The first Paranormal Activity stormed the country with massive word-of-mouth generating over $100M in box office receipts on a $15k budget. But now with a new entry coming out nearly every year, the franchise has grown tired. Paranormal Activity 4 is an inane and confusing story, when it’s not downright boring, to go along with subpar acting, especially from the two kids, and a set-up which takes too long to develop, intermixed with scares which were far from it.
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2 is easily on par with Chris Nolan’s amazing live action movies with great action, some good drama with the aging Bruce Wayne and an epic fight sequence between Batman and Superman, including some nice little zingers they throw back and forth.
Peter Pan is not my favorite Disney cartoon but it is still a magical film for the entire family. The animation is, of course dated, but there is a certain charm which gives that special something extra the newer styles don’t have.
As a whole, Flight is hardly a terrible movie and there are far worse choices out there, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was severely disappointed. The Blu-ray has a limited selection of features but is worth watching and both of the audio/video transfers are quite nice. If you like Denzel Washington and don’t mind melodrama on steroids or alcohol, then this might be worth a rental, otherwise wait for this to air on television.
Not without its flaws, Seven Psychopaths is still a funny, endearing and charming movie with well-rounded characters and a unique story making for a surprisingly enjoyable and memorable experience. Colin Farrell continues to show that when working on smaller budgeted pictures, he’s a good actor and with Christopher Walken, you’ve got a winner.
So Undercover should’ve been worse than it actually was. As a Miley Cyrus-starring vehicle, it is utterly laughable that she would play somebody working with the FBI, but at the same time, when you do learn the twist, it at least makes sense. Although it does heavily borrow from Miss Congeniality there’s enough story and jokes which land that will keep your attention for the 90-minute duration.
Death Race3: Inferno is your typical direct-to-video movie meaning a script with thin character development, poor acting even by the pros (at least Dougray Scott seemed to have fun with his cackling) and generic action which leaves this more or less forgettable.
Taken 2 had so much potential and plenty of goodwill after its amazing predecessor, however what we got instead was a lazy half-assed screenplay that simply did a find and replace combined with uninspiring direction. The main saving grace is that Liam Neeson once again gives it his all and really saves it from being a dud.
To Rome with Love had potential with an impressive cast, which Woody Allen always manages to bring together, intriguing/bold stories and an absolutely beautiful locale that never gets old seeing on screen. However, with these multi-stories going in and out, the pacing is at times dreadful and when really only one of the stories is the least bit entertaining, it can be tough to get through the others.
With a title like Love Me, there’s not a hell lot to actually love. The script is half-baked, the dialogue stilted and the mystery is, well, unmysterious. For her part, Lindsey Shaw doesn’t do a bad job, so that’s at least one positive thing I took away from the film.
End of Watch is one of the more uniquely shot films of 2012. It’s a mix of “found footage” style mixed with a gritty tone that Ayer is known for throughout his many cop-centric films. Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena turn in great performances and although the story is a bit weak, the character aspects make up for any shortcomings.
Frankweenie didn’t do much for me both on an emotional level or general entertainment. The voice talents are fine but the story was too stretched out and got a bit tedious towards the end
The Possession is yet another in the long line of movies trying to emulate or copy the original exorcism masterpiece. In fairness, the film does have a couple creepy moments but they’re easily overshadowed by stilted acting and unintentionally funny scenes.
The Jazz Singer digibook is a fantastic release with a wonderful and historical film to go along with a plethora of special features and short films that anyone interested in the era will absolutely love. The audio and video transfers are also wonderfully restored which has never looked or sounded better.
The Words may not be as special of a film as it things it is, but there are many aspects which I did like from the multi-level story to some good performances including Zoe Saldana, Dennis Quaid, and especially, Jeremy Irons who deserves far more attention than he’s received. And despite any problems I had with the screenplay itself, I still found the film mostly compelling and at least worth a look if only once.