The Weekly Movie Watch Volume 26

This week I watched Short Term 12, Wag the Dog, New World, The Maze Runner.

I watch movies every week and then write down my thoughts. Read my previous reviews!
My rating is simple, Watch It, It Depends, Skip it.

Short Term 12

Short Term 12 (2013)
Watch Short Term 12
Written by: Destin Daniel Cretton
Directed by: Destin Daniel Cretton
Starring: Brie Larson, Frantz Turner, John Gallagher Jr.
Rated: R

Plot:
Counselors and teens face troubles at a foster care facility.

Review:
It's got a very good introduction. You really get a feel for the characters in just a few minutes. The subject matter makes for a very heavy movie, but that also makes it real. It's a great concept, with good writing and plot. I'm surprised I haven't heard about this movie.
Watch it.

Wag the Dog

Wag the Dog (1997)
Watch Wag the Dog
Written by: Larry Beinhart (book), Hilary Henkin and David Mamet (screenplay)
Directed by: Barry Levinson
Starring: Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, Anne Heche, Denis Leary
Rated: R

Plot: 
A spin doctor employs a Hollywood producer to create a war to cover up a presidential sex scandal.


Review:
It's humorous, making you wonder how close it is to truth. But it's very slow, it's more exposition than action.
It depends.

 

New World

Sin-Se-Gae aka New World (2013)
Watch New World
Written by: Hoon-jung Park
Directed by: Hoon-jung Park
Starring: Jung-jae Lee, Min-sik Choi, Jeong-min Hwang 
Rated: --

Plot:
An undercover cop's loyalties are tested as he ascends the ranks of the mob.

Plot:
It weaves a nice web of deceit. The story is good and very focused.
It depends.

The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner (2014) 
Watch The Maze Runner
Written by: Noah Oppenheim and Grant Pierce Myers and T.S. Nowlin (screenplay), James Dashner (novel)
Directed by: Wes Ball
Starring: Dylan O'Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Will Poulter
Rated: PG-13

Plot:
An amnesiac boy tries to escape the prison in which he and others are trapped.

Review:
The movie has an intense start. The entire maze sequence puts you on the edge of the seat. The pacing started falling at the half way mark. The last quarter is rubbish, with no answers provided. It's a cliffhanger ending, disallowing the movie to stand on it's own. It's falls into the trap of the television show Lost. Answers aren't provided because the writers don't have answers. The first half is great,while the last half should be avoided.
It depends.