Category: 2/4
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Get Hard [2015] ★★
Will Ferrell can find the dumb fun in anything. Whether he gets naked and shows his private parts or not, he makes me laugh. And he does it in good movies (“Elf”, “Old School”, “Anchorman”, “Talladega Nights”, “Blades of Glory”) and horrible movies (“Bewitched”, “Kicking and Screaming”). Hell, Ferrell is funny when he just drops into a movie for a…
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Insurgent [2015] ★★
I’m not a fan of the first “Divergent” movie, released exactly a year ago. But for some reason, I had a feeling things will get more interesting with so much exposition out of the way. I was wrong. “Insurgent” is more of the same, and to be honest, I’m already dreading the idea of a…
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Project Almanac [2015] ★★
Your head will spin for all the wrong reasons while watching “Project Almanac”, the latest found-footage gimmick (yes I’m calling it a gimmick), about a group of teenagers who build a time machine and seize the opportunity to go back and fix their past mistakes while having a bit of fun along the way (hint: they…
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Focus [2015] ★★
Everyone is different. I don’t like con artists, “magic tricks” or most of Will Smith movies (except maybe “The Pursuit of Happyness”). His exhausting new film suffers from a severe case of misdirection. That word describes the very nature of “Focus”, which purports to tell a clever story when all it’s doing is whirling in an endless…
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Blackhat [2015] ★★
“Blackhat” has the look of a hit. For starters, it’s a thriller directed by Michael Mann (“Heat”, “The Insider”), and audiences usually respond to his movies. They also love Chris Hemsworth, who went beyond his Thor character in 2013’s “Rush” to prove he’s got what it takes to be an A list actor. Here’s a chance to prove…
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The Gambler [2014] ★★
James Caan played the title role in the 1974 movie. While less than perfect, the film was highly entertaining. Now Mark Wahlberg steps into his shoes to bring back the role of a compulsive gambler back to life in this new version directed by Rupert Wyatt. I’m sad to report that result is far from satisfying.…
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Cake [2014] ★★
You can watch Jennifer Aniston go crazy in the latest “Horrible Bosses” sequel, or you can decide to see her in something completely different for a change. I’m not saying you should, but she is definitely the best thing about “Cake”, playing a deeply depressed woman suffering from terrible pain, physical and emotional. Like a train…
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Into The Woods [2014] ★★
As a long time fan of the Grimm brothers’ fairy tales, I had high hopes for this elaborate musical adaptation (which in turn is based on a Broadway play). I’m sorry to report that I came away disappointed. It would take a lot to completely spoil the original material, but I never felt a connection with…
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The Interview [2014] ★★
The movie North Korea never wanted you to see is finally here. So was it worth the wait? The answer is quite simply no. As someone who enjoys Seth Rogen’s comedy but was disappointed with “Bad Neighbors”, I hoped this movie would hit the sweet spot again, especially since he is working with his longtime…
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Tusk [2014] ★★
This weird-ass movie from writer/director Kevin Smith is proof that the man is still crazy as fuck. And I don’t mean that as a compliment. The always likable Justin Long isn’t so likable here, playing Wallace, half of an L.A. podcasting team. He and his partner Teddy (Haley Joel Osment aka that kid from “The Sixth…
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Horrible Bosses 2 [2014] ★★
Sequels are the curse of modern-day comedies. Occasionally you find a good one, but more often the second installment ruins all the fun and sense of discovery that made the original a hit in the first place. “Horrible Bosses” was one of my favorite comedies of 2011. I tried to remind myself of that as I watched…
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Horns [2014] ★★
If you’re looking for a fun Halloween night at the movies, “Horns” will most likely disappoint you. Daniel Radcliffe plays Ig Perrish, a local boy suspected of murdering his girlfriend, Merrin (Juno Temple). We think he’s innocent, but it doesn’t help that he grows horns and starts looking like the devil. Don’t ask. The movie, directed by Alexander…
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The Best Of Me [2014] ★★
Based on the best-selling weepie by Nicholas Sparks, “The Best Of Me” is a hazard to all those allergic to cheesy chick flicks, or Sparks’ flicks in general. James Marsden stars as Dawson Cole, a man who is suddenly brought back into his ex-partner Amanda’s (Michelle Monaghan) company, when the pair meet to read the will of an old friend…
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Life Of Crime [2014] ★★
Unlike The Coen’s brothers’ masterpiece “Fargo”, I wasn’t swept away by “Life of Crime”, a movie with similar plot. I certainly appreciate the 1970s period flavor, the funny dialogue in writer/director Daniel Schechter’s screenplay, and the showcase it provides for a group of talented actors. However, about halfway through the movie I came to the realization…
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If I Stay [2014] ★★
I’ll leave it to the experts to explore why so many of today’s youth-oriented novels/movies are dramatic, if not downright cheesy. “If I stay” is the latest example, based on Gayle Forman’s best-seller, and like other similar stories, it will make you cry. Or at least try. Fortunately, this story has a good actress in the lead and…
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Under The Skin [2014] ★★
Scarlett Johansson may be busy promoting her new movie “Lucy”, but earlier this year she was in a totally different Sci-Fi film called “Under The Skin”. I’ve taken many unusual cinematic journeys with so many different directors and enjoyed most of them, but I just couldn’t care for this one. I find this distressing because, on the face of it,…
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Into The Storm [2014] ★★
Disaster movie junkies may snap freeze their brains at “Into The Storm” just to see what a $50 million budget and an army of computers can do to show the horrors of a tornado. The small town of Silverton is invaded by a series of deadly tornadoes. That’s cue for a handful of folks to…
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The Expendables 3 [2014] ★★
I wanted to like this series. Really. Veteran action stars Sylvester Stallone, Dolph Lundgren, Jet Li, Jason Statham and Arnold Schwarzenegger out to prove they can still kick ass. What’s not to root for? But the weaknesses show in “The Expendables 3“, even with flashy editing and an enjoyable soundtrack. Like the previous movies, this sequel…
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Hercules [2014] ★★
After the crappy “Legend of Hercules”, I don’t think audiences needed to see another “Hercules” movie. Not so soon anyway. And yet Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson seems born for the role. The man is strong, funny and he knows how to entertain. Then director Brett Ratner comes along and decides to ruin everything. His movie,…
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Planes : Fire & Rescue [2014] ★★
The first “Planes” was one of the weakest Disney animated features. So my question is: Who ordered a sequel? Rating: 2/4
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