The Expendables 3

Plot: The Expendables fight to stop Barney's old teammate.

This movie is one of the hardest movies of the year to review.... I loved the first two and really really wanted to have the same fun entertaining experience with this new entry in the series. The Expendables 3 is good, but in a very uneventful way.

Unlike the first 2, this movie is rated PG-13, and while this was not a huge problem for me, it did make for fast cuts placed in the movie.

You had whatever cool action shot start and then end, with no middle. The filmmakers stretched 5 shots into 10, and I would have preferred to have seen one fluid motion of action as opposed to several quick flashes of action.

New Additions are great:

Wesley Snipes was one of the best characters in the movie, he finally is given a character to play.
Antonio Banderas adds great humor,

AND THEN WE GET THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IN THE FILM

MEL GIBSON AS THE VILLAIN!!!!

We hear that Gibson was a former teammate of Barney. We see Stallone's reasons for going after this guy. They hate each other, so we have our conflict.

My problem with this is that we don't understand Gibson's point. He is a weapons dealer, who happens to hate Barney. Why does he want weapons? What is his goal? All we know is that he wants to get revenge on Barney.

This movie is good, yet uneventful, it is a film that you can say. "Ok, I saw it" Not "That was awesome."

Grade: C+

Want a trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xD0junWlFc

Trailer Spotlight

These are some of the trailers that have really impressed me lately... I will have a review up for these films when they are released. I feel that these films need more attention!!!!


Mad Max: Fury Road:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdLl1GVjOrc

The Equalizer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAI7rF0eQyQ

Interstellar:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WzHXI5HizQ 

The Expendables 3:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xD0junWlFc


I hope the actual finished products are as good as these trailers!!!

Guardians of the Galaxy

Plot: Outlaws and Criminals unite to stop a powerful orb from falling into the wrong hands.

This is Marvel's new movie, and we have had luck this years Marvel films: The Amazing Spider-Man 2, 

X-Men: Days of Future Past, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and now Guardians of the Galaxy.

The trend of Marvel greatness continues. Guardians of the Galaxy is a very different Marvel film. Some Marvel films have had a dark undertone, like Winter Soldier did. This movie does not have that, instead it is replaced with very clever and witty humor.

My favorite thing about this movie is: Bradley Cooper as Rocket Raccoon, definitely one of my favorite characters of the year. Rocket is the character that is so outrageous in the way he acts, he always has a joke to say about every other scenario and he is easily that funniest character in the film

This movie is worth checking out in XD 3D, as it is very entertaining, funny, and cool.

My Grade: 

A- 

Want a Preview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_g85U_MjrZY

Lucy

Movie Review: Lucy

Plot: A new drug allows a woman to access 100% of her brain capacity.


Wow, what a weird movie!!!

This movie is one that needs multiple viewings to grasp the scope of the idea. The premise is about what would happen if a human could access all of their brain and acquire revolutionary skills. The idea is the best part of the movie. The idea is presented in a very clever and stylized way, all credited to Luc Besson.

As far as the cast:


Morgan Freeman is Morgan Freeman
All of the action involving Lucy is very convincing.


Everything is handled well, Lucy is just the kind of film that needs multiple viewings to establish a clear opinion,


The movie is good though.

My Grade: B


Want more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVt32qoyhi0

X-Men: Franchise

After going to the theater again to see X-Men: Days Of Future Past, I decided to give my thoughts on the series in general.

First, a lot of critics have a "mixed bag perception" to this series, just because of The Last Stand and Origins, I do not share this view.

I have enjoyed every single film in the series. There have been some entries that were not as solid as others, but there has not been a bad X-Men film.

The acting is always solid with Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart being perfect in their roles, as well as the "new" actors, McAvoy and Fassbender being great as well.

My thoughts on this series are:

1. Actors have done the best they can with material provided.
2. Every director brought their version of a perfect X-Men universe
3: I doubt that Ratner, who directed the often critically panned:"The Last Stand" purposely set up to disappoint fans.


The films that others don't like are because they misinterpreted the world of the X-Men, not the characters or acting.

Days Of Future Past is the best, but that doesn't mean every single non  "Singer" film is a total trainwreck.

More info: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXiWgUaU5NA 

Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes

Plot: A scientist discovers a neurological enhancement and begins researching and testing on apes. The drug has unforeseen side effects and the apes gain intelligence, prompting the apes to rise up.

This movie is very solid. You can tell that the filmmakers wanted to create a saga. They wanted to reboot the Apes series into a fresh and exciting new direction that could contain multiple sequels.

THEY DID IT... They achieved their goals.

The reboot compliments its sequel "Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes" extremely well through the eyes of Caesar, the ape brought to life by incredible motion capture work. This film sets up everything you need to know going forward into Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes.

I highly recommend seeing both films, this is a great new reinvented franchise.

My Grade:

B+ (Film is set up to the superior sequel.)

Want a preview:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8D2NIGEJW8

Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes

Plot: Set in the aftermath of a devastating virus, resources are scarce. Mankind desperately needs resources found deep within the apes territory, setting up a conflict.

First off, this movie is very similar to The Dark Knight, it does for its franchise what Nolan did so well in the modern Dark Knight Trilogy. 

Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes outdoes its reboot in every way.

What I really loved about this movie was that even when there was no action, the movie had so much intensity. The apes were so mysterious and lifelike, and that is the action of this film. You are so drawn to Caesar's ape kingdom, and the mannerisms between apes that you can't help but say;

WOW!!!

That is not to say that the humans weren't good, they were fine, but it was the visual scope of the apes combined with a great emotional Andy Serkis performance that makes this a great mind-blowing visual experience.

My Grade: 

A+ (Yes, a perfect score for the Apes) 

Want more:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_9-3Fj3ZdI 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjy8mw6aiWc