Showing Tag: " adventure" (Show all posts)

REVIEW: Riding Steve On Noam Chomsky Day, Captain Fantastic Succeeds at Mission Rescue Moviegoers & Sticks It to the Man

Posted by James Brown on Saturday, August 6, 2016, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers

Captain Fantastic

Directed By: Matt Ross

Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Frank Langella, Kathryn Hahn, Ann Dowd, and Steve Zahn

I'll admit it. I've been quiet on the indie front this summer. With the exception of A Bigger Splash —which I just so happen to be overdue on reviewing— and perhaps The Lobster (if it can be loved), I haven't fallen in love with too many movies. I also don't think our more artistic filmmakers have been speaking to the times in recent months. With a pun intended given...

REVIEW: The Secret Life Of Pets – A Decent Toy Story Rip-off

Posted by SoberFilmChick on Sunday, July 24, 2016, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine

The Secret Life of Pets
SoberFilmChick

Directed by: Chris Renaud and Yarrow Cheney

Starring: Louis C. K., Eric Stonestreet, Kevin Hart, Steve Coogan, Ellie Kemper, Bobby Moynihan, Lake Bell, Dana Carvey, Hannibal Buress, Jenny Slate, and Albert Brooks

This year, animated fare has dominated the box office. Zootopia, Finding Dory and Kung Fu Panda 3 are some of the highest grossing films of the year. If we include The Jungle Book in the animation category, the success of this year’s 3D computer...

REVIEW: Finding Dory – Sigourney Weaver and Ed O’Neill Dominate This Heartfelt Sequel

Posted by SoberFilmChick on Sunday, June 19, 2016, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers

Finding Dory
SoberFilmChick

Directed by: Andrew Stanton

Starring: Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Ed O’Neill, Idris Elba, Ty Burrell, Sigourney Weaver, Diane Keaton, Eugene Levy, Kate McKinnon, Dominic West, and Bill Hader

In 2003, Finding Nemo debuted to critical acclaim and international box office success. Finding Nemo was an innovative film in which Pixar took animation to new heights. This week, Finding Dory hits theaters and picks up the tale six months after the original film.

Lovable D...

REVIEW: When Water Flows to Peace Rock Again, Man-Cub Mowgli Turns to the Red Flower & Dead Trees to Take on Shere Khan

Posted by James Brown on Saturday, April 16, 2016, In : 0.00% Water

The Jungle Book

Directed By: Jon Favreau

Starring: Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, Lupita Nyong'o, Scarlett Johansson, Giancarlo Esposito, Christopher Walken, and Neel Sethi

"Now this is the law of the jungle, as old and as true as the sky,

And the wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the wolf that shall break it must die.

As the creeper that girdles the tree trunk, the law runneth forward and back;

For the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack."

-The...

REVIEW: With Night Howlers, Pawpsicles & Godfather Mr. Big, Dumb Bunny Cop Jude the Dude & Sly Fox Nick Make Zootopia Better for Savage Predators & Prey Alike

Posted by James Brown on Saturday, March 5, 2016, In : 0.00% Water

Zootopia

Directed By: Byron Howard and Rich Moore

Starring: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, J.K. Simmons, Tommy Chong, Octavia Spencer, Jenny Slate, and Shakira

"Everyone comes to Zootopia, thinking they could be anything they want. But you can't. You can only be what you are. Sly fox. Dumb bunny. And that is not wet cement."

-Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman)

This past Thursday night, fourteen million Americans had the distinct displeasure of watching the umpteenth Republican president...

REVIEW: In The Finest Hours, Coast Guard Man Bernie Webber Does Everything to Get Over the Bar to the SS Pendleton for April 16th with Miriam

Posted by James Brown on Wednesday, February 3, 2016, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine

The Finest Hours

Directed By: Craig Gillespie

Starring: Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster, Holliday Grainger, John Ortiz, and Eric Bana

The aftermath of Jonas is more of his old man winter plaguing us with bone-chilling cold this past week. As I hit the movies, the weather served as a frosty reminder that I had been absent from the box office for a little while. Fittingly, the first movie on deck for me was about being caught in the throes of a deadly winter storm. Yes, I'm talking about ...

REVIEW: A Tree with Strong Roots, The Revenant's Hugh Glass Learns That Revenge Is in God's Hands Not His

Posted by James Brown on Saturday, January 9, 2016, In : 0.00% Water

The Revenant

Directed By: Alejandro G. Iñárritu

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson, and Will Poulter

"As long as you can still grab a breath, you fight. You breathe. Keep breathing. When there is a storm. And you stand in front of a tree. If you look at its branches, you swear it will fall. But if you watch the trunk, you will see its stability."
-Hugh Glass's Wife (Grace Dove)

The reigning Oscar champ is back! I may not have been rooting for Birdman throughout last ...
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REVIEW: In the Heart of the Sea Doesn't Steal Our Attention Like That White Whale Steals the Whaling Ship Essex

Posted by James Brown on Saturday, December 19, 2015, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine

In the Heart of the Sea

Directed By: Ron Howard

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Benjamin Walker, Cillian Murphy, Tom Holland, Ben Whishaw, Brendan Gleeson, and Michelle Fairley

Twas the night before Star Wars, when all through the house

Not a viewer was stirring, not even a mouse.

The light sabers were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St Luke soon would be there.

It's the quiet before the storm this weekend. Yes, the force awakens next weekend and will be calling all moviegoers to the box of...

REVIEW: To Defeat the Witch Queen for Ax & Cross, Last Witch Hunter Kaulder Must Remember Your Death With the Help of Dream Walker Chloe

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, October 25, 2015, In : 0.12% Hard Liquor

The Last Witch Hunter

Directed By: Breck Eisner

Starring: Vin Diesel, Rose Leslie, Elijah Wood, and Michael Caine

Considering he began Universal's amazing streak this year with the $1.5 billion box office haul of Furious 7 and that he solidified his place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Groot in last year's Guardians of the Galaxy, Vin Diesel should be on top of the world right now. He should be taking a victory lap before getting back to the things that are helping his career to flourish. ...

REVIEW: Pan Doesn't Exactly Mine the Pixie Dust of Neverland Into Movie Magic

Posted by James Brown on Saturday, October 17, 2015, In : 0.12% Hard Liquor

Pan

Directed By: Joe Wright

Starring: Levi Miller, Hugh Jackman, Garrett Hedlund, Rooney Mara, and Amanda Seyfried

I've said this time and time again. Getting a release date pushed back is a curse for a film. The proof is in the product put out by the studio when a film's release date is the hot potato nobody wants. Seventh Son was a great example of this earlier in the year. As fate would have it, this Columbus Day weekend offers another film that unfortunately fits this bill with Joe Wrigh...

REVIEW: In The Walk, French High-Wire Artist Philippe Petit Leads a Crazy Coup Atop the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, October 4, 2015, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine

The Walk

Directed By: Robert Zemeckis

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ben Kingsley, Charlotte Le Bon, James Badge Dale, Ben Schwartz, and Steve Valentine

It's amazing how each movie season seems to have a theme or trend. I said this a couple of weeks ago, but this fall movie season is all about adaptations. It's being proven once again this weekend at the box office by the two big releases of the hour. In one corner, we have Ridley Scott's The Martian, an adaptation of Andy Weir's 2011 novel ...

REVIEW: In The Martian, Ares Space Pirate Mark Watney Doubles As Iron Man to Pull Off Project Elrond & Survive More Than 500 Sols With Potatoes

Posted by James Brown on Saturday, October 3, 2015, In : 0.00% Water

The Martian

Directed By: Ridley Scott

Starring: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels, Michael Peña, Kate Mara, Sean Bean, Sebastian Stan, Aksel Hennie, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Donald Glover, and Mackenzie Davis

Alfonso Cuaron's Gravity may have hit a nerve in the human psyche and started a trend at the box office. Every year since Gravity's debut on the big screen back in 2013, we've had a space epic arrive. With each, we have interesting collective dialogue about the authentici...

REVIEW: Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials – Flare Zombies, The Sun And W.C.K.D. Put Our Heroes Through The Fire

Posted by SoberFilmChick on Sunday, September 20, 2015, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials
SoberFilmChick

Directed by: Wes Ball

Starring: Dylan O’Brien, Ki Hong Lee, Kaye Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Giancarlo Esposito, Patricia Clarkson, Aidan Gillen

Ever since the success of the Twilight and Hunger Games series of films, studios have been trying to find the next big young adult book craze. Many attempts have failed, but in 2014, Divergent and The Maze Runner films met with some success and earned sequels. Based on the second novel in James Da...

REVIEW: In Everest, The Last Word Always Belongs to the Mountain, Which Makes Its Own Weather for Adventure Consultant Rob Hall

Posted by James Brown on Saturday, September 19, 2015, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine

Everest

Directed By: Baltasar Kormákur

Starring: Jason Clarke, Josh Brolin, Michael Kelly, John Hawkes, Robin Wright, Emily Watson, Keira Knightley, Sam Worthington, and Jake Gyllenhaal

Welcome back STMR readers! It's amazing how the box office kicks into high gear every year on the third weekend of September. It's like clockwork. The doldrums of late summer are now behind us, and the fall movie season is thankfully upon us. With it, we get a taste of more thought-provoking blockbusters as ...

REVIEW: Minions – Hey, Hey It’s The Minions, But Gru Is Missing

Posted by SoberFilmChick on Wednesday, July 15, 2015, In : 0.09% Cocktails

Minions
SoberFilmChick

Directed by: Kyle Balda, Pierre Coffin

Starring: Sandra Bullock, Jon Hamm, Michael Keaton, Allison Janney, Steve Coogan, and Geoffrey Rush

The Despicable Me franchise is one of the most successful animated series of all time. The films are well made with interesting plots and fast-paced, biting dialogue. As characters, the minions have been an integral part of the Despicable Me movies. However, the focus of the films has largely been on Steve Carrell’s lead character ...
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REVIEW: Tomorrowland Is Full of Dreamers Who Try to Feed the Right Wolf

Posted by James Brown on Saturday, May 23, 2015, In : 0.09% Cocktails

Tomorrowland

Directed By: Brad Bird

Starring: George Clooney, Hugh Laurie, Britt Robertson, Raffey Cassidy, Tim McGraw, Kathryn Hahn, and Keegan-Michael Key

Summer 2015 has brought with it a strong run at the box office so far. Avengers: Age of Ultron, Pitch Perfect 2, and Mad Max: Fury Road have all made loads of cash at the box office. As we kick off Memorial Day weekend, I believe we've found our first duds of the summer movie season. Interestingly enough, one of them comes from Disney, on...
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REVIEW: Mortdecai – An Offbeat Action Comedy That Never Realizes Its Full Potential

Posted by SoberFilmChick on Monday, January 26, 2015, In : 0.09% Cocktails

Mortdecai
SoberFilmChick

Directed by: David Koepp

Starring: Johnny Depp, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ewan McGregor, Olivia Munn, Paul Bettany, and Jeff Goldblum

Johnny Depp has entertained us for decades with quirky, fun characters from his roles in Cry-Baby to Edwards Scissorhands to the Pirates of the Caribbean series. Depp thrives on playing weird, offbeat characters. Recently, however, his choices have missed the mark. From The Lone Ranger to Transcendence, Depp has had flop after flop. Sadly, Mort...
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REVIEW: To Rescue His Exhibits After A Disastrous Night at the Museum, Dangly Bells Larry Digs Into the Secret of the Egyptian Tomb & Its Magic Tablet

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, December 21, 2014, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine

Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb

Directed By: Shawn Levy

Starring: Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Owen Wilson, Steve Coogan, Dan Stevens, Rebel Wilson, Ricky Gervais, and Ben Kingsley

Sometimes, it can be difficult to disentangle life from art. What I mean by this is that it can be challenging to watch a film outside the lens of real world events, even if they have absolutely nothing to do with the tale at hand. This is definitely the case for me with Night at the Museum: Secret of the To...
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REVIEW: Interstellar Travel & Newton's Third Law Help Cooper, Brand, & TARS Find the 5th Dimension & Murphy's Ghost in a Gargantuan Wormhole

Posted by James Brown on Saturday, November 8, 2014, In : 0.00% Water

Interstellar

Directed By: Christopher Nolan

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Michael Caine, Bill Irwin, Ellen Burstyn, Casey Affleck, John Lithgow, Topher Grace, David Gyasi, Josh Stewart, and Matt Damon

"Do not go gentle into that good night; Old age should burn and rave at close of day. Rage, rage against the dying of the light."
-Dylan Thomas

Ambition is the cornerstone of truly great filmmaking. If a filmmaker is not taking creative risks and is being overly ca...
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REVIEW: With Fommy the Pirate Gamer, the Australian Outback, & Dick Van Dyke, Alexander's Birthday Is One Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Posted by James Brown on Friday, October 10, 2014, In : 0.09% Cocktails

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Directed By: Miguel Arteta

Starring: Steve Carell, Jennifer Garner, Ed Oxenbould, Dylan Minnette, and Kerris Dorsey

It's a three-day weekend. Granted, every weekend really should be. Working more hours on average per week than the vast majority of other nations around the globe, America is overworked. It's needless to say that I get ecstatic when I think of getting some extra time face down in my pillow on Monday morning. All that b...
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REVIEW: For A White Hat & A Cheese Tasting, Red Hat Snatcher & The Boxtroll Exterminators Take on Eggs the Trubshaw Baby

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, September 28, 2014, In : 0.09% Cocktails

The Boxtrolls

Directed By: Graham Annable and Anthony Stacchi

Starring: Isaac Hempstead-Wright, Elle Fanning, Ben Kingsley, Toni Collette, Jared Harris, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Richard Ayoade, and Tracy Morgan

Compared to last year, 2014 has been a relatively quiet year on the animated film front. How to Train Your Dragon 2 and Planes: Fire and Rescue were the only two titles to arrive at the box office this summer from the genre. As a single guy with no kids, I could personally care less, but...
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REVIEW: Hercules – A Twist To The Legend Of Hercules

Posted by SoberFilmChick on Sunday, July 27, 2014, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine

Hercules

SoberFilmChick

Directed by: Brett Ratner

Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Ian McShane, John Hurt, Rufus Sewell, Reece Ritchie, Peter Mullan, and Joseph Fiennes

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has had an incredibly interesting acting career. After going too far astray from his action hero chops with films like The Tooth Fairy, Johnson rebooted his career with a new agent and has become one of the highest paid actors in Hollywood. Starring in the Fast and Furious franchises, the G.I. Joe series,...

REVIEW: Biking Through the Nevada Desert in Earth to Echo, Tuck, Alex & Munch Beep a Bit Too Much

Posted by James Brown on Saturday, July 5, 2014, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine

Earth to Echo

Directed By: Dave Green

Starring: Teo Halm, Brian "Astro" Bradley, Reese C. Hartwig, and Ella Wahlestedt

This Fourth of July has brought us all sorts of movies at the mainstream box office, just not particularly great ones. While Deliver Us From Evil offers a rather routine possession flick, Melissa McCarthy's Tammy offers a waste of money we all can loathe. The remaining film I've yet to review is Earth to Echo. Now admittedly, I've held off on writing this review. The film is ...
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REVIEW: How to Train Your Dragon 2 – Hiccup And Toothless Take On The Alpha In This Action-Packed Sequel

Posted by SoberFilmChick on Monday, June 16, 2014, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers

How to Train Your Dragon 2

SoberFilmChick

Directed by: Dean DeBlois

Starring: Jay Baruchel, Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler, America Ferrara, Djimon Hounsou, Craig Ferguson, Kristen Wiig, and Jonah Hill

This past weekend was more than just Jonah Hill’s one-two punch in theaters with 22 Jump Street and How to Train Your Dragon 2. In a world flooded with computer animated films, it is rare to see something new and fresh. How to Train Your Dragon 2 not only exceeds the original film, but it stand...

REVIEW: Maleficent – Jolie As Both Hero And Villain In This Sleeping Beauty Remake

Posted by SoberFilmChick on Saturday, May 31, 2014, In : 0.09% Cocktails

Maleficent
SoberFilmChick

Directed by: Robert Stromberg

Starring: Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley, Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, and Lesley Manville

The latest trend is for movie studios to reinvent old fairy tales by making them darker and edgier. Snow White and the Huntsman, Jack the Giant Slayer and Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters are the most recent examples. Some adaptations have been successful, while others have floundered. On the one hand, it is refreshing to s...

REVIEW: With Roosevelt's Secret Station & Oscorp's Special Projects Division, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Is No Happy Birthday for Max / Sparkles / Electro

Posted by James Brown on Friday, May 2, 2014, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine

The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Directed By: Marc Webb

Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan, Colm Feore, Felicity Jones, Campbell Scott, Embeth Davidtz, Paul Giamatti, and Sally Field

The summer blockbuster season has arrived! With it, we can now say goodbye to horrendous flicks like Devil's Due, A Haunted House 2, and Brick Mansions while saying hello to the likes of Godzilla, Maleficent, and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. As I noted in my review of Captain America: The Wi...
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REVIEW: Rio 2 – A Music-Filled Blue Macaw Romp In The Amazon That Falls Short

Posted by SoberFilmChick on Saturday, April 12, 2014, In : 0.09% Cocktails

Rio 2
SoberFilmChick

Directed by: Carlos Saldanha

Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, Leslie Mann, Bruno Mars, Jermaine Clement, George Lopez, Jamie Foxx, will.i.am, Rita Moreno, Tracy Morgan, and Andy Garcia

Computer animated films are a dime a dozen at this point. In the “olden” days, one or two animated films would be released in a given year. However, studios have seized on the economic potential of family friendly animated films and are rolling out computer animated films with in...

REVIEW: Mr. Peabody, Sherman, & Penny Rip Open the Space-Time Continuum With the WABAC Because George Washington Didn't Chop Down a Cherry Tree

Posted by James Brown on Saturday, March 8, 2014, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine

Mr. Peabody & Sherman

Directed By: Rob Minkoff

Starring: Ty Burrell, Max Charles, Ariel Winter, Leslie Mann, and Stephen Colbert

Children are taking over the box office we all know and love. Every time I turn around, there's a new movie for them in theaters. What happened to the good old days when they used to have a handful of flicks during the summer? What happened to the good old days when Hollywood was fixated on the 18-49 demographic and not their children? This year already, we've seen...
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REVIEW: For Those of Us About to Die of Boredom, We Don't Salute Pompeii or the Celt Horseman Milo

Posted by James Brown on Saturday, February 22, 2014, In : 0.09% Cocktails

Pompeii

Directed By: Paul W. S. Anderson

Starring: Kit Harington, Emily Browning, Carrie-Anne Moss, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Jessica Lucas, Jared Harris, and Kiefer Sutherland

Gladiator is one of my all-time favorite movies. The noble character Russell Crowe gives us as Maximus, the delicious sicko to which Joaquin Phoenix treats us with Commodus, and the rousing yet beautiful filmmaking from director Ridley Scott all make the film an unrivaled modern epic of the highest caliber. With this ki...
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REVIEW: Everything Is Awesome in The Lego Movie When the Special Master Builder Emmet Finds the Piece of Resistance to Stop the Kragle Before Taco Tuesday

Posted by James Brown on Saturday, February 8, 2014, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers

The Lego Movie

Directed By: Phil Lord and Chris Miller

Starring: Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Nick Offerman, Alison Brie, Charlie Day, Liam Neeson, and Morgan Freeman

Wonder Woman has finally arrived on the big screen. No, Gal Gadot hasn't picked up her lasso and gotten an early start before Batman Vs. Superman arrives in 2016. No, there isn't some new animated Justice League film. Voiced by How I Met Your Mother's Cobie Smulders, the Amazonian warrior princess arr...
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REVIEW: Whether Prince Alcides or Hercules Son of Zeus, This Legend Sucks

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, January 12, 2014, In : 0.12% Hard Liquor

The Legend of Hercules

Directed By: Renny Harlin

Starring: Kellan Lutz, Gaia Weiss, Scott Adkins, Roxanne McKee, and Liam Garrigan

2014 is the comeback year for the sword-and-sandal picture. Just look at the lineup at the box office in the coming months. Russell Crowe will be building an ark to prep for some major floodwaters in Darren Aronofsky's Noah in a couple of months. Christian Bale will be asking Pharaoh to let his people go as Moses in Ridley Scott's Exodus in the fall. We've even g...
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REVIEW: Ground Control to Major Tom! Though Not Adventurous, Brave, or Creative, Ben Stiller Tries to Capture the Quintessence of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Posted by James Brown on Wednesday, December 25, 2013, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Directed By: Ben Stiller

Starring: Ben Stiller, Kristen Wiig, Shirley MacLaine, Adam Scott, Kathryn Hahn, and Sean Penn

-“To see things thousands of miles away, things hidden behind walls and within rooms, things dangerous to come to, to draw closer, to see and be amazed.”
LIFE Magazine Motto

Everybody wants to be an actor-director these days. Clint Eastwood and Woody Allen were once the exceptions. Since Ben Affleck took home the Best Picture Oscar for Argo e...
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REVIEW: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 – Foodimals, Tacodiles, And Cheesespiders, Oh My!

Posted by SoberFilmChick on Saturday, September 28, 2013, In : 0.09% Cocktails

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2
SoberFilmChick

Directed by: Cody Cameron and Kris Pearn

Starring: Bill Hader, Anna Faris, James Caan, Andy Samberg, Neil Patrick Harris, Benjamin Bratt, Terry Crews, Will Forte, and Kristen Schaal

Greetings movie lovers! After a bit of an “end of summer” hiatus, I am back to the movie review business. Naturally, my reign as animated movie review queen continues, and this week I had an opportunity to view Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2. The original...
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REVIEW: Percy Jackson: Sea Of Monsters – Rick Riordan’s Second Book In The Olympians’ Series Comes To Life

Posted by SoberFilmChick on Saturday, August 10, 2013, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine

Percy Jackson: Sea Of Monsters
SoberFilmChick

Directed by: Thor Freudenthal

Starring: Logan Lerman, Brandon T. Jackson, Alexandra Daddario, Leven Rambin, Stanley Tucci, and Nathan Fillion

In 2010, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief debuted in theaters and grossed just over $226 million dollars worldwide. The reception to the first installment of the film adaptation of Rick Riordan’s best-selling book series was mixed at best, and it did not have the success of juggernauts li...

REVIEW: With a Looming Smurf-a-geddon, & One Naughty Smurfette, the Smurfs Clan & the Winslow-Doyles Smurf It Up Too Much in The Smurfs 2

Posted by James Brown on Friday, August 2, 2013, In : 0.09% Cocktails

The Smurfs 2

Directed By: Raja Gosnell

Starring: Neil Patrick Harris, Brendan Gleeson, Jayma Mays, Katy Perry, Hank Azaria, Christina Ricci, Jonathan Winters, J.B. Smoove, George Lopez, and Anton Yelchin

Maybe it's just me, but this summer has had one too many movies for kids. With Epic, Monsters University, Despicable Me 2, and Turbo, there's been a glut of animated movies, and it's about time I voice my disapproval. The summer movie season is about catering to the young, but Hollywood has go...
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REVIEW: Turbo – That Snail Is Fast

Posted by SoberFilmChick on Monday, July 22, 2013, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine

Turbo
SoberFilmChick

Directed by: David Soren

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Paul Giamatti, Michael Peña, Snoop Dogg, Maya Rudolph, Michelle Rodriguez, Samuel L. Jackson, and Ken Jeong

2013 has undoubtedly been a huge year for 3D cartoon adventures. In past years, there has typically been one, possibly two big animated films. But now, it feels like they’re hitting theaters every week. In a fairly short timeframe, The Croods, Epic, Despicable Me 2, and Monsters University have all arrived at the b...
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REVIEW: Hairy Crystal Fairy & Pollo & the Magical San Pedro Cactus & the World's End in 2012 on the Mayan Calendar & One Crazy Movie

Posted by James Brown on Thursday, July 18, 2013, In : 0.09% Cocktails

Crystal Fairy & the Magical Cactus and 2012

Directed By: Sebastián Silva

Starring: Michael Cera, Gaby Hoffmann, Juan Andrés Silva, José Miguel Silva, and Agustín Silva

With all that's going on in America these days, it might be time for a little vacation. Regardless of your perspective on the array of events and issues of the day, I'm sure you can agree that it might be time to get some distance, perhaps in the form of international travel. While we all can't just hop on a plane and leave ...

REVIEW: In Man of Steel, A Modern Superman Proves That Evolution Wins Most of the Time

Posted by James Brown on Friday, June 14, 2013, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine

Man of Steel

Directed By: Zack Snyder

Starring: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Diane Lane, Kevin Costner, Laurence Fishburne, Antje Traue, Ayelet Zurer, and Russell Crowe

"You will give the people an ideal to strive towards. They will race behind you, they will stumble, they will fall. But in time, they will join you in the sun. In time, you will help them accomplish wonders."
-Jor-El (Russell Crowe)

Every movie lover has that one film each year they can't wait to see above all else. F...
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REVIEW: Father-Son Sci-Fi Flick After Earth Does a Little Too Much Ghosting Because of the Fear Factor Named Ursa

Posted by James Brown on Friday, May 31, 2013, In : 0.09% Cocktails

After Earth

Directed By: M. Night Shyamalan

Starring: Jaden Smith, Will Smith, Isabelle Fuhrman, Sophie Okonedo, Zoë Isabella Kravitz, and David Denman

"Fear is not real. It is a product of thoughts you create…Now do not misunderstand me, danger is very real. But fear is a choice."
-General Cypher Raige, Prime Commander (Will Smith)

In all the advertisements for After Earth over the course of 2013, one major credit has been noticeably missing, the director. The marketing efforts heavily focuse...
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REVIEW: The Epic Clash Between Leafmen & Boggans Over a Pod Proves That There Are Many Leaves But One Tree...Plus a Couple of Stompers

Posted by James Brown on Friday, May 24, 2013, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine

Epic

Directed By: Chris Wedge

Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Colin Farrell, Beyoncé Knowles, Josh Hutcherson, Christoph Waltz, Aziz Ansari, Chris O'Dowd, Pitbull, Jason Sudeikis, and Steven Tyler

Is it me or are animated films more violent these days? I'm going to date myself by saying this, but I grew up during the Second Golden Age of Disney with movies like Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King. I grew up when films were told with a song and dance, not a sword and shield. Just look...
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REVIEW: Star Trek Into Darkness – Captain Kirk, The Mysterious John Harrison, and Robocop Mix It Up Aboard The NCC-1701 In This Phenomenal Sci-Fi Flick

Posted by SoberFilmChick on Thursday, May 16, 2013, In : 0.00% Water

Star Trek Into Darkness
SoberFilmChick

Directed By: J.J. Abrams

Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Benedict Cumberbatch, Karl Urban, John Cho, Simon Pegg, Peter Weller, Alice Eve, Bruce Greenwood, and Anton Yelchin

Director J.J. Abrams appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart this week and revealed that he was not originally a fan of the Star Trek television series. After becoming involved with developing a new Star Trek movie series, he did revisit the television show and gre...
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REVIEW: Kon-Tiki is a Slow Ride Through an Interesting Theory

Posted by Zach Davis on Monday, May 6, 2013, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine

Kon-Tiki
Zach Davis

Directed By: Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg

Starring: Pål Sverre Valheim Hagan, Anders Bassmo Christiansen, Tobias Santelmann, Gustaf Skarsgård, Odd-Magnus Williamson, Jacob Oftebro, and Agnes Kittelsen

Kon-Tiki is a harrowing tale of survival propelled by an interesting theory from Thor Heyerdahl. According to Heyerdahl, the Peruvians were the first to colonize Polynesia from the east contrary to the traditional notion that Asians migrating from the west settled on th...
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REVIEW: Blue Da Ba Dee Da Ba Die...Mechanic Tony Stark's Avengers Demons & Aldrich Killian's Extremis Are Giving Him Anxiety Attacks in Iron Man 3

Posted by James Brown on Friday, May 3, 2013, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers

Iron Man 3

Directed By: Shane Black

Starring: Robert Downey, Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Stephanie Szostak, James Badge Dale, Jon Favreau, Ben Kingsley, and William Sadler

The summer movie season is upon us! As usual, superhero flicks will dominate this summer’s blockbusters. Interestingly enough, we're seeing a changing of the guard this year. With the end of Christopher Nolan's Batman Trilogy, the Man of Steel will be substituting for the Dark Knight. For...
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REVIEW: With the Help of China Girl, the Sour Puss Nook, and One Funny Flying Monkey Named Finley, the Con Man Oz is Indeed Great and Powerful

Posted by James Brown on Friday, March 8, 2013, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers

Oz: The Great and Powerful

Directed By: Sam Raimi

Starring: James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams, Zach Braff, Bill Cobbs, and Joey King

Anything is possible. If you had asked me a few years ago whether we'd ever go back to Oz on the big screen, I would have laughed in your face. I would have thought that no filmmaker would have the guts to deal with their work being forever in the shadow of Victor Fleming's The Wizard of Oz, an untouchable classic. As this weekend demonst...
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REVIEW: Jack The Giant Slayer 3D – Between Heaven And Earth, Jack And The King’s Guardians Battle Some Pretty Ruthless Giants

Posted by SoberFilmChick on Saturday, March 2, 2013, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine

Jack The Giant Slayer 3D
SoberFilmChick

Directed by: Bryan Singer

Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Eleanor Tomlinson, Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Bill Nighy, and Ian McShane

"Fee Fye Foe Fumm. Ask not whence the thunder comes. For between Heaven and Earth it's a perilous place. Home to a fearsome giant race."
–King Brahmwell (Ian McShane)

Jack the Giant Slayer is the latest movie to update a traditional fairy tale into an action adventure film. Because X-Men and Usual Suspects director Bryan Si...

REVIEW: Though Not a Burglar, Hobbit Bilbo Baggins Goes on an Unexpectedly Funny Adventure Through the Misty Mountains

Posted by James Brown on Friday, December 14, 2012, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Directed By: Peter Jackson

Starring: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, James Nesbitt, Ken Stott, Cate Blanchett, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Elijah Wood, and Andy Serkis

There's something that's so right about visiting Middle Earth in December. Since The Lord of the Rings trilogy came out a decade ago, I have made it an annual ritual to revisit director Peter Jackson's adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien's classic fantasy literature dur...

REVIEW: Life of Pi – Ang Lee Brings Yann Martel’s Novel, And One Amazing Tiger, To Life

Posted by SoberFilmChick on Thursday, November 22, 2012, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers

Life of Pi
SoberFilmChick

Directed by: Ang Lee

Starring: Suraj Sharma, Tabu, Adil Hussain, Irrfan Khan, Gerard Depardieu

Many years ago, I read Yann Martel’s coming of age tale Life of Pi. When I first learned that the novel was being turned into a film, I was a little skeptical. I found it difficult to believe that the true emotional weight of the tale could be translated to film. However, when I discovered that Ang Lee was at the helm, I actually began to get excited about the adaptation. ...
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REVIEW: Believe in Rise of the Guardians Because the Moon Said So

Posted by James Brown on Wednesday, November 21, 2012, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine

Rise of the Guardians

Directed By: Peter Ramsey

Starring: Chris Pine, Alec Baldwin, Hugh Jackman, Isla Fisher, Jude Law, and Dakota Goyo

It's hard to believe that 2012 is coming to a close so quickly. It seems like just yesterday when some of the year's top flicks were arriving in theaters. What's even harder to believe is that we've arrived at the final animated film of the year, Peter Ramsey's Rise of the Guardians. This team-up of fantasy legends is a fitting film to lead us through th...

REVIEW: Full of Flashbacks & Flash-Forwards, the Cloud Atlas Sextet is an Ambitious, Brilliant, & Beautiful Composition

Posted by James Brown on Saturday, October 27, 2012, In : 0.00% Water

Cloud Atlas

Directed By: Tom Tykwer, Lana Wachowski, and Andy Wachowski

Starring: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, Doona Bae, Ben Whishaw, James D'Arcy, Zhou Xun, Keith David, David Gyasi, Susan Sarandon, and Hugh Grant

"Our lives are not our own. From womb to tomb, we are bound to others, past and present. And by each crime, and every kindness, we birth our future."
-Sonmi-451 (Doona Bae) / Abbess (Susan Sarandon)

Ambition is the word of the day thanks to...

REVIEW: The Girl on Fire Has a Promising Start in The Hunger Games

Posted by James Brown on Friday, March 23, 2012, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers

The Hunger Games

Directed By: Gary Ross

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Stanley Tucci, and Donald Sutherland

There's been a lot of hype around The Hunger Games over the last couple of months. In no small way, that's due to some strong marketing. Lionsgate's tagline for the film is "The World Will Be Watching". That's big talk for the first installment in a series even if it's based on a bestselling book. It's been...
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REVIEW: John Carter of Mars, Welcome to the Big Screen. What Took You So Long?

Posted by James Brown on Saturday, March 10, 2012, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers

John Carter

Directed By: Andrew Stanton

Starring: Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, Samantha Morton, Mark Strong, Ciarán Hinds, Dominic West, James Purefoy, and Willem Dafoe

John Carter is a movie that's destined to be a flop. With a hefty $250 million dollar production budget and a lot of negative pre-release buzz, Disney stands to lose some big bucks. With all this negative attention surrounding the movie, it should be hard to watch and critique John Carter objectively. I don't give a damn abou...
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REVIEW: Journey 2: The Mysterious Island - Terminal Intensity For Kids

Posted by Mary Dieng on Saturday, February 11, 2012, In : 0.09% Cocktails

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
Mary Dieng

Directed By: Brad Peyton

Starring: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Michael Caine, Josh Hutcherson, Vanessa Hudgens, and Kristin Davis

I encountered the best part of Journey 2: The Mysterious Island days before its release. In the Twitterverse, actor Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol) commented on the Journey 2 movie poster, saying “Every morning on the way to work I see a big poster of The Rock riding a bee with termina...
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REVIEW: The Adventures of Tintin Is a Fun Ride, But I Was Ready to Get Off the Rollercoaster at the End of the Movie

Posted by James Brown on Thursday, December 22, 2011, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine

The Adventures of Tintin

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Starring: Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and Daniel Craig

Legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg turned 65 this past Sunday, and crossing that feared milestone of becoming a senior citizen hasn't stopped him from doing what he loves best — making movies. This holiday season, he's releasing The Adventures of Tintin and War Horse (for which a review is forthcoming later this week). In fact, he's doing something he's never d...
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REVIEW: One For All, All For Nothing. The Three Musketeers Is An Epic Failure

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, October 23, 2011, In : 0.12% Hard Liquor

The Three Musketeers

Directed By: Paul W.S. Anderson

Starring: Logan Lerman, Milla Jovovich, Matthew Macfayden, Ray Stevenson, Luke Evans, Mads Mikkelsen, James Corden, Juno Temple, Orlando Bloom, and Christoph Waltz

Every once in a while, I have reasonably high hopes for a film even when I know I shouldn't. When I heard about The Three Musketeers, I thought it had potential to be a sleeper hit. Then, I learned about the cast, a melting pot of lesser known actors and stars who stopped shining ...
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