Tag: film

Homefront review

Director:
Gary Fleder
Cast:
Jason Statham
James Franco
Kate Bosworth
Winona Ryder
Rated: R
Trailer

Movie rednecks sure are scary.

Jason Statham is Phil Broker. Just your average single dad raising a young daughter out in a rural area. Oh, and he just happens to be a former DEA agent with knowledge of how to use powerful weapons, as well as having detective and martial arts skills. One average day, Broker’s daughter gets into a school ground fight with a boy who happens to be the nephew of a local criminal.

The criminal is called Gator, played by James Franco, who is trying to start a drug ring in the local community. At first, Gator just tries to scare Broker as a revenge tactic for his nephew and sister. However, the stakes are raised when Gator learns about Broker’s past as an agent with the DEA.

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Nebraska review

Director:
Alexander Payne
Cast:
Bruce Dern
Will Forte
Bob Odenkirk
June Squibb
Rated: R
Trailer

Alexander Payne returns in a great way with his new film “Nebraska,” which examines the dynamics of a family like his previous film, “The Descendants” did.

“Nebraska” picks up with the character Woody (Dern), an old man who believes he won $1 million and is trying to leave his home in Montana and get to where he can claim his prize in Nebraska. His wife, Kate (Squibb), is set against the trip, believing the prize to be a hoax. However, his son David (Forte), despite not fully believing that his father has won a prize, thinks that a road trip could do Woody some good.

The two set off on a trip that goes through the American heartland, but before getting to their destination, they end up stopping in Woody’s old town, where he meets with former friends and family he hasn’t seen in years.

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The Hunger Games: Catching Fire review

If you liked “The Hunger Games,” then you will love “Catching Fire” because it is an improvement over the first one in nearly every way.

The film picks up not long after the first movie. Both Katniss Everdeen, played by Jennifer Lawrence, and Peeta Mellark, played by Josh Hutcherson, are on a victory tour after winning the Hunger Games. Although it is all smiles on the outside, inside, both characters are conflicted.

Katniss is troubled both by post traumatic stress disorder from the first games along with the fact that her relationship with Peeta is actually fake. She has feelings for the character Gale Hawthorne, played by Liam Hemsworth. Peeta is troubled by the same fact that the relationship doesn’t exist.

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The Best Man Holiday review

Director:
Malcolm D. Lee
Cast:
Morris Chestnut
Taye Diggs
Terrence Howard
Monica Calhoun
Sanaa Lathan
Rated: R

So much drama in one movie.

Director Malcolm Lee helmed “The Best Man Holiday,” the sequel to his 1999 film “The Best Man.” The film starts with following the main character Harper (Diggs), an author who is having a case of writer’s block right around the time of the Christmas season. When the festive holiday finally arrives, Harper and his wife are invited for a big Christmas party weekend at the home of his former friend Lance (Chestnut).

The first movie revolved around the drama of Harper and Lance and Lance’s wife Mia (Calhoun) and it picks up again here. On top of that, are the many subplots surrounding the rest of the other friends of Lance and Mia’s who are invited to the party. From there, hi-jinx ensue.

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Blockbuster closing and video rental memories

I grew up in a small Midwestern town with a population between 5,000 and 7,000 people. A blockbuster store never showed up in that town, instead we had small community video rental stores. No matter what type of rental store was in any community, though, mine or yours, from huge corporate to locally owned rental spots, the memories remain the same.

To start off with, some have discussed how they are happy to see Blockbuster go down. The fact is, many local video rentals were in fact forced out by the large video rental chain. However, this isn’t what this column is about. In the end, Blockbuster was fighting the same battle that every video rental store is fighting. And with the latest blow, the remaining blockbuster stores closing, it represents the last of a group of warriors falling in battle.

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About Time review

Director:
Richard Curtis
Cast:
Domhnall Gleeson
Rachel McAdams
Bill Nighy
Rated: R

For once we have a time travel movie that isn’t all that confusing.

Tim (Gleeson) is the main character of “About Time.” On his 21st birthday, Tim finds out from his father (Nighy) that his family has the ability to travel backwards in time, but only during one persons life, not being able to travel to a time before the person was born.

Tim soon grasps the opportunities he has with the ability, and it helps him through life as he starts working as a lawyer in London. As time goes on, Tim also meets his true love in Mary (McAdams) and helps the relationship along with his power, however, as he does he learns that he can’t make everything perfect.

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Thor: The Dark World review

Unfortunately for the mighty Thor, his sequel “The Dark World” turns out to be simply mediocre.

Like “Iron Man 3,” “Thor: The Dark World” picks up some time after the events that took place with the battle in New York City in “The Avengers.” Thor, played by Chris Hemsworth, has brought his brother Loki, Tom Hiddleston, back to the world of Asgard for imprisonment after his crimes on Earth.

After doing so and restoring balance to the different realms, Thor decides to check on the woman he fell in love with in the first film, a scientist named Jane, played by Natalie Portman. When he does so, he discovers that Jane has come into contact with an uncontrollable power that is sought after by the film’s villain Malekith, played by Christopher Eccleston.

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Last Vegas review

Director:
Jon Turteltaub
Cast:
Michael Douglas
Robert De Niro
Morgan Freeman
Kevin Kline
Mary Steenburgen
Rated: PG-13

Before you ask, no, this is not just a blatant rip off of “The Hangover” with old guys.

“Last Vegas” follows a group of four friends who have known each other for more than 50 years. The group includes Billy (Douglas), Paddy (De Niro), Archie (Freeman) and Sam (Kline). Each one of them is dealing with their own issues in life, Archie has to keep track of pills, Sam feels tired of being around other seniors in Florida and Paddy is still mourning the loss of his wife.

The one that has things going right is Billy, the most successful of the group. Billy plans on getting married to a woman much younger than he is in Las Vegas and wants to hold a bachelor party with all of his buddies.

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Ender’s Game review

Director:
Gavin Hood
Cast:
Asa Butterfield
Harrison Ford
Ben Kingsley
Viola Davis
Rated: PG-13

No, I have not read the book. Moving on.

The story of “Ender’s Game” follows the title character, Ender (Butterfield), who is a young genius who the world government wants to lead its star fleet into battle. Said battle would be against an alien race that unsuccessfully invaded Earth decades ago.

As Ender trains, he learns more about himself, how the military operates, the hierarchy with other cadets and soldiers and even learns about the enemy itself.

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Free Birds review

Director:
Jimmy Hayward
Cast:
Owen Wilson
Woody Harrelson
Amy Poehler
George Takei
Rated: PG

I didn’t think there was going to be a wide released animated movie this year that was as poor as “Turbo” or “Planes.” I was wrong.

“Free Birds” follows the character Reggie (Wilson), a turkey who tries to warn his fellow flock that they are being used for Thanksgiving meals. Life gets a little easier for Reggie, though, when he is chosen as the Presidential pardoned turkey and gets to live the rest of his life in comfort.

That is until he meets another turkey named Jake (Harrelson) who is on a mission to stop Thanksgiving from happening ever again. To do so, Jake takes Reggie to a time machine (which has an AI system voiced by George Takei) which brings them to the time of the very first Thanksgiving. There, they meet a tribe of tribal turkeys who end up helping them in their quest.

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