The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Movie Review

Peter Jackson reclaims my faith in him in this fun, well-paced film far superior to the original. 

Peter Jackson is back! You have no idea how great it is to say that. After failures like The Lovely Bones and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Disappoint-sorry, "Journey", one of my favorite directors is back at the top of his game. Jackson takes us back to Middle Earth in this exciting adventure. Martin Freeman reprises his role as the Hobbit Bilbo Baggins and Sir Ian McKellen returns as Gandalf the Grey, both characters continue their quest to reclaim Erebor. I won't sugar-coat it, the first Hobbit movie was not what I expected. Seeing as how the Lord of the Rings trilogy remains to be some of my favorite movies ever, I had high hopes for my return to Middle Earth. I hadn't read the Hobbit book, and I was, and still am, a bit concerned about the fact that they extended it into a trilogy. Lord of the Rings is a 3-book series at 400 pages a piece, and the Hobbit is one book with 300 pages. You don't make that book into a trilogy. Because of this, the first movie is incredible boring. It took a very long time for the plot to kick in, the effects were embarrassingly bad on occasion, and it made me worry Peter Jackson has lost his touch. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is what I really wanted An Unexpected Journey to be. It was really well written, well paced, and I've come to the conclusion that Martin Freeman is the perfect actor to play Bilbo. However, the effect were still a bit disappointing. There is one scene in particular involving the Necromancer and Gandalf that would make one shake one's head in disbelief. However, such a disappointment in effects can be easily forgiven by the inclusion of the dragon towards the end, Smaug. Voiced by the talented Benedict Cumberbatch, the dragon Smaug is what really makes this movie great. The effects were outstanding and the dragon himself was well-written. He was frightening, menacing, smart, and extremely intimidating. Overall, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug improves upon all the things that were disappointing about the first Hobbit film. The writing and pacing was better, the acting was good, and the dragon was perfectly done. There were a few scenes that included some truly terrible special effects, but the scenes of great fun and action make up for it and

then some. Final Rating: B+

American Hustle Movie Review

Complex, Silly, and very, very 70's. 

From director David O'Russell, the mind behind Silver Linings Playbook and The Fighter, comes perhaps his greatest achievement yet. American Hustle brings together the main cast of O'Russell's last two films, including Christian Bale and Amy Adams (The Fighter), and Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook). The film revolves around con man Irving Rosenfeld (Bale) and his partner in crime Sydney Porter (Adams) as they are forced into working with deranged FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Cooper). DiMaso's main intention in assembling this con team is to take down corrupt politicians and powerbrokers, starting with passionate and honorable New Jersey Mayor Carmine Polito. The casting for this movie is brilliant, all of these excellent actors are at the top of their game. Bale has once again disappeared into his character and delivered a completely convincing performance. Amy Adams once again convinces me of her incredible talent, and Bradley Cooper really sells it as the unhinged FBI agent. Not only were the extremely talented leads brilliant, but even the supporting cast. For instance, Academy Award Winner Jennifer Lawrence as Rosenfeld's insane wife, Rosalyn. She and director David O'Russell have proven to be a very talented movie duo, and Lawrence gives a performance almost as awe-inspiring as her Oscar-Winning performance in Silver Linings Playbook. While Lawrence's performance was definitely a scene-stealing one, I feel like it was the cameo performance of legend Robert De Niro that was really show-stopping. De Niro hasn't had the best cinematic luck lately, so I'm glad to see him work with O'Russell after working on Silver Linings Playbook. Hustle definitely had a Scorsese-esque/Goodfellas feeling to it, and his appearance only elevates that. While the acting was top-notch from every single cast member, I think the direction and writing are what really make this film. I read that O'Russell let the actors have a lot of room to improvise, and you can really feel it through the realistic, but unbalanced, tone the film expresses. 

That writing/directing decision is what made the movie what it is. Now, that's not necessarily a good thing. While the improvisation did make the feature feel more realistic, it also made it, like I just stated, very unbalanced. The plot slows down, speeds up, and then slows down again seemingly at random. Plot and structure are very important to a movie, while I do appreciate a good character-driven film, consistency is very important. It's hard for a movie which has such inconsistent characters to be character-driven. The story behind this movie is a fascinating one, and perhaps deserved to be told in a more procedural, structured fashion. But to David O'Russell, plot doesn't matter, characters are what matter. Once one understands that is the film's real intention, the final product can be appreciated more. Overall, American Hustle's tone is a bit unstable and deranged, but so are the characters O'Russell has created. All the actors do a great job in their roles, and keep you entertained for most of the two hour run time.. Final Rating: B

12 Years a Slave Movie Review

Slavery's Schindler's List, and deserving of all the appreciation and praise. 

From Steve McQueen, director of one-word, underrated masterpieces such as Hunger and Shame, comes this slavery epic starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Michael Fassbender. The film follows Solomon Northup, a free man living with his family in New York, after he is tricked, kidnapped, and then sold into slavery. For 12 years he was degraded and tortured- both physically and mentally. His terrifying journey begins with working for Master Ford (Benedict Cumberbatch), a kind slave owner; as kind as a slave holder can be. Solomon's journey then leads to him to owner Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender), a crazed, overly-relegious, cruel owner. Solomon must muster up all the strength he has and never give up hope, for if he surrenders and accepts the position he is in, even if he survives he will never live. Back in 1993, Steven Spielberg directed the cinematic masterpiece Schindler's List. The incredible film took an unflinching look at the Holocaust and the sheer brutality of the Nazis. The film took home 7 Academy Awards, including Best Director and Best Film of the Year. Since then, many movies have taken a realistic, terrifying look at the Holocaust; for instance, The Boy with the Stripped Pajamas and Inglourious Bastards. However, no Holocaust film has lived up to the unwavering storytelling of Schindler's List. 12 Years a Slave is not about the Holocaust, but it's aggressive look at slavery is just as awe-inspiring. I have been somewhat of a fan of director Steven McQueen for a while now, even since I experienced Hunger. His directing is unlike anything I've ever seen, the stillness and steadiness of some of his movies is hauntingly beautiful. 

The best thing about McQueen is that he can really get amazing, realistic performances from his actors. From the extremely underrated Chiwetel Ejiofor, to a cameo performance from Brad Pitt, the ensemble in this film was phenomenal. Everyone had an important part to play and everyone did an outstanding job, particularly Ejiofor. Before watching this movie, I had quite the conundrum when it came to who should win best actor. Tom Hanks did an amazing job as Captain Phillips in Captain Phillips, it looked like Matthew Mcaughnahy is continuing his incredible career improvement in Dallas Buyer's Club, and I'm one of those people who thinks it's absolutely ridiculous that Leonardo DiCaprio hasn't won an Academy Award yet, so I was hoping for the best with The Wolf of Wallstreet. I had no idea who should win, now I do. Chiwetel's performance as Solomon Northup was undoubtedly the best this whole year. He is incredibly powerful and sympathetic, and he makes you hope and pray the character will survive this horrific ordeal. The amount of fear and turmoil he can convey with just a single look is mesmerizing. And I highly doubt he is the only actor who will bring home the golden statue for this movie. Michael Fassbender, playing the ruthless Edwin Epps, also delivers one of the best performances this year.

He has some competition with Jared Leto in Dallas Buyer's Club, but his chances are still pretty good. He's a villan who lacks any sort of redemption, much like Ralph Fienne's performance in Schindler's List. His purpose in the movie is for the audience to hate and despise him, and it's safe to say they achieved their objective. Then there is novice actress Lupita Nyong'o, playing Patesy, a slave on the Epps plantation that Edwin has an attraction towards. Her performance, even though she only shows up half way through the movie, is one of the most memorable. Every single actor did an astonishing job, and they all deserve to be recognized for it. Then we get to the writing, one of the most crucial parts of any motion picture. At first, when I heard that the screenwriter was going to be the same writer of Red Tails and Undercover Brother, I was terrified. Both films were terribly written and it would be unfortunate for a movie with this amount of potential to fall apart due to an inconsistent script. Luckily, the writing was superb as well. The characters were well fleshed out and the pacing was hauntingly realistic. Solomon Northup's true story is an incredible one full of courage and strength, it's nice to see the film adaptation does it justice. Overall, 12 Years A Slave is the quintessential slavery epic. Thanks to Steve McQueen's harrowing, realistic direction, the lead actor's powerful and heart wrenching performance, 12 Years A Slave is, without a doubt, the most incredible film of 2013, and one of the best ever made. It's fair to say it more than deserves such a prestigous title. Final Rating: A

Thor: The Dark World Movie Review

Nothing new, which isn't such a bad thing.

Thor returns to the big screen after the events that occurred in The Avengers. It starts with Loki back home, preparing to face Asgardian justice for the crimes he committed in New York. Now, Thor is faced with an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, so he now must embark on his most dangerous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all. Thor: The Dark World is the second feature film of Phase Two in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, following Iron Man 3. The entire original main cast of the original reprise their roles, including Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, and Anthony Hopkins. There are also some new cast members, like former-Doctor Who actor Christopher Eccleston. The cast aren't the only new additions to the movie. With director Kenneth Branagh (5-time Oscar Nominee famous for great Shakespearean adaptations such as Hamlet and Henry V) no longer in the the director's chair, it's Alan Taylor (famous for his work on popular shows such as Game of Thrones and The Sopranos) who gets behind the camera. At first, this direction change was nerve-racking. Branagh is a tremendous director, and Taylor is primarily a TV-director for hire. Luckily, Taylor didn't screw this up. It may have been the disappointment I had with Iron Man 3, but I really didn't have high expectations for this film. I came to terms with the fact that no Superhero movie, be that DC or Marvel, is going to live up to the Avengers. 

Even though this fact still stands, Thor 2 was a lot better than expected. The action scenes were a lot better than the ones in the original. Even though Alan Taylor is primarily a director for the small screen, nothing about the scale of the action felt small. The biggest down-side to this movie was the comedy. The Avengers was a very funny movie, but it was only funny when the levity was necessary. Thor 2 almost felt like a comedy, but with a lot of great, well-crafted action sequences. If they just would have toned down the humor a bit, the movie could have been a lot better. That, and if they could have improved the plot. The fact is, when we have a cinematic universe that includes something as epic as The Avengers, everything else feels extremely filler. The same happened with the two Iron Man sequels, when you have a movie about an individual Avenger that isn't an origin story, it feels like the only point is to kill time until the next team-up epic. It seems like every action movie nowadays is about the earth being potentially destroyed by some malicious villain and the good guy needs to stop him- which he always does after a CGI-filled 10 minute battle. It's nothing new or groundbreaking when it comes to the concept, it's the execution that really matters. And I'm happy to say that, overall, it is well-executed. The action is still good, the acting and writing were fine, the tone towards the end is a little darker which is appreciated. Overall, it's nothing unprecedented in contemporary cinema, but Thor: The Dark World is filled with enough high-flying action to entertain the masses. Final Rating: B

Breaking Bad Series Review

The Best Drama Series Ever Made.

Breaking Bad follows the events that occur after Walter White, a brilliant yet underachieving chemist, discovers he has lung cancer and has approximately two years to left to live. So, in order to maintain his family's economic well-being after he passes, he chooses to team up with his former chemistry student, Jesse Pinkman, to cook and sell the world's purest crystal meth. Walter White soon learns the accuracy of the proverb "the road to hell is paved with good intentions." There are so many great things to say about Breaking Bad, and one of the few shows out there that I have almost nothing bad to say. The directing, the writing, and especially the acting are all superb. Walter White, played by 3-time Emmy Winner Bryan Cranston, is one of the most brilliantly crafted TV characters of all time.Creator Vince Gilligan has stated plenty of times the the idea that this show would revolve around was taking Mr. Chips (Good-Bye, Mr. Chips), and turning him into Scarface. It's fair to say that transition was completed, and with remarkable realism and gradualness. He goes from being an incredibly shy and scared High School teacher, to becoming the world's best meth cook and savage dealer.

His character isn't the only masterfully crafted one in this show. Jesse Pinkman, played by 2-Time Emmy Award Winner Aaron Paul, is also an incredibly developing, entertaining character. He too undergoes incredible character development; going from stoner, High School drop-out, to becoming one of the most tragic and sympathy-receiving characters in the show. Then we have Skylar, the character hardly anyone has sympathy for. Just to get it out of the way, Skylar is a very annoying character. Actress Anna Gunn does a fantastic job portraying the irritating character, especially in the show's last season. Everyone else in the main cast does there part perfectly, from klepto-purple-obsessed-maniac Marie Shrader and her husband, ASAC Hank Shrader, to other great supporting characters like goofy criminal lawyer Saul Goodman and Mike Ehrmantraut played by the incredibly talented Jonathan Banks. However, with the exception of Cranston and Paul, it was Giancarlo Esposito, playing Gustavo Fring, that shined the most.

As seen in the clip, Gus is pretty awesome. Esposito's performance as Gus delivers on so many levels; making Gus one of the most menacing and well-written antagonist in both TV and film. Writing was another great thing about this show. Not just are the characters extremely well-written, but there are so many jaw-dropping moments in this series that you are always sitting at the edge of your seat. Unpredictability made this show the suspense juggernaut it is today, the truly amazing show it is today. I've seen so many shows in my life and have loved so many as well. However, no show made me fell the way Breaking Bad did. The acting was perfect and realistic, especially from Bryan Cranston. His emotional powerhouse performance every episode was extraordinary, making him one of the best actors in television, and rightfully so. Everything in this show was perfectly executed and put together. Those who have not seen this show have no idea what they are missing. Breaking Bad is the best drama TV show ever. Final Rating- A+

Carrie Movie Review

Would You go to prom with Carrie?

From director Kimberly Pierce, director of cult favorites such as Boys Don't Cry and Stop-Loss, comes this film adaptation of Stephen King's spine-chilling horror classic Carrie, marking the 2nd attempt at remaking the classic 1976 Brian De Palma thriller with the same name. The plot is the same as the first two, Carrie is a shy, awkward teen living under the roof of her religious, maniacal mother. Despite her realizing her telekinetic abilities, she lives a life under the radar. Until one day, the abused 17 year old girl is pushed too far after a High School prom prank that goes terribly wrong. The quality of this film is relative. If you compare this remake to the 2002 counterpart, this movie is very well-crafted. The 2002 re-imagining was poorly-done and it's appearance did not hide the fact that it is a made-for-TV movie, with a made-for-TV budget. When compared to that adaptation, this movie is good. However, once compared to the original, it's a much different story. After watching critically reviled remakes such as Psycho (1998), The Fog (2003), The Wicker Man (2006), Halloween (2007) Prom Night (2008), Friday the 13th (2009), and A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010), it became an unspoken rule to never expect modern day remakes to surpass their originals (I say 'modern day' in order to accommodate John Carpenter's 1982 classic The Thing which, of course, was a remake of the 1950's horror film The Thing from Another World). Many remakes have been above average, for instance, Zack Snyder's 2004 remake Dawn of the Dead. It may not have been as good as George Romero's classic, but it still does a good job. Carrie fits in that category best. This adaptation has a lot of things going for it. Mainly, the cast is superb. There is, of course, Chloe Grace Mortez as the iconic Carrie character, but the performance that stands out the most is that of Julianne Moore. Her portrayal of the religious nut-job Margret White very well may be the best to date. The supporting cast was satisfactory as well. From up-and-comers Portia Dobuleday and Alex Russell, to seasoned actors such as Judy Greer and the criminally under-appreciated Barry Shabaka Henley. Of course, the other main highlight of the movie is the story line. There is a reason this book has been made into a movie this many times. The plot is tragic, somewhat relatable, and the themes of bullying are as relevant in today's society as ever. Most of what I have to say about this movie is pretty positive. It is well-paced, well-scored, generally well-acted. The first three-fourths of the movie are actually pretty fun to watch. As an audience member you already know what is going to happen in the end. The blood will fall and all hell will break loose. You might think that knowing the outcome may take away from the enjoyment this movie has to offer, but it really doesn't. In fact, it gives you a sense of security that allows you to just sit back and relax. Then we reach the climax. Carrie is called up to the stage and we all know what is going to happen next. Not only is this scene important because it is the pay off to the whole movie, but it's important because it is one of the most iconic scenes in horror movie history. It's up there with The Exorcist head twirl, The Shining's "Here's Johnny", Misery's ankle crush, and Psycho's killer shower scene. It's safe to say that this scene is very crucial to how this film is generally received by audiences. Unfortunately, in my opinion, it disappoints. Once the pig's blood comes down on Carrie, you are ready for the bloody revenge she dispatches upon her tormentors. You're ready for the horror and suspense of the scene, but then you get this instead. Maybe it was too high of expectations, but the prom scene was a disappointment. For one, it was way too short. I don't really know the exact time both prom scenes were, but I wouldn't be surprised if this scene was at least 1 minute and a half to 2 minutes shorter than the original. This is the payoff to the whole movie and it felt like they just glossed over it. The other thing that made me dislike the scene was the terrible GCI. I realize that this is the 21st century, so a movie is expected to have crazy special effects which is fine, but these effects were cringe-worthy. It was disappointing. Overall, the first 3 quarters of this movie were good, but the pivotal scene of the whole film fell short, making everything after forgettable. Final Rating- B-

Captain Phillips Review

Join Captain Richard Phillips as he fights against Somalian Pirates

From Paul Greengrass, director of the Bourne Trilogy and United 93, comes this true story that follows ship captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking of the US-Flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first cargo ship to be hijacked in over two hundred years. When I think of this movie, one particular moment stands out. It's not the intense moment when the pirates latch on to the ship, it's not even the mesmerizing, traumatizing performance of Tom Hanks at the end of the movie (which did leave me speechless). For me, the aspect I'll have great respect for was the beginning of this movie. It starts with Captain Phillips and his wife getting in the car and driving to the ship dock. On the car ride there, they begin talking about their every day problems. They're worrying about their son who is not really applying himself in school, etc. Then comes the next shot. The next scene takes place in Somali and shows this broken down, poor town filled with starving people. In this scene we meet our antagonist(?), Muse. The reason I love this directing choice is because it's a great way to set the story. The juxtaposition of Phillip's problems and the problems of citizens of a 3rd world country was brilliant. It starts off with showing the audience the aspect that makes this movie so appealing, there aren't necessarily good guys or bad guys. It's not as black and white as some other movies lately, which is always fun to watch. Even though that scene is the one that stands out to me, the film is not short on great moments. Like I stated earlier, the scene in which the pirates latch on to the ship is incredibly intense. You don't have to really know what happened in real life to know the outcome. The pirates latch, they take over the ship, and the rest is history. Even though you know what happens, your heart still pounds out of your chest. The actors who portrayed the pirates were another highlight of this movie. Novice actors Barkhad Abdi, Barkhad Abdirahman, Faysal Ahmed, and Mahat Ali all deliver great performances, performances that made it seem like they've been in this business for a long, long time. Once the pirates board the ship, this movie gets real. You feel the tension between the Captain and the pirates, the writing, directing, and particularly acting made the hijacking scene feel extremely real. The film was going great so far, but then it stumbled a bit after it's sprinting start. The crew turn the tables on the pirates, they negotiate and the pirates decide to take the money in the safe and just leave. Before they do, however, they take Captain Phillips with them in a sealed lifeboat with the intention of keeping him for ransom. This is when the film really slows down. I take pride in saying I've only fallen asleep once in a movie; that was The Phantom Menace. Now my incredible record is tarnished. I regret to say I actually feel asleep for a good 20-30 minutes in this movie. The concept of the hostage being in close quarters with the pirates is intense and I'm sure when (if?) Richard was really in that situation tensions were high, and probably not as boring as it was to watch on screen. Seeing as how I was unconscious, I can't really critic the middle of the movie. I can only critic the last 30 minutes, which felt like receiving an enormous adrenaline shot to the heart. Once the Navy came into the picture the scale of this movie expanded tremendously. You really begin to feel the high stakes and the unquestionable importance of stopping these terrorists and retrieving the Captain. In the end, Captain Phillips is a riveting and powerfully realistic portrayal of bravery and courage. Even though the film gets a bit clunky and slow in the middle, director Paul Greengrass finishes off his hostage epic with such intensity brought by enthusiastic edits, a powerful soundtrack, and a mesmerizing performance by the whole ensemble especially the master himself, Tom Hanks. Final Rating: A-