2014 – Page 6 – Matthew Liedke on Film

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes review

Director:
Matt Reeves
Cast:
Andy Serkis
Jason Clarke
Gary Oldman
Keri Russell
Toby Kebbell
Rated: PG-13

“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” is the sequel to the 2011 reboot film which followed the birth and childhood of the character Ceasar (Serkis), and how he rose to be a revolutionary leader for his simian species. “Dawn” starts off 10 years after the first film ended. Since Caesar and the apes escaped, a virus produced at a lab has spread across the entire world and has wiped out most of the human race. Meanwhile, the apes, led by Caesar, have established their own thriving community where they live in peace.

Tensions rise, though, as a group of humans from a colony in the remains of San Francisco step upon the Ape civilization to find a power source and an accidental death occurs. Just as the situation reaches a near boiling point, though, Caesar is able to communicate with the humans to calm things down and eventually, the humans get to do their work. Old hatreds start to rise up, though, and peace may not be a long term solution.

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Tammy review

Director:
Ben Falcone
Cast:
Melissa McCarthy
Susan Surandon
Kathy Bates
Mark Duplass
Rated: R

I would say that Melissa McCarthy was typecast in this movie, but I won’t since she co-wrote the thing.

“Tammy” follows the life of the title character, played by McCarthy, who is experiencing one of the worst days one could have. First, she loses her job for being late to work, and that is followed by a discovery that her husband is cheating on her. After those disasters, she decides to leave town to clear her head. She doesn’t make the trip alone, though, as her grandma Pearl (Surandon) decides to tag along.

From there the two go off on a few wild adventures where they meet up with old and new friends and Tammy makes a pit stop to rob a fast food restaurant.

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Transformers: Age of Extinction review

Director:
Michael Bay
Cast:
Mark Wahlberg
Nicola Peltz
Jack Reynor
Kelsey Grammer
Rated: PG-13

Director Michael Bay just can’t seem to keep these movies under two and a half hours, and it once again becomes a problem for the latest “Transformers.”

The fourth installment, called “Age of Extinction,” follows Cade Yeager, played by Mark Wahlberg. Cade is a struggling, down on his luck inventor who is also an overprotective father to his daughter Tessa, played by Nicola Peltz. Meanwhile, the good natured Autobots, led by Optimus Prime, are being hunted by the government for being too dangerous.

Eventually, Cade, Tessa and Tessa’s boyfriend Shane, played by Jack Reynor, come in contact with Prime and are forced into an adventure in which they are chased by an evil Decepticon bounty hunter and the government.

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REVIEW: ‘Think Like a Man Too’

Director:
Tim Story
Cast:
Michael Ealy
Jerry Ferrara
Meagan Good
Regina Hall
Taraji P. Henson
Terrence Jenkins
Romany Malco
Wendi McLendon-Covey
Gabrielle Union
David Walton
Kevin Hart
Rated: PG-13

Think Like a Man Too is a sequel to a 2012 romantic comedy which followed the lives of multiple characters going through a variety of relationships. The original film was held together through the use of Steve Harvey’s relationship advice and worked to a point.

The 2014 film abandons that notion and decides to embrace practically every cliche in the book for a Vegas flick. In this movie, the characters all return for a wedding in Las Vegas and decide to have some partying the night before. From there, chaos ensues.

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REVIEW: ‘Jersey Boys’

Director:
Clint Eastwood
Cast:
Vincent Piazza
John Lloyd Young
Christopher Walken
Erich Bergen
Rated: R

Clint Eastwood returns to the director’s chair for “Jersey Boys,” a film adaption of a stage play that follows the career of the band, the Four Seasons. The film explores the groups run ins with the law at earlier ages, how they got started, the drama that they went through and how they came up with their most famous hits.

Despite being a film about the whole band, though, the main focus is given to the lead vocalist, Frankie Valli, who was played by John Lloyd Young.

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REVIEW: ’22 Jump Street’

Director:
Phil Lord, Christopher Miller
Cast:
Jonah Hill
Channing Tatum
Ice Cube
Peter Stormare
Rated: R

The comedic chemistry of Hill and Tatum is back in “22 Jump Street” and this time they take on the whole idea of a sequel.

The sequel to the 2012 film continues right after the first one ended. Hill and Tatum, playing undercover cops Schmidt and Jenko once again have trouble out in the field and their police chief decides to send them back to the Jump Street Unit.

There, Captain Dickson (Ice Cube) gives the two the same type of case as last time, where they have to find the dealer and the supplier of a new drug, but this time, it’s on a college campus.

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REVIEW: ‘Belle’

Director:
Amma Asante
Cast:
Matthew Goode
Sara Gadon
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Tom Wilkinson
Rated: PG

The true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle is on display in the film “Belle.” The movie follows how the daughter of a Royal Navy Admiral is raised in 18th Century England.

Played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Belle’s story becomes more complex as she begins experiencing romance and also gets caught up in a case that her aristocratic great-uncle is working on.

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How to Train Your Dragon 2 review

Director:
Dean DeBlois
Cast:
Jay Baruchel
Cate Blanchett
Gerard Butler
Craig Ferguson
America Ferrera
Djimon Hounsou
Kit Harington
Rated: PG

Five years later and none of the main characters have developed Scottish accents.

“How to Train Your Dragon 2” returns audiences to the island of Berk, where the viking warrirors there have adapted to life with dragons. There are dragon races, dragon stalls and other features to make everything work perfectly. The village is happy and the main character Hiccup’s (Baruchel) friends are having a good time racing each other. Hiccup on the other hand, though, seems to be less than content at Berk and spends his time searching the world for new places.

The adventure starts when Hiccup, and his now girlfriend Astrid (Ferrera) discover dragon trappers who are working for the villain Drago (Hounsou). Drago is working to build a dragon army and will take out anyone in his way. After the villain’s plot is discovered, Hiccup goes to try and reason with him. His journey is derailed though when he meets a person who has built a dragon sanctuary, a person that he has a connection with.

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Shailene Woodley plays a teen named Hazel,suffering from cancer and also a limited social life. This changes, though when she meets another teen named Gus who has to deal with cancer during a support group meeting.

The two start a friendship that eventually leads to a romance which takes both of them on an emotional journey.

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Edge of Tomorrow review

Tom Cruise is continuing his recent streak of action and science fiction films with “Edge of Tomorrow,” and it might be one of the best films he has done in years.

Cage is the name of Cruise’s character in “Edge of Tomorrow,” an arrogant Major in the U.S. Army whose main task in the military is public relations and the promotion of new exoskeletal armor suits. The suits Cage is promoting are being utilized by humanity in a five-year war against alien invaders who have conquered much of Europe.

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