STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS Brings Back The Magic Of The Original Trilogy And More.

STAR WARS EPISODE VII: THE FORCE AWAKENS

Director: JJ Abrams
Cast: Harrison Ford, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Carrie Fisher, Andy Serkis, and Mark Hamill.
Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action violence.

It's been no secret that STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS has been my most anticipated movie of the year, maybe of my lifetime. I paid close attention to every casting confirmation, trailer release, and basic plot points confirmed by Disney, while also avoiding major spoilers and the horde of TV spots that have been released in the past few weeks. Many have asked me how the movie could possibly live up to such fervor and anticipation. I was worried myself that it would disappoint. I've seen the movie twice now, and it hasn't even been a full 24 hours since it opened to the public. I can safely say that THE FORCE AWAKENS hearkens back to everything I loved about the original trilogy while introducing new, complex, and exciting characters.

THE MARTIAN Effectively Thrills And Entertains As One Of The Year's Best Films.

THE MARTIAN

Director: Ridley Scott
Cast: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Pena, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan, and Jeff Daniels.
Rated PG-13 for some strong language, injury images, and brief nudity.

Ridley Scott has long been one of my favorite directors having helmed my all-time favorite film, Gladiator. I can't help but get excited whenever his name is attached to a project, yet many of his recent directorial efforts have lacked emotional weight, strong characters, or thrilling plots. Thankfully, The Martian is Scott's best film in years led by outstanding work from lead actor Matt Damon and a stellar script from Drew Goddard.

SICARIO Leaves You Feeling Uneasy Throughout Its Run Time And Beyond.

SICARIO

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Cast: Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro, Josh Brolin, Daniel Kaluuya, Victor Garber, and Jon Bernthal.

Rated R for strong violence, grisly images, and language. 

The border is just another line to cross. It's been nearly two months since my last review, mostly because August and September were horrible months for movies with maybe the exception of Straight Outta Compton, which I failed to see. Regardless, October is here and now the fall movie season officially begins with a combination of Oscar hopefuls and holiday season blockbusters. Director Denis Villeneuve has impressed me with Prisoners and Enemy in the past few years, and he delivers again with this unnerving thriller centered on the fight against Mexican drug cartels. 

SOUTHPAW May Not Offer Anything New, But Gyllenhaal Is Something To Watch.

SOUTHPAW

Director: Antoine Fuqua
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rachel McAdams, Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, Oona Laurence, and Forest Whitaker.
Rated R for language throughout, and some violence.

Jake Gyllenhaal has taken his career very seriously in recent years with outstanding work in Prisoners, Enemy, and last year's Nightcrawler. Here, he transforms himself once again as a physical beast ready to take down any opponent in the ring. Does he deliver? In short, yes, he sure does.

ANT-MAN Proves Marvel Doesn't Have To Go Bigger And Louder.

Ant-Man

Director: Peyton Reed

Cast: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stoll, Michael Peña, Bobby Cannavale, and Michael Douglas.

Rated PG-13 sci-fi action violence.

People should probably just stop doubting Marvel Studios. No one will argue the studio's monetary success, many will even claim the majority of these films are critically sound, and yet whenever Marvel attempts something unusual or risky, e.g. Guardians of the Galaxy, many have falsely predicted the studio's eventual downfall. Well, plenty of people, critics and fans alike, were sure Ant-Man would be the first crack in a strong foundation. I was skeptical myself, but really people, let's just let Marvel do their thing, because Ant-Man is loads of fun.

My Top Ten Most Anticipated Films For The Rest Of 2015

My Top 10 Most Anticipated Films for the Rest of 2015

For the past couple years I have created this list highlighting upcoming films for the months of July through December. Many of these films already have a lot of attention surrounding them, but hopefully you'll find a couple here that you were unaware of. 2015 has already seen some instant hits beloved by audiences and critics alike, and it's seen its share of crap as well. But in my opinion, the year is only getting started. There are some very exciting films that will be released in the second half of the year. Here are my most anticipated films for the second half of the 2015:

JURASSIC WORLD Is Not As Smart As The Original But Still Fun.

JURASSIC WORLD

Director: Colin Trevorrow

Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Nick Robinson, Ty Simpkins, and Vincent D'Onofrio.

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of science-fiction violence and peril.

In the summer of 1993, I had one of the greatest theater experiences of my life at the age of nine. Steven Spielberg showed me that dinosaurs could be resurrected in his now classic film, Jurassic Park. I eagerly anticipated the sequel only to find that the magic got lost somewhere along the way. Jurassic Park III tried to recapture it, but it was a vain attempt. Needless to say, I did not have the highest of expectations going into the fourth installment, Jurassic World. While the original film cannot be matched in thrills or brains, I must admit I had a good time with this latest sequel.

Pixar Is Back On Top With One Of 2015's Best: INSIDE OUT .

INSIDE OUT

Director: Pete Doctor
Cast: Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Lewis Black, Mindy Kaling, Bill Hader, and Richard Kind.
Rated PG for mild thematic elements and some action.

Pixar is known for delivering all-time animated classics, such as the Toy Story trilogy, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, and Up. There have been some recent missteps along the way (Cars 2, Brave), causing many to wait for Pixar to deliver yet another classic. It's here, people. Inside Out may be advertised as a kid-friendly family film, but in my opinion, it is one of the most adult family films I've seen and all the better for it.

Frenetic Insanity On Full Display In MAD MAX: FURY ROAD.

Mad Max: Fury Road

Director: George Miller

Cast: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Josh Helman, Zoe Kravitz.

Rated R for intense sequences of violence throughout, and for disturbing images.

Guarantee: you won't find a more insane thrill ride at the movies this year. Maybe I'm being presumptuous, but I feel comfortable in my declaration. Director George Miller returns to the action franchise that put him on the map more than 30 years ago, and what he delivers is a pure adrenaline rush with chaotic stunts and thrilling visuals.

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON Delivers The Expected Marvel Fun.

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON

Director: Joss Whedon

Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olsen, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Samuel L. Jackson, and James Spader. 

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action, violence and destruction, and for some suggestive comments.

The highly anticipated followup to the enormously successful Avengers is finally in theaters. Marvel is known for delivering an enormous amount of fun with its cinematic universe films, and I'm happy to report that Avengers: Age of Ultron is no exception to that standard, even if it may not match the first Avengers.

Top 10 Things I'm Excited For In STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS Teaser 2

So the nerd world was rocked yesterday when director J.J. Abrams revealed the second teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. To kick off Star Wars Celebration yesterday in Anaheim, CA, J.J. Abrams and Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy presented a panel in which they discussed the new film, answered fan questions, and brought out both new and returning actors to the franchise, including Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher. Then the moment every Star Wars fan was waiting for finally happened: a brand new teaser trailer. The first teaser had a sense of urgency with an ominous voice-over from an unidentified character played by Andy Serkis. This new teaser showed even more footage while still maintaining the plot's secrecy, and it's everything you could want from a Star Wars film. Here are 10 reasons why I am beyond excited for this new entry from my favorite franchise:

FURIOUS 7 Is Beyond Ridiculous, But In The Most Awesome Way.

FURIOUS 7

Director: James Wan

Cast: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Jordana Brewster, and Kurt Russell.

Rated PG-13 for prolonged frenetic sequences of violence, action and mayhem, suggestive content, and brief strong language. 

The first film in this never-ending series was pretty much a carbon copy of Point Break, but with cars. No one could have ever predicted that these films would get a face lift with its fourth installment, and then brace a whole new identity with its fifth and sixth films. Now, the Fast & Furious franchise knows that its strengths lie in its ability to provide over-the-top thrills, and Furious 7 takes this identity to all new heights of absurdity and pure entertainment. 

CINDERELLA Relies On Disney Magic And Makes You Believe.

Cinderella
Review by Todd Ortiz

Director: Kenneth Branagh
Cast: Lily James, Cate Blanchett, Richard Madden, Sophie McShera, Holliday Grainger, and Helena Bonham Carter. 
Rated PG for mild thematic elements. 

Cinderella is a tale that has been around long before Disney popularized it with its 1950 animated feature. Since then, the story has been told many times over, and now Disney has decided to retell its animated version with a live-action interpretation. In my opinion, Disney has struggled with its live-action versions of animated classics, such as Alice in Wonderland and Maleficent, but this is one that they got right, relying on the magic on which Disney has built its reputation.

Movie Review: "Chappie" Tries To Say A Lot, But Ends Up Saying Very Little.

Chappie

Director: Neill Blomkamp

Cast: Sharlto Copley, Dev Patel, Ninja, Yo-Landi Visser, Sigourney Weaver, and Hugh Jackman.

Rated R for violence, language, and brief nudity. 

There are two guarantees with a Neill Blomkamp film: great sci-fi visuals and a consistently outstanding Sharlto Copley. With District 9, Blomkamp gave us these two qualities as well as a unique sci-fi story with ample social commentary. Elysium tried to do the same, but did not have the same emotional weight. Luckily, Sharlto was wildly hypnotic as the film's villainous Agent Kruger. With Chappie we have a spread of horribly developed characters telling a story that otherwise should have had a stronger impact.

My Top 10 Favorite Films of 2014

My Top 10 Favorite Films of 2014

Here we are yet again. Another year of film has come and gone. There were plenty of big hits and plenty of surprises, as there are every year. Most Top Ten lists have already been published or posted, but there were so many films that were technically "released" in 2014 (in NY and LA) that I was not able to see until these past few weeks when they got a wider release across the country. You may find a film or two on this list that just arrived in local theaters in 2015, but each film on this list is officially a 2014 film; some just had a limited release in 2014. I would also like to clarify that despite what some of you may think, I do not see every movie, and that goes for supposedly great films that I never got around to. I do have a job, a wife, other responsibilities, and sometimes just a lack of funds that prevent me from seeing anything and everything. That being said, I always make a strong effort to see major award contenders, high profile projects, fan favorites, as well as smaller critical darlings.

Movie Review: Eastwood Returns To Form With AMERICAN SNIPER.

American Sniper

Director: Clint Eastwood

Cast: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Keir O'Donnell, and Sam Jaeger.

Rated R for strong and disturbing war violence, and language throughout including some sexual references.

Clint Eastwood has established himself as one of the elite members of Hollywood royalty, having had an iconic acting career with some stellar films as a director. Much of his recent work hasn't stood up against some of his earlier accolades, but with American Sniper he delivers his best since Gran Torino.

Movie Review: WHIPLASH May Be One Of The More Intense Movies I've Seen.

Whiplash

Director: Damien Chazelle
Cast: Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons, Melissa Benoist, and Paul Reiser.
Rated R for strong language including some sexual references.

I have been waiting nearly a year to see this thrill ride since it made some big noise at the Sundance Film Festival last year, and thankfully it was well worth the wait. With a sharp script and smart direction, newcomer Damien Chazelle crafts one of the more intense films of 2014 with some career defining performances from young Miles Teller and veteran J.K. Simmons.

Movie Review: BIRDMAN Is A 2-Hour Showcase Of Brilliant Directing And Acting.

Birdman

Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu

Cast: Michael Keaton, Emma Stone, Edward Norton, Zach Galifianakis, Naomi Watts, and Amy Ryan.

Rated R for language throughout, some sexual content, and brief violence.

No, Birdman is not some new project from Marvel Studios. Some of you may not have even heard of it, but if you pay any attention to the award shows coming up then you are bound to hear about it. In truth there is not much I can say about this film that has not already been said in the hordes of glowing critic reviews. However, suffice it to say that if I were teaching a film class I would show Birdman as a unique and brilliant example of stellar directing and acting.