Movie Review: "Begin Again" Wins You Over With Its Charm.

Begin Again

Director: John Carney
Cast: Mark Ruffalo, Keira Knightley, Hailee Steinfeld, Adam Levine, and Catherine Keener.
Rated R for language.

John Carney, the director from the surprise hit Once, is back with a new tale involving relationships and music. There are a lot of familiarities between the two films, but Carney is obviously in his element with these types of stories. Begin Again is one of those sweet surprises that seem to come along every summer, but are often skipped over for more traditional flare.

Movie Review: "Snowpiercer" Ranks Among The Best Of The Post-Apocalyptic Genre.

Snowpiercer

Director: Joon-ho Bong
Cast: Chris Evans, Jamie Bell, Tilda Swinton, Kang-ho Song, Octavia Spencer, and John Hurt.
Rated R for violence, language, and drug content.

The summer movie season is all about the big studio blockbusters, which can be a lot of fun or giant failures. Sadly, there are smaller gems that are not recognized up against the Goliaths of Hollywood. Snowpiercer is one of those gems, combining the best elements of sci-fi, action, drama, smarts, and thrills. Simply put, Snowpiercer is one of the best action films of the year.

Movie Review: "Dawn" Is Visually Stunning, Yet Emotionally Complex.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Director: Matt Reeves
Cast: Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Toby Kebbell, Keri Russell, and Gary Oldman.
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and brief strong language.

Audiences often complain that there are too many sequels, and that Hollywood no longer has any more original ideas. The history of film has gone through its share of trends, and sequels are a strong trend with today's releases. Sure, there are many follow-up installments that are poorly produced just to cash in on audiences' expectations, but when a sequel comes along that is this fantastic, it's easy to understand why there are so many.

Redbox Review: "Enemy" Is The Most Complex Movie I've Seen In 2014.

Enemy

Director: Denis Villeneuve
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Melanie Laurent, Sarah Gadon, and Isabella Rossellini.
Rated R for some strong sexual content, graphic nudity, and language.

I was mesmerized by what director Denis Villeneuve was able to do with last year's brilliant thriller, Prisoners, so I was very intrigued to catch this latest film of his also starring Jake Gyllenhaal (though technically this was filmed before Prisoners). I knew prior to seeing Enemy that I would have to engage my brain to fully appreciate and understand this complicated film. Though this is not a film that everyone will enjoy, it is a fascinating piece of filmmaking that is constructed with exact precision.

My Most Anticipated Films For The Rest Of 2014

I actually meant to make a post like this earlier in the year where I would highlight the films I am most excited for in 2014. Well, now we are just about halfway through the year, and already we have had some truly wonderful films. Honestly, it's been a great year. It would be hard coming up with a Top Ten for 2014 and we still have six more months of movies. It's an exciting year to be a film fan. We still have plenty of exciting films to look forward to, and there will be plenty that will surprise us. So with that in mind, I have decided to pick out ten remaining films of 2014 that I am most excited for.

Movie Review: "HTTYD2" Spreads Its Dragon Wings And Soars.

How To Train Your Dragon 2

Director: Dean DeBlois
Cast: Jay Baruchel, Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Kristen Wiig, Kit Harington, and Djimon Hounsou.
Rated PG for adventure action and some mild rude humor.

For a long time, Pixar seemed to own the animated genre, but now other studios have answered with some animated classics of their own. DreamWorks' How to Train Your Dragon was a surprise hit with audiences and critics four years ago. Now, the highly anticipated sequel has delivered with even more heart than the first.

Movie Review: "22 Jump Street" Mocks Itself And Has A Blast Doing It.

22 Jump Street

Directors: Phil Lord & Christopher Miller
Cast: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube, Wyatt Russell, Jillian Bell, and Nick Offerman.
Rated R language throughout, sexual content, drug material, brief nudity, and some violence.

Directors Phil Lord & Christopher Miller are at the top of their game. After their surprise hit in 21 Jump Street, followed by a classic animated comedy with this year's The Lego Movie, they've now essentially mastered the comedy sequel with 22 Jump Street, something that cannot be said of most comedy sequels. 22 Jump Street may or may not be better than its predecessor, but the bottom line is that it is a great comedy sequel.