Let me just say one thing: college is a whole different ballgame.
The reason why I say that is because it is important to remember that and I don't think 22 Jump Street properly emphasizes that point. Instead, we see a rendition of 21 Jump Street on a larger scale with elements of order restored to the plot.
In 21 Jump Street, Schmidt (Hill) proved to be the popular kid while Jenko (Tatum) was the outcast, contrary to what one may be led to believe. In college, the stars of 22 Jump Street align in the proper constellation as Jenko becomes a football star, while Schmidt identifies with the arts students. While this dynamic is changed along with the setting, not much else changes. The two conflict because one is popular and the other isn't. Schmidt even resorts to eavesdropping and spying on Jenko just as Jenko had to Schmidt in the first installment of the series.
Now while this film follows a lot of the steps of its predecessor, that doesn't make this film bad. In fact, one should realize that if a formula works, it shouldn't be changed, rather enhanced. That's the case in 22 Jump Street. Conclusion: Worth A Watch
I'm sure at some point you've heard about Edge of Tomorrow and the praise that it has earned. As you can see above, it is "Smart, exciting and unexpected." Of course it is, I would never have expected Tom Cruise to star in yet another science fiction, action film. There is one question that begs though: is it more appropriate to call him Tom Christ or Jesus Cruise?
The story follows a teenage boy playing a video game set in the future. Every time the kid's player dies, the game goes back to a checkpoint. That's not actually what the story is about, but I can definitely see where they got the idea. The actual plot follows Major Cage, who is sent to the front lines of Operation Downfall, a huge morning amphibious attack on the shores of France intended to deliver a decisive blow to the enemy (original, I know). Funny that this film was released on the 70th anniversary of D Day. After being sent in the front wave, Cage receives blood from an Alpha alien that gives him the ability to reset the day. The rest of the film is trivial like that little tad that I just said, involving Emily Blunt, or "Full Metal Bitch" or "Angel of Verdun" if you prefer. In the end, Cruise will rise from the ashes as he always does and the humans find a way in the end.
Like I mentioned before, Cruise in a science fiction/action film at this juncture of his career is noting new. Like Oblivion, Edge of Tomorrow follows a character who is virtually indestructible. The only difference is that Cruise is resurrected in this film, rather than being cloned into an army set to protect the planet.
Take away all of the beef I have with Cruise and the story, I thought this film was different and entertaining. It tried at plot elements that haven't been tried on such a high budget. In the end, I didn't mind watching it and I think it's a suitable film for all audiences. Conclusion: Worth A Watch
The Fault in Our Stars is an adaptation of the 2012 New York Times Bestseller of the same title by John Green. The movie follows the story of Hazel Grace Lancaster, a 17-year old Stage IV thyroid cancer patient who has had the cancer spread to her lungs, and her friend and lover Augustus Waters, an amputee due to osteosarcoma. However, this is not what the story is about. The story is about a young romance headed for inevitable tragedy, but also about how a short life can be a full life.
Having read the book shortly before I attended the midnight premiere of the movie on June 6th, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Seeking a film that was true to the book was the first item on my check list. I was satisfied. The next item on my list was casting decisions and acting. This was also done well as Shailene Woodley performed exceedingly well while Ansel Elgort showed a few flashes of the true Augustus Waters. But casting actors for a film adaptation of a young adult book shouldn't be too difficult of a task, nor should adapting a book to film when the book has such believable language in a logical layout and format.
One thing about this film that absolutely dulled me was the latter half. Everyone in the audience knew where the film was headed because: A.) it was obvious and B.) they had all read the book. So why did this saddening, yet beautiful tale of true love being shared regardless of the looming end become a teenage girl "sob-fest." Sure, everyone needs a good cry every now and then, but this movie would be seen on too transparent of a level to be treated as a "sob-fest." The tears in the film were even accompanied by a scene in the rain following the news of tragedy. Let the tears flow, am I right? Knowing what happens next and how the story concludes, I grew tired and as a result, bored with the film.
In conclusion, I believe this film deserves a watch by any teenager who can relate and sympathize with a story of love, life, and death. I didn't have any problems with the film, but the audience that I couldn't help but associate it with and the hints and jabs that the film included to satisfy the teenage girl's urge to giggle and cry took away the meaning of the story. Perhaps if I hadn't seen this movie in a theatre full of sobbing teens and their moms, I would have enjoyed the latter half of the film more and taken it more as the fitting conclusion to a life fully lived. If you do happen to go see this film, take it for what it's worth. It's not an excuse to just cry and weep with your boyfriend or girlfriends. It's a love story tailored to the lifestyle and interests of the 21st Century. Conclusion: Worth A Watch
A Million Ways to Die in the West is Seth MacFarlane's latest attempt at a feature length film since Ted. The result: a million crude and rude jokes. Don't get me wrong, the movie made me laugh quite a bit. But instead of enjoying that laughter for the sake of a good joke, I felt bad for letting myself laugh at such crude and tasteless jokes.
Watching renowned actors Liam Neeson and Charlize Theron in such a crude film tampered my respect for them. The roles they played could easily have been taken by lesser actors. If these two stooped to roles so beneath them, it's a bad sign for their careers. I guess that comes as no surprise given the veteran Neeson's roles in a slew of mindless action films.
I guess once you get over yourself (as I should when I watch films like this), it is an entertaining comedy set in the west that does not require nor deserve a second thought. Conclusion: Pass On It
Godzilla is easily one of the, if not the, most anticipated film of 2014. It's trailer had all of the right things: evidence of a story, dramatic dialogue, scenes of the aftermath, and little hint at the king of monster's actual physical appearance. What audiences got was a film that lacked identity.
Imagine watching a film and after a third of the way through, most of the storyline dissolves and it basically becomes a porno loosely based on the premise of the film. Hard to imagine, but that was the sense I got in the theatre when watching Godzilla. The first third was driven by a powerful acting performance by Bryan Cranston, allowing the audience to sympathize with his struggle. Even Aaron Taylor-Johnson's acting performance came as a pleasant surprise early on in the film. However, (SPOILER ALERT) when Cranston's character dies, the movie loses guidance and results in destructo-porn. Taylor-Johnson becomes a bumbling shell of what he could have been and Ken Watanabe could have saved some face, but his character was unintentionally funny with the way he carried himself.
Once Godzilla proves himself (or herself) as the king of monsters, the San Francisco media thanks him. There is no way in the world that the general public could have known the Godzilla was the equivalent of the storing force of nature. For all they know, the monster fought two other monsters in the middle of San Francisco. No more, no less.
This movie was set up and headed for better things. At some point, it just failed to execute and gave into the temptation of bringing in the big bucks by virtually destroying an American city. I guess there is room for a sequel, but it won't even have the promise of a plot. Conclusion: Disappointing, Pass On It
Have you ever seen a trailer that whetted your appetite so much that your expectations were way too high? I'm sure we all have. Have you ever seen a movie that had all its good parts in the trailer? Well, I sure did when I saw Neighbors. I wasn't so misled to expect a smart comedy, rather just a series of good laughs. Instead, I was treated to another one of those Seth Rogen comedies that kept hitting you over the head with a sledgehammer (or in this case, a dildo) for crude joke after crude joke.
The premise of having a fraternity move in next to a new family is interesting because there is no way the two could coexist. At least, that's what one is led to believe. Instead, in the film, Rogen's character wants to party with the college kids and the fraternity is set against him only after Rogen violates a circle of trust. This sets off a powder keg of mindless antics. Once its over, you don't feel any satisfaction or humor. Nothing. If you were me, who was so wrongly misled by the trailer, you'd feel disappointed. Conclusion: Disappointing, Pass On It
Admittedly, I did not see the first Amazing Spiderman, but after seeing its sequel, I feel as though I don't have to and that I probably shouldn't waste my time. What I got from this new series of Spiderman is a hero who is caught up in serious affairs, but deals with them without seriousness. A whiny, unlikeable Peter Parker is not the character audiences would like.
This film was caught up between entertaining children and entertaining teens. The whole teenage drama that ensues in this story is quickly and frequently dumbed down by childish antics. The acting in this new series is poor all around. Watching respectable actors in the older roles is painful because there is nothing for them to develop. The younger actors were terrible. They were unlikable and irritating.
The one redeeming factor of this movie is that the "spider" sequences in NYC were better than the past series. Comparing Electro to Doc Oc is no contest as I think that Spiderman 2 was the best spider flick of all time. Conclusion: Pass On It
