MORE OF ME

Thursday, December 27, 2012

(Movie Review) Jack Reacher (2012)

Cruise is immortal. This has been confirmed. I mean, really, go back and look at him in Legend. Or go look at the first Mission Impossible movie. If possible he looks younger NOW than he did in that movie. He might also be in better shape now. Regardless, he is a a freak of nature. 50 years old and STILL a believable action hero. That has never been more apparent than it was to me in this movie.

Storyline: A man is accused of a crime that he claims he didn't commit. While being interrogated he gives them only one name...Jack Reacher. Reacher (Cruise) seeks this man out to try to help figure out if he did or did not commit the crimes that are being accused of. Reacher goes on a mission to gather the facts and find out who committed the crime.

Worth the Admission? I think that it is. Cruise might not be 6'5 and 250lbs, but this movie looks like it was made specifically for Cruise to dominate. He might not be a believable "bad a**" (in the way that the book writes it) but the way that the movie writes him (as a tough guy that is underestimated) is perfect. He pulls off some fight scenes that many people HALF his age couldn't pull off.

I also want to add that Tom Cruise, for 50+ years old, is in amazing shape. Most of the older action guys have let themselves go. But Cruise is is awesome in the movie and shows that he still has what it takes to make a great action movie.

and Rosamund Pike is smoking hot!



(Movie Review) This Is 40 (2012)

Some people are born to do certain things. Steven Tyler was born to scream at the top of his lungs during songs, Ron Jeremy was born to do adult movies. Paul Rudd was born to make people laugh. I have rarely seen a movie that I did not absolutely love him in. He gets comedy in a way that I don't think many actors do these days. Such a talent and someone that should (but will not) be given more credit in Hollywood.

Storyline: Pete (Rudd) and Debbie (Mann) are hitting a rut in their lives. They are both turning 40 this week (Debbie claims that she is only 38) and Debbie thinks that it is time to make some changes in their marriage. Eating better. Working out. Spending more quality time together. But when the changes don't come as easily as Debbie hoped they would, the couple continues to go through problems which culminates in a life altering change.

Worth the admission? Absolutely! It's a bit long, but more of a great thing makes this is a positive in my opinion. This movie is extremely funny. It's filled with plenty of bad language, but the jokes associated with the bad language are side splitting. Some people will argue the point that cussing is pointless in a "smart comedy" but I honestly think that it serves a particular purpose in this movie. It adds to the state of frustration that both Pete and Debbie are experiencing. I would recommend this movie to anyone that is in the mood for a good laugh.

As a side note, the kids in the movie are actually the children of Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann. They actually have great comedic timing and I think that they will follow in the foot steps of their talented parents.

My only critique of this movie is that Leslie Mann, yet again, provides a CGI topless shot. It is so stupid to do. If the scene calls for a topless shot, then the actress should pull her big girl panties up and do the shot....not CGI I the shot. If the scene DOESN'T require it, then don't go through the trouble of trying to trick the audience. Just a small gripe, but still... 


Friday, December 21, 2012

(Movie Review) The Hobbit : An Unexpected Journey (2012)


The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is just as grand and fun as I always hoped it would be

I’m not much of a reader. Not of novels and such at least. I love stories that are concise and a little smaller than the average book. This is the reason that I have always been so drawn to comics and short stories. When I was younger I read The Hobbit for the first time. For someone like me it was a huge undertaking, as the book tends to be somewhat slow and overly descriptive. Never the less…I was enthralled.  The world in which Tolkien sets this adventure is full of magic and wonder. Because of this book I fell in love with the Fantasy genre. Since the announcement that The Lord of the Rings (2001) was being made I have patiently waited for this film to come out. I am so happy to say that it was well worth the wait.

Storyline: Bilbo Baggins (Freeman) is a young and reluctant Hobbit that is perfectly happy with continuing to live his quiet life in his hillside home within The Shire. That is until one day he is reintroduced to someone from his past. The Wandering Wizard, Gandalf (McKellen) pays a visit to Bilbo and soon, unknown to Bilbo, signs him up for an adventure to help a group of Dwarves to reclaim their homeland and their gold from within The Lonely Mountain that is guarded by the dragon Smaug. The journey is littered with Orcs, Goblins, and a mysterious riddle loving creature named Gollum that will change the life of Bilbo Baggins forever.

Worth the Admission? Does a Hobbit eat 7 meals a day? Of course it’s worth it. There are going to be some people that complain about the film. There always are. People are going to complain about the length of it, or that the “first hour drags”, but those are complaints that are common when dealing with films that are as epic as this one.  As for the film “dragging”, this film, like the book, is meant to display the beauty of the scenery and to take the audience on visual journey. There is no reason to forgo the visuals in an attempt to get the runtime down. It’s all part of the experience.

I also think that too much negative emphasis has been placed on the style in which the film was shot. A standard film shoots at 24 frames per second, and this film shoots at 48 frames per second. What most do not like about it is that it takes away a bit of that “movie look” and replaces it with visuals that are too realistic. When was being realistic or believable deemed to be a bad thing? The clarity that this film has in unparalleled and makes the film feel like you are along on the journey. It is absolutely stunning. And when given the opportunity, you should see it in IMAX 3D (as I did). It is worth the extra money.