12.20.14
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The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

ratings4

In the final installment of the Middle-Earth saga, Bilbo and Company are forced to engage in a war against an army of orcs and keep the terrifying Smaug from acquiring a kingdom of treasure and obliterating all of Middle-Earth.

I really enjoyed this movie. It was a bit short of what I expected, but I still thought it was great. It’s definitely not the best of the series, but not the worst, either. The acting in the movie is very good, like the other 2 movies. None of the important characters were underused, they all got a fair amount of screen time. The visual effects are absolutely amazing and very well done, and I would highly recommend the 3D. The action is suspenseful and intriguing, and kept me on the edge of my seat. The action scenes never dragged, and they were very well-directed and entertaining.

Despite being entertaining and well-made, the movie did have a few flaws. First. the first hour of the movie felt like an aftermath of Part 2. It was just wrapping up from where the second movie left off, and then eventually developing a new conflict. Second, the ending was not dramatic or a great farewell to Middle-Earth like I expected it to be. It was not such a great conclusion, and could have been better. The battle did wrap up things well, but the last 5 minutes is what could have been improved.

Overall, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is a great finale to the series. It’s not as good as the Desolation of Smaug, but still great, I would recommend it especially for ages 11-16.

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12.13.14
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Exodus: Gods and Kings

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The defiant leader Moses rises up against the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses, setting 600,000 slaves on a monumental journey of escape from Egypt and its terrifying cycle of deadly plagues.

Exodus: Gods and Kings was a huge disappointment. The marketing made it look awesome, but it turned out to be terrible. Ridley Scott didn’t even try. He used to make amazing movies, and he tricked us into thinking this one would be great too! He didn’t do a good job at all, neither did Christian Bale. If they’re in Egypt, why is everyone speaking with an English accent? Joel Edgerton and the rest of the cast were bad, too, except I thought Aaron Paul did a decent job. He wasn’t bad, but he wasn’t great, either. The plot was very bad. Nothing related to the original source, and they didn’t make a good story with the changes. When there is supposed to be drama, there isn’t. There is absolutely nothing going on for the first 40 minutes, and for the 50 minutes after that, there is some plot, but no interesting plot. The action was not intriguing at all. It feels more like the goofy action from this summer’s Hercules, rather than well-directed action like the one in Gladiator. The movie is 2 and a half hours long, but it did not feel long at all. But during the time I was in the theater, I was just bored out of my mind, and really wanted to walk out, but I was hoping it would get better by the end. Nothing moving or emotional has happened by the end, and it’s just a movie that you watch and move on with. I thought the movie would be more than fun, but it wasn’t. It wasn’t even fun at all. It was just boring, and turned out to be the biggest disappointment of the year. I really thought it would be better, but in the end, there was absolutely nothing that was good about the movie, not even the visuals, which I hoped would be great, but they were really nothing special.

Overall, Exodus: Gods and Kings is a terrible disappointment. The director, producers, and cast should have tried much harder. The trailers made it looks awesome, but instead it was awful. I really wanted more from an adaptation like this. But in the end, this movie was just a waste of time, potential, and money.

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12.12.14
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Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

ratings5

Riggan Thompson, a washed-up actor who once played an iconic superhero, must overcome his ego and family trouble as he mounts a Broadway play in a bid to reclaim his past glory.

Birdman is definitely one of the best movies of the year, or maybe even THE best. The plot is great and very interesting, The cast are all fantastic, especially Michael Keaton and Emma Stone. Zach Galifianakis was really good, too. The cinematography is great, and I love how the entire movie is, like, one take. There is only one camera on the set that moves with the actors from scene to scene. It’s unique, and unlike any other movie. It was a great experience. The directing is fantastic as well, and this is probably Alejandro G. Inarritu’s breakthrough film. I’m glad he got nominated. Keaton and Stone deserved their nominations as well. This movie deserved it’s other nominations, too. I think it has a great change of winning Best Picture, or Director.

Birdman is definitely one of the greatest, most creative films about film making and the media. I loved the way Michael Keaton showed me the distress and suffering he was going through with himself, and Emma Stone did great as his just-out-of-rehab daughter, who doesn’t like him for not being around when she was younger. The directing and cinematography are also fantastic. I would highly recommend this movie, it’s definitely a must-see! I think the age limit would be 14 or 15 because of some inappropriate content.

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11.22.14
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The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1

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When Katniss destroys the games, she goes to District 13 after District 12 is destroyed. She meets President Coin who convinces her to be the symbol of rebellion, while trying to save Peeta from the Capitol.

I saw this movie today, and honestly, I’m very disappointed. There are two words I can use to describe this movie: cash grab. The filmmakers split Mockingjay into two movies just for the money, obviously, and this one just feels like a trailer for Part 2. Once again, Jennifer Lawrence is excellent as Katniss, and her emotion is so well-portrayed, but none of the other actors are so good. The movie is really short on action, and the plot isn’t so intriguing. Director Francis Lawrence, who directed the previous installment in the series, is back, but he doesn’t do an amazing job like in Catching Fire. He adds some shaky camera in part of the best action scene of the movie. It’s only for a minute, but it’s really disturbing, but not as bad as the shaky cam in the first Hunger Games. The movie itself is definitely better than the first film, but nowhere close or comparable to Catching Fire, which is still the best of the series. I wouldn’t say it’s the worst of the series, but it’s the weakest. The movie starts out as a really good film, but as it goes, it goes down from good to OK. I think the ending sucked, and unlike Catching Fire’s ending, it wasn’t a cliff-hanger, it was just a tease. Mockingjay would have been better off as one movie, if the filmmakers weren’t so greedy! I hope Part 2 will be much better, and make up for the disappointment of this one.

Overall, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 is a big disappointment, that turns out to just be a cash grab, and isn’t as entertaining and rewarding as Catching Fire. In a way, it’s also weaker than the first one. It feels much more like a teaser than a movie. It’s enjoyable, but disappointing and definitely not a must-see.

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11.20.14
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Whiplash

ratings5

Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller) is a talented drummer — talented enough to make it into Manhattan’s prestigious music conservatory, Schaffer Academy. There’s no bigger badge of approval at Schaffer than to be invited to join its elite jazz band, which is run by the tough and mysterious Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons). Fletcher has groomed some of jazz’s best players, but pleasing him is a minefield. Fletcher’s methods include — among other, more traditional methods like pedagogy and charismatic history-sharing — complete and utter humiliation. Andrew is thrilled to make the initial cut, but surviving Fletcher’s class may break him, and his love for music, for good.

I was very impressed by this movie. The cast, the directing, the script, and the style of the movie are all great. Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons both did an amazing job, and I think they both have a chance of getting an Oscar nomination. I thought the story and dialogue were great, too. The directing is excellent, and I think this is a huge breakthrough for Damien Chazelle, the director of the movie. This is a type of movie that really made me think. The ending of the movie really made me go, “Wow!”. The movie delivers the message that you have to try as hard as you can in order to succeed. The style was great, and I liked how it felt like a very musical film. The cinematography was also great. This isn’t my favorite movie of the year, but possibly on my top 5 or top 10. It’s a great film and I would definitely recommend it, but only for ages 14 and up, because there is some very strong language.

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11.10.14
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Big Hero 6

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Big Hero 6 is the latest movie from Disney animation. It follows a boy named Hiro Hamada, who lives in the city of San Fransokyo, who teams up with his huggable robot Baymax and 4 other people to defeat a supervillain who is using Hiro’s technology to take over the city.

I saw this movie today, and it surprised me. It turned out to be a very fun movie. The humor was smart and very well written. Some of the supporting characters were stupid. Baymax is definitely the highlight of the movie. He is extremely likable, he and Hiro have good chemistry, and he is willing to do anything for Hiro. Some parts in this movie were also very touching, including the relationship between Hiro and his older brother Tadashi, which tragically ends after Tadashi is killed in a freak explosion. The animation in this film is very well done. But the movie felt way too short, and could have been a bit longer. I thought the villain would be weak, but he actually had a purpose and a backstory. At parts it feels cliche and predictable like any other animated movies, but it was also unique in its own way. I thought it was a smart movie but the end was predictable, because there is that same type of ending in almost every animated film nowadays, but Disney still did a good job with this film. But I felt that in an aspect Baymax was a weak character. Of course he had a lot of screen time and was very likable, nothing really revolved around him. None of this stuff, like this villain trying to get revenge on someone else, or Tadashi getting killed, had to do with Baymax. Baymax just came in and eventually became Hiro’s best friend.

But overall Big Hero 6 is a fun animated movie that is a good time for the whole family. I think it would be cool if they made a sequel or even a franchise out of this, but they don’t have to. It would be fine as a stand-alone movie. Big Hero 6 proves that Disney can make great movies without the Pixar brand. But honestly, I’d still prefer Pixar’s movies, since most of them are obviously better, but if you want a movie to see with your family, this would be a good choice.

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11.09.14
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Interstellar

ratings5

A group of explorers make use of a newly discovered wormhole to surpass the limitations on human space travel and conquer the vast distances involved in an interstellar voyage.

So I finally saw Interstellar yesterday after all this anticipation. Did it disappoint? Absolutely not! This is an excellent film! There is so much suspense, the acting is fantastic, the visuals are gorgeous, and so is the soundtrack. This is Hans Zimmer’s best score ever. The whole cast was excellent, and they all deliver such stellar performances. But Matthew McConaughey blew me away with his emotion and I really felt for him. There were parts that made me really emotional too. Jessica Chastain and Michael Caine were also great. But the real star is director Christopher Nolan. He amazed us with movies like Inception, The Dark Knight Trilogy, and The Prestige. And now this, I just couldn’t believe what I was seeing. He directed it so well, and the film is just so great. Chris Nolan always has great and unique ideas, and that is why he is my favorite director, and he blew my away with this. This movie is 2 hours and 49 minutes, but it felt like much less. It was pretty fast, but not rushed. I was not bored for a second. To be honest, I think it could have even been longer, but it didn’t have to be. The scenes in space are the most amazing things I’ve ever seen, and yes, it’s much better than Gravity.

I will say the ending did disappoint, though. I thought it would be one of Nolan’s genius endings like Inception, but it wasn’t. It didn’t make sense at first, but when you think about it, it kind of does, but I just wish it was less confusing and a bit more realistic.

Nonetheless, this movie is terrific. From the visuals to the acting to the soundtrack to the story, it’s a flawless space drama movie, except I didn’t love the ending. But I will say it is the best movie of the year and one of Christopher Nolan’s best films. I would definitely recommend this movie for anyone.

A ringed spacecraft revolves around a reflective sphere.

10.25.14
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Captain Phillips

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(Blu-ray review)

Captain Phillips is the amazing true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years.

I have to admit, I did not expect to love this movie like I did. It is breathtaking, suspenseful, beautifully shot, written, and directed. Not to mention Tom Hanks’ flawless performance is Captain Phillips. I cannot believe he didn’t even get nominated. The person who played Muse, the leader of the pirates, was also good. The action is very suspenseful and kept me on the edge of my seat for almost the whole time. I could not look away for a second! The pacing is also very good. It never feels to rushed or too slow or boring.

I think that overall Captain Phillips is an amazing film with a high level of suspense and a beautiful performance from Tom Hanks.

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09.22.14
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The Maze Runner

My rating:ratings4

When Thomas wakes up trapped in a massive maze with a group of other boys, he has no memory of the outside world other than strange dreams about a mysterious organization known as W.C.K.D. Only by piecing together fragments of his past with clues he discovers in the maze can Thomas hope to uncover his true purpose and a way to escape.

The Maze Runner is not what you would expect it to be. You might think it’s one of those dumb YA rip-off failures, but it’s actually an intriguing action story that is enjoyable from start to finish. All the cast is great, and so is the plot and the action. At first when I heard who the actors were I was a bit worried but actually they all did great.

I thought the movie was so fun and suspenseful, and I loved it. It lived up to my expectations and it does not disappoint. Many people are complaining about the ending, but I had no problem with it. I absolutely can’t wait for the sequel! I wish they would just play on instead of having to wait another year! Overall, The Maze Runner is an awesome movie that does not disappoint.

09.17.14
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Dolphin Tale 2

My rating: ratings3

In this family-friendly sequel, Winter’s story continues when her dolphin companion dies, and her condition is deteriorating, so the people at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, including Sawyer, the boy who discovered Winter in the first film and serves as the main character in both films, do their best to help her. Soon a baby dolphin named Hope is found and rescued, and Winter and Hope form a unique friendship.

Dolphin Tale 2 is a fun family flick that both kids and parents can enjoy. It’s a cute movie that does not disappoint much. I don’t think it was better than the first one, but I still liked it. It’s problem is that some parts just feel to much like the first one, and it feels like the same movie twice. I think the cast was good, except I thought Hazel, the girl who is Sawyer’s friend, was annoying at times. Our main story is supposed to be Winter and Hope, but that only happens for the last half hour of the movie, and I wanted more of Hope. Overall I think Dolphin Tale 2 is a cute family film that is enjoyable but feels too much like the first at times.

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