Logan

Overall, I think it runs a little long in spots, but that's because it doesn't sacrifice characterizations for simply the brutal slice-n-dice action skirmishes sprinkled throughout the film's running time.  Fans wanting to see the use of Logan's claws in rapturous abundance when used to dispatch would-be threats to him, Prof. X and Lara, they got that in spades in this film, that R rating was well-deserved.

I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.  Would have scored higher if the pacing was better.

A Dog's Purpose

It starts out cutesy with chronicling the hijinks that come with owning a dog for a young boy, and through his teen years.  Then it shifts for a few more turns as the dog is reincarnated as a new dog until it comes full circle.  Lasse Hallstrom does a nice job keeping the pace brisk and it couldn't be easy to deal with filming with trained dogs for such a long time in the film.

I give it 2.75 stars or a grade of B-.

The Great Wall

I'm not really sure what I watched, it was so... foreign in the telling of the story of a legend pertaining to the Great Wall of China that is just fantastical enough to make you scratch your head.

But it was directed by Zhang Yimou, so I checked it out.  It's kinda like the usual medieval fortress defense system on display against a swarm of would-be invaders against the Great Wall of China, but with Yimou's directorial flourishes.  I wasn't prepared for the amount of CGI on the screen, so it was just weird.  Matt Damon seemed to be sleep-walking through this role, though.  

I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+.

Get Out

Never will you underestimate the TSA again!  A slow simmer of a twilight zone-esque horror flick with some race relations commentary (or not).

I give it 2.75 stars or a grade of B-.

50 Shades Darker

This was simply terrible, worse than watching paint dry on the big screen.  The film plods and lumbers along with no plot progression of note, and only sprinkles in the abusive kinky side of Christian's relationship with Anastasia, who doesn't appear to have learned anything from the first movie.  The ending is so lame and limp.

I give it 1 star, or a grade of D.

Resident Evil 5

Lots of jump-scares and action sequences with nary a bit of characterization for the supporting casts, so it plays fairly close to its videogame roots for this final installment of the Resident Evil franchise.

I give it 2 stars, or a grade of C.

Lego Batman movie

It's a lot of fun for kids and parents alike.  Quite the family values film. :)

I give it 3 stars or a grade of B.

John Wick 2

This followup sequel to "John Wick" was a lot of fun in terms of flat-out brutal hand-to-hand combat, and gunplay, and pencil-play... LOL!  It's so over-the-top, you can't be help appreciate the commitment to this world of John Wick and company by the entire production team for this film.  Keanu Reeves is turning into this generation's Clint Eastwood (reminiscent of the Dirty Harry franchise in the 70s and 80s).

I give it 3 stars, or a grade of B.

Moonlight

This artfully shot coming of age film featuring a black character, Chiron, at 3 points in his life, first as a child, second as a teenager, and lastly as a young man struggling to find his place in a world that otherwise expects specific life choices given his circumstances.  Director Barry Jenkins imbues this film with lingering, poetic sweeps while furtively building the character's arc through the film running time.  There is a nice use of color all throughout the film, bolstering the mood and tension.  I think it starts out strong, but gets a little narratively weak by the 3rd act. 

I give it 3 stars, or a grade of B. 

Underworld: Blood Wars

Well, Kate Beckinsale is back for another installment of the Underworld franchise. All I can say is that when your films are reminding me of story beats from the "Twilight" franchise, it's probably time to put a fork in it. LOL!

I give it 2 stars, or a grade of C.

Elle

Paul Verhoeven is back with "Elle", mostly a psychological drama that kicks off with a middle-aged woman, Elle (Isabella Huppert) in the midst of being assaulted (physically and sexually) in her own home by a masked man. Then the story peels away the layers of this woman with details from her distant past, and the previous decades of her life. Lots of twisty windings in this tale. Very European in flavor (French-language film).

I give it 3 stars or a grade of B.

Hidden Figures

I enjoyed it. Math and Science > Racism.

I give it 3 stars, or a grade of B.

Patriots Day

I thought, ultimately, it was an engaging look at the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013, and what was involved in bringing the perpetrators to justice.

I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.

La La Land

I thought there'd be more singing and dancing in the film, going by some reviews, but it was not so. I kinda wished Gosling and Stone were better singers, but their on-screen chemistry is good. The story was average. I kept asking myself, "Don't they text each other?" LOL! But it'll probably win a lot of technical awards.

I give it 2.75 stars or a grade of B-.

Passengers

I was braced with some online outrage of the storyline, and upon seeing it, I can see why "eww..." was a common reaction, and it does rob some enjoyment factor from the plight of these early awokened "passengers".

Utterly forgettable film.

I give it 2 stars, or a grade of C.

Jackie

I found Natalie Portman's vocal performance distracting (Jackie's accent just seemed too forced), and it took a while for me to get used to her as "Jackie" in a film about Jackie's accounts of JFK's assassination and dealing with the funeral details and being shown the door from the White House (LOL!). But Portman gets better as the film rolls along, but "Jackie" is not a film I'd revisit.

I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+.

Office Christmas Party

Oddly enough, I liked the cast chemistry, but the film is okay, not great, not overly terrible. You pretty much get what you expect.

I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+. 

Rogue One

Star Wars Episode 3.5 was okay. Saggy midsection, character development was average (maybe applied to 1.5 characters at best), but a good cinematic gap-closer to expand upon what transpired in Episode 4.

I don't like how Gareth Edwards directs character interaction at times, so that why the character development feels more superficial and hollow, but he's good at the action sequences. The motivations of Jyn are too simplistic (perhaps to get the pacing back on track), but as with most prequels, the plotting is almost always done to reach a point where the audience is expecting already (in this case, Episode 4), so the story doesn't quite engage this particular movie viewer, but I knew that going in, and it's not an easy thing to surprise and still keep the storyline on track for the next installment.

The rest of the characters, san K2-SO (mainly for the laughs and basically being an "Iron Giant-inspired" droid with the personality of a Sheldon Cooper), didn't resonate with me at all. Pretty lackluster in the writing. They were all there to push the plot, not act in their own best interests, the "why" was too glossed over. One of the things that Episode 4 does well is lay out basic character motivations and build on them. Nowadays, that style of character development is lacking, I guess to me, it lacked a bit of cinematic soul, and feels like a cash-grab by Disney. Maybe it's just me, and I can accept that.

I saw the AMC Faux-MAX in 3D. The 3D presentation was average, not all that immersive, so I can't recommend the 3D, but the scale of the AT-AT's is where the IMAX footage helps in the presentation, but then you're stuck with the 3D part too. But you also get to see the 3rd act in a very large screen, so, eh, IMAX could be worth if you're a fan of the franchise.

I give it 2.75 stars or a grade of B-.

Sully

At a running time of around 96 minutes, the meat of the story should have taken about 45 minutes to tell, to be honest. Just cut out all of the Laura Linney scenes. LOL!

I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+.

The Accountant

If Bruce Wayne was Rain Man... Overall, I treat this like it is in the John Wick genre of suspending your disbelief in order to propel through the film's plot points, so I went with it.

I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.

Jack Reacher: Never Go Back

The kid kills this film in its tracks. Mostly every plot advancement in the film is due to what she does smartly or stupidly. But I did like how Colbie Smulders got to act more like Maria Hill than she does in the Marvel/Avengers movies. :D

I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+.

Arrival

Nice slow burn, but with some ties to Interstellar, I sussed out the aliens' language "secret". But still nice to see there's room for some languid and slow-paced sci-fi in today's crowded offerings of sequels and nostalgia-driven films from past successful franchises.

I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.

Doctor Strange

I didn't much care for the characterizations of the main characters, and the middle section dragged so much, and the film seemed to be a series of crumbling building that became uncrumbled. It was definitely SPX overload, use them to enhance the story, not be the story.

I give it 2 stars, or a grade of C.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

I didn't much care for the characterizations of the main characters, and the middle section dragged so much, and the film seemed to be a series of crumbling building that became uncrumbled. It was definitely SPX overload, use them to enhance the story, not be the story.

I give it 2 stars, or a grade of C.

Moana

Pretty solid animated movie, worth seeing.

I give it 3 stars or a grade of B.

Jason Bourne

I think Jason Bourne has 12 lines of dialogue his own movie. Besides the action sequence in the 3rd act, it's mostly a forgettable viewing experience, with very little compelling story-building from the previous installments. Smells like a cash-grab, unfortunately.

I give it 2 stars, or a grade of C.

Suicide Squad

This is one of those movies that spends so much time on the introductions to its sprawling cast, it doesn't write/develop a compelling antagonistic entity to propel the story forward in a satisfying manner, so it feels like it's stuck in 2nd gear for a lot of its running time, and by the time it's ready to wrap up the movie, it's fairly underwhelming, sort of like the air in the balloon just gets let loose, albeit in a ho-hum-like fashion.

I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+.

Star Trek 3

While paced well and cashing in on the interplay between the personality types of the main crew members of the Enterprise, the villain was the weak spot in the story for me in this 3rd installment of the new Star Trek cinematic franchise. It was simply a matter of too little, too late in terms of developing the villain and their motivations.

I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.

Ghostbusters

I thought this re-mix was simply okay, not great, not totally horrible. I think I liked Kate and Leslie the most out of the main cast.

I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+.

Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates

Not really a fan of the actor playing the brother to Zac Efron's character, so he almost always manages to get on my nerves, so I'm a fan of Anna Kendrick, so it was a wash. As a comedy, it was funny in spots, maybe I think they gave away too many laughs in the trailers, but they withheld a few other laughs, so it had that going for it. I wish it was a little more zanier with the comedy, plus the characters were not as well fleshed out to invest much into them given the premise of the movie.

I give it 2 stars or a grade of C.

Central Intelligence Agency

Not sure this film needed to be 2 hours long for a buddy-buddy film with lots of spy overtones, script felt padded because the drama was almost always undercut by the comedic aspect of the 2 leading men. Anyhow, a decent matinee if you're fans of either the Rock or Kevin Hart.

I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+.

The Secret Lives of Pets

Decent premise, but the story and characters are far from engaging, and it felt really long in terms of running time, even a little kid from the same showing said that to his dad in the rest room right after the movie (I happened to overhear the kid's reaction afterwards), so it wasn't just me. LOL!

I give it 2 stars or a grade of C (matinee-only if you are intrigued by the subject matter)

The Shallows

I thought this was pretty decent. It's a small story, but once you get past the minimal character intro setup, it's fairly engaging.

I give it 3 stars or a grade of B.

Finding Dory

I thought it was merely okay, not Pixar-special, but okay for a matinee showing.

I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows

If you're a fan of the TMNT from the 1980s and 1990s, you'll probably enjoy the followup from the current cinematic incarnation of the TMNT, featuring turtle comraderie, silly jokes, and lots of CGI action sequences as the fate of the world hangs in the balance with Shredder on the loose, and some other inter-dimensional threats. Most kids interested in the TMNT will be entertained, and that's the audience for the film.

I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+.

The Space Between Us

I feel like I've seen the movie after seeing the trailer over the weekend in front of some other movie I saw... why marketing people, why?

Captain America: Civil War

I thought it was another solid installment spear-headed by the Russo brothers. Story-wise, just a little disappointed in the antagonist, but it was great to see the execution in how these Marvel super-heroes picked sides and squared off against each other.

I give it 3.5 stars, or a grade of B+.

(Saw it at an AMC Faux-Max 3D presentation).

Hardcore Henry

The ultimate GoPro ad. Interesting concept, amazing POV stunt work, but got so repetitive, I was ready for it to end about an hour into the film.

I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+.

The Bronze

Dat sex scene, doe...

10 Cloverfield

Very TwilightZone-Esque in tone, and the thriller aspect of the premise made for a decent matinee viewing, and it simmered along well enough.

Considering Winstead also played Lucy McClain in the Die Hard movies, I found it funny she was also crawling around the ventiliation ducts... :D

I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-. 

Zootopia

This film pretty much delves with the timeless adage of "don't judge a book by its cover", and is fairly on-the-nose in driving home that message. The animation is sunny and bright, and chillingly dark. The lead characters of Judy and Nick make a good team in spite of their natural antagonism/fear. It's not as funny as I had hoped, but it's a solid family film.

I give it 3 stars, or a grade of B.

London Has Fallen

This is your basic action flick that allows the viewer to chew on their bucket of popcorn without needing to engage their brain all that much through the film.

While the destruction of London is a sight to behold at times, the fault in the film is that the villains aren't that interesting, and Gerard Butler's character is so over-the-top confident in his ability to protect the President in spite of overwhelming odds. There are some funny action-movie rejoinders, but it's an explosively predictable film.

I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+.

Deadpool

This movie is not a superhero movie, it's more of a merc with regenerative super powers. At the core, it is a love story, rivaling Titanic's love story, only that the guy gets to live, but at the cost of his handsome "People's Most Sexiest Man" good looks. LOL!

The plot is simple, almost too simple, but easy enough to entertain the audience with all sorts of zeitgeist snark and funny rejoinders and observations, and lamentations on super powers used in less than heroic or self-less ways. The cast seemed to have a blast with the film, lending to the fun energy throughout the movie.

Even with all the murderous undertakings, the film is entertaining because it's mostly through the prism of Deadpool's point of view. And yeah, be a good parent and don't take your kid to see this film unless they are at a maturity level of roughly 15 years or older, and can handle frank sex scenes (and kinky "50 Shades of Red" stuff), and other crude humor. Or have fun explaining some possibly uncomfortable material with your under-aged offspring prematurely... :)

I give it 3 stars or a grade of B.

#DriveBy

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

I thought the tone of the film was actually restrained for a Michael Bay film, and served the film well. Pulling from the real-life details and concerns of the men and women in Libya on that fateful day, the film tries to impart what's important to the men who fought bravely for half a day while being out-flanked in personnel and weapons, and showcased their service to duty and country while the American consulate came under attack in 2012 on 9/11, resulting in casualties, perhaps unnecessarily so, but it's a dangerous part of the world, regardless.

I give it 2.75 stars or a grade of B- (it does run a little long, but, granted, the title of the film is "13 Hours").

Room

I think I liked the performances of the mother (Brie Larson) and son (Jacob Tremblay) in the film, but I think I needed just a few more details to be fleshed out in the third act. The concept is harrowing, young woman is captive in a small room, bears a child, and that child only knows life while being captive inside that room for 5 years, and having to fully depend on the captor for the bare necessities, and a mother who normalizes the confining experience as best she can given the situation. It's like being born guilty of a crime that requires incarceration in a small room with little hope for parole.

I give it 3 stars, or a grade of B.

Brooklyn

Hmm, I saw this in early December and forgot to toss in my 2 cents. From what I remember, the film had a likable cast, fairly engaging lead actress in a role with a nice character development arc for Ellis (Saoirse Ronan) which made for some good old fashion character investment by the viewers through an Ellis-driven plotline for a nice period piece drama which took place in the 1950s.

I give it 3 stars or a grade of B.

It's an okay film, don't go into it thinking it'll blow your mind or something. Just enjoy it for what it is.

The Revenant

Saw 'The Revenant' and all I have to say is that it'll be a crying shame if that grizzly bear doesn't get a Best Supporting Bear Actor nomination!!!!

As movie-goers, we are often asked implicitly to suspend our disbelief with the fantasy/superhero genre quite a bit. I almost felt the viewers were ask to suspend their disbelief with "The Revenant" a lot as well, almost too much so given the conditions, and the physical and emotional toll that the lead character (Glass, played with relentless conviction by Leo DiCaprio) undergoes.

Technically, a very well-done display of cinema-making on-hand in this film. The story is a little too long, a little too Terrence Malick-esque at times. It's a simple story drawn out with maybe one or two tiny twists and turns, but ultimately excels at the visceral rendition of the conditions that needed to be overcome, but the pace lagged due to a long running time.

I give it 3 stars or a grade of B (had it been tightened up a bit, with a little more emotional heft imparted, I'd grade it higher).

Carol

This is probably one of those films that came out 10 years too late. The production values and attention to details are top-notch, but the story of forbidden love from a time period that kept it in the closet just doesn't pack the punch it once did, I'm afraid. I wanted to like it more, but it just felt a little flat for me.

I give it 2.75 stars or a grade of B-.

Joy

I thought this was a boring film, though the script hoped that the weird family dynamics would earn it some interest from the viewing audience.

I felt Jennifer Lawrence needed to be another 5-10 years older for this particular story. The story chugs along with many obstacles for her character to be slapped in the face with, and each times she somehow manages to overcome the obstacles, it feels more and more like fiction, and not really based on a real life story. So I was losing investment in this tale as the film rolled on.

I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+.

The Big Short

"Waiting is the hardest part." LOL! That sums up the thesis of the movie for me.

I thought it was okay, with 3 main subplots of those who tapped into the mess that led into the financial calamity of 2007, and the toll it took on them.

I give it 2.75 stars or a grade of B-. (it's worth a matinee viewing if you are into the subject material).

Sisters

I appreciated that this movie tried to be a raunchy R-rated comedy, harkening back to even the 1980s vibe of such comedies, but it's a lot valleys, with a few peaks. I think the sisters angle was okay, with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler playing off one another well enough, and a parade of former and present cast members from Saturday Night Live getting to strut their R-rated comedy chops as well. The writing is uneven, though the movie gets crazier and crazier as it moves along. There were a few laughs, but it's not a comedy classic.

I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+.

Concussion

I thought this film was okay, though I wasn't quite all that interested in the Bennett Omalu home life side of the story as he slowly realizes that repeated head trauma from playing football causes a condition, CTE, that doesn't show up in scans on living human beings, but only confirmed after death via autopsies.

But it's still a sobering look at the human costs incurred playing football at a professional level where the tremendous amount of money made by the NFL threatened to sweep such revelations under the rug to preserve their cash cow at the expense of shortened lives of the players who create the entertainment value for the NFL.

I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-. (also worth seeing if you are interested in seeing how the NFL finally had to create concussion protocols to keep concussed players from going back into the games and getting more hurt).

In The Heart of the Sea

Based on the real life story that inspired Melville's "Moby Dick", this film tells of the Essex, the ship with a crew looking for whale oil in the seas in 1820.

The seafaring scenes are most paint-by-numbers, director Ron Howard does merely a yeoman's job highlighting the harrowing experiences of the crew of the Essex in its face-off with a tremendous white whale.

Overall, the film just simmers along, never really developing the main characters (the captain and the first mate, and the small supporting cast) all that well, and when they are faced with surviving at seas with little in rations, there is more telling than showing, undercutting the tale's brutal conditions.

I give it 2 stars, or a grade of C.

Spotlight

Script had good pacing, and the ensemble cast was solid as well. Maybe it was my local theater's projection quality, but the video presentation seemed a little fuzzy/soft to me.

I give it 3 stars, or a grade of B.

The Good Dinosaur

I thought I was jaded about CGI animated films, but I actually appreciated the care in the pre-historic world that Pixar crafted, as well as the technical challenges of animating water throughout the film. The core of the film is family, and hits all the right notes.

I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.

The Night Before

The humor is pretty juvenile, but the bonds of brotherhood depicted in the movie transcend the humor level.

I give it 2 stars, or a grade of C.

Creed

Overall, a solid send-off to the Rocky cinematic saga spanning almost 40 years (let that sink in...)

I give it 3 stars, or a grade of B.

Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2

Mockingjay Part 2 was also too long and plodding for a lot of its running time. Has the pacing of a money grab, unfortunately.

I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+.

Spectre

I thought it was okay, slower than expected, longer than needed.

I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+.

Steve Jobs

Anyone else noticed Kate Winslet's American accent got slurred during her more emotional moments in the 3nd act? I was like, what is this? :D

I'm kinda "meh" on the film, it just got ridiculous how these points of contention (and showdowns) were showing up minutes before the various product launches of the 1980s and 1990s. And the baby mama drama was eyerolling and not so entertaining.

I give it 2 stars, or a grade of C.

Bridge of Spies

I thought it was a solid film, though, pretty much like watching a hand of high-stakes poker at times.

I give it 3 stars, or a grade of B.

Burnt

It's funny how 10 years later, Cooper got to star in a the film version of "Kitchen Confidential". LOL!

I thought it was okay, maybe a decent matinee viewing if you are into movies revolving around tortured personalities working the culinary arts with the lead character picking up the pieces after flaming out spectacularly in France.

I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.

The Walk

I thought it was okay, thought I felt like I was watching Ocean's 7 half-way through the film.

Plus, it was eerie how much Charlotte Lebon (Annie) reminded me of a young Winona Ryder. :)

The vertigo-inducing shots didn't really bother me (watched in RealD 3D), though.

I give it 3 stars or a grade of B.

The Martian

I thought it was a solid film, with some odd casting (yes, the Wiig casting was simply odd, she didn't really bring anything to the table, I'm probably stereotyping her, though, but I didn't feel as weird with the Donald Glover casting.

I thought the pacing was fine for a 140 minute film, never felt it slowed down much at all. The characterizations were a little skimpy, but it's mostly Watney's plight anyway (Matt Damon).

I give it 3.5 stars, or a grade of B+

(I saw it in 3D, pretty good in 3D).

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation

Very entertaining installment of the M:I franchise. McQuarrie (writer/director) had a good handle on the plot turns and the requisite action and spycraft motifs the audience expects in this sort of film.

Rebecca Ferguson was a solid addition to the cast, and she's got some amazing blue eyes. [] Didn't care much for the guy casted as the main bad guy, though.

I give it 3.5 stars, or a grade of B+.

The Gift

I thought it was a solid drama-thriller, thought I think I got a little ahead of the story by the time the 3rd act rolled around. Not bad for a matinee viewing.

I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.

Straight Out of Compton

An unlikely rags-to-riches story from the entertainment industry, "Straight Outta Compton" was actually pretty entertaining, even with not enough grey (choosing to go mostly black-white in the interpretation of events presented in the film) for some of the plot points and character development for the core characters from the group NWA.

The performances were entertaining, the inter-personal dynamics were engaging. And the pacing of the film was solid, especially for a 2.5 hours film.

I give it 3 stars, or a grade of B.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

I usually like Guy Ritchie films, so the sprinkled bits of his directorial/visual humor, and the look of the film bring a throwback to films from the 50s-60s was nice to see. But that's about all I liked about the film.

The 2 leading men, Cavill and Hammer are simply "meh", but mostly Cavill. He seems too cavalier in general as Solo and to be stuck in some other movie from the rest of the film crew, and it lends itself to checking out of the film for me. Vikander is not bad, though, but her co-stars don't help her much.

I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+.

Trainwreck

I thought this film ran long, far too long for its premise, so I basically lost interest 2/3 of the way through the film. Maybe a tighter cut keeps my attention, but for me, it just didn't quite hit the spot. Perhaps a film titled "Trainwreck" ramped up my expectations of how far down the rabbit hole we'd go with the title character, but how it plays out just didn't quite have the tone that hit home for this viewer.

I give it 2.5 stars or a grade of C+.

Pixels

"Pixels" is pretty much aimed at the people who grew up playing video games at the arcade or pizza joints in the 1980s. Everything in this film requires the viewer to take it with a huge grain of salt, and I was okay with that. The marketing of the film is pretty solid in terms of setting viewer expectations, so you pretty much know what you'll get from it. And from that perspective, it was an interesting look back at simpler times, and it has a quiet commentary of today's video game offerings and when this form of entertainment was in its infancy back then.

So, with it being an Adam Sandler movie, expect some zingers between the cast to keep the harmonious antagonism to keep a level of relational tension. Josh Gad actually had a scene or two that had me laughing hard. Kevin James is almost too "4th wall-ish", but still had fun observations from the world about to end due to an alien invasion in the form of Earthly video game incarnations from the 1980s. Peter Dinklage chews up the scenery in most of his scenes.

I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+ (if you fit the target demographic and played video games as a kid in the 1980s, you'll like it a little more).

Ant-Man

While I thought the story was a little light in the dramatic heft department, I saw it in 3D, and I would say the 3D enhanced the viewing experience, so if you like 3D, this film is one to see in 3D.

Cast chemistry was good, the bad guy was okay, probably what made it a little too benign for me.

I give it 3 stars (for the 3D, mainly), or a grade of B.

Self/Less

Ben Kingsley and Ryan Reynolds star in a film harkening back to classic tales of mind swaps in bodies, only this time, an old, rich dude (Kingsley) dying of cancer buys more time on this planet by undergoing a process that will transfer his mind/consciousness from his old body to a new younger, virile body (Reynolds), but at what true costs?

I mainly saw this film because Tarsem Singh directed it, and wanted to see what he could do with a conventional sci-fi-ish thriller. I will say that I did laugh at some of the scenes in the last act of the film as it was drawing to a predictable conclusion, but mainly due to the dark humor of the plotline.

Strictly a matinee viewing candidate if you are so inclined.


I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+.

The Minions

So, the fun yellow cronies from "Despicable Me" are the stars of their own movie.

For the most part, it's the origin story of the Minions, and a fun romp through villainy in the 1960s. It had a groovy soundtrack with songs from that era, and it focused mainly on Kevin, Stuart and Bob, as if any of us can really keep them apart from an identification standpoint from all the other minions.

At least the minions are consistent in their character traits, and the film's plot is okay for basically a kids' film.

I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.

Terminator Genisys

The time travel element in this film was abused for setting up a lot of special effects scenes. With all the regressiveness of alternate timelines convoluting and undercutting the events that comprised the plotlines in this film, it just got sillier and sillier as we got bigger and bigger explosions and chase scenes to its meh conclusion. The casting choices for Sarah and Kyle were weak, you never get a sense of the weariness that you got from the originals (Hamilton and Biehn). Schwarzenegger was okay given the script for this film, but the story needed to shoe-horn his participation in this film made for a weaker story, so it's a wash.


I give it 2 stars, or a grade of C.

Inside Out

My quick take: Given that this is a film focusing on showcasing 5 emotions of an 11-12 year old girl in the face of her life changing in major ways, there is nothing wrong with feelings stemming from these emotions, as in the end, it's about making peace with the bittersweetness of change, while allowing growth in the complexities of these emotions as we humans grow older.


I give it 3.5 stars, or a grade of B+.

Ted 2

The writing in the first hour is clunky, with only a few jokes landing, but the film gets a bit of its footing back in the 2nd half, albeit with a weak villain subplot while it pursues its central plotline of Ted's personness.

I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+.

(Did enjoyed Amanda Seyfried's song, though, lovely voice).

Jurassic World

While I thought "Jurassic World" was average (threadbare characterizations, didn't care for anyone in the main cast all that much). But I was not prepared for how hot Bryce Dallas Howard looked all glisteny while running FloJo times in those heels of hers throughout the 3rd act of the movie... LOL!

I give it 2.5 stars or a grade of C+.

Aloha

I saw it, and nothing ever clicked into a groove, it was just all oddly juxtaposed together, these plotlines. Not worth even a matinee viewing, I'm afraid.

I give it 1.5 stars or a grade of D+.

San Andreas

While being fairly predictable, it's okay. The disaster scenes were full of fury, and the theater shook a lot throughout those scenes. The human stories were perfunctionarily adequate. My gratitude to the producers who felt it was necessary to put Alexandra Daddario in a bikini for no good reason, plot-wise, but appreciated by this viewer nonetheless. LOL! She would have looked amazing in the Wonder Woman outfit, too. :D (But I digress...)

I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.

Tomorrowland

I'm getting to feel like an old fart, so for me, this film just felt far too didactic for my tastes, so I wasn't really engaged, even with the cool "Tomorrowland" environment we were shown in the film.

The violence was oddly sanitized, but felt weird and even with the reactions by the cast, it all felt false and calculated. I get it's supposed to echo a type of the old school action serials movie-making genre, but I didn't really care during some of the sequences. I probably need to avoid Damon Lindelof-penned films, his voice doesn't really speak to me, I guess.

I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+, mainly for Britt Roberson and Raffey Cassidy.

Pitch Perfect 2

I thought the script had terrible, groan-worthy dialogue, rarely any punch-line landed in this movie. Passing the Perfect Pitch torch of the new girl was "meh" in my book. Only when the group(s) are singing did I enjoy what I was watching and listening to during the film. So, a total mixed bag for me.

I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+ (mostly for the singing numbers, not much else)

Mad Max: Fury Road

As a 2nd unit director's showcase, the action is over-the-top, intense, and a thrilling ride. As a film with interesting characters and situations and plotlines, it's fairly bare and ho-hum. It tries to overwhelm the viewers' senses with the amazingly shot and well-executed action pieces to blur the average and simple core story. You do get your money's worth on the action sequences alone, but I wanted to feel engaged more into the characters' plights. It's a wide berth of characters, so it feels thin in developing them, and Max (Tom Hardy) is also riding in the side cart for most of the film, while Furiosa (Charlize Theron) does more of the plot propulsion.


I give it 3 stars, or a grade of B, mostly for the crazy action scenes.

Ex Machina

The film, with its understated CGI work has the feel of a bigger-budget episode of Black Mirror, asking the fun sci-fi questions on A.I. intertwined with humanity and sentience and survival insticts.

For most of its running time, the film does take its time exploring its themes through the construct of "The Turing Test" as a programmer (Caleb) is brought to a compound of his employer (Nathan) to interview Ava, a robot with the form factor of a female human, with Nathan's A.I. running her "programming". Can Ava pass the test is the central plot.

If you like these types of movies, "Ex Machina" is right up your alley.

I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.

The Age of Adaline

I really didn't think Blake Lively could have pulled off the main role of Adaline, a woman who somehow after an accident doesn't age a day afterwards. She has the looks of a woman in her mid-to-late 20s, and does so from the first quarter of the 20th century and into current day. She's seen a lot, and has been on the run all of her life. Lively is quite charming and emotionally accessible, while garnering earned empathy in her approach to the character of Adaline. She's cautious, but not bitter, she accepts her condition and acts to protect those she loves, even at the expense of being without them.

The tone of the film is the selling point of the film for me. There's a sense of loneliness from outliving one's loved ones, and not wanting to get close to people for the same reasons, that pervades the film, but not in a morose manner, but still gets across pangs of existing, but not quite living as if each moment could be your last.

Overall, even with the dramatic overtones as Adaline's past catches up with her in unexpected ways, the film is quite enchanting.

I give it 3 stars or a grade of B.

Furious 7

The FF franchise is more Mission Impossible nowadays, but cast chemistry is what makes the crazy stunts even more enjoyable in the ever-more-increasingly preposterous plots, over-the-top action, and the eye candy sprinkled in for good measure once again. Loved every minute of it. Hahahahaha!

Great tribute to Paul Walker at the end.

I give it 3 stars or a grade of B.

Insurgent

"Insurgent" - the 2nd part of the Divergent trilogy features our heroine, Tris, trying to make sense of the aftermath from the first film, and being on the run and in hiding with the compliant Amity group for a while.

It's an odd follow-up, with Tris and 4 looking for forces to overthrow the Erudite faction, but a mysterious box from Tris's mother puts into motion a heightened man-hunt for divergents who might be capable of locking the box's secrets.

I find the mindgames/sims of this series of movies to border on the boring side with a lot of footage feeling like watching "tests" play out on a holodeck of sorts, and it doesn't quite capture my imagination nor hold my attention for long.

I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+.

Cinderella

I  enjoyed this film. I was struck with how much Lily James looked like a young Jessica Lange, and the guy playing Kit (the Prince) looked like some amalgam of a young Willem Dafoe and Michael Fassbender. Anyhow, very charming, fun, light-hearted tone helped with a sense of whimsy for this classic Disney tale.


I give it 3 stars, or a grade of B.

Chappie

I think I don't enjoy Sharlto Copely voice or weird manic movements as Chappie, the pitch of the voice just got more and more annoying for me. The same goes for the "Mommy" character. Plus, the characters are so 2-dimensional, "Chappie" was a live-action cartoon with a bad script and uneven performances from its cast. It's another miss after a promising debut from Blomkamp, who is probably a better VFX director, but not as good on the people directing front.

I give it 1.75 stars, or a grade of C-.

Kingsmen: The Secret Service

The film was a little long, but it's ludicrously violent at times, and has a lot of fun with carnage and mayhem in an entertaining way. They got a lot of mileage with their R rating. The film has Matthew Vaughn's style stamped all over it.

I give it 2.75 stars or a grade of B-.

50 Shades of Grey

My 2-word review: Too tame.

I give it 2 stars or a grade of C.

Jupiter Ascending

High concepts of planetary ownership, coupled with interplanetary bureaucracy hijinks, and genetic jackpot royalty standards adds up to lot of space opera visuals and cliched intergalactic plot mechanisms, but the script fails in engaging in the stakes of the outcome between the small group of protagonists (characters played by Mila Kunis, Channing Tatum, and Sean Bean), and antagonists (amongst them, there is the main one most absurdly played by Eddie Redmayne in an irritating manner), so lots of explosive action, flights of fancy, and chaos show up on the screen, but ultimately a bland meal of sci-fi cinema.

Also, I felt the action scenes lacked any sense of inertia or excitement, so the special effects were not all that special at all, looked rather cheap to my eyes. Some of that has to go to the direction by the Wachowski siblings, all in all, a disappointing effort.

I give it 2 stars or a grade of C.

Blackhat

I can't stand the DV cameras Mann now uses to shoot in super-low light conditions, mainly because the frame rate appears to look like 30FPS (or when LCD TVs have the 240hz motion-interpolation mode turned on), and when cuts are inter-mixed with footage with different looking frame rates, it totally pulls me out of the movie, and "Blackhat" suffered in that department, as well as a somewhat uninvolving film about hacking and the need to bust out a hacker doing time to use his knowledge to stop more dastardly hacking deeds.

I used to like Michael Mann films, but his recent films aren't really cutting it for me much anymore.

I give it 2 stars, or a grade of C.

American Sniper

"American Sniper" was a solid film, featuring a strong lead performance by Bradley Cooper (as Chris Kyle, the legendary Navy Seal sniper who kept many US troops safe through strategic sniping in military engagements on the ground by soldiers after 9/11), and Sienna Miller was also good in a supporting role as Chris's wife, Taya. Director Clint Eastwood keeps things going with solid movie storytelling and pacing, keeping viewers engaged in the moral quandary facing snipers having to make split-second decisions to protect their own while exercising judgment to minimize the body count whenever possible. This "calling" takes its toll on Chris, and the script examines the brotherhood of soldiers, and the strong need to have each other's backs (and to return to the battlefront by re-joining with additional tours of duty), in spite of their personal sanity and PTSD, and forsaking their family's wishes to stay stateside.

The ending provided a sobering reaction from my audience, so quiet, and respectful. That told me the film worked, it struck all the right chords for a war film, as it dealt with the aftermath of war.

I give it 3.5 stars, or a grade of B+.

Inherent Vice

This film was a chore to sit through. I simply didn't really care for any characters in the film, and the overly long takes and meandering plotlines just didn't really pay off well for me, so it's a miss for me.

I give it 2 stars, or a grade of C.

Selma

The thing that drove me crazy about the film was the director's odd framing of the close-ups in the Oval Office. I thought the film was good, not great, but good enough to get the point across, unfortunately the script needed to paint LBJ as the bad guy (though not as big a racial a-hole as Wallace) to create dramatic conflict for the story it was trying to convey. Left me with a 'eh' feeling overall on that count, but Oyelowo's performance as MLK, Jr. was solid, and the actress cast as Coretta really looked like how the younger Coretta probably did in the mid-1960s.


I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.

Life Itself

Weirdly enough, teared up a bit towards the end of the documentary, but overall, a solid look at the life and times of Roger Ebert. Worth watching.

2 Thumbs Up!

Big Eyes

I should have liked this film more than I do, as I like art, and having a film hone in on the commercialization of pop-art should have been an entertaining romp, but given the big lie in 'Big Eyes" being a stroll down chauvinism lane of the late 1950s, it just wasn't as entertaining as I had hoped.

Many had said this is the least "Tim Burton" movie he's done in ages, and I can agree with that, but in another sense, I don't think he was the right director for the material either, so I think the film is hit-or-miss, with it being more of a miss for me.

I think I just wasn't really sympathetic enough for the character of Margaret, even though I should have been firmly in her camp, and Walter was a cad, somewhat of a grifter without the nomadic roaming qualities. I guess I just ended up not really caring about these characters.

I give it 2.5 stars or a grade of C+ (mainly for the acting performances).

Foxcatcher

This movie was mainly "meh" for me. The slow simmer route to the conclusion just didn't really pay off, and in spite of performance of Carell and Ruffalo, the script is so somber and uninteresting and unentertaining. And the story being told is pretty much a work of fiction in director Bennett Miller's mind, it's basically a poor use of movie-making resources.

I give it 1.75 stars, or a grade of C-, mainly for the script.

The Theory of Everything

I thought it was a solid film, even if it did feel too "clean" in how these characters were depicted, as I can't imagine having to live through Stephen's debilitating medical condition as being all sweetness and light. There had to be plenty of dark days, but the script is fairly upbeat in handling how Stephen and Jane met in college, and then his world-shattering diagnosis, and the ups and downs of their marriage in spite of his condition, which provided the framework where he would produce his most well-known contribution to physics.

I'm not a big fan of Eddie Redmayne, but he did a fine job in the role as Stephen, uncannily channeling all the mannerisms and infectious smile through his face, quite an acting challenge. Felicity Jones as Jane was a luminous revelation, more than up to the task of portraying Jane along side Redmayne's Stephen.

I give it 3 stars or a grade of B.

Unbroken

Part of me felt like this was what Fight Club would feel like if Angelina Jolie directed it.

While it's a solid tale of survival in spite of unbelievable odds, I tend to not like films as much when the protagonist doesn't really drive the plot all that much, and plot just shows the lead character suffering, and then more suffering, and then even more suffering until it's time to wrap up the movie. I get it, he suffered to ease the suffering of others in the last half of the film, but still, I could have just popped in "The Passion of the Christ" in some respects for that viewing experience, too.

With all that said, Louie Zamperini is a true war-time hero, I just wished the story played out with a different angle, I guess.

I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.

The Imitation Game

I'm not really a Benedict Cumberbatch fan, but I wanted to see a film about Alan Turing and his efforts to beat the Enigma machine in WWII, so off I went.

The film, overall, is buoyed by Cumberbatch's performance of the eccentric Turing, and the supporting cast (Mark Strong, Keira Knightley, and Matthew Goode) is solid. The script gives the viewer insight to Turing's past, how it shapes his personality, and the race against the clock to use his mind to overcome the odds in decrypting the German's Enigma machine which allowed them to broadcast war plans and directives without the Allies being able to comprehend them. Each day lost in decryption failure meant lives were lost to the war.

I give it 3.5 stars, or a grade of B+.

Into the Woods

The last half-hour "Into the Woods" just seemed to drag on and on, plus the dour color palette made it not as visually interesting to my eyes. I liked some of the singing, but some voices almost bordered on shrill on occasion (mainly Anna Kendrick's singing voice at times).

Wasn't too crazy about the child actors playing Little Red Riding Hood, or Jack, either.

I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+.

Maybe if it was a little shorter in running time, I'd like it a little more.

The Interview

It wasn't bad, but as expected, very silly, zany and kooky in spots given the track record of Franco and Rogen's previous pairings. So, glad it didn't outright suck, it did have some laughs, and that for anyone else going to see the film just to flip the bird of freedom of speech back at N. Korea, you won't be sitting through merely dreck.

I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

So, I saw it in 2D, non-HFR. It was a pretty exhausting movie to sit through, and came away thinking they really should have just split "The Hobbit" into 2 films because the flow just lumbers along, and I was losing interest along the way.

I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+.

Birdman

Finally got a chance to see "Birdman", and it's quite a ride, mainly due to the story being told through long tracking shots, obviously spliced together at opportune points, but still very ambitious and skillfully done. Can't imagine the technical lighting requirements that had to be solved to get the tracking shots to look uniform and non-disjointed or distracting. And then you add in the directing, and the acting components, it's a film that keeps moving on its own momentum simply through the camerawork and plot rhythms. Director Inarritu handles all of the material quite deftly, engagingly so.

Story-wise, it's a bit meta with respect to entertainment, whether it be from Hollywood, or on Broadway, the truth of critics, and even social media entertainment engagement component that plagues us today. Riggan Thomas (Michael Keaton), having experienced fame and fortune early in his acting career as "Birdman" (a la "Batman"), comes back to Broadway with his own play (encompassing story/vision/directorial/acting elements) that may as well be his last stand to remain relevant in the entertainment business himself, his internal monologue is peppered with doubts and ominous thoughts.

The supporting cast (Edward Norton, Emma Stone, Naomi Watts, Zach Galifinakis, Amy Ryan, Lindsay Duncan, and Andrea Riseborough) is also solid as they drift in and out of the story as we mostly follow Riggan throughout the film, but not always just his point of view.

I give it 3 stars, or a grade of B.

Chris Rock's "Top Five"

I'm in the middle, some parts were funny/sad. I liked Rosario Dawson's role, she and Rock had decent chemistry. The send-up on reality TV stars was maybe too easy, but some side-way hijinks were silly enough to laugh at and laugh with. The cameos were unexpected, but fun nonetheless.

I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.

Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1

Part 1 has the unenviable job of being mostly set-up for the final conclusion to come in part 2, but still set up things and move things along for the conflict between the districts and the capital. Going by that yard stick, Part 1 was okay, maybe a tad slow, a tad showy in the acting, purposefully so. The script lumbers along, with some action tossed in to keep the subwoofers going, some introspective dialogue here and there. So, it's almost unfair to really grade it until I see part 2 to see how the whole thing comes together.

For now, I give part 1 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.

Big Hero 6

"Big Hero 6" was entertaining animated fare, kids and adults will enjoy it. The main character, Hiro, gets plenty of character development and background story. My main misgiving was the short-shrift given to the rest of the "team", but I guess we'll get more backstory in future installments of this new "franchise". Baymax's character design/personality got a lot of laughs throughout the film.

I give it 3 stars, or a grade of B.

Interstellar

Okay, so I finally got to see "Interstellar", a speculative tale of mankind's rent on planet Earth coming due, and it's either find another planet to inhabit, or go the ways of the dinosaurs.

Christopher Nolan's film is ambitious in scope, both in time and space, and takes liberties with human emotions as an observable force in of itself, yet somewhat un-quantifiable, but existing nonetheless in terms of interpersonal dynamics. For a film that frames the question, how does mankind take the next necessary leap into space for survival of the species, the mechanics of the plot offer an interesting puzzle to the viewer, and by the time you get to the final act, you either accept the central premise that the Nolans' (Christopher and Jonathan) script pushes through the narrative, or you don't. I lean in the acceptance camp, mainly because, the other camp is a lonely cold place, just like space, and that's just no fun.

Was the film overly long and boring with a running time nearly 3 hours? No, not for me, I was firmly entertained and intrigued as each plot development unfurled for the film. Character development, oddly enough, is not overly expansive, but with the characters providing enough push-pull for actions and motivations while serving the overall plot.

But if "Interstellar" could be considered a 4-act film, I would say the 3rd act is the weakest, and yet oddly dramatic, and I understand why it was somewhat needed to get us to the final act, it just seemed a little too mundane in terms of the plotting. Also, the musical cues and blaring organ play seemed just a bit too overly dramatic and ham-fisted in spots, which was jarring at times.

Anyone who likes space exploration themed films should check this film out, as it is an immersive viewing experience and treats relativistic concepts of time and space of interstellar travel well enough to explain to the laymen without dumbing it down so much that it shows contempt for its audience.

I give it 3.75 stars, or a grade of A-.

Nightcrawler

Louis Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal), a self-informed hustler of sorts with odd social skills, stumbles upon chasing the "if it bleeds, it leads" TV news footage industry in L.A. to make a living. As its central character, Louis is quite an audacious entity, I found myself both laughing and cringing at some of his interchanges with the other characters in the film, but at the core of it all, the film does hook you in, and makes you wonder what are Louis's limits in going after new footage, and it's not a tidy enterprise, to say the least.

I give it 3 stars, or a grade of B.

St. Vincent

Bill Murray headlines this film about a curmudgeon named Vincent, and how his life changes a bit when a mother (Melissa McCarthy) and her son Oliver move in next door, and Vincent ends up with babysitting duties after school because he needs the money, and she needs someone to look after Oliver. Providing some weird comic relief is Daka (Naomi Watts with a Russian accent, a pregnant lady of the night who Vincent sees on a regular basis.

The film might not sound interesting, but it's a nice throwback to films with stories that deal with unlikely pairings of characters and a splash or two of dramatic conflict, and providing the tried-n-true bits of character arcs throughout the story, even with nods to human foibles and disappointing actions driven by desperation, but underneath the surface, a more careful examination reveals nobility in spite of the rough exteriors.

While it's a very understated film, it does well with the highs and lows and sustains its narrative momentum throughout its running time. It's not a outrageously funny film, but there are nicely set up laughs that come through organically from its narrative, and from the interplay between the characters. It's nice to see character-driven dramedies still being made.

I give it 3 stars, or a grade of B.

John Wick

You know, this film isn't billed as a comedy, per se, but I still laughed a lot, mainly from the inferences to the legend of John Wick, as Wick himself finds himself on a path for retribution against a mob family in New York City.

Despite being a retired enforcer with an impressive body count to his resume in the employ of a mob family, Keanu Reeves' John Wick is still a sympathetic character given his motivations, a very simple one, but because his particular skill set, he's able and willing to do whatever is needed to exact his pound of flesh to be paid in full.

It's a lean movie, paced well, with entertaining fights and action scenes. It pretty much delivers what the trailer has marketed, with some extra flourishes that treats criminals having a sense of decorum within their own brand of mayhem, so I was entertained by this movie.

I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.

The Equalizer

I thought it was okay, a bit preposterous in spots, but I was kind of distracted by some of the out-of-focus close-ups (bad camerawork), but I guess they were the best "takes" so they just rolled with them.

I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+.

Gone Girl

"Gone Girl" may be categorized as being a dramatic mystery, but it's also funny and spot on with its skewering of the media when it comes to sensational missing persons cases.

Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) comes home on his 5th wedding anniversary to find his house disheveled, and his wife Amy (Rosamund Pike) missing. The ensuing plotline twisted and turned, and for me, produced a lot of laughs in spots for both relief and cheeky self-awareness of the situations.

Director David Fincher continues his story-telling mastery, the film is 2.5 hours long, but the pacing and delivery of story bits keeps the film moving without major dull spots. In combining characterization and plot motivations, the story is simply entertaining, without the fidgeting of being a monotonously boring cinematic exercise. The direction is not flashy, the camerawork does not call attention to itself, but services the story, producing a film you never want to look away while watching it.

So, a fine cast, an engaging script, and deft direction make for a solid film.

I give it 3.75 stars, or a grade of A-.

Tusk

This movie was so weird, I didn't really know how to formulate my thoughts on it, so I'll just go with "Well, that was weird."

The Giver

Based on a young adult novel, "The Giver" is the story of a world with boundaries and an adherement to "sameness", basically evening out the human experience to mitigate man's capacity for love and hatred. Every generation it seems there is one person born who can handle the memories of human life before the "sameness" became the way of life of human civilization in this dystopian future, all the while the propagaters of this experience think they are working towards a utopian existence for human kind.

Jonas is that person who is deemed worthy to receive these memories, and they come from the current receiver of memories, now in "The Giver" role (Jeff Bridges). Living in this world is haunting, as the evening out of all things creates a population unable to see in color, they don't have time for the arts, music, feelings with emotional content. Everything is literal, nuance has been squelched from human interaction. Soon, after spending time with the Giver, Jonas sees in colors, he learns of happiness, love, and later, all of the painful sides of human existence.

All in all, a very didactic tale, very on-the-nose. With Phillip Noyce at the directing helm, the film looks good, it moves well, but the plot and conclusion are weak, very little drama past Jonas having a hard time dealing with mankind's darkest days in the past. So, a decent setup, but not so good of a dismount.

I give it 2.5 stars or a grade of C+.

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For

My 4-word review for Sin City 2 - #GodBlessEvaGreen

I found myself distracted by Jessica Alba's yet-still average acting chops, so her segments were a little more jarring when viewing the film compared to the rest of the cast.

But if you liked the first Sin City film, it's a decent follow-up, though it's been a long time in between that film and this film. I still enjoyed the lighting aspect of the cinematography for this very stylistically framed movie, but the plotline of the pulpy seedy undertones of crime noir feels almost too simplistic and dated.

I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+.

Let's Be Cops

Having worked on "New Girl" already together, it's not surprising the on-screen chemistry between best friends Ryan (Jake Johnson) and Justin (Damon Wayans, Jr.) is pretty decent. And while there are a couple of big laughs, mostly at Justin's expense, the script is overly simple and long at the same time, so it felt like it overstayed its welcome.

Probably a redbox rental at best if you're bored.

I give it 2 stars, or a grade of C.

Step Up: All In

Not going to mince words, I watch the Step Up film to see some of the folks who showed up on "So You Think You Can Dance" and see how they perform in a big ensemble, and to enjoy the dance numbers. The plotlines they string along, requiring a bit of acting to push forward to get to the dance numbers, will always be average at best, so I give it a pass. At the end of the day, if I'm not bored by the dance numbers, or the intended humor content, I leave the theater happy.

For for the latest installment in the "Step Up" franchise, we get some returning Step Up veterans and some fresh blood, and the mix is decent to good. There's always the underdog elements to these films, and the plots always mine those bits to produce some nice dance numbers. Plus, I didn't mind staring at Briana Evigan once again.

I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+ (See it at matinee pricing if it's still playing, if you like this genre).

The actress playing Alex Bravva reminded me so much of Michele Pfeifer in her younger years.

Boyhood

I'd rather folks see this film without much knowledge of the "plot" per se, as the film, ambitiously shot with the same core group of actors over a 12-year span, does a fine job of recounting the vibe and narrative prism of one's "Boyhood" memories of Mason as he makes his way towards adulthood from childhood, with scenes detailing touchstone events, along with inter-familial scenes amongst a fractured family, and somewhat extended family at times.

Richard Linklater, along with his core crew, deserves a lot of credit for maintaining focus and narrative trajectory of the story, literally waiting years to see it to fruition. It's not the most special-effects-laden film you'll see at the theaters this year, but perhaps one of the most human stories you'll see in a film, with the feeling of real time passing, because it did, and the time jumps are deftly edited and cut from one scene to the next, not as jarring as you'd think the cuts would be from the time hops.

The inter-generational dimension this film offers is quite haunting in spots, there's a term from Buffy the Vampire lore, called "I'm not done baking", and with a film like this, you seamlessly see bits of the baking process happening throughout the film until its conclusion.

I give it 3.75 stars, or a grade of A-.

Guardians of the Galaxy

I got to see it with a big group of local cosplayers this afternoon through a special arrangement with a local theater and Marvel Studios due to one of them being part of a 5-person group winning a contest on hosting community service events through Marvel cosplay, and that was a good crowd to watch this kind of film.

The film has the tough task of introducing a lot of characters, give some insight to what motivates them, and come up with reasons for banding together, and for objectives to be accomplished through uneasy alliances. But, for the most part, the script is funny enough to keep it all together throughout its 2+ hour running time, while showing the audience a cosmically-fueled backdrop for which the main characters are pitted against one another, directly or at cross-purposes for plenty of adventure and even some unlikely heroics from this hodge-podge of not-so-charitable personalities.

Solid fun all around.

I saw it in RPX 3D, and it was a good presentation, both in brightness and the 3D post-conversion. No complaints.

I give it 3 stars, or a grade of B.

The Purge: ANarchy

I wished the daughter of the mom-daughter "team" wasn't so annoying during "The Purge" period for the day. Good grief!

I sort of wanted a purging of the purgers scenario to play out, but the way it did was not all that satisfying.

Again, 2 stars, or a grade of C.

Lucy

Meh. Lazy. No real interesting story to speak of. Character development was sparse.

2 stars, or a grade of C.

Snowpiercer

You know, I wasn't all that thrilled with the summer movie line-up of 2014, but having seen "Begin Again" and "Snowpiercer", 2 very odd summer releases, my faith in storytelling and character development at the movies is coming back around. The movie-making model for Hollywood of late is to make the big splashy tent-pole films that are so front-loaded with being sold as a refreshing mash-up of other well-liked films, and tying into the movie-going audience's penchant for self-indulgent zeitgeist, it leaves very little room in the market for the more thought-provoking films, or simply entertaining films with little in the ways of marketing to the masses.

So, the premise of "Snowpiercer" is tough to get around at first: The earth undergoes a frozen transformation (the future is now), and somehow, the only bits of humanity are all on this long train on a railways system that spans a good amount of the earth in a jagged and curvy loop of railways, with an engine that appears to be able to continue running forever, it would seem.

The conflict arises from the classic battle of the have's and the have-nots, with Chris Evans' Curtis reluctantly leading a mutiny. What happens during this tale is full of social class allegories and the classic "life boat" scenario with many different points of views on board the train, but all sharing the single fundamental desire to remain alive under this fantastical existence on a train that never stops.

Worth seeking out if you are into sci-fi ideas on the meaning of existence in your films.

I give it 3 stars, or a grade of B. Worth seeking out if you are into sci-fi ideas in your films.

Begin Again

Nowadays it's very rare I want more of a film, but in the end, I think I wanted just a little more from "Begin Again". It starts with a down-and-out indy record exec (Dan, played by Mark Ruffalo) stumbling across a somewhat put-upon performance at open-mic night by Gretta (Kiera Knightley), and between her stripped down performance of her original song, and Dan's inner ear for song production, he is inspired to create music once again, and Gretta's own recent heartbreak fuels some of her songwriting.

So the pair gathers up a band and records out in the open on the streets of New York City. I wanted more of these outdoor recording sessions, it felt really lively and organic, and seeing how music was bringing together some of the characters was not overplayed, but just had a familial undercurrent buoying its composition.

If you're a fan of "Once", you'll probably be a fan of "Begin Again" (same director, James Carney, for both films).

I give it 3 stars, or a grade of B.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Checked out "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" last night at a RPX / Atmos theater in 3D, and it was a fine presentation, and it didn't seem dimly lit, rather natural looking (some 3D fillms suffer from it in how the movie was filmed and lit). But you don't need the 3D to get much more visually out of the viewing experience. The Atmos audio system added a bit more to the aural ambience. Still not sure if it's worth the $5 upcharge, but my friends wanted to see it in RPX, so I went with it.

The film does a good job setting up the Apes food chain and players (as well as a handful of the human cast), while delving into bits of characterizations and motivations for their actions later to drive the plot. The CGI for the apes has pretty much seamless integration with the human actors on the screen, you simply accept all the ape characters as if they really existed while on the screen, Andy Serkis as Caesar anchors the film with leadership tempered by family concerns (both immediate and for all ape-dom) and forethought. The human characters suffer a little bit in their characterizations (but the film would have been 30 minutes longer, and it was already a wee bit long at 130 minutes).

Anyhow definitely check it out if you like the "Planet of the Apes" franchise, and even if you don't, it's still takes its time for the develop apes and the interpersonal relationships to incorporate character dynamics that makes for an entertaining film.

I will say, there are some scenes in the final act that rivaled the grimace I felt for the stunt men in "The Raid 2", and started feeling bad for the stunt-apes until I laughed and realized there were no stunt-apes in the making of the movie. LOL!

I gives it 3 stars, or a grade of B.

Transformers: Age of Extinction

By sheer boredom, and being near a theater I don't visit much last night, I plopped down my $18 for the AMC FauxMax 3D experience for "Transformers: Age of Extinction". The A/V presentation was fine, and did aid in the immense scale of the Autobots, and the other not-so-nice-bots, and those puny humans who somehow survive the melee.

The story is pretty terrible, merely serving to get us from one set piece to another set piece where the bot-on-bot action could be initiated, and lead into other chase scenes throughout a really long movie. Its running time may have clocked in around 2:45 hours, but it felt like 4 hours. Mark Wahlberg, in a fatherly role of a wealth-challenged robotics inventor with a fresh-faced 17 year old daughter introduced to the audience in super short-shorts showcasing her legs as only Michael Bay and his camera can, is fairly humdrum in the role, while trying to extract whatever actiony-dramedy with the script that is filled with cliched motivations (when it tries), and some hodge-podge of confrontational antagonists from more than one front.

But if you just like the special effects of bot-on-bot violence we've come to expect from the Transformers franchise, the film will deliver that in spades, to ultimately a dull, brain-droning conclusion.

I finally figured out, the daughter in the film reminds me of a taller, tanner, rosier-cheeked version of Tara Reid, but with a little more personality of an annoyed teenager with an overly protective father.

I pitied the cameramen, for they were surely on their backs filming alot for the footage with the cameras aimed upwards (at extreme angles) at both the actors, and the imaginary autobots and the sky in the frame. LOL!
I give it 2 stars, or a grade of C.

How To Train Your Dragon 2

"How To Train Your Dragon 2" was a very solid follow-up from the initial installment. Still enjoyed the flying scenes in 3D (though I though the brightness level of my showing was a little low), and good character build-up and interaction throughout the film, and provided enough touchstone dramatic scenes to anchor the film's plotline, while providing some balance with the humor content.

Hiccup is now 5 years older, and not at all excited about assuming the mantle of adult responsibilities his father has in store for him. But before Hiccup's bout with avoidance sets in, there are new dangers on the horizon, threatening the dragons' presence and to undermine the peacefulness at Birk amongst the Vikings.

I give it 3.5 stars, or a grade of B+.

22 Jump Street

In the inevitable followup, both Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill return as undercover cops who are just a little too old to be posing as college students while trying to find out who's the drug dealer on campus.

Once again, a lot of meta-references to it being a sequel, some funny, some just groan-worthy. It takes a little while to find its groove, but there are a couple of big laughs, and some weird fight scenes at the end. But I got the feeling they were making the story up as they went along.

So, not really the greatest sequel, just competent. Stay after for the immediate end credits for some more fun with upcoming Jump Street sequel ideas.

I give it 2.5 stars or a grade of C+.

The Fault in Our Stars

I thought it was okay, but I'm not really the target audience, and I'm probably not as sentimental about this subject matter at this point in my own life. But I did like the chemistry between Woodley and Algort as Hazel and Augustus (but they were lucky in having worked on the recent "Divergent" film to have had more trust in one another).

Fans of the book will see it opening weekend, and cry their eyes out, this subject is primed for this reaction, but the film doesn't undercut its message of older teens living with cancer while finding a spark between them that provides a richer experience of being human with an unconventional timeline and obstacles.

I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.

Edge of Tomorrow

Tom Cruise returns to the big screen with "Edge of Tomorrow". Harkening back to "Groundhog Day" with Cruise's character, Major Cage, seemingly able to relive a day over and over again. The story deals with humans having to deal with a threat that could mean the end to humankind. While it sounds like it could be a repetitive chore to sit through, the script is actually quite funny in spots (mining humor from the premise), and moves the film along at a nice pace, didn't really feel it slowed down much at all, and the amount of character development over the course of one day being lived over and over was a solid effort. Emily Blunt was fine as the face of the human military resistance. .

I give it 3 stars, or a grade of B.

Maleficent

The film wastes little time setting the table in the first 1/3 of the film, but the middle act just sags and offers little in developing the characters beyond their plot device roots. The last act suffers from the saggy middle act, and comes to a somewhat soft conclusion for its intended teen audience.

I thought Sharlto Copley's whiny voice was a weak point in his presence in the film, and didn't really bring much to his role. Angelina Jolie is good in spots, but the script is somewhat clumsy in shoe-horning in the old familiar Malificent lines, so her delivery doesn't feel organic to the character.

I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+.

Chef

I enjoyed it, more so in the last 2/3 of the film.

I give it 3 stars, or a grade of B.

A Million Way to Die

This is a 2-hour movie with a 45-minute plot, it's padded with too many McFarlane "observations" and bits. Overall, and real slog to sit through.

I give it 1.5 stars, or a grade of D+.

Godzilla

Real quick thoughts:

Saw it on IMAX 3D with a appreciative crowd who cheered and clapped for each and every monster moneyshot (not the pervy kind, heh).

A grade of B or 3 stars for the monster-on-monster action.

A grade of C+ or 2.5 stars for the puny human subplots.

The Amazing Spider-Man

"Amazing Spider-Man 2" was remarkably bland, with a bloated middle act that lacked narrative tension, and character motivations of the antagonist(s) were sorely lacking or juvenile. I really have no idea how screenwriters Orci and Kurtz keep landing writing gigs, because they are so mediocre, totally made me appreciate David Koepp's effort in the Raimi-directed Spider-Man films.

But it's not as bad as "Batman and Robin", mainly because it has very little ambition than to just occupy 140 minutes per showing at the theaters.

I give it 2 stars or a grade of C. (And I'm being charitable)

Draft Day

"Draft Day" is somewhat a fairy tale told with the backdrop of the story being the NFL's draft day with a running time that's probably a little too short to rightfully invest in the main characters, starting with Sonny Weaver Jr. (Kevin Costner) on the day of the 2014 NFL draft, as he's the general manager of the Cleveland Browns. In his position Sonny's in charge of making deals and drafting new talent with the draft pick positions at hand, and a lot of wheeling-and-dealing amongst other general managers around the league.

The other main subplot deals with Sonny's romantic life, where he's been seeing, on the sly, Allie (Jennifer Garner), who handles the team's salary cap/legal department with it comes to payroll for the team. I think had the relationship had more screen time to grow organically, it might have paid off a little better at the end, along with Sonny's other family issues.

The fairy tale aspect, for me, is how the actual draft unfolds, borders on entertainingly ridiculous, but still fun if you're rooting for Sonny to get stuff done and not get fired by the end of draft day.

What struck me funny was that unlikely pairing, on-screen, of Pa Kent from "Man of Steel" (Costner), and Clark Kent from "Smallville" (Tom Welling) in the film, as Welling plays the team's veteran quarterback whose position is threatened when it seems like Sonny has the draft pick to select a "can't-miss" quarterback in the draft. Anyhow, like I said, it was an odd moment if you follow the Superman films and TV show.

I give it 2.5 stars or a grade of C+.

The Raid 2

I didn't see the first installment, but didn't find it to impede my understanding too much. It's your basic "cop goes deep cover to infiltrate the mob" story with Rama being the Indonesian cop that goes into prison to befriend a crime lord's son Uco to get the goods on whole mob.

The chaotic action scenes between the good guy and the bad guys is over-the-top and entertainingly so. The face-off scenes feature hand-to-hand, weapons, gunplay, aluminum bats, hammers, and lots of stuntwork too. A lot of scenes induced audible cringes from me from the damage being inflicted on each other. It's bloody and crazy, and does its genre proud.

But at 2.5 hours, it's too long in spots, with some minor characters getting side subplots that adds little to the overall narrative.

I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

I thought the film was a solid follow-up (as I wasn't all that blown away by the first installment of "Captain America" anyhow), but I felt it was lacking in some spots for me, but I won't hash them out here for now, maybe I'll return in a week after most have seen the film.

The central plotline did have ambitious scope by the time we get to the 3rd act, with a lot of ramifications for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

It's an entertaining film, but with a somewhat familiar story once it gets going. The action doesn't stretch your suspension of disbelief too much once you invest in Captain America being able to do all the stunts and action sequences shown. I was glad the "punch-cam"'s use wasn't a repeated theme, but it did add some chaotic feel to the fight scenes.

Overall, I give it 3 stars, or a grade of B.

P.S. The 2nd bonus scene at the very end of the credits left me with a "meh" feeling, I wanted something more. The first of the bonus scenes was intriguing, though.

I made the joke after the 2nd bonus scene:

(Please don't read until you've seen the scene and the film itself).
Captain America 3: The Search of Bucky haha.

Divergent

I wanted to like this film more, but its premise was so hard to swallow at times, which took me out of the story. On the surface, having the human race split itself up into 5 personality traits might sound like an interesting idea, but it did not make for a compelling society to grok in a post-world-war scenario. It didn't feel like a story unfolding, but rather a story told in a paint-by-the-numbers fashion, so the build-up of tension wasn't as intense or bold or strong for what happens in the 3nd act.

I give it 2 stars, or a grade of C.

300: Rise of an Empire

Oddly enough, while Xerxes occupies most of the marketing for this film, it is Artemisia (Eva Green) and Themistocies' (Sullivan Stapleton) film as Artemesia leads the mighty ships of Persia against a fractured Greecian effort to stem the would-be Persian conquest upon decimation of the "300".

Eva Green is the main highlight for the film, nicely chewing up the scenery, while Sullivan is out-matched in terms of on-screen charisma and presence, woefully so.

The mano-a-mano action scenes are the now "standard" stylistic "300" slow-motion type, with plenty of digital blood-splattering that treats any human body as simply bags of blood waiting to spurt relentlessly upon puncture, comically so.

The sea battles were entertaining, though, and I found the pacing also pretty decent. The dialogue is a little clunky, though Eva Green gets to utter a hilarious line in the 3rd act.

I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.

Non-Stop

I thought this film was okay, not entirely riveting, but fine for its thriller genre. Liam Neeson's Bill the Air Marshall character has a lot of contend with as he is somehow framed in real time while on a flight to London as the master hi-jacker, all the while trying to figure out who the real hi-jacker is on the plane, and there are plenty of suspects to keep the audience guessing.

In light the Malaysian Air 370, its release is scarily prescient.

I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+.

Need For Speed

Obviously, the main draw for this film is exotic cars going really fast, and not always at lawful speeds on the roads. The framework plot was serviceable, though predictable, but with enough funny bits to keep the film moving. Aaron Paul continues his streak of being a good cryer, and brought enough charisma to the role of Tobey. At least the film doesn't skimp on the consequences side of such driving exploits with these awesomely fast cars.

I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.

Blue Jasmine

Wrote this after a theatrical viewing in 2013:

I found "Blue Jasmine" a little hard to watch, intentionally so, as it's never easy to watch self-destructive people (Jasmine) undermine their future with delusions of their own self-worth at odds with the inability to deal with their present circumstances undercut by such self-destructive decisions in response to being tossed aside for a shinier toy. That is the character study Woody Allen has crafted in Jasmine (a solid performance by Cate Blanchett).

It's heartbreaking to see the dichotomy of Jasmine having to move in with her sister Ginger on the west coast because Jasmine has no where to turn to, even though she was never the best big sister to Ginger when Jasmine was the socialite du jour in New York while being married to Hal (Alec Baldwin) until their finance come under scrutiny and Hal's philandering ways, and compare it with Ginger's own past and present and how she has to come to grips with settling after certain truths are uncovered.

Jasmine herself isn't someone you want to root for, so ultimately, you take away from her story what you will, and leave the rest behind. It's solid writing by Woody Allen, but not as easily digestible as some of his lighter, but more entertaining films of recent past, like "Midnight in Paris" or even "Vicky Cristina Barcelona".

I give it 3 stars, or a grade of B.

Veronica Mars

I enjoyed VM while it was on the air, but I doubt it pulls in $10 million in its opening weekend of release.

It was neat to go back to Neptune, even if it was for only a couple of hours.

While I haven't been all that moved by much of Kristen Bell's other roles in the past decade, she was so born to play the part of Veronica Mars. Loved seeing all the VM alumni making their appearances.

The film itself was okay, the mystery was played out fairly straight. I didn't like the lighting in most of the footage in the first half of the film, but for the budget, they still were able to make an entertaining film.

I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.

Robocop

I thought it was okay, but the story was just too linear, and lacking much in terms of surprise or satire or even excitement. It felt like an unnecessary update to an already classic film.

I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+.

3 Days to Kill

The script is too cute for its own good for most of the running time, but the inter-personal relationship-building was tolerable. Grizzled CIA operative Ethan (Kevin Costner) is saddled with a terminal diagnosis, so he tries to put his affairs in order, including making good with the time he has left with an estranged teenaged daughter (Hailee Steinfield) and her mother (Connie Nielsen). As pretty as Amber Heard is, it was a little too far-fetched to take her character seriously, even as a plot device. Luc Besson seems to be a on a whimsical, familial, nostalgic bent in his screenwriting of late, but adding in the spy elements with the family elements just didn't quite mesh well enough.

I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+.

The Lego Movie

The stuff with Batman was funny to me. The film had a bit of charm, didn't take itself all that seriously, and was entertaining for the most part, though the last act as a little iffy at times for me.

I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

Won't lie, I grew up reading the Jack Ryan novels while in college, and enjoyed most of the films in the franchise.

While I liked the updating of Jack Ryan in today's times, I felt this film, as a re-introduction to a new film audience, moved a little too briskly, a little too by-the-numbers for my liking. So the script was the weak point for me. Kenneth Branaugh's direction (and acting) was okay, nothing special. I didn't mind Chris Pine's take on Jack, nor even Keira Knightley as Cathy, but I guess I wanted a wider cast of characters to lend a little credibility to the "origin" story. It would have been sort of cool to have a slightly younger Kevin Costner in the John Clark role for later installments in the Jack Ryan franchise, instead of Harper, the guy who keeps tabs on Jack's promise after his military career takes a detour.

I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.

Ride Along

The premise was funny, but I think the film loses steam in the second half, as did my interest. Even it being a live-action cartoon wasn't enough for me to invest all that much into the film itself. But definitely funny enough for a matinee, and if you're a fan of either Ice Cube or Kevin Hart or both.

I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+.

Inside Llewelyn Davis

I'm not as high on the film as most, but for such a self-destructive character at times, his instincts for caring for the cat buoyed a lot of his character flaws.

The look of the film is quite classic, easy to invest into the framework of the time period for this story.

I give it 3 stars, or a grade of B.

Her

I was looking forward to Spike Jonze's "Her", which deals with the premise of a guy, Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix), who falls for an artificial intelligence-driven operating system, voiced by Scarlett Johansson, who is named "Samantha" in the not so distant future.

There are some truly seductive scenes in this film between Theodore and Samantha, and makes the premise almost too hauntingly real at times. Then the film gets a little predictable, and runs too long for my tastes (at nearly 2 hours), shave off 15 minutes, I might have liked it better.

I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.

47 Ronin

I kept waiting for Wolverine to show up because I think half the main cast is from that movie. :D

Keanu's acting has atrophied, if that's even possible.

The film is very much paint-by-numbers with a bit of the supernatural thrown in for good measure.

I give it 2 stars, or a grade of C.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

I enjoyed it, but mainly from the photography aspect of it, and the nice scenery throw in. Is it true to the source material, I don't really know. I do know that this particular "Walter Mitty" had a character arc, and I enjoyed the improbable ride he goes on in the film. Are the daydream segments over-the-top? Sure, but that's the marketing hook at play. Once you get past that, and Walter starts really "living" life, the themes played out fine for me. I usually can't stand Sean Penn, but for the small role he played, I wasn't pulled out the film by his presence or acting. For some things, the film reminds us to just take some time and let things soak in.

I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.

The Wolf of Wall Street

Very well-paced 3-hour film, and mostly enjoyable, and got some nice laughs out of me due to the unexpected nature of one scene, that's for sure. Is it over-the-top? Yes, that's the point. I wasn't fazed by the NC-17-ish material, but 3 people left during a sex scene. Heh.

I give it 3.5 stars or a grade of B+.

Anchorman 2

If Ron Burgundy was a modern day character, I suspect he'd been diagnosed with some mild form of Asperger's to explain his behaviors. His merry band of newsmen, well, some more so than others.

"Anchorman 2" is funny in spots, but it's not consistently funny, and the cringe-inducing spots come off flat (Brick's subplot elements are totally hit-and-miss). The dialogue is not all that memorable this time around, either.

If you had fond memories of the first "Anchorman" movie, this installment might disappoint you, only see it at matinee prices.

I was actually hoping for some funny outtake footage during the credits, but was also disappointed by what they showed at the very end of the credits.

I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+.

Saving Mr. Banks

I don't really know why this film was made, I found myself pretty bored by it all. I could never really gain a foothold into the character of PL Travers (Emma Thompson), and how Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) had to do some cajoling to get the Mary Poppins movie made. Ultimately, a yawner, a swing and a miss.

I give it 2 stars, or a grade of C.

American Hustle

I enjoyed "American Hustle", got caught up in the fine storytelling of building up the pairing of Irving (Christian Bale's character) and Sydney (Amy Adams' character) in the beginning as they team up for some small-time loan-sharking plays, though I did find this narrative shift when Richie (Bradley Cooper's character) enters the picture, which left Irving in the dust for a while, creating a more duck-like character (serene on the surface, passive, but paddling like crazy under the water line). I liked the callbacks to Scorsese's signature stamp of movie-making, and editing and swirling interests between the main players. It fits the style of story being told.

Performances all-around (well, maybe Louis C.K. is a little under the level of the rest of the cast) were solid. But I don't think any of them will take home an Oscar this year. But I enjoyed this yarn as performed by many from the "Silver Linings Playbook" cast from last year.

I give it 3.5 stars, or a grade of B+.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

I ended up seeing this in 3D, non-HFR, and it took about 20 minutes from being conscious of the 3D until my eyes adapted, and I was able to take in the film from a more immersive standpoint. I saw the first installment in HFR 3D, and that was enough to swear off of it. heh.

The film itself is just too undercooked, characterization-wise, and bloated with the various segments of peril our merry crew of dwarves find themselves into. What's bad about this being a prequel is that it undercuts a lot of the dramatic tension in the action scenes, so it just a lot of close calls and amazing looking CGI-laden action scenes, especially in the final act.

I didn't mind Tauriel's presence in the film. I think they went overboard with all the Legolas as a bad-ass scenes, but I guess he's got his fans, so they'll be cool with it.

Smaug was pretty well-done, didn't disappoint from an effects or voice-acting standpoint.

It is a shame they decided to stretch out The Hobbit into 3 films, instead of delivering a more compact 2-film adaptation, a lot of people groaned at the end of this one (like they did in "Catching Fire"), it's a frikkin' cinematic epidemic with these "to be continued" middle installments. Haha.

I give it 3 stars, or a grade of B.

Frozen

Better title than "Frigid", I suppose...

Lots of singing, LOTS of singing... You don't cast Idina Menzel in an animated film and not have her sing.  Very catchy songs, kids will enjoy them, and drive their parents crazy singing them all the time.

Olaf brought the fun.

I give it 3 stars, or a grade of B.

Martha May Marlene

Finally checked out this film, not bad. I tend to agree about the ending, a lifetime of paranoia ahead for our protagonist...

I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+.

Old Boy

Muddled character motivations got the short-shift in this American remake of the Korean original "Oldboy". As-is, the film's lean with mostly plot-driven footage, though there is a longer 3-hour cut that fleshes out the characters more, and I probably would have like to have seen that version because this theatrical version is just mundane in execution, and Josh Brolin doesn't seem like a good fit for the lead character. It's just a dour viewing experience, with the energy level piping up when Samuel L. Jackson is on the screen for a bit. Elizabeth Olsen does what she can, but her character is written head-scratchingly so.

I give it 2 stars, or a grade of C.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

I thought it was okay, I wasn't as drawn into it as I was the first film. My audience groaned when the end credits came up. Heh.

It's a decent followup, a little long (at almost 2.5 hours), while I felt some of the characterizations too abrupt to invest in (not including Katniss), and left me feeling like "The Matrix Reloaded" in some ways, but definitely sets the table for the 3rd film in the franchise.

I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.

The Dallas Buyers Club

Having seen a truly badly directed film earlier (Delivery Guy), it was a nice relief to watch a film whose director knew how to block scenes and pull the viewer into the film with the camera work and directorial choices.

Matthew McConaughey will most likely garner a Best Actor Oscar nomination with his work in this film as Ron Woodruff, an unlikely pioneer in AIDS self-medication and research after been diagnosed as HIV+. I had no idea Jared Leto played Rayon, an unlikely partner-in-crime for Woodruff given Rayon's cross-dressing propensities. The script and performances feature a wide gamut of character development, and is paced well, even with its 2-hour running time. I would not be surprised if Leto garners a Best Supporting Actor nomination either, heartbreaking work between Leto and McConaughey.

I give it 3 stars, or a grade of B.

Last Vegas

For what it was, I enjoyed the chemistry between these 4 movie stars now in the over-the-hill age bracket, but they still act their faces off, and appeared to enjoyed their time together on this film.

So, if you're a fan of these guys, a matinee viewing will hit the spot.

I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.

Thor 2: The Dark World

Okay, so sure, it's far funnier than the first Thor film, less melodrama of family angst in Asgard, but the earth stuff just seems to flippantly cheeky, I felt like they mashed the tone of the Asgard side with Richard Donner's Superman, and the earth side with Richard Lester's Superman II, and then sprinkled in some Star Wars dust for the antagonist side (the elves). So, I just found some of the plot advancements jarring as it went from somber to hijinks funny in a the blink of an eye. The Warriors 3 and Sif are underused, and the Scooby gang (Jane and her crew) just pull stuff out of their butts to advance the plot to get from one set piece to another. But it's enjoyable if you just sit back and turn off your brain.

Plus, I don't really like the onscreen chemistry between Hemsworth and Portman, nothing feels real about their character's attraction to one another.

I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.

12 Years A Slave

Saw the film, probably will never watch it again due to the uncomfortable subject matter, but well-acted and well-directed, totally see Oscar noms for Ejiofor and McQueen, and perhaps even a supporting nod for Fassbender.

I give it 3.5 stars, or a grade of B+.

Ender's Game

Okay, so I am a big fan of the Ender/Bean books, so I'm probably a bit biased in wanting to see an "Ender's Game" movie.

So, that is what I did last night. Asa Butterfield's performance is pretty solid, and Harrison Ford's turn as Graff is also fine. There's a lot of territory to cover from the book, so the screenplay did its best to present the situation, the threat and the conclusion of "Ender's Game". What we got was a good effort, though the inter-personal characterizations from the book was a bit lacking, and the plot progression is a little clumsy at times, but I still enjoyed the film overall. I got a big kick out of seeing some of the sequences that I had imagined from the book (over 15 years ago) now on the big screen, and it pushed the story along well.

I give it 3 stars, or a grade of B.

Enough Said

It was bittersweet to finally check out "Enough Said", James Gandolfini's last film. Overall, quite a human story about getting back on the saddle for divorced people facing the "empty nest" scenario (kids about to go off the college), and swimming in the dating pool. Do our faults and foibles define us in a good light or bad light as prospective life mates?

Well paced script, with fine performances all-around.

I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-.

The Fifth Estate

I found "The FIfth Estate" a chore to sit through. Perhaps self-important whistle-blowers and leakers just really isn't riveting cinematic fare given this particular script.

I give it 1.75 stars or a grade of C-.

Carrie

I think I wanted "Carrie" to be a little weirder than it was, so it just played a little too safe and flat for me, or that I'm just inured to a lot of "horror" elements nowadays.

I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+.

Machete Kills

OMG, Robert Rodriguez should have directed Kick-Ass 2 with this grindhouse movie style, it would have totally worked. "Machete Kills" is a decent genre flick (super-tough title character, ridiculously hard to kill in spite of all the gunfire and hand-to-hand combat, and knife fights he goes through in the movie), with plenty of hot women, and some scenery-chewing villain(s?), and even Carlos Esteves thrown in as the president. Danny Trejo just rolls with all the punches and probably can't believe his luck starring in movies like this.

So, if you're in the mood for such a genre flick, catch it at matinee prices. It does feel a little long in its pacing, though.

I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+.

Captain Phillips

I also thought this film had some solid angles from a storytelling perspective to keep the flow of the film going with a brisk pace, while keeping the tension on high alert as Captain Phillips and his crew try to fend off Somalian boat pirates off the coast of Africa in 2009. Tom Hanks delivers yet another fine performance as Capt. Phillips, trying to keep his men alive while sailing through treacherous waters with a boat moving lots of containers of "stuff".

Director Greengrass handles the characterizations on both sides deftly, the Somalian boat pirates and the crew on the ship. While there is some shaky cam, when it's used, it's used to drive home the chaotic nature of certain scenes to amp up the drama and urgency. But I did not feel all that sea-sick from any of the shaky cam footage.

I give it 3 stars, or a grade of B.

Rush

Ron Howard takes on Formula 1 racing, and uses the rivalry between Niki Lauda and James Hunt from the mid-1970s to tell the tale of competition between 2 drivers who are oil and water in their philosophical outlook on life, but live to race and win championships, with Hunt being the party dude who races on instinct and innate abilities, while Lauda being the more nose-to-the-grindstone achiever in racing and setting up race cars.

I think I'd like the film a little more if the animosity level was higher, though it would border on boxing or WWE scripted antagonism if not handled well. Showing the different ways Hunt and Lauda approached life helped a bit, but I never felt the storyline was truly compelling. Plus I think I wanted more racing footage from either driver's point of view, rather than the choices Ron Howard made. I did like the bits of grain that was in the film to give it that 1970s feel.

So, overall I give it 2.75 stars, or a grade of B-. It just never really hits a satisfying note towards the end.