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.
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| Miami Vice - An underrated action film. |
Watch Miami Vice
Written by: Michael Mann, Anthony Yerkovich (TV series)
Directed by: Michael Mann
Starring: Colin Farrell, Jamie Foxx
Rated: R
Plot:
Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx are two Miami cops who go undercover to infiltrate a drug syndicate.
Review:
I had wanted to rewatch this for a while. I didn't think much of it on the first watch, but this time I really enjoyed it. It's a solid action movie. That and the odd decision to tie it to the eighties Miami Vice show. This movie has very little to do with it.
Since it came out it's been described as severely underrated in Michael Mann discussions. It is definitely solid, well directed, and ahead of most action movies. The only reason it doesn't rise to the height of previous Michael Mann films is the lack of chemistry between and characterization of Farrell and Foxx. The tenuous relationship to the eighties television show did more harm than good. This isn't the eighties television show, except for Farrell's mullet. It has a lot of style, from the vehicles to the visuals and everything in between.
Watch it.
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| Blackhat - I too was waiting for that moment that never came. |
Blackhat (2015)
Watch Blackhat
Written by: Morgan Davis Foehl
Directed by: Michael Mann
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Viola Davis
Rated: R
Plot:
Chris Hemsworth, a hacker, will gain freedom from jail if he can stop a paper thin villain from destruction and robbery.
Review:
Another Michael Mann film, and this one doesn't hold up to any of his previous films. The script is the main problem. It's not well written. That and Mann is an action film director heading a movie with little action. Inside a computer CGI is glaringly overused. Hemsworth plays a hacker who has no issue with a dead body and handles weapons rather proficiently with no explanation. The movie boasts a cheesy romance, tons of exposition, a first time writer, and a ridiculous plot.
Skip it.
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| The Judge - Downey plays arrogant and Duvall ornery. |
The Judge (2014)
Watch The Judge
Written by:Nick Schenk and Bill Dubuque (screenplay) and David Dobkin & Nick Schenk (story)
Directed by: David Dobkin
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Robert Duvall, Vera Farmiga
Rated: R
Plot:
Robert Downey Jr. plays an arrogant hotshot lawyer who returns to his small hometown to attend his mother's funeral, and ends up defending the local judge accused of murder, his father played by Robert Duvall.
Review:
It opens with iron man peeing on somebody. I'm not making this up. The movie comes across a little hokey. I was expecting a focused courtroom drama like A Time to Kill. This movie has too many story lines and relies too heavily on comedic relief. Downey and Duvall seem to play the same type of characters they always play. This had a lot of potential that was wasted.
Skip it.
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| Leviathan - A great plot that runs too long. |
Leviathan (2014)
Watch Leviathan
Written by: Oleg Negin, Andrey Zvyagintsev
Directed by: Andrey Zvyagintsev
Starring: Aleksey Serebryakov, Elena Lyadova
Rated: R
Plot:
A corrupt Russian mayor plots to deceive Kolya out of his house and land. This is just the beginning of trouble for Kolya.
Review:
It's a great film that's as much a commentary on social issues and hypocrisy as it is the downfall of an alcoholic. It looks good, and has a great story, though it moves a very slow. That combined with it being a foreign film will be an obstacle.
Skip it.
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| Ice Age: The Meltdown - Nothing you haven't seen before. |
Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006)
Watch Ice Age: The Meltdown
Written by: Peter Gaulke & Gerry Swallow & Jim Hecht (screenplay), Peter Gaulke and Gerry Swallow (story)
Directed by: Carlos Saldanha
Starring: Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary
Rated: PG
Plot:
Manny, Sid, and Diego move to higher ground upon discovering the Ice Age is ending. Their adventures lead them to discover that Manny may not be the last mammoth.
Review:
It's average. With only a few funny segments and a cliche story, it doesn't offer enough. The animation looks great, but there are plenty of animated movies that provide a story and visuals.
Skip it.
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| Best in Show - A comical cast of characters at a dog show. |
Watch Best in Show
Written by: Christopher Guest, Eugene Levy
Directed by: Christopher Guest
Starring: Fred Willard, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara
Rated: PG-13
Plot:
Mockumentary following dogs and their owners in the days leading up to a national dog show.
Review:
This is satire done right because it's based on a jokes and stereotypes everyone knows. On the heels of Maps to the Stars, this has exactly what that lacked. Greater characters, great gags make this worth checking out.
It depends.
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