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. 

Movie Review: Zamperini's Story Is The Strength Of UNBROKEN, But It Deserves Better.

Unbroken

Director: Angelina Jolie
Cast: Jack O'Connell, Domhnall Gleeson, Garrett Hedlund, Takamasa Ishihara, Finn Wittrock.
Rated PG-13 for war violence including intense sequences of brutality, and for brief language.

Louis Zamperini's story is unbelievable and incredibly cinematic. Laura Hillenbrand's best-selling account of Zamperini's life story, Unbroken, prompted Angelina Jolie to step behind the camera to bring this amazing man's life to the big screen. Expectations were high for the film, mostly because this story is just too powerful. While there are some admirable qualities in Unbroken, one can't help but wonder if the film would have been better told in the hands of a more accomplished and skilled filmmaker.

Movie Review: THE INTERVIEW Is A Big Joke That Got Blown Out Of Proportion.

The Interview

Directors: Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen
Cast: James Franco, Seth Rogen, Lizzy Caplan, Randall Park, Diana Bang.
Rated R for pervasive language, crude and sexual humor, nudity, some drug use, and bloody violence.

From the guys that delivered the insanely funny This Is The End comes a controversial comedy about an assassination attempt on the infamous North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un. Recently, Sony fell victim to a vicious cyber attack that compromised many private emails and studio projects. Then the hackers threatened the U.S. that it would suffer 9/11-type attacks if Sony decided to release the comedy film, The Interview. Investigations led to the discovery that the North Korean government was, indeed, behind the Sony hack. This caused many theaters to pull The Interview from their Christmas release schedule, forcing Sony to cancel the release of the film altogether. On Christmas Eve it was revealed that the film would be shown in a few hundred independent theaters across the country or could be viewed online through YouTube, Google Play, and Xbox. So, is this film worth all the controversy? Bottom line: it's a silly and tasteless comedy that Franco and Rogen are known for, nothing more and nothing less.

Movie Review: EXODUS Is Visually Stunning, But Lacks The Emotional Element Of The Famous Story.

Exodus: Gods and Kings

Director: Ridley Scott
Cast: Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton, Aaron Paul, John Turturro, Sigourney Weaver, and Ben Kingsley.
Rated PG-13 for violence including battle sequences and intense images.

I recently heard director Ridley Scott say that he tends to view things on an epic scale, and his latest film, Exodus: Gods and Kings, is absolutely no exception to that mindset. This may very well be Scott's most ambitious film to date and is a retelling of a story that is the foundation for many people's faith. While Scott delivers yet another visual wonder, one can't help but feel that there should have been more heart and emotion behind all the stylistic flair.

Movie Review: BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES May Entertain, But Is Mostly Unnecessary.

The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies

Director: Peter Jackson
Cast: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellan, Richard Armitage, Orlando Bloom, Evangeline Lily, and Cate Blanchett.
Rated PG-13 for extended sequences of intense fantasy action violence, and frightening images.

The Hobbit should never have been three movies. I could get behind the idea of two, but alas the studios won that battle. Peter Jackson is well equipped to make Middle-Earth movies for the rest of his career, but that doesn't mean he should. The Battle of the Five Armies still has many elements that made the Lord of the Rings so successful, yet it still pales in comparison.