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.

Trailer Reaction: STAR WARS - THE FORCE AWAKENS Teaser Is Everything I Wanted!

Okay, so this is a first for me. I've yet to make a post about my reaction to a trailer, let alone an 88-second teaser, but come on guys, it's STAR WARS!!!! Like many, Star Wars was my childhood. I had a yellow wiffle baseball bat that I pretended was my special yellow lightsaber, because I didn't have the toy. I would sit at the table and try to move a pencil towards me using the Force. Sometimes, I would close my eyes and strain my brain so hard that I actually thought that it would work. Star Wars has been a big part of my family, particularly among the boys, and it's been fun to introduce the films to a new generation of nephews and nieces. I look forward to sharing this wonderful universe with my own kids someday.

Movie Review: HORRIBLE BOSSES 2 Still Brings The Laughs.

Horrible Bosses 2

Director: Sean Anders
Cast: Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Chris Pine, Jennifer Aniston, Jamie Foxx, Kevin Spacey, and Christoph Waltz.
Rated R for strong, crude sexual content and language throughout.

The original Horrible Bosses was a fun, clever idea that really succeeded on the comedy of its stars, Bateman, Day, and Sudeikis, while giving actors like Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston, and Colin Farrell, the opportunity to have a lot of fun with their despicable roles. Horrible Bosses 2 is much sillier than its predecessor, but again, the chemistry between its three stars makes it work.

Movie Review: MOCKINGJAY - PART I Is Solid, But Clearly Incomplete.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part I

Director: Francis Lawrence
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Julianne Moore, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, and Donald Sutherland.
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some disturbing images, and thematic material.

Harry Potter did it, then Twilight, The Hobbit has done it with three movies, and now The Hunger Games series is the latest to make multiple films out of one novel. Is it necessary? For Harry Potter, maybe, but not for Mockingjay. It's even more questionable since the third novel in the series was generally the least liked among fans. But this first installment of the two-part finale will make somewhere around $700 million at the worldwide box office, and it cost $250 million to make Part I & Part II together. That means that when Part II comes out next November it will make close to $1 billion of pure profit. If you were the head of Lionsgate Films, would you not do the same? I would. While Mockingjay - Part I clearly is an incomplete film, it still provides some exciting moments and enough intrigue to make you ready for Part II.