The first movie was a fun guilty pleasure. Species II is just plain guilty of being a bad film all around. The writing is poor and the acting was at best phoned-in, though Natasha Henstridge at least seemed to give it her all and she might be the only reason it’s even watchable.
The Peanuts Movie isn’t great but more than satisfactory and will certainly please its core fans as it shows some of the classic scenes from the strip and various TV specials. All around it’s just a smile-enducing flick that kids will love and parents and passively enjoy, even those (like myself) who aren’t fans of the comic.
Sisters had plenty of potential given the cast, writer and director all with impressive resumes. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, who don’t have a whole lot to work with and seemed to rely on improvising than anything from the script, do at least share nice comedic chemistry; outside of those two, though, there weren’t a whole lot of genuinely funny scenes.
My bias for this movie aside, Disturbing Behavior is at least an entertaining little thriller with some fun moments that sets it apart from others of the like. The cast is a lot of fun especially for Nick Stahl and William Sadler in his brief role, not to mention seeing Katie Holmes playing against type.
Spotlight might not be at the top of my best of 2015 list but it’s still a well made film all around from the efficient direction, tight writing and brilliant performances (save for Ruffalo in the one scene) so I have no qualms with its recent win for Best Picture and say it’s well worth purchase.
Miss You Already might be a clichéd drama but the performances, especially Toni Collette, and some of the writing, especially in how it relates to the battle with cancer – both on clinical and personal points – at least helps make it entertaining if not on an emotional level.
No Way Out was a pleasant surprise of a thriller featuring good suspense and a solid performance by Kevin Costner with honorable mention to Will Patton. To cap things off, the ending had a nice and unexpected twist.
My All American is the clichéd sports drama but mostly well acted especially on the part of Finn Wittrock. I can’t say I recommend it considering it is the type of film that will eventually air on Spike or maybe even the Hallmark Channel in a few years but if you enjoy the genre, it might be a worthwhile rental.
Extraction is exactly what I thought it would be and so much less. It’s yet another direct-to-video (or very limited release) from Bruce Willis who is not only somehow second billed in spite of making a cameo appearance but billed behind Kellan Lutz, tells you everything you need to know.
“Falling Skies” was a bit of an uneven series but I can’t say over the course of its five seasons I can’t say any of them were particularly ‘bad’ and had many entertaining moments. The series was also efficient with its budget and featured some impressive effects, both visual and make-up, while the acting all around was quite good headed by Noah Wyle as well as Will Patton.
I Knew Her Well isn’t something I normally watch and I wasn’t especially invested with the story or the character but it’s hard to deny the performance from Stefania Sandrelli was excellent and in the end I at least found it well made with a moving final scene.
This “Double Feature” release from Shout Factory is the definition of a mixed bag. While Millennium was pretty darn good with a compelling story and respectable acting, R.O.T.O.R. is the exact opposite in every regard and easily is one of the worst films I’ve seen in some time if not ever.
While The 33 certainly tells a compelling story, this film adaptation of it is a bit too paint-by-numbers and doesn’t come close to living up to the actual news coverage which from my recollection was nearly 24/7.
Secret in Their Eyes is a decent if not horribly disappointing movie considering the amazing cast. Although the three main actors turn in perfectly fine performances, with Chiwetel Ejiofor being the best of the trio exuding enough charm to overcome story and editing issues, this is not a film that has much if any replay value and is at best a Saturday night rental, nothing more.
Our Brand is Crisis isn’t a bad movie per se but it’s one with some identity issues. Personally, it might’ve worked far better as a satire on American politics but they decided to use the country of Bolivia as a stand-in. This is the type of movie that screams rental, not much more.