The Shallows was less than I expected. There was no one thing that really stuck out to me that made me like the movie. The performance by Blake Lively was just OK and that is not acceptable for it to be a movie that centers around her. Most of the screen time is taken by her but at the same time you don't feel much of a connection to her. She wasn't necessarily bad, she did a good job playing a surfer terrified for her life but besides that there was nothing else to her. It was essentially family drama and surviving in the shallows, there was nothing else to her. I would have liked to see better character development because you really don't know much about her. Other than that there isn't anything else really wrong with the movie because she is the movie. Like I said she takes up most of the screen time and during that you don't feel any connection to her. There were some good things though. In my opinion, the shark looked pretty real along with the other animals she sees. Along with that is that most, if not all, the scenes are shot beautifully. All the shots are pure and you can tell they took the time to think about lighting and things of that nature in this movie. I expected a little more out of The Shallows and if you want to see it I suggest waiting for it to come to DVD. It wasn't horrible but I would not suggest paying more than $10 to see it.
Reviews
11 Reviews
The Legend of Tarzan
(2016)
It was alright.
3 July 2016
Unfortunately, The Legend of Tarzan, for me, was a movie that I did not understand why was made. Nobody was really looking for someone to reboot this movie and it kind of came out of nowhere. And that shows in the movie. First off, the storytelling is very confusing. Tarzan's backstory is spliced in with the present so it goes back and forth between past and present. If you have seen the original movie you probably won't have that many problems but there are some questions being raised because they change the story a little bit in The Legend of Tarzan. I personally felt that they should have made Tarzan's childhood in one scene or a couple scenes in the beginning of the movie and then continue with the story. That may have made the story a little bit easier and better to watch. Also I felt as though Samuel L. Jackson's character was there for no reason. He didn't bring anything else to the story and he was just there. He didn't really do anything substantial and whenever he was on screen I always felt he was wasting space. I did not hate him though. He wasn't all bad and I felt he added some comic relief but I did not understand why he needed to be in the movie. On the other hand Tarzan and Jane were cast very well, Tarzan more than Jane. Margot Robbie was okay as Jane, I felt like she could have done better but Alexander Skarsgård was a very good fit for Tarzan. I think he looked the part and he played the part very well but the story just wasn't told very well to showcase that. Also the CGI was better than I expected. There were some scenes where it was very lackluster but besides that I felt as though the work they did with CGI was very good. In my opinion I would wait for the Legend of Tarzan to come to DVD. I would not go to see it in the theaters because it was not that bad but at the same time it was not that interesting.
The Jungle Book
(2016)
One of the most visually amazing films ever.
24 May 2016
The Jungle Book is a reboot of the film of the same name released in 1967. This film tells the tale of Mowgli, a young boy who is forced out of the jungle by the evil Shere Khan. The film focuses on his journey out of the jungle and the friends he meets along the way. The story is much like the original story so there are no surprises in the plot though some things are changed.
The best part of the whole film is how visually appealing the film is. It looks amazing throughout especially considering the movie was not filmed in any jungle. All of the scenes in the movie are green screen. The only thing that is not green screened is Mowgli. Altogether it was an amazing looking film and if you are having concerns about watching it because you have already seen the original, I assure you that you should see it because of how well it looks.
This movie looked very amazing and the voice acting topped it off nicely. There are many A-list actors in this film and each one of them did an amazing job in their respective roles. The Jungle Book performs on another level when it comes to the design of a film. I was not disappointed in this film and I encourage anyone who is a fan of the original Jungle Book or films in general to see the movie.
The best part of the whole film is how visually appealing the film is. It looks amazing throughout especially considering the movie was not filmed in any jungle. All of the scenes in the movie are green screen. The only thing that is not green screened is Mowgli. Altogether it was an amazing looking film and if you are having concerns about watching it because you have already seen the original, I assure you that you should see it because of how well it looks.
This movie looked very amazing and the voice acting topped it off nicely. There are many A-list actors in this film and each one of them did an amazing job in their respective roles. The Jungle Book performs on another level when it comes to the design of a film. I was not disappointed in this film and I encourage anyone who is a fan of the original Jungle Book or films in general to see the movie.
Captain America: Civil War
(2016)
Incredible!
24 May 2016
This movie was amazing! From start to finish, I enjoyed every scene so in the Captain America series, this is my favorite and in my opinion, the best of the three films. I did not care for the first film but winter soldier was an excellent sequel to it and then Civil War does the unexpected and is even better than Winter Soldier.
One amazing thing about the movie is the choreography in the fight scenes. All of the scenes were very clean and polished. They reminded me of a Jason Bourne or James Bond fight with superheros which was something that I did not know I wanted but apparently I did because every time there was a fight scene, I was on the edge of my seat. The best fight was the scene in the trailer that everyone has seen, the scene at the terminal. The way the superheros were implemented was very intricate and you did not feel like one superhero was overshadowed by another. I felt like I saw all of the abilities of each character.
The new characters in this movie are amazing too. Tom Holland as Spider- Man and Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther were magnificent. I still do not know who I liked more but both roles were performed excellently and I can not wait for their individual films. This is Ant-Man's first time with the Avengers and he held his own as well in this movie as well which I enjoyed.
Also, the story was mesmerizing. I was intrigued by what was going on and understood the reasoning of each character. The story was not the main thing I enjoyed though. Overall, this was a great film and if you have not seen this movie, you need to.
One amazing thing about the movie is the choreography in the fight scenes. All of the scenes were very clean and polished. They reminded me of a Jason Bourne or James Bond fight with superheros which was something that I did not know I wanted but apparently I did because every time there was a fight scene, I was on the edge of my seat. The best fight was the scene in the trailer that everyone has seen, the scene at the terminal. The way the superheros were implemented was very intricate and you did not feel like one superhero was overshadowed by another. I felt like I saw all of the abilities of each character.
The new characters in this movie are amazing too. Tom Holland as Spider- Man and Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther were magnificent. I still do not know who I liked more but both roles were performed excellently and I can not wait for their individual films. This is Ant-Man's first time with the Avengers and he held his own as well in this movie as well which I enjoyed.
Also, the story was mesmerizing. I was intrigued by what was going on and understood the reasoning of each character. The story was not the main thing I enjoyed though. Overall, this was a great film and if you have not seen this movie, you need to.
Barbershop: The Next Cut
(2016)
This was better than I expected.
7 May 2016
Going into this movie, I did not think this was going to be great. It seemed like it was going to be a somewhat funny movie with a half decent story. I was very surprised though. It was hilarious and the story was not as cheesy as I expected it to be.
I was most concerned about the story not being good because of the subject matter. With the movie revolving around the shootings in Chicago, I was kind of hesitant because it seemed like it could have been very corny. They handled the story very well and maturely however, which I was not expecting at all. The plan for stopping the violence was not convoluted or unbelievable and I appreciated that a lot. However, there are some parts in the movie where I think that they could have taken out or done differently. Another reason why I had some concern about this movie was because of Common and Ice Cube. I saw that they were main characters in this movie and I was not sure how well they would perform. I have not seen a Common movie that I have enjoyed and Ice Cube's movies where he doesn't curse a lot are not that good to me in my opinion. Again, they proved me very wrong. They both played their roles very well and worked well with all of the other characters in the movie as well. The relationship they had with the people in the shop and their families were believable and it looked natural. Now one character, I did not hate, but I did not understand their placement in the story was Nicki Minaj. She had a set plan that I wasn't really sure the story needed but again I didn't hate her. Also, this movie was hilarious! I was laughing at almost every scene, especially the scenes where the whole barbershop was talking to each other. Everyone in there was very good at delivery and timing when it came to their jokes and this may have been the most surprising thing. I was not expecting everyone to be so funny together. If when you watch this you do not like the story, I guarantee that you will like the comedy in it. One thing I did not like about the movie was the fact that I could tell what was going to happen in the story too easily. If you have seen other movies like Babershop, I am pretty sure you will predict what will happen as well.
Other than that, I thought the movie was good and if you are looking for a movie to watch on a Friday night, this is a pretty good choice. It was good for what it was and although I probably would not watch it more than once, it was still an enjoyable movie.
I was most concerned about the story not being good because of the subject matter. With the movie revolving around the shootings in Chicago, I was kind of hesitant because it seemed like it could have been very corny. They handled the story very well and maturely however, which I was not expecting at all. The plan for stopping the violence was not convoluted or unbelievable and I appreciated that a lot. However, there are some parts in the movie where I think that they could have taken out or done differently. Another reason why I had some concern about this movie was because of Common and Ice Cube. I saw that they were main characters in this movie and I was not sure how well they would perform. I have not seen a Common movie that I have enjoyed and Ice Cube's movies where he doesn't curse a lot are not that good to me in my opinion. Again, they proved me very wrong. They both played their roles very well and worked well with all of the other characters in the movie as well. The relationship they had with the people in the shop and their families were believable and it looked natural. Now one character, I did not hate, but I did not understand their placement in the story was Nicki Minaj. She had a set plan that I wasn't really sure the story needed but again I didn't hate her. Also, this movie was hilarious! I was laughing at almost every scene, especially the scenes where the whole barbershop was talking to each other. Everyone in there was very good at delivery and timing when it came to their jokes and this may have been the most surprising thing. I was not expecting everyone to be so funny together. If when you watch this you do not like the story, I guarantee that you will like the comedy in it. One thing I did not like about the movie was the fact that I could tell what was going to happen in the story too easily. If you have seen other movies like Babershop, I am pretty sure you will predict what will happen as well.
Other than that, I thought the movie was good and if you are looking for a movie to watch on a Friday night, this is a pretty good choice. It was good for what it was and although I probably would not watch it more than once, it was still an enjoyable movie.
I did not think it was that bad
28 March 2016
Warning: Spoilers
SPOILERS
I do not think the movie was as bad as people are saying it is. There are some bad parts but to say this is a terrible movie is a stretch, even though I do agree it is a disappointment.
I am going to discuss what I liked and disliked about the film but first, what I liked. I believe that I enjoyed Ben Affleck as Batman in this movie the most. The action scenes with him in it were excellent, his acting as Batman and Bruce Wayne were well done, and overall I think he did a good job holding this movie together. I also think that Jeremy Irons playing Alfred was very good as well. Henry Cavill to me was OK, he wasn't bad but at the same time he wasn't great but Gal Gadot did a great job. She was not in it for a long time but when she was on screen she did very well. I also liked the style of the movie and how it was shot. Many people do not care for it but I personally enjoy the way that it was made.
Now for the things I did not like. First off, I want to say that going into this movie I did not like the plot. I saw one of the trailers and already knew what was going to happen, which made me upset, and I did not like it. I knew the fight was not going to have a definite winner, I knew Doomsday was going to be made, I knew Wonder Woman was going to step in and help. So my gripe with this movie is why should I have seen it if you showed me everything that was going to happen. I also did not like Jesse Eisenberg. If he was Lex Luthor's son I would feel a little bit different because I have been hearing that is the case but either way his performance is weird.
Another thing I wanted to address is the "Martha" situation. I do not think they just stopped fighting because their mothers share the same name, it was much deeper than that. Superman saying Martha affected Batman because he remembers how he could not save his mother Martha so in his head, this is a way to clear his conscience and save a mother when he has the power to. I think a lot of people are oversimplifying that scene. All in all, I do think this is an OK movie. It isn't terrible, I may see it again. It is entertaining with some bad moments but I enjoy it.
I do not think the movie was as bad as people are saying it is. There are some bad parts but to say this is a terrible movie is a stretch, even though I do agree it is a disappointment.
I am going to discuss what I liked and disliked about the film but first, what I liked. I believe that I enjoyed Ben Affleck as Batman in this movie the most. The action scenes with him in it were excellent, his acting as Batman and Bruce Wayne were well done, and overall I think he did a good job holding this movie together. I also think that Jeremy Irons playing Alfred was very good as well. Henry Cavill to me was OK, he wasn't bad but at the same time he wasn't great but Gal Gadot did a great job. She was not in it for a long time but when she was on screen she did very well. I also liked the style of the movie and how it was shot. Many people do not care for it but I personally enjoy the way that it was made.
Now for the things I did not like. First off, I want to say that going into this movie I did not like the plot. I saw one of the trailers and already knew what was going to happen, which made me upset, and I did not like it. I knew the fight was not going to have a definite winner, I knew Doomsday was going to be made, I knew Wonder Woman was going to step in and help. So my gripe with this movie is why should I have seen it if you showed me everything that was going to happen. I also did not like Jesse Eisenberg. If he was Lex Luthor's son I would feel a little bit different because I have been hearing that is the case but either way his performance is weird.
Another thing I wanted to address is the "Martha" situation. I do not think they just stopped fighting because their mothers share the same name, it was much deeper than that. Superman saying Martha affected Batman because he remembers how he could not save his mother Martha so in his head, this is a way to clear his conscience and save a mother when he has the power to. I think a lot of people are oversimplifying that scene. All in all, I do think this is an OK movie. It isn't terrible, I may see it again. It is entertaining with some bad moments but I enjoy it.
Deadpool
(2016)
This movie was great!
13 February 2016
I liked this movie a lot because I was expecting it to be funny and be filled with action but it did all of that and then some. I was surprised at how well made this movie is, there are just so many great things about it.
First off, the comedy is spectacular. The opening credits start off joking with you and it is amazing. After that you are constantly hit with jokes throughout the whole movie that make you laugh the whole time. Deadpool breaking the 4th wall in this movie was great as well. There were some lines in the movie that were pure genius and any fan of the other Marvel movies will enjoy them.
Second, I knew this movie would have action in it but after hearing that this movie was actually very funny I began to more interested in the comedy of the movie. I did not know that this would be a great action film too. Also, there was a very good love story in the film as well. I was not expecting this either but this is where the film shines. It is able to balance all of these aspects at the same time. Sometimes it even mixes these emotions together. You could have a serious love scene with a joke put into it or an action scene that is funny at first and then becomes very serious.
This movie is just great and I am glad that they made it rated R because it allowed for the character to not feel constrained and quiet. That being said, this is not a movie for children. No matter how much your kids want to see this movie, do not take them. Other than that, go see it, it was amazing and I know you want to.
First off, the comedy is spectacular. The opening credits start off joking with you and it is amazing. After that you are constantly hit with jokes throughout the whole movie that make you laugh the whole time. Deadpool breaking the 4th wall in this movie was great as well. There were some lines in the movie that were pure genius and any fan of the other Marvel movies will enjoy them.
Second, I knew this movie would have action in it but after hearing that this movie was actually very funny I began to more interested in the comedy of the movie. I did not know that this would be a great action film too. Also, there was a very good love story in the film as well. I was not expecting this either but this is where the film shines. It is able to balance all of these aspects at the same time. Sometimes it even mixes these emotions together. You could have a serious love scene with a joke put into it or an action scene that is funny at first and then becomes very serious.
This movie is just great and I am glad that they made it rated R because it allowed for the character to not feel constrained and quiet. That being said, this is not a movie for children. No matter how much your kids want to see this movie, do not take them. Other than that, go see it, it was amazing and I know you want to.
Ride Along 2
(2016)
It was just OK
21 January 2016
I am going to make this pretty short, this movie had some laughs and you will have some (some!) fun watching it but it is not the best out there. Frankly, I do not watch comedies that much so I can not name a list of great comedies that are better than this. However, I do shy away from comedies because they are usually some of the worst movies. This isn't the worst but it isn't good.
After seeing the movie with my family, we all agreed that Kevin Hart is a funny guy, he does good stand-up, but he is not the greatest actor. Specifically because he plays the same character in every movie. A loud, flamboyant, small man who overacts in many situations. Now is this funny? Yes I think at certain times it is and I did laugh in this movie. Does it get annoying? Yes because I would like to see Kevin Hart do more than just one character.
Some other problems I had with the movie were that Ice Cube and Kevin Hart's characters act like how they are in real life. Ice Cube is mean to Hart and Hart takes offense. I think this would be good but (I don't think this is a spoiler but if you haven't seen the first movie just skip to the next paragraph) Hart's character is about to apart of Ice Cube's family and he still acts mean to him for mostly irrelevant issues. Also, there was a scene where the female police officer comes to the scene in a training bra and the thing was that she "just left a yoga class" or something. I just thought it was very weird to even include that in the scene when she could have put a jacket on. That's just a big nitpick though.
Overall, if you want to see a movie with not a lot of thinking (not necessarily a bad thing) this movie is good. There are a couple laughs but not the greatest comedy.
After seeing the movie with my family, we all agreed that Kevin Hart is a funny guy, he does good stand-up, but he is not the greatest actor. Specifically because he plays the same character in every movie. A loud, flamboyant, small man who overacts in many situations. Now is this funny? Yes I think at certain times it is and I did laugh in this movie. Does it get annoying? Yes because I would like to see Kevin Hart do more than just one character.
Some other problems I had with the movie were that Ice Cube and Kevin Hart's characters act like how they are in real life. Ice Cube is mean to Hart and Hart takes offense. I think this would be good but (I don't think this is a spoiler but if you haven't seen the first movie just skip to the next paragraph) Hart's character is about to apart of Ice Cube's family and he still acts mean to him for mostly irrelevant issues. Also, there was a scene where the female police officer comes to the scene in a training bra and the thing was that she "just left a yoga class" or something. I just thought it was very weird to even include that in the scene when she could have put a jacket on. That's just a big nitpick though.
Overall, if you want to see a movie with not a lot of thinking (not necessarily a bad thing) this movie is good. There are a couple laughs but not the greatest comedy.
The Revenant
(I) (2015)
You have to see this movie
14 January 2016
This was, in my opinion, one of the best movies of 2015. The way the movie was filmed was astonishing, the actors were great and the story was good as well. The film was shot using only natural light so all of the scenes in the movie look authentic. I have never seen a film shot so gracefully to the point where when each scene starts I am amazed again. Every scene feels like you are in it. And the bear scene that everyone is talking about, is mind-blowing. Honestly, I do not know how they did that but if you see the movie for nothing else, see it for the bear. The actors did very good as well. Leonardo DiCaprio has another stand out performance along with Tom Hardy who did great as well. Many people felt like DiCaprio did not show enough emotion for his role but I think he played the role perfectly for the type of character he was. I do not think this was his best performance but I also do not think this was his worst, it is one of his best. The story did not carry the film to me. I felt like it was a good story but the acting and the visuals of the movie really carried it.
So,
Story (How well the story was) -8.5
Re watch (Are you able to watch this movie multiple times)-8.5
Cinematography (How well the movie was made) -10
Overall, 9/10
So,
Story (How well the story was) -8.5
Re watch (Are you able to watch this movie multiple times)-8.5
Cinematography (How well the movie was made) -10
Overall, 9/10
Joy
(I) (2015)
At least I thought it was OK
29 December 2015
Now this is not my favorite movie of all time or even of this year, not even this month, but I thought it was OK. I have seen a lot of negative comments about this movie and I will explain why I like this but I would also like to know why others did not.
First off I want to say that Jennifer Lawrence did a very nice job in this movie. She was my favorite part of the whole thing and she stole the show in my opinion. This was also a bad thing though because I felt like it was Lawrence playing as Joy with a bunch of other actors. De Niro, Cooper, and Röhm were characters that I thought did very well but they did not get a lot of screen time. I would have liked to see more of them in this movie instead of just Lawrence.
Bradley Cooper also did a very good job, as I said above, and this is one of the reasons why I gave this movie a 7. Cooper, in my opinion, could have stolen the show from Lawrence. He captured the role so well and the first time you meet him, you are amazed, but that's it. It is not like you do not see him again but he rarely gets screen time after that.
All in all, I did not think this movie was that bad. It wasn't great but at the same time it was not terrible. I understand that a lot of people did not like how cluttered the movie felt, but I did not feel that way. There could have been better direction but the entire movie was not terrible because of that.
My advice: I would suggest going to see it if you do not have anything else to do. It is a movie that will keep you entertained but you won't walk out of the theater thrilled about seeing it.
First off I want to say that Jennifer Lawrence did a very nice job in this movie. She was my favorite part of the whole thing and she stole the show in my opinion. This was also a bad thing though because I felt like it was Lawrence playing as Joy with a bunch of other actors. De Niro, Cooper, and Röhm were characters that I thought did very well but they did not get a lot of screen time. I would have liked to see more of them in this movie instead of just Lawrence.
Bradley Cooper also did a very good job, as I said above, and this is one of the reasons why I gave this movie a 7. Cooper, in my opinion, could have stolen the show from Lawrence. He captured the role so well and the first time you meet him, you are amazed, but that's it. It is not like you do not see him again but he rarely gets screen time after that.
All in all, I did not think this movie was that bad. It wasn't great but at the same time it was not terrible. I understand that a lot of people did not like how cluttered the movie felt, but I did not feel that way. There could have been better direction but the entire movie was not terrible because of that.
My advice: I would suggest going to see it if you do not have anything else to do. It is a movie that will keep you entertained but you won't walk out of the theater thrilled about seeing it.
War Room
(2015)
It was much too generic.
29 December 2015
This movie could have been a lot better, had they not made it so general. While watching the movie you feel like they are trying to force religion upon you and it is very heavy-handed.
The movie is based upon prayer and explains how prayer helps people in tragic situations. However, the movie makes it seem like once you pray, all you do is wait and let the miracles happen for you. There are multiple scenes in the movie where you think, "did that really just happen?" And one scene in particular will have you amazed at the simplicity they associate with praying.
Also, the character relationships in this movie are non-existent. The mother and father have no chemistry at all and you do not feel an attachment to any of them. Altogether, the acting was sub-par.
This movie was not horrible though, there were some bright spots in the movie. Miss Clara, played by Karen Abercrombie, did a good job in this movie. Besides that, much of it felt rushed and too simplistic.
My advice: Buy this if you are a church leader and want to show it at a party or get-together of religious people. If you are an avid movie watcher who would like to see a nice Christian film, sorry but this is not for you.
The movie is based upon prayer and explains how prayer helps people in tragic situations. However, the movie makes it seem like once you pray, all you do is wait and let the miracles happen for you. There are multiple scenes in the movie where you think, "did that really just happen?" And one scene in particular will have you amazed at the simplicity they associate with praying.
Also, the character relationships in this movie are non-existent. The mother and father have no chemistry at all and you do not feel an attachment to any of them. Altogether, the acting was sub-par.
This movie was not horrible though, there were some bright spots in the movie. Miss Clara, played by Karen Abercrombie, did a good job in this movie. Besides that, much of it felt rushed and too simplistic.
My advice: Buy this if you are a church leader and want to show it at a party or get-together of religious people. If you are an avid movie watcher who would like to see a nice Christian film, sorry but this is not for you.
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