The Fault in Our Stars (2014) Movie Review

Comment on whether or not you’ll go see this one. If you’ve already seen it, tell me your thoughts! Thanks for watching, guys 🙂

A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014) Review

Sorry for the weird focus that happens in this video at some parts. Comment and tell me if you’ve seen this one yet and whether or not you thought it was a hit or a miss. Thanks for watching!

Neighbors (2014) Movie Review

I review the newly released comedy “Neighbors”.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) Movie Review

I’m trying something a little different! Tell me what you think and also your own personal thoughts on the movie 🙂

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) REVIEW

Well, it’s no secret anymore that Wes Anderson is one of the most profound yet anticipated directors of modern day cinema. It’s taken awhile for people to become comfortable with his eccentric style, and perhaps even it’s taken awhile for Anderson to fall comfortably into a niche that he can embody as his own. The Grand Budapest Hotel is a classic example of this, as its upward gross of 46 million dollars has already made it one of the highest grossing Anderson movies, and is expected to take over Royal Tenenbaums and Moonrise Kingdom to become the number one grossing movie in Anderson’s filmography. Although film buffs all over have recognized the unique talent that lies in Anderson’s work since the Bottle Rocket days, it’s taken until just recently for the “common movie goer” to appreciate this talent. The Grand Budapest Hotel is indeed quite grand. It features an eccentric yet mannerly concierge as the focus of the story, many detailed dollhouse sets, every sort of color you can possibly imagine, and Anderson even chose to film the majority of the movie in 1.375:1 ratio instead of widescreen. It is no doubt very Wes Anderson-y, and as of yesterday with its wide release, people all over the country are flocking to cinemas to see it.

Divergent (2014) REVIEW

Divergent is the next big thing when it comes to action/adventure Sci-Fi’s about a dystopian future featuring a teenage heroine. The Hunger Games trilogy seems to have set the precedent for these types of movies but could the Divergent series possibly overcome them? Simply put, in my opinion the answer is no. Divergent is entertaining and will most likely keep your attention for its entirety. It’s got some pretty good young talent, with Shailene Woodley leading the pack, and more experienced talent like Kate Winslet who plays the antagonistic “evil leader”. It’ll definitely rack in lots of dollars from fans of the book and the younger crowd in general. However, Divergent’s story seemed to be teetering on the edge of predictability and monotonicity since it seemed very reminiscent of every other movie in this genre and simply did not contain any elements that stood out beyond what Hunger Games has already done.

Need for Speed (2014) REVIEW

Need for Speed will satisfy any car junkie if they’re looking for a film that can provide some awesome automobile eye candy along with lots of fast paced racing scenes that’ll make the whole car racing genre proud. However, if you’re looking for a plot with substance or dynamic characters then this one probably won’t deliver. It’s not unbearable, though. The story is totally outrageous, the dialogue is the very definition of corny, and the characters so one dimensional and seemingly ignorant to a reality outside of street racing  that you begin to wonder if any of these people have any sort of moral compass at all. However, this movie seems to be the definition of something being so bad that it’s good because despite all of its flaws, Need for Speed makes for a pretty fun ride as long as you’re willing to forgive it’s clichés and character tropes for the time being.

Non-Stop (2014) REVIEW

At first glance, Non-Stop seems to be just another Liam Neeson centric action thriller that is trying to reprise the surprise success that Taken had back in 2008. Nothing special here, move along. But wait…it’s actually pretty thrilling? AND keeps you guessing the bad guy until the very last second? I was surprised too, folks. It seems to be the pretty generic story of “Cop with a troubled past that has to redeem himself by becoming a hero”. But what results is a seat-gripping thriller/mystery that, if you try to suspend your disbelief until after the credits start rolling, will take you for an intense ride that will keep you thoroughly entertained the whole time.

Blue is the Warmest Color (2013) REVIEW

Blue is the Warmest Color isn’t a movie about a young same-sex relationship. Well, it is…but it’s more than that. It’s a film about being young and throwing yourself into love with everything you have. Shadowed by all kinds of controversy, it’s a film that hasn’t been easy to get a hold of. From its NC-17 rating here in the States to the questionable filming ethics of director Abdellatif Kechiche, the movie has had its fair share of dissension among audiences. When watching the movie, however, it’s best to completely forget about all that and enjoy this movie for the amazing piece of work that it is. If you can get past the 3 hour run time and the numerous lengthy sex scenes, which I suggest that you do, this is a poignant film about something most of us are all familiar with; what it’s like to be young and in love.

Captain Phillips (2013) REVIEW

Captain Phillips is the riveting biopic of Captain Richard Phillips and his crew during the 2009 hijacking of the American ship, Maersk Alabama, by Somalian pirates. It is a thriller designed to have you gripping the edge of your seat pretty much the whole time and for all of its 134 minutes I felt like I couldn’t take my eyes of the screen. With lots of argument happening over the snub of director Paul Greengrass and lead actor Tom Hanks by the Academy, I can finally understand why. This is one of the best, if not the best, I have ever seen Tom Hanks. The legendary actor shows a tremendous amount of range throughout the film, especially in the last 15 minutes or so. Greengrass, although I’m not too familiar with his other works, demonstrates expert skill in directing this heroic tale without making it feel over-the-top in any way and falling into the usual tropes of an action/thriller movie of this kind.