Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

THE PITCH

WORTH

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THE VIEWING

"... you all know what we're up against! And I want you to know, it's not just about power! It's about giving us the hope to rebuild, to reclaim the world we lost!"

    Remembering how Rise of the Planet of the Apes wowed me, I usually expect lesser from a sequel when the first is that good. For some reason this time I was expecting the sequel to if not be better, at least be on par with the first. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes was certainly the latter. While it is debatable if it was better or not, one thing is for doggone sure: They have caught lightning in a bottle.  Meaning if it’s done right they can go 6 movies deep and never lose any momentum.  I would of never thought that the reboot of this franchise could be this interesting.

    If you still have not viewed either one of these films there is no way to win you. Even though that is not my aim, what I do here is  I genuinely give my experience when going to the show.  However if something is really good, I’m going to definitely let you know, especially if I feel like it may get overlooked.  It took a lot for me to see the first one but I am so glad I did.  Fans of the original are happy because of the way this series explains what happened to the world. It’s a win win for everyone young and old.

    ROTPOTA is definitely worth the money.  I didn’t see it in 3D but will certainly like to.  I can not wait for the next one!

  letter grade: A-

World War Z

THE PITCH

WORTH
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THE VIEWING

"I did all I could do." 

My expectations were just met, I don’t know why I was expecting to be blown away... In the end I really liked it... It was a zombie movie that really should've been rated R and filmed that way... In fact ALL zombie movies should be rated R.  I think when I go to see anything Zombie I expect blood, guts, gore, heads being shot off, Zombies feeding on humans, you know, all the zombie movie staples.  That Pg-13 made them a lot of money but put a damper on all of those things I mentioned previously!  I hate to start out a B- review with criticism but I simply can’t help but wonder what could have been.  Let me organize my thoughts:

• Mentioned early about the required gore in a zombie movie
• The trailers gave away way too much of the movie.
• I don’t mind the unexplained, especially in the midst of chaos, but some events in the main plot deserve some explaining so that the audience doesn't have to gloss over important details to try and stay in pace with the story.

 

         

    Apparently there was this great novel written by Max Brooks that I did not read or have knowledge of prior to experiencing this cinematic adaptation.  Like every book made into a movie there is so much detail that gets left out so that we aren't in the auditorium for 7 hours.  Normally I would not have a problem with that but its different this time.  I felt like the movie left a lot of character and plot elements out before I knew that a novel existed.  Listening to those who've read the piece by Max alluded to a grander scale of detail to many countries all over the world and how they responded to this crisis.  Some countries already at war going beyond the ‘rules of engagement before the break-out.  The zombies being the slower type which added to the tension. They mentioned a lot of things that enhanced the story.  Again, the movie is already 2 hours, even though it didn't feel like it. I'm thinking 'you can’t add everything.'

       However, I would've like to have seen the reasoning behind so many people risking their collective lives to try and protect one man.  I realize he’s an important man but in a state of chaos and anarchy it seemed odd.  Above all, and this bears repeating over and over again... Could the promotion team NOT show the storyboard in the trailer??!!  Really, there were few surprises because the preview showed the major points and in chronological order!

       Other than that I really liked it, I just wished it would have been a little better.  I feel like it was worth the money, however fans of the zombie genre beware: Unjustly as it is comparing every Zombie movie to the greatest one ever, I feel... It was definitely no Dawn of the Dead (2004), even if it wanted to be.

           letter grade: B-

Silver Linings Playbook

THE PITCH

WORTH
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THE VIEWING

" The world will break your heart ten ways to Sunday. That's guaranteed. I can't begin to explain that. Or the craziness inside myself and everyone else. But guess what? Sunday's my favorite day again. I think of what everyone did for me, and I feel like a very lucky guy."

     I know I'm very late but as the old saying goes... better late than never.  You'd never know it now that it's seen but this was an "I'll-wait-till-it's-on-bluray" movie and end-up-never-seeing-it film for me.
  I had two free movie tickets to the MJR theater but couldn't use them for a currently released picture (Olympus has Fallen).  I knew Silver Lining Playbook was nominated quite a few times for Oscars so I decided to take a chance... what a great decision that was!  SLP had to be one of the best love story's that I've seen in a long time...  Walking out the theater you think of other movies that did a pretty good job telling a story about the main character having a mental disorder and being  strong enough to overcome it and get to the ultimate goal: love... (As good as it Gets is one that immediately comes to mind), and by nature compare the two.  I can't tell you which is better, only that both are just that great of a flick.

     Perfectly casted, edited... Great script!!!  I mean extremely well written.  I forgot Chris Tucker makes his "back for the first time" cameo in this film which turned out to be a very pleasant surprise. I see now why Jennifer Lawrence won the Oscar for best actress.  I also see why Deniro was nominated, I think that was his best performance ( I may be overacting due to the newness of this film).
     I implore all who appreciate a good time out at the movies to go and see it before it leaves the theater.

  Most definitely worth watching
grade: A     

     

 

DEAD MAN DOWN

THE PITCH

WORTH

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THE VIEWING

"The man that did this to me... I want you to kill him."



     Went in expecting a really good thriller and that's JUST what I got!  From a pretty intense and detailed trailer one would think that I understood the gist of the film, which I did but there was more to the plot that I pleasantly discovered as I watched.
     Dark, mysterious, and not 'too' over-the-top Dead Man Down ended up being one of the better movies made this year.  Great performances from Colin Farrell (what else is new?), Noomi Rapace, Dominic Cooper (one of the most underrated actors in this generation), and especially Terrence Howard. One could argue that Terrence put on one of his best and most fierce performances.  There is some hurt deeply embedded in Terrence, you can just tell! He was a perfect bad guy and made a worthy opponent for the hero.  If you want to base revenge movies off of "strength of villain"then Dead Man Down tops the list!
     Impressive all around.  I wasn't "blown away" by it just engulfed in the mystery, mesmerized a bit at the darkness (neo-noir), and intrigued at the plot and sub-plot.  Needless to say I was "all-in" till the end.

     I'm so glad the trailer didn't tell the whole story. In fact there was parts in the trailer that I was waiting for on screen that never happened, I love that misdirection.



Usually when this sign...
is affiliated with movies you expect sub-caliber scripts and mindless action... not anymore.  This new era of movie making is scary.  Yes Hollywood still doesn't take enough risks with original screenplays and talent but honestly... It's been a while since I saw a terrible flick.

Worth Watching
B+