Lawless

The back hills of Virginia during the prohibition, moonshine, white lightning, bootleggers, hillbillies, Chicago gangsters, crooked coppers, murder and mayhem – all with a pretty decent supposedly true story attached. If this sounds like your cup of tea, or hard cider, then this is a movie for you to rent. I enjoyed it! It was well done, nicely acted and filmed. The story revolves around three brothers, born in the back hills of Virginia. Their family has always lived just outside the law, and through the generations, they gained the reputation as being invincible. Of course, the Chicago gangsters want to move in on their territory, and laugh at the idea of such a powerful family. Never underestimate the power of family ties. I found the entire movie entertaining, and a few scenes excellent. The ending was also satisfactory. A decent story, well done.

The Three Stooges

I was unsure about watching this movie, the Three Stooges were my heroes and favorite comedians, when I was little boy. I wasn't confident that they could do justice to the original stooges and I wasn't sure if that kind of silly, slapstick humor would translate to the 21st century. I was pleasantly surprised and actually enjoyed the film. The three actors who played Mo, Larry and Curly did an excellent job! They must've really practiced with the physical slapstick, zaniness to get it correctly. The sound effects were perfect, making each slap and poke in the eyes, just as funny as it was 50 years ago. I had to overlook some of the stupidity and silliness – at my age, some of it just didn't connect. But, all in all, I think they did a great job! (Spoiler alert) – the part where Moe becomes a reality star on the show "Jersey Shore" had me in stitches. Poking. "The situation" in the eyes and slapping "Snooki" was priceless and worth the rental. If you remember the Three Stooges fondly as I did, and still do, then probably you should rent this movie. I cannot guarantee that all of that the comedy will translate to the newer generation, but us old school fellas should find this entertaining.

Brave

Disney-Pixar did it again and created another enjoyable animated feature. This is good family fun, I recommend it, especially if you have elementary school-age children. What I like about Pixar is that they strive very hard to make the story as excellent as the animation. Too many animated movies these days lack any original thought or story line – they rely on remakes or traditional fairytales. I like to see originality – Brave, fits the bill. It's a lovely, heartwarming, original story. The central character, a young girl, is precocious and fun-loving. Of course, she doesn't want to get married, who would when all of the males around are brutish looking Vikings. The animation of the characters is fantastic – I especially enjoyed that they took a lot of time to develop the three clans different personalities through their looks and actions. Then the little girl's red hair was just delightful! There were some good action scenes, and some good jokes. The pace was too my liking – not too slow and not too fast. Too often these days and animated pictures that actually goes by too quickly for my old eyes to enjoy it. This, I did enjoy. If you have children, it's worth the rental.

Savages

A film by Oliver Stone. For those of you that like Oliver Stone movies, he's made several excellent ones, you should probably watch this and you will enjoy it. If you're not familiar with Oliver Stone's documentary style, gritty realism, and unbelievable conspiracy theory, theme and elements – you may find this movie not to your liking. The blood, gore, sex, drugs and violence are extremely graphic. The story revolves around the California medical marijuana and the illegal marijuana, drug trade between Mexico and the US. The Mexican cartel boss, Selma Hayek, is fun and an interesting character. The Mexican assassin is very familiar, forget his name, though he is popular. John Travolta plays the corrupt DEA agent, and three unknown actors – two guys and a girl – are the central characters. All of them do a very believable and credible job of acting. However, there were a few lines in the movie that Oliver should've left out. "I love you man!" In the middle of an intense action scene, was unnecessary. And, when the young girl referred to the threesome as being like the characters in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid" I wanted to eject the disc and search Netflix for that much better and more heartwarming story. I'm sure Oliver Stone just wanted to pay respect to that film classic, but he needs to consider his audience – old folks like me who grew up loving that movie will resent the comparison – while younger folks who had never seen the classic Western would just be thinking "what the heck did that mean?" Other than that, I've got no real complaints. It was a decent movie, good action and interesting story. Oliver just needs to lighten up a little bit.

Batman: Dark Knight Rises

First, I was apprehensive about watching this video because of the horrible shooting incident at the theater in Colorado last year when this movie debuted. Our thoughts and prayers should go out to the people who lost their lives, their family and friends. Support Obama's efforts to control guns!

The Batman movies are always entertaining, this one was also a solid two hours of fun.. However, perhaps I'm getting more critical in my old age .I couldn't help but while viewing the film said to myself at various times, "that's stupid "or "that is silly" –I also found myself at times thinking, "pretty cool" –especially the gadgets ... Then I realized that these movies are based on comic books. They are supposed to be cool and silly at the same time. Some of these silly moments were best illustrated by the long drawn out testimonial dialogues by several of the characters , . I guess the writers felt that we needed to be caught up on this story or need additional character development /information . the other silly thing, spoiler alert , was the ridiculous fistfight between the 3000 cops and the evil Army that had taken over Gotham . with all the guns and high-tech weapons, why did they resort to a street brawl /fistfight . silly! we are left at the end of the movie knowing that there will be a sequel ! . I am not sure that  if this is such a great thing, perhaps it's time for Batman to hang up his cape . Anyway if you can look past the silliness, and agreed that this is just pure, comic booking entertainment , . It is quite fun!
PS sorry for all of the typos , my dictation software and blog OS are not cooperating ??

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

If you're over 50, you'll probably enjoy this movie as much as I did. However, My 20-year-old son didn't find it very amusing. The story centers around a group of senior citizens from Britain, who for various reasons decide to leave their homeland and try to live in a beautiful hotel in India that caters specifically to the "senior and beautiful." I enjoyed how each character was introduced, and how each one developed throughout the movie. Each character was unique in their own way, and each was able to find what they needed/what they were looking for at that time of their life, by the end of the movie. The young man, from "Slum Dog Millionaire" – by the way of you haven't seen that movie, you really should watch it! – Played the hotel manager, who always sees things from a rose colored pair of glasses. Even through all the adversity, he stays mostly positive and upbeat – at times that became a little bit silly and felt shallow compared to the emotions and events occurring in the guests lives. His girlfriend and mother were delightful. Very well acted movie. A good positive message. The scenery of the city in India was spectacular. The color and vibrant life of that country came through with exceptional clarity. I enjoyed the music too!

The Bourne Legacy

I thoroughly enjoyed the original three Jason Bourne movies, so when this one came out I was a little bit apprehensive – remakes and multiple sequels often do not live up to the original. However, this film was a pleasant surprise. Jeremy Renner made a great substitute for Matt Damon. The writers struggled at the beginning of the movie to make all of the parts fit together so that the sequel would make some sense – most of that I felt was unnecessary and bogus. At least they didn't devote too much time to connect the dots – mostly just short flashbacks or quick references in various conversations. The director and producers focused on the action – rightly so! This is what makes the Bourne movies worth watching. And from the very beginning, the action was realistic and "cool"... The format and the premise were exactly the same – super agent gone rogue, CIA and National Security agencies out of control. The new agents were stronger and smarter than the original Jason Bourne, genetically altered by drugs. I kept thinking of "Alice in Wonderland" – one pill makes you stronger, and one pill makes you smarter. One pill kills you – and the others do nothing at all. The obligatory chase scene through the streets of a busy city, this time Manila, Philippines, was super fun to watch! The ending, of course, sets us up for many more movies to come. If you enjoyed the original Jason Bourne movies, you will probably enjoy this one too! It's worth a rental.

Albert Nobbs

A well-made enjoyable Victorian England period film. If you enjoy these movies from the Jane Austen era, and Downton Abby, you should enjoy this movie. This movie however, offered a very unique perspective on the situation of middle – lower-class women during this time. Albert, actress Glenn close, pretends to be a man – a waiter – in order to make a living and find some success, and  some meaning in her difficult life. I think she won some awards for her acting, which she clearly deserved – however, I found her to be more robotic than masculine. An excellent waiter! The surrounding stories of the hotel, where she works, and the various characters that come into her life are well developed and add much to the story. Her struggle to succeed, and some day be free of servitude and have her own business have given this film its unique perspective. The fact that she has to dress and act like a man to succeed reveal a lot about this time of our history. An excellent story, well told, perfectly acted, beautiful photography and costumes. Well worth the time to watch.

Red tails

This film tells the story of the Tuskegee airmen – the all-black air Corps, that served and fought during World War II. Definitely a story worth telling! I was looking forward to seeing how George Lucas would handle this part of history. Unfortunately, the writers and director failed miserably. Halfway through the movie I was happy that the disc was damaged and I didn't have to watch until the end... From the outset, the action scenes had poor quality CGI and the dialogue was extremely corny and ridiculous – the poor actors were given lines that made them sound like schoolboys on a basketball court. The story was shallow, and the pace of the movie jumped along like a teenager's pulp fiction novel. I really felt sorry for the actors in this movie, some of them are great actors and I have made good movies in the past: Terrence Williams, Cuba Gooding Junior, and others. I felt more sad for the families of the courageous airmen – they deserved a much better telling of the story. Don't bother with this movie. If you want to watch a film about the Tuskegee airmen, check out one of the documentaries made by HBO or the history Channel.

Prometheus

I had to look this up, Prometheus was a Titan from Greek mythology who stole fire from Mount Olympus and gave it to the humans. Not not sure how that fits in with this prequel to the Alien movies. The trailer for "Prometheus" says that questions will be answered, but after watching it. I believe there are more questions then answers – perhaps they planned it that way. Now I'll have to watch the next movie when it comes out. First, let me confess that I always enjoy science fiction movies. This one did not disappoint me. It was suspenseful and exciting, plenty of cool space travel and futuristic stuff – though I still can't understand how 100 years into the future, the high-tech weapons are still hand guns and flamethrowers. Can't they borrow a "Star Trek" phaser from someone? The aliens are gruesome and nasty as ever. I don't want to spoil the movie but, but I guarantee there is one scene where you will totally cringe. Maybe two... The script and acting is pretty good, the guy who plays the robot does an excellent job. A little creepy though. If you like science fiction, and if you enjoyed the original Alien movies, I definitely recommend that you don't miss this one. Worth a rental.

The Core

This movie came out several years ago, 2003. It's basically a knockoff of the Bruce Willis movie "Armageddon", but instead of an asteroid coming to destroy the earth, we are faced with a problem with the inner core of the earth – it stops rotating which causes all kinds of magnetic field and other major problems. It's good fun! Hilary Swank plays a astronaut, and does a good job. I've always liked her. The other actors are all familiar faces, but not famous enough for me to know their names. They all do a decent job. The disaster scenes are silly and disastrous – especially the destruction of Rome Colosseum was absolutely unnecessary and compared to today's special effects, looked rather ridiculous. Other than that, the movie moves along quite nicely, and is enjoyable. If you're looking for something unique or spectacular, this is not it. But if you're looking just for some mindless entertainment, this movie foots the bill. If you haven't seen "Armageddon" that might be a better choice.

Snow White and the Huntsman

This is not your mother's Snow White! If you are too young to have not seen the original "Snow White And the Seven Dwarves" – I recommend you watch that Disney movie first. It's really a much better movie and story... I worry about the generation of young people who will grow up thinking that Kristen Stewart is Snow White, and that the story portrayed in this movie, somehow reflects the wonderful fairytale that Disney created long ago. I'm not a big fan of remakes – producers, writers, directors and actors rarely rise to the level needed to remake a already good movie/story. Now, having said that, it was actually a fairly entertaining movie. Charlize Theron was beautiful as usual, even as the evil Queen. Though I did feel sorry for her at times reciting dialogue that was made for a 1960s animated movie character. The twilight girl, Kristen Stewart, was flat and one-dimensional. Sorry, "Twilight" fans, I've never liked her very much. There were some scenes inspired by AVATAR and "The Lord of the Rings" – but instead of enjoying those parts, I just kept thinking that I was wasting my time and perhaps should watch those other movies. Another thing that bothered me is that there were eight dwarves, not seven. And even though the writers tried to make us care about the dwarves, we never got to see any of the wonderful humor and chaos the dwarves created in the original movie – I so wanted to see Sleepy, Grumpy and the gang marching off to work singing "hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work we go!" Let me see, how can I end this review – just let me say that "mirror, mirror on the wall, this is NOT the fairest movie of them all."

Skyfall

This is the first review that I've done on this blog where I've actually been able to go to the movie theater! It's been over five years – we went to the IMAX at Dole Cannery. It was an amazing outing for me – and a pretty good movie too!                       

The formula for 007 has been the same since the movies first came out 50 years ago! It's a good formula! Start off with action, get right into the James Bond secret agent mood – then, start the opening credits with beautifully silhouetted women and dazzling special effects, add a superstar theme song, and you've got first 20 min.. After that the real movie starts... With M and Q, Money-Penny, the PM and the rest of the gang! The bad guy is always super bad, but super dumb-genius-lunatic. Why does he always have to explain everything to Bond before it kills him – hasn't he seen these movies before! Give 007 a chance and he'll always get away, and lived to die another day. This newest addition lived up to the hype – I especially like the idea that the creators of these movies always tried to keep up with modern times. Instead of the Soviet menace or drug dealers, now you've got a cyberspace terrorist! And Q is now a youthful super genius, but the gadgets are old-school. Great twist and plot. Of course, James wears a tuxedo and goes to a swanky casino to find the bad guys. We even learned a little bit about James' childhood. These movies are predictable – but fun! If you haven't seen it yet, and you like James Bond, don't miss it.

Moonrise Kingdom

Charming and quirky, unique and entertaining. This was a delightful film about young love. When you watch this movie, I'm sure it will bring back memories of your first love – how strong and innocent first love can be. Well, at least mine was. The actors, Bill Murray, Bruce Willis, and Edward Norton were superb. The young girl and young boy were just excellent as misfits and troubled adolescents who find each other and fall deeply and joyously in love. The setting, a 1960s New England coastal community is just something out of a dream. The cinematography is very detailed and the story unfolds as if you're reading a fairytale. Wonderfully done. Slightly awkward for a couple of moments, once or twice during the movie – but I believe the writer, producer, director wanted it to be so... The feelings were real and the emotions were felt with conviction. I really enjoyed the Boy Scout sequences, brought back memories, when I was a member of the scouts in the 1960s. Campouts, merit badges and of course the annual regional jamboree. A movie that I would probably watch twice – which is really unusual for me to say. If you like the out of the ordinary film, then definitely take time to rent this one.

Extremely loud And Incredibly Close

Extremely well acted, and incredibly poignant. I was at first reluctant to watch this movie, because I didn't want to relive the events of 9/11 or didn't feel that any writers, producers, actors could actually do this tragic event justice. But this film turned out to be pleasantly entertaining and thought-provoking at the same time. The story of 9/11 is told through the eyes and experiences of a young boy with Asperger's syndrome – similar to autism. He is bright, precocious, but has difficulty with social interaction, loud noises, crowded places, and other such situations. The young boy who plays this part does an excellent job! Tom Hanks, the father, of course, is always fantastic. Sandra Bullock plays the mother – also an excellent performance. The premise of the story is that the young boy has to find out the purpose of a "key" that his father left for him – exploring was always a favorite pastime for the two of them together. But, then the film is much more than just trying to solve a riddle left by the boy's father. It's a story of a family, a horrific tragedy, the importance of people in our lives. I highly recommend this film. If you haven't seen it, it's worth a rental.

Contraband

Typical Mark Wahlberg Philadelphia gangster movie. Nothing special, nothing new. We've seen all of this before – I think even some of the dialogue was repeated from previous Wahlberg, movies. The expert smuggler/gangster gives up the bad life and tries to go straight, but the younger brother of his wife gets involved with the mob, so he has to get back in to the game to save his family. Boring. Even the action scenes seem to be repeats. Lucky for me my blue Ray player was acting glitchy, so I didn't even bother to watch the end. Not worth renting. Unless you're a really big Mark Wahlberg fan.

Dragon

A traditional style Chinese kung fu movie with subtitles. I watched this movie using iTunes with my 22-year-old son – he loves kung fu movies. The movie is not currently in theaters or available on DVD, just on iTunes at the moment. It was well worth it! One of the better Chinese kung fu movies that I've seen in a while. What made this movie interesting for me was that it had a very well written and developed story and characters. The main character is a former notorious gang leader – the leader of the "72 Demons" – I love the names they give their gangs in these movies. After a particularly brutal murder that he committed, ordered by his father, the ex-gang leader has a major change in heart. He moves far away and starts a new life with a wife and family. One day some gangsters come to his town, and everything changes – he has to defend himself and kills them. A Chinese detective comes to town to investigate the crime. The story revolves around their relationship – this is what makes the story unique and interesting. The action sequences are excellent. But they are particularly enhanced when we see the replay of the action/fight scenes from the perspective of the detective – in slow motion with narrative. It's really cool to see the action first in real-time, and then later on in slow motion from the detective's point of view. A movie well worth seeing, especially if you are a kung fu fan!

The Adventures of Tintin

Animated movie written, directed and produced by Steven Spielberg. I like watching animated movies, even though the target audience is usually much younger than I am now... This film totally engaged me for the first 45 min. – the animation and special effects were just amazing. The detail was fantastic, within just a few minutes, I totally forgot that this was actually a cartoon. The development of the character Tintin and his sidekick – dog Snowy, was thoughtful and well rounded. I understood, and empathized with the character almost immediately. Snowy was adorable and clever. It was a nice to see an animated movie with a male hero, lots of animated movies these days have female heroines. Unfortunately, the second half of the movie is when all of the action – nonstop action began. It was all very much like Indiana Jones! Very Spielberg-like. I think for a teenager or youngster, the nonstop action would be enjoyable and fun. However, for me it was just overkill. I prefer a little bit more story development and slower pace. It was a decent ride however, and I do recommend it for families, fans of Steven Spielberg and animated films.

The Hunger Games

I was a little bit apprehensive about watching this movie because I don't have anywhere near the mentality or tastes of a teenage girl – but a friend of mine said he read the books and watched the movie, and thought it was pretty decent. I have to agree with him. The movie was interesting and well made. I like the fact that the movie was based on a book and therefore, I believe the development of the characters was very well done. By the time we actually got to the action-packed "hunger games" part of the movie, I believed in the characters and was rooting for the young girl to survive. Some parts were a bit hokey and sophomorish, but all-in-all a good story, decent acting, and some exciting action. I also found it interesting that the story revolved around a futuristic reality show – nice touch! Especially since these days we are inundated with reality shows of all types and flavors. Worth the effort to rent.

Shaolin

Some decent kung fu action, but the story is totally depressing! This 2011, Chinese kung fu film has English subtitles and all the usual exceptional Chinese martial arts action. It is available on Netflix. Unfortunately, the story is so full of evil, greed, blind ambition, betrayal, revenge, and sadness that it is hard to watch. "Spoiler alert" – everyone dies at the end! Jackie Chan has a small part in the movie as the Shaolin monastery's cook. He has one good fight scene where he tells the bad guys, "I don't know kung fu" but then proceeds to whip some ass with his cooking skills and strength. If you are a Jackie fan, then it's probably worth it just to fast forward to this fight scene and watch it a couple of times – skip the rest of the movie. I like a good kung fu movie made in China, but I prefer the more mystical or romantic storyline. Only recommended for hard-core kung fu fans.