reviewsbywest.com
Mortdecai (2015)
Keep expectations VERY LOW, and it won't be that bad
Mortdecai- I can't say I was disappointed just because my expectations were extremely low. These are the kinds of movies that make me wonder who the hell would actually buy the script and turn it into a feature film. This film is the most stupid, silly film I have seen in a year. I knew walking into the theater that this movie would be goofy, but I just hoped it would also be funny. I guess it was funny enough so I can't say I wasted my time. With a terrible plot and worse dialogue, the only thing that makes this film funny is Johnny Depp.
I wish Johnny Depp will actually be in a decent film one of these days. The last good film he was in was Public Enemies which was in 2009. That is six years since his last good film, how long will it be until he finds an actually good film to act in? Whatever the case may be Mortdecai was not the answer to his problem.
I know this is in the slapstick comedy genre of film, but that doesn't excuse the terrible plot or the dialogue. Watching this movie, I couldn't help but think a twelve year old wrote the screenplay. What is even worse is a six year old could've followed the film and even guessed the "oh no" moments of it. Someone should've told the director that just because this is a goofy type of movie doesn't mean it can't have an interesting plot.
Except for Johnny Depp, the acting in this film was below-average at best. They never really got into their characters and because of that, I could never really believe they were who they were and because of this, I could never really focus on the film. Johnny Depp was the only one that saved it. I am not saying he deserves an award for it, but at least I could tell he was giving his best effort and it definitely benefited the movie. I still think this film should never have been made, I firmly believe no one could have played Charlie Mortdecai better than Johnny Depp.
If you really want to see something funny, see if there are any other comedies out first. If you can't find anything better, than Mortdecai will not be a terrible choice to see in theaters or on DVD.
For more of my reviews, go to my website at reviewsbywest.com
American Hustle (2013)
Very good once it gets it's feet on the ground
American Hustle 7.5/10- I will start this off by saying that I am a huge fan of David O'Russell, Bradley Cooper, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, and Jennifer Lawrence. It is an understatement to say that I hold David O'Russell's directing and his screen writing at the highest regard. American Hustle cons its way into making a near-masterpiece of film making.
When I saw the previews for American Hustle, I read that American Hustle is loosely based on the 1978 ABSCAM scandal. I would explain what that is, but I do not want to ruin the movie for you. What I will say is, American Hustle gives a completely new view point on the FBI and how they do things. As said in the movie, the world is not black and white, it is gray. Now, none of the depiction of the ABSCAM scandal would be believable it was not for the great costume design. Bradley Cooper's curly hair looked hilariously superb, but Christian Bales comb over looked fantastic. The costume design department obviously knew what they were doing when they made these risky moves that more than paid off.
It is impossible for me to describe how great the screenplay was. The movie has a lot of ground to cover in a short two hours and five minutes. American Hustle moves at an electrifying pace that informs everyone on the background of all the people involved. The movie is a shoe-in to be at the very least nominated for an Oscar in the screen writing department. Now, a great movie is nothing without great acting. The acting ensemble that American Hustle gathered from all of his previous movies and a few new members was perfect. A lot of credit goes to both David O'Russell and the casting department.
When it comes to the acting, I do think everyone in the audience would agree that it was top-notch. Amy Adams, who plays Sydney Prosser, continues to deliver these amazing performances where she is sure to get a best actress in leading role nomination. Amy Adams plays the con-artist partner duo alongside Christian Bale. Christian Bale, who plays Irving Rosenfeld, amazes the audiences by his ability to commit to a role. Not many actors in Hollywood would be willing to give up a six-pack and gain forty pounds and have a comb-over for one movie role. This is what makes Christian Bale stand out. He can play any kind of character. He obviously did his homework for the role because he demonstrated his knowledge of the con game as the character that Bale plays is revered as one of the best con-artists of the 20th century. The Christian Bale-Amy Adams duo worked out well together and they showed good chemistry together. The characters they play, Irving Rosenfeld and Sydney Prosser go into the con-game together and are eventually forced to work with the hot-headed wild FBI agent Richie DiMaso. Bradley Cooper, who plays Richie DiMaso, gave a career best performance. He does not play very many characters that are arrogant and selfish, but no one in the audience would even guess that. Bradley Cooper also must have done his homework as he is being taught the con game by Irving Rosenfeld in American Hustle. Jennifer Lawrence will no doubt be nominated for best supporting Actress and I think she has a good shot at winning. Jennifer Lawrence plays Irving Rosenfeld's wife Rosalyn Rosenfeld. She has played this type of character before unlike the rest of the cast as she plays the loose cannon that can blow up the whole con whenever she becomes upset. Just like in Silver Linings Playbook, Lawrence plays someone who clearly has mental problems and her performance is so believable that some people guess if she actually has any mental issues. That is of course NOT true, she is just a normal nice cool young adult who deserves to be biggest in demand actress in Hollywood. But, that is neither here nor there.
Last year, Silver Linings Playbook was the first movie to be nominated for an Oscar in all four acting categories. I think American Hustle has a legitimate chance at doing what Silver Linings Playbook did. It is just one of those movies that makes you love every single character despite all of their flaws and you kind of end up rooting for all of them
All in all, American Hustle deserves all of the great reviews it has gotten. You do not even need to like any of the actors to love American and I would recommend this movie to anyone thats wants to see one of the best films of the year.
For more of my reviews, go to my website at reviewsbywest.com
Ride Along (2014)
Nothing special, but still funny
West: Ride Along 4/10- I was surprised when I saw the low reviews for this movie. Yes, it does not have the best plot and the buddy cop film genre has certainly been exhausted over the past few years, but it is hard not to like it. It is a comedy and I challenge someone not to laugh when you see this movie.
This movie made a brilliant choice of having Kevin Hart, who plays Ben Barber, be a war video game fanatic who thinks because he is so good at Call of Duty that he is ready for the real thing. Then comes Ice Cube, he plays almost nearly the exact same role he did in 21 Jump Street, but this role works for him and he was funny enough for the film. The rest of the cast does there job. The only thing that really caught my attention as far as the cast goes was the surprising appearance of Laurence Fishburne who delivered a below average performance to be honest. In his defense, I believe that his role was casted poorly.
The plot was awful to be honest but it is a comedy so no one was looking for an Oscar for this film. A lot of the things that they did in this movie seemed unrealistic but funny nonetheless. This movie though did not have consistent laughs all through out and I would be lying if it did not have more than a couple hit and misses. Still, the short bursts of die hard funny laughs made up for the rest. The action in this movie was obviously secondary to the comedy, but the explosions were still pretty cool. The only thing worth noting that no other movie other than Kick-ass has seemed to touch on that was very original was incorporating Call of Duty with real life situations. Those scenes were probably the funniest because I think the writers actually decided to try for a few scenes.
This movie is more made for the younger generation, but I still think this is the best comedy out right now. If all you want is enjoyment and a few laughs, Ride Along won't be a bad choice.
For more of my reviews, go to my website at reviewsbywest.com
Frozen (2013)
Best Disney film in 10 years!!
Frozen 7/10- Coming in to this movie, I had no clue what to expect since the trailer I saw for the movie did not really give any key plot details. I had hopes for the movie since the directer, Chris Buck, also directed my favorite childhood movie Tarzan. I was pleased with the results.
The first part of the movie got me thinking it was gonna be just a regular princess meets prince and they fall in love type movie, but I was pleasantly surprised. The movie did not even focus on any romantic relationship as much as it focused on the relationship between the two princesses Anna and Elsa. Elsa has special powers where she can turn stuff into ice or snow. This movie makes that seem like a good thing at first, but as it wears on we see that Elsa cannot control her powers and now puts everyone around her in danger. She has to be isolated from everyone, including her little sister Elsa. Elsa does not understand why she can never be with her sister. Elsa one day comes out to be inaugurated as queen, but when her emotions get out of control, she puts the kingdom into an eternal winter and then shes flees to the mountains. Anna must go get her so she can get the kingdom out of an eternal winter.
The movie gives a lot of very funny laughs that everyone can enjoy. The characters are all refreshingly original, but the way they are presented is probably what makes them all so likable. Now, just like every other animated movie, the characters at some point break out and start singing. Most of the time, this part of the movie I detest, but I found myself enjoying a couple of them. Don't get me wrong, I find that a character singing out of no where with no one else around to be silly, but at least the ones where the situation made sense for it, I enjoyed. The plot though is very cliché and I wish animated movies would at least try to make themselves different from the others. This movie is at least very fun which is more than enough for me. This movie is not as good Tarzan, but in my opinion, it is the best animated movie of the year.
Frozen brings joy to nearly everyone in the theater at one point or another and it is no doubt a great family movie.
For more of my reviews, go to my website at reviewsbywest.com
Ender's Game (2013)
Good film, great entertainment!!!
Ender's Game 6/10- I am not a huge fan of Asa Butterfield or Gavin Hood's films, but this is the best film I have seen by both of them. Don't get me wrong I loved Hugo, but it had nothing to do with Asa Butterfield. Ender's Game though was Asa's best work by far.
The movie somewhat grabs your attention at the beginning with interesting concepts, and the story gets much better throughout the film. The movie had very good action sequences that surprised me and everyone in the theater. The zero gravity battles in particular were the highlights of the movie for me and everyone that I have talked too. The movie does a good job of not just putting action in the movie for the sake of action. They follow a good concise plot with the action only adding on to it. The design was pretty good all around, even though it was set in the future, it all seemed believable.
I have not read the books, but from all I have heard about them, the movie stays in line with the key plot points. The movie focuses on Ender's training process more than anything else. The movie does not have any clichés during the training either like a love relationship or a bully that continually torments him like most teenage-centered action films. Ender's ability to analyze situations and take the necessary course of action is brilliantly displayed. Asa Butterfield particular displays this type of the character flawlessly with everyone believing that he is a Steven Hawking type. The only part of Asa Butterfield's performance that is weak is when he has to show true powerful emotions, but thankfully the movie did not have much of that. Harrison Ford's character was one that I have never seen him play before, but he made it look like he has been doing that type of aggressive, emotionless character his whole life. The other performances all did a decent job because the casting department did a chose each of them masterfully.
There are some flaws that you will notice that particularly do not fit into the plot well and the director just put those in the movie hoping no one will notice because they were still key to the plot, but sadly there was no build up. I do not want to go into detail because I do not want to spoil it, but they seem like rookie mistakes. Other than those, Gavin hood did a solid directing job that is a huge step up from X-men: Origins Wolverine. The movie sadly does not contain much humor and it deserves the movie to have barely any comedy during the film.
The movie finishes fairly well, but it seemed a little rushed like the endings of the transformers movies. If the movie gave the ending more time, I think it would have improved the film much more and given the audience a more solid feeling at the end of the movie. Still, the ending is better than most sci-fi movies.
All in all, the movie delivers decent enough action with good performances from Asa Butterfield and Harrison Ford. The film is entertaining enough that makes the viewing experience enjoyable.
For more of my reviews, go to my website at reviewsbywest.com
Lone Survivor (2013)
Great inspirational true story!!!
Lone Survivor 8/10- I did not know what to think coming into this movie. I have seen so many disappointing war movies I have lost count. Lone Survivor though, was a truly great war film that is probably the best war movie of the past ten years.
Now, I have no clue if these kind of films are realistic or not since I have never been in any situation remotely like the ones in this movie, but people I know who have been say that this movie is one of the only realistic war movies they have ever seen. That itself is something very rare. For those of you that do not know the plot to the movie, Lone Survivor tells the story of four NAVY SEALS who are tasked to go a mission to neutralize a high-level Taliban operative and are forced to fight for their lives when the mission goes wrong.
It starts out with footage of NAVY SEALS training and it is amazing to believe all of the stuff they have to do to become biggest badasses in the world. I could not imagine how mentally and physically tough a person could be to go through all of that and all of these actors in Lone Survivor were able to portray these roles very well. Mark Wahlberg, who plays Marcus Luttrell, gave his usual amazing tough guy performance and gives this movie exactly the right character portrayal that it needs. Taylor Kitsch, who plays the leader of the mission Mike Murphy, gave probably the best performance of his career and I am very glad that he is finally is in a successful film. Emile Hirsch, who plays Danny Dietz, gives a good enough performance to make his character memorable enough. Without a doubt, the best performance of the movie was surprisingly by Ben Foster, who play Matt Axelson. He gave his character more life than any of the others. The acting though is not the thing that the audience remembers when they leave the theater.
The action scenes are amazingly crafted and are the best I have ever seen. It just seems impossible how well the director was able to make it look like the NAVY SEALS got shot or fell through the forest like rag dolls. I do know who was the head of that department, but that guy deserves an Oscar. One thing that I also like about this movie is it doesn't just show the Middle Eastern people as the bad guys, Lone Survivor shows how a lot of the people are and how they feel about the Taliban. It really showed me a new light about the Gulf War and how it happened. What I personally loved about this movie, is the message that it leaves you with. It inspires you to go farther than you can possibly imagine and to never give up. It plants the idea in the audiences minds that if these NAVY SEALS can go through all of this stuff and not complain, I have a pretty good life and have very little to complain about.
This movie could be a little too much for some people as it is pretty gory in some scenes, but for those who can handle it, you will love this movie and feel incredibly inspired as you walk out.
For more of my reviews, go to my website at reviewsbywest.com
Captain Phillips (2013)
Fantastic All-Around Film
Captain Phillips 8.5/10- Based on the real-life hijacking of the Maesrk Alabama, Captain Phillips is a brilliantly directed film by Paul Greengrass with riveting performances by Tom Hanks and the newcomer Barkhad Abdi who plays Muse, the leader of the armed pirates.
The movie is great largely because of the always great actor, Tom Hanks. Tom Hanks, who plays Captain Phillips, might have had the best performance of his career since "Forrest Gump." Barkhad Abdi makes every single person in the theater believe that he actually is an actual Somali pirate. Paul Greengrass does not just show captain Phillips as the good guy and Muse as the bad guy. He gives Muse heart, he shows how the pirates are still people too and it works like a charm. The design of the ship and the life boat was extremely realistic . Captain Phillips is one of the most intense movies of the year and it keeps you at the edge of your seat the entire movie guaranteed. I dare someone to fall asleep in Captain Phillips. I forgot about the pirate incident that took place a few years ago and seeing this movie got me to remember how intense of a situation it was for Captain Phillips whose heroic actions saved his crew. The movie made me feel like I was there and it did not even seem like it was a movie as much as someone filming the actual events with a very good camera. Captain Phillips is one of those movies that everyone goes to the movie theater to watch, one of those films where you completely forget everything going on in your life and you are just watching a movie. This movie was a great start to awards season and this is bound to be nominated for several Oscars and even win a couple.
Captain Phillips is a great movie that anyone with a brain can enjoy and it is no doubt worth the ten dollar ticket admission.
For more of my reviews, go to my website at reviewsbywest.com
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013)
Don't expect it to be as funny as the first.
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues 5.5/10- Coming off from the hugely successful first installment of the Anchorman series, Anchorman 2 makes for some solid comedy as a stand-alone movie, but unfortunately it had some high expectations to meet. This sequel falls short of expectations that over dues the silliness that the first Anchorman masterfully balanced.
This movie starts off well, Ron Burgundy is in the 80's and gets fired from the network , but decides to get back the news team for a new job offer he gets. Gathering characters has always been a nice addition to any movie just because of how easy it is to make it funny. Everyone laughed when they saw what Brian Fantana(Paul Rudd), Champ Kind(David Koechner), and the randomly funny Brick Tamland(Steve Carell) have been up since Ron left. The movie went along well until somewhere past the middle. Up until then, the movie had a good handle on the line of what Anchorman can make funny without over doing it. After the middle, they played jump rope with that line, not seeming to show care that they had in the first film about not just what jokes to use, but how to deliver them.
The performances in this second installment were top notch. Will Ferrell always makes the film as funny as he alone can make and when he puts on the legendary 70's mustache, there is no limit for him. The news team is no less talented. They have all grown since the first film that was roughly nine years ago. Some of them have made bigger careers, some have not. Paul Rudd has always been described as a "Dude" in almost all of the roles he plays. With all of the experience in that kind of role, he has nearly mastered the art of being a "Dude" on screen. David Koechner puts on the cowboy hat and says the classic catch phrase "WHAMMY" and acts like a hilariously goofball while doing so, not too much else is to be said about his character, but what he does is enough. Last but least on the news team, Steve Carell. Steve Carell seems like he is at home in this role that he practically created. His character always makes any joke funny to laugh at simply because it is impossible to look at Brick Tamland for more than ten seconds without laughing at him. The acting could not have been better from these four. James Marsden, who plays the Jack Lane, is not the funniest guy in my opinion, but he gives just enough to make a above-average performance. Christina Applegate, who plays Vericona Corningstone, is not really given anything to work with in this movie as she is more of the voice of reason in this film. I will save the rest of the big characters for you to see.
The directing and screen writing for this sequel were far from where it originally began. The masterful jokes from the first installment that we all love to quote were not nearly as abundant as the sequel. I was not expecting the same jokes, but I wanted the same quotable cleverly-written jokes that made the first film so enjoyable. Not to say that they did not have those jokes in Anchorman 2, but not nearly as much. The writing and directing were above par at best, but luckily the legendary news team comes in to save the movie and make it still a very enjoyable experience that is one of the best of the year.
Do not come in expecting Anchorman 2 to be just as good as the first film, but with an open mind, this sequel can make for some great laughs that will overall be a terrific comedy.
For more of my reviews, go to my website at reviewsbywest.com
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014)
Waste of Chris Pine's talent...
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit 3/10- Chris Pine is an underrated actor. I have no clue why people do not like him because I have not seen a movie with him where he does a bad job. Jack Ryan is no exception. Chris Pine practically saves this movie from the terrible script writing and unfunny jokes. I will admit though that this movie is nothing more than a regular action flick.
This movie starts out well giving the origin of how everything came to be and showing how a soon to be doctor became an operational analyst for the CIA. They bring in Kevin Costner and Keira Knightley into the film with good sense of awareness and realism. Unfortunately, after these characters were introduced, these actors added nothing to the movie. Kiera Knightley, who plays Cathy Muller, came to the big screen in what seems to be a while since the last Pirates film, but sadly it is obvious that she is a little rusty when it comes to potential blockbuster films. Kevin Costner, who plays the CIA vet William Harper, seems like he was not really even trying to do a decent job and it looks like he thought that he is such a good actor that he just has to show up. Sadly, no actor is that good. Now, again Chris Pine, who obviously plays Jack Ryan, is the only really good part of the movie and Jack Ryan is an example of all the potential he has.
The screenplay to this movie was terrible. The writers kept with uninteresting sequences too long and did not capitalize on the amazing scenes. i will say that the fighting in Jack Ryan is pretty cool, but they have so many that after you see something a bunch of times, it gets boring because it never gets any better. Thee trailer to this movie was misleading to say the least. Jack Ryan is one of those movies where the trailer looks amazing but the film is a let down. The movie just never seems to go to the next level, it starts off with such great potential, but it just throws it all away towards the end. Still, awards season is over and we are back to the movies that are just made for entertainment and do not expect to win any Oscars.
Jack Ryan is a decent enough popcorn action film that when you walk out of the theater you still have at least enjoyed watching the movie. If you want to see an action film, go see Lone Survivor, but if you have already seen that, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit will be decent enough for the action movie goers.
For more of my reviews, go to my website at reviewsbywest.com
Delivery Man (2013)
Very disappointing... Expected a lot more
Delivery Man 2/10- There is not a whole lot I can say about this movie. I thought the premise of the movie had a lot of potential, but it was not directed well and as a result the movie suffered from it.
A comedy where a man who is all ready down on his luck and then finds out that he is the biological father of 533 children sounds like a good comedy that Vince Vaughn could pull off. Sadly, the movie leans more towards the heartfelt side of cinema then comedy that we are all used to from Vince Vaughn. I have nothing against those feel-good movies and in- fact I enjoy them often, but I was really looking for a some laughs when I came in to this movie and I could not help but feel disappointed. The jokes were poorly written and executed. I think it was apparent that Vince Vaughn did not give his best effort in this movie, but again he had very few jokes to work with and it was hard to blame him for it. Everything else in the movie I had no problem with, but it just made me a little sad that a movie that looks hilarious with such a great idea turns out to be a heart-felt film with comedy on the side.
If you want to take your family to see something and frozen is already sold out, Delivery Man is something you can try, but otherwise, wait for this to come out on DVD.
For more of my reviews, go to my website at reviewsbywest.com
Grudge Match (2013)
Sometimes it's so unfunny that it is sad
Grudge Match 2.5/10- I came into this movie with much higher expectations than Sylvester Stallone's other recent movies. I thought it could be good simply because I think that Stallone can only act well when he is boxing and he has in my opinion one of the best and most versatile actors ever-Robert De Niro. I believed that with the two together, the movie would be at least passable, and that is what it is, passable.
The first half of the movie was awful. They did not really mention boxing that much other than the fight between Henry "Razor" Sharp, who is played by Stallone, and Billy "The Kid" Mcdonnen, played by De Niro, that took place thirty years earlier in the first half. The jokes were off the mark and surprisingly Kevin Hart was not that funny. I was just really hoping that the second half would be better. Thankfully it was slightly better. The boxing scenes and training were at least entertaining enough to enjoy. Basically the second half of Grudge Match gets the audience to remember how great Rocky and Raging Bull. The thing that irritated me throughout the film was it seemed like the movie relied on the two actors previous roles in Rocky and Raging Bull to sell tickets. Someone should have told the director that it is nearly 35 years later since Stallone and De Niro's boxing movies and therefore they cannot be the same characters with just different names. The acting was not good to say the least. I think everyone could tell De Niro was not very interested in this movie because it was evident that he did not give his best effort. Sylvester Stallone is really just not that good of an actor and the studio knew that so they kept making references and quotes from Rocky to make him at least decent in his role. Too bad in did not work because I really enjoyed the most recent Rocky Rocky Balboa in which Stallone gave a great performance. Really the best part in this movie was Alan Arkin. But saying Alan Arkin gave the best performance in this movie is like saying he was the best looking person at an ugly convention, its just not saying much. Still, he was without a doubt the funniest person.
The thing that was probably the worst about this movie was the plot. There are things that do not fit in the plot. I do not want to ruin the movie for you if for some reason you decide to see this but there are certain common points that sports movies tend to follow and Grudge Match is no exception, but there is no build up to these almost essential plot points. The movie is cliché to say the least, and I have no problem with that, but if they decide to make the movie with Robert De Niro beginning to change so he can have a better relationship with his son, he will not just out of the blue decide to ruin that. This is just an example, there are plenty more.
This movie is terrible at the beginning but it does start to find itself toward the end, but unfortunately there is just too much bad directing, screen writing, and poor acting to really make this movie worthwhile. I do not recommend you wait till this movie comes out on DVD.
For more of my reviews, go to my website at reviewsbywest.com
The Best Man Holiday (2013)
Not funny enough to be a comedy, not dramatic enough to be a drama...
The Best Man Holiday 2.5/10- First of all, do not confuse this movie with any sort of Tyler Perry kind of movie nonsense. This movie is its own kind of comedy. The thing that disappointed me about this movie though is it had a lot more drama then it led you on to believe.
I never saw the first movie, so I am not going to make any comparisons. Luckily though, the movie does a quick recap of what happened in the last film and what the relationships are like between all of the characters. One of the reasons I wanted to see this movie is because it had some actors that I think are pretty good actors so I thought how bad could it be. I was somewhat pleased with the results.
The acting ensemble of The Best Man Holiday all did a relatively good job. Terrence Howard was probably the funniest guy in the film, but I do not know if he deserves all the credit since he is playing the single guy of the group and is given the best lines. And that was the thing that I thought was wrong with the movie, it just was not nearly as funny as it led you on to believe and as a result a lot of people in the theater leave disappointed. It is not the actors fault either, the lines they were given just were not all that funny. The writers of the movie, in my opinion, did not give there best effort and were just hoping they had enough loyal fans from the first movie that were willing to walk into the movie blind. This plan seemed to play off well I guess because it did fairly well at the box office, but that is just lazy and those writers will have a shorter career then they planned to if they continue like this.
The thing that most people love about this movie is the message it leaves you with at the end of the movie. It will tell you that you can turn your back on family or true friends. It makes you think about any bad relationships you have and how you can fix them because you will always need your family and friends around when life gets hard and as we all know it is a guarantee that life will get hard. This message is one of the few reasons why I think this movie is passable.
In the end, The Best Man Holiday is an average comedy drama that I recommend you wait to see when it comes out on DVD.
For more of my reviews, go to my website at reviewsbywest.com
Thor: The Dark World (2013)
Set your expectations low!!!
Thor: The Dark World 3.5/10- I loved all of the Marvel movies, with the exception of Iron Man 2, and I thought the trailer made this movie look awesome. It was an understatement to say I had high hopes for this movie. It hurts me to say this, but I left a little disappointed.
The beginning of the movie to me did not start off well. I thought the idea of the movie beginning with Thor restoring peace to the nine realms was good, however, I could not stop but from thinking that it all looked silly. The costume design looked like it was just mashed together at the last minute and I thought they could have picked a better setting to at least add some tone of seriousness to the opening scenes.
I did like how all the Marvel movie including this one continue to offer good laughs through out the film. Unfortunately, there is a time and place for those laughs. Thor: the Dark Work did a relatively good of monitoring where to put those jokes until the final fight scene. The final fight should have had some intensity to it. I'm not gonna lie, I did laugh along with everyone else, but I was still expecting something more. This part that I was waiting for never came and because of this, the movie felt incomplete.
The brightest light of the movie to me was Tom Hiddleston. His acting continues to grow and I thought he was even better in this movie than in the Avengers. He is the perfect choice to play Loki, the devious brother of Thor who is not sure which side he is on. Hiddleston dominated every scene he was in. Chris Hemworth delivered another solid performance as the hammer-wielding God Thor. He adds good humor to the character and does the best with the story line that he is given. Natalie Portman does an above-average job at playing the pretty yet extremely clever scientist Jane Foster. Anthony Hopkins seemed like he was not really giving his best effort as he was playing Odin, king of Asgard. Still, Anthony Hopkins worst is still better than most others best.
The only time I thought the plot was well-written when the ending came which really got everyone in the theater thinking and that Tom Hiddleston's great performance finally resulted in something good. Now, just like any other Marvel movie, there is a scene after the credits. I was confused by what it meant, but I would be lying if it didn't leave me intrigued and excited for the next one.
Was this movie the best in the Marvel series? No, not by far. Aside from its predecessors, the movie still offers enough good laughs and some solid action to make your experience entertaining. Still though, I was expecting a lot more than it gave.
For more of my reviews, go to my website at reviewsbywest.com