Film Fridays! -- September 11, 2015

*movie titles link to IMDB pages*

Reviews

Despite the amount of work my mom and I got done on the house this weekend, we still managed to sneak in a couple of movies!

Title: Snowpiercer
Starring: Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton, John Hurt, Jamie Bell

Thoughts: This wasn't exactly what I was expecting.

This movie, based on the French graphic novel series Le Transperceneige, shows a post-apocalyptic society where the only people left on the planet live on a train with a perpetual motion engine that circles the entire globe once every year. We follow Curtis (Evans), a man who lives in the slum-like tail section of the train, on his quest to traverse the length of the train and take over the engine.

What I liked: I loved the acting here. Lately, Chris Evans is often stereotyped into the "muscle-bound, All-American," so it's fantastic to see him in a different kind of role. There's a moment near the end of the movie where Evans gives this utterly devastating monologue, and it is fantastic. And while Evans is obviously the star of the movie, the supporting actors Swinton, Hurt, Bell, and others also turn in more-than-solid performances.

Not only is Evans's acting superb, but his character's arc is truly something, as well. For such a high-concept story, it ends up being Curtis's story that really resonates throughout.

The world-building is top-notch as well. As the movie progresses and our characters move throughout the train, the different things they encounter are fascinating. In one train car, they happen upon an elementary classroom, and the lesson going on is both chilling and educational for everyone, including the audience.

Parts of this film are horrifying and brutal, but it definitely fits the bleak tone. It's hard to swallow, but appropriate for the movie.

What I disliked: There are a few moments that just don't make much sense logistically. For fear of spoilers, I can't completely explain it, but if you watch this film, take note of the scene when the train goes around a curve so two sides of the train are facing each other. Logistically, that scene makes zero sense, and it jolted me out of the story enough to bother me.

The action doesn't flow well. An early fight scene is on of the most visually stunning sequences in the film, but fight scenes are often followed by long lulls in the action. The flow is choppy and disjointed, and not in a pleasant way.

And finally, the ending. Just after we finished watching the movie, I was a little stunned at how it ended, but still feeling a lot of the feels brought on by Evans's acting. But looking back on it now, several days later, I think I truly hate the ending. And yet, sitting here as I write this review, I can't think of any other way it could have ended. Based on the choices that all the characters made, it might just be the logical, if insane, way things should have played out. It just feels like such a letdown after such an incredible journey for Curtis. But as the song says, you can't always get what you want.

Overall, this is a movie that I'm going to have conflicting feelings about for a long time. I still recommend it, if just for Chris Evans alone.

Rating: C+

Title: Cloud Atlas

Starring: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Sturgess, Doona Bae

Thoughts: I liked this movie much more than I thought I was going to.

This movie follows six different stories in six different times, but the actors play multiple characters across the timelines. If you'd like a better synopsis, try the IMDB link in the title above, because I certainly can't give it to you.

This is a long movie at three hours. It took almost half of that time for me to really get into each of the stories, but once I did, I was enthralled. It's fascinating to see how each of the stories are connected by plot threads, and each story is so unique. Of the six timelines, only the 2012 story is comedic in tone, and while it's amusing, I didn't connect to it as much as the others. My favorite stories were the last two chronologically, the Neo-Seoul story and the Big Isle story. I also feel like they were the most connected of all, and made the most impact on the film as a whole. Each actor is definitely strongest is the stories in which they are a main character.

Also, I had no idea James D'Arcy was in this movie. That was such pleasant surprise.

So let's get to what every review of Cloud Atlas brings up: the cross-race portrayals. Since each actor plays characters across the timelines, many of the actors end up playing multiple races, and even multiple genders. But the most obvious being Neo-Seoul. White actors like Jim Sturgess, James D'Arcy, Hugh Grant and Hugo Weaving wear a combination of makeup and prosthetics to make them appear Asian.

Yes. I know that it is problematic. Hollywood has a long, sordid history of white actors playing Asian characters through yellowface. I don't need to be the voice of outrage because many others have been down that road before me, and done it much better than I could ever hope to do from my position of privilege.

However.

I will say that it didn't bother me as much as I thought it would. The actors' appearances are changed, but for the most part, I feel that the portrayals steer clear of stereotyping. I do think that the worst offense in the movie is Halle Berry's brief role as an Asian man. That specific part did rub me the wrong way, but the majority of the race and gender reversals hardly phased me.

I love seeing how everything comes together in the end. How people can find each other time after time, and how there is a ripple effect throughout time. I nearly teared up at the end.

I do think it's a good movie. Is it perfect? Absolutely not. But it's a sweeping story that covers time and distance, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Rating: B

Releases

On Tuesday, September 8th, the following movie came out on DVD and Blu-ray: 

Title: The Age of Adaline

Starring: Blake Lively, Harrison Ford, Ellen Burstyn

And two movies are releasing to theaters! 

Title: The Visit

Starring: Olivia DeJonge, Ed Oxenbould

Title: The Perfect Guy

Starring: Sanaa Lathan, Morris Chestnut, Michael Ealy

What am I most excited for? The Age of Adaline! My parents saw this in theaters in May and loved it, so I've been anxiously awaiting its DVD release so I could love it, too! 

What I'll Be Watching

I'm definitely hoping to watch The Age of Adaline this weekend. Also, I finally got my mom to watch Think Like a Man last week (which I had already seen), so I'm hoping we can finally watch Think Like a Man Too this weekend, as well!

This week, the trailer for the Christmas-horror film Krampus was released. If you've read the Christmas anthology My True Love Gave to Me, you'll recognize Krampus from Holly Black's story. The fact that this film stars Adam Scott and Toni Collette already had me intrigued, so the trailer just makes me that much more excited! It looks pretty scary, but also funny in parts? And it just looks like a fun time!

Tell me: what movies have YOU seen lately? What are you planning on seeing very soon? And what trailers are you the most excited about? Let me know in the comments below!

Film Fridays! -- September 3, 2015

*movie titles link to IMDB pages*

Reviews

I went out of town last weekend to visit my college friends, so I didn't have a ton of weekend time to watch new movies. So as hard as it is to believe, I only watched one movie this week!

Title: Rhinestone
Starring: Dolly Parton, Sylvester Stallone

Thoughts: Oh, this movie was a delight. The premise is that Dolly makes a bet with the manager of the cowboy bar she sings at: she has two weeks to turn an ordinary, average guy into a country singer who can win the favor of the notoriously difficult bar crowd. And Sly is the average guy she gets stuck with.

This movie is hilarious and adorable. And the music is fantastic. I love Dolly, as usual, but I think this movie made me like Sylvester Stallone even more. His singing leaves a little to be desired, but it's perfect for the movie.

My favorite part? The romance of course. This movie has my favorite kind of romance, too. Both characters are super sarcastic and they bicker all the time, even when they're getting along. I absolutely love the interactions between the two of them, and how their relationship develops over the course of those two weeks. I love Dolly movies!

It's obviously a very fluffy, fun movie, so I would suggest you take it at face value. It is what it is, and I loved it.

Rating: A-

I also (finally) posted my review for the movie adaptation of The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. You can click the link HERE to read that review!

Releases

On Tuesday, July 7th, the following movie came out on DVD and Blu-ray: 

Title: Mad Max: Fury Road

Starring: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron

And two movies are releasing to theaters! 

Title: The Transporter Refueled

Starring: Ed Skrein, Ray Stevenson

Title: A Walk in the Woods

Starring: Robert Redford, Nick Nolte, Emma Thompson

What am I most excited for? Mad Max: Fury Road! Ever since it came out in theaters earlier this year, I've heard nothing but amazing things about it, from both reviewers and friends. So I can't wait to see it! (Though I might need to find the original trilogy to watch first!)

What I'll Be Watching

My mom and I have plans to really work on cleaning/organizing the house this weekend, so I'm not entirely sure if movie plans will be on the docket. Hopefully it will, but you never know!

Appropriately for this blog, this week I'm featuring the first trailer for The 5th Wave was released! The 5th Wave is a film adaptation of the immensely popular YA novel of the same name by Rick Yancey! (And no, I haven't watched the trailer yet, because I have also not yet read the book, and I don't want to be spoiled!)

Tell me: what movies have YOU seen lately? What are you planning on seeing very soon? And what trailers are you the most excited about? Let me know in the comments below!

Film Fridays! -- August 28, 2015

*movie titles link to IMDB pages*

Reviews

Okay, I promise. This is going to be the last ALL-review edition of Film Fridays! It's been a busy month, but I've managed to watch quite a few movies. So here we go!

Mission: Impossible series

Title: Mission: Impossible

Starring: Tom Cruise, Jon Voight, Ving Rhames

Thoughts: For the longest time, I had absolutely no interest in watching this series. The first came out when I was little and my parents never really cared about it either, so it wasn't part of my childhood. But when Ghost Protocol came out a few years ago, it just looked so good. So we bought the boxset of the first three, and then the fourth when it came out. And this summer, when Rogue Nation came out, we decided to finally marathon through them.

And I am so glad we did!

This first film is fun. It's got a great cast and the action is always fantastic. The famous scene where Tom Cruise ends up dangling an inch from the floor? I knew it was going to happen, and I still gasped when it did. I was rooting for Ethan Hunt the entire time, and it was fun trying to figure out who the real bad guys were. Better yet, it set up the tone for the rest of the series. After I watched this first movie, I knew exactly what I was in for with the rest. And because of all the awesome spy technology used, it hasn't dated itself...very much. They do still use a floppy disk, which made me laugh. Overall, it got me really excited for the rest of the series!

Rating: B

Title: Mission: Impossible II

Starring: Tom Cruise, Thandie Newton, Dougray Scott

Thoughts: After watching the first movie, I looked up the Rotten Tomatoes score of all five movies. And once we started watching this movie, it was easy to see why it had received the lowest score of all. 

This installment was directed by John Woo, and even from the opening credits, it is highly stylized. Blurred movements and weird camera angles abound, and the action sequences are the worst offenders. Even Tom Cruise seems slightly ill-at-ease in this movie, making strange facial expressions and wearing the Vanilla Sky-era longer hair that pretty much no one liked. He's less charming here, for which the film definitely suffers. Plus, the acting here is probably the weakest in the franchise.

But all that's not to say that I didn't enjoy this movie. Because I did! I enjoyed Ethan's relationship with Thandie Newton's character, Nyah. I loved seeing Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) again. And the story overall was thorough and engaging. However, this movie almost feels more dated than the first, just because of the overly-stylized sequence and camera work. 

Subjectively, I really liked it for what it was. Objectively, I can see why it's the least-liked entry in the franchise. 

Rating: C+

Title: Mission: Impossible III

Starring: Tom Cruise, Michelle Monaghan, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ving Rhames, Maggie Q, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Simon Pegg

Thoughts: I loved this one. Tom  Cruise is definitely back on top of his game here, charming and sexy and intense all at once. Have I mentioned that Tom Cruise does his own stunts? I mean, the guy nearly slides off an inclined glass roof in this movie. It's insane, and awesome. 

I loved Ethan's team in this movie: Maggie Q and Jonathan Rhys Meyers are both fantastic, as well as Ving Rhames, as usual. They worked together so well, and unlike in other movies, I never questioned any of their loyalties. Philip Seymour Hoffman makes a pretty fantastic villain, as well. 

Of course, the plot twists and turns in unexpected ways, and I was never sure exactly what was going to happen. The relationship between Ethan and his girlfriend Julia (Michelle Monaghan) also gave me plenty of feels. This movie has it all: emotions, action sequences, amazing spy gear, and an engaging plot. This was my favorite of the first three!'

Rating: A

Title: Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol

Starring: Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Paula Patton, Jeremy Renner

Thoughts: Now this is my favorite so far. 

Tom is still super charming, yet a little melancholy. I liked Paula Patton's character, and I loved Jeremy Renner's character. And Simon Pegg is basically always the best, so I am so glad he stuck with the franchise after a relatively small part in the third movie. 

Even more than the third movie, this one really has it all. Everything the third movie had, this movie has it in spades. Plus, this movie has some downright hilarious moments. Between Simon Pegg's usual humor and Jeremy Renner's dry, skeptic humor, I laughed out loud more in this movie than the previous three. 

I just loved this movie so much, and I can't wait to see Rogue Nation when it comes out on DVD.

Rating: A

Title: The Gift
Starring: Jason Bateman, Rebecca Hall, Joel Edgerton

Thoughts: I was pretty skeptical about this movie for a while. But I heard so many great reviews and my mom wanted to see it so badly that we went to see it last weekend.

I was definitely pleasantly surprised.

What I didn't realize until the end of the movie, was that Joel Edgerton had written, produced and directed it, in addition to starring in it. That's a talented man, there, because he excelled in all aspects.

All three of the main actors are superb. There's this overwhelming sense that nothing is as it seems all throughout the movie, but very few things are explicitly spelled out. The audience is given snippets of things and expected to suss out the implications, which made it a very smart thriller.

I don't want to say much, but the ending is a little abrupt. When the credits started to roll, I felt a little unsatisfied. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized, that it was a perfect ending for the movie, because I couldn't imagine what more of the story would need to be told. I appreciate the movie for taking a risk, because it paid off. I'm still thinking about it almost a week later, so it has done its job.

Rating: B+

Title: Unfriended
Starring: Shelly Hennig, Renee Olstead, Will Peltz

Thoughts: A new scary movie came out. Of course we were going to watch it. This movie follows a group of friends who are harassed online by someone who claims to be a girl who committed suicide one year before after being the victim of cyberbullying.

When I watch a scary movie, I usually ask myself three questions.

1) Was the storytelling original? Yes. The entire movie is shown through the main character's computer screen. We see her Skyping a group of her friends, Googling things, playing music from Spotify, checking Facebook, and using iMessage.

It's a very unique movie in that respect, though I do have a feeling that the Millenial generation would understand it more than anyone else. One picture that shows up on the Facebook profile of a character uses the acronym "STFU" and my mom had to ask what that meant. And to someone who is not as used to multitasking on a computer, the mere use of so many applications at once might be confusing. But I really appreciated the unique format the film took. There's so much to look at on the screen to catch easter eggs and small hints, which is fun for a filmgoer such as myself, who revels in finding the details.

2) Was it predictable? A little. Once the movie got going, it was very easy to see what was going to happen next. Even though the way the story is told is extremely original, the story itself takes a very typical route, through to the ending. Though I knew what was going to happen in the end, the way it happened still took me by surprise.

3) Was it actually scary? Not really. There are a few creepy moments, and the death scenes are certainly unique, but nothing really made me jump out of my skin. I was definitely intrigued, and the way the story was told had me on edge a little, but most of it was because of the technology aspect instead of the actual scares.

So would I recommend this movie? If you're interested in seeing a movie with a really cool, unique format that's interesting to watch, then yes. Especially for the ending. Tell me if you're as taken by surprise as I was. But if you're looking for a great scary movie that will make you want to sleep with the lights on? I'd skip this one.

Rating: C-

Tell me: what movies have YOU seen recently? Any that you'd recommend to me? Let me know in the comments below!

Film Fridays! -- August 7, 2015

*movie titles link to IMDB pages*

Reviews

WOW. I've missed a lot of blogging in the last couple of weeks, and I've watched quite a few movies, so today's Film Fridays is going to be ALL reviews!

Title: Black or White
Starring: Kevin Costner, Octavia Spencer

Thoughts: This movie was much better than I was expecting. Let me tell you, the trailers make this movie seem like a completely different movie than it is. The trailers really played up the racism aspect, but that wasn't the main focus of the movie. In fact, it was only brought up a few times, most importantly at the end. But it's not what the movie is about.

The movie follows a man who, along with his wife, has been taking care of his granddaugher since her mother died in childbirth. When his wife dies, the girl's paternal family wants a bigger involvement in her life, and it spirals from there. I really enjoyed the characters in this movie. They're all deeply flawed, but they all want the same thing: what's best for the little girl. The journey they take is emotional and difficult, but it plays out very realistically. I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it!

Rating: B

Title: Tinker Bell and the Legend of the Neverbeast
Starring: Mae Whitman, Ginnifer Goodwin, Rosario Dawson

Thoughts: If you haven't watched the Tinker Bell movies yet,  you really need to, no matter what age you are. The first one is very cute, but the rest of them are devastatingly wonderful. I've cried multiple times during this series, and this one may be my favorite yet. Even my mom cried watching this one.

This particular movie focuses more on one of Tinker Bell's friends, Fawn, who is an animal fairy with a penchant for finding and bonding with more dangerous creatures than the other fairies. Just when she is determined to follow the rules and not risk any more damage to Pixie Hollow, she discovers a new creature: the Neverbeast.

Really, you don't need to know more than that. But if you're a movie-crier like me, keep a box of tissues handy. You're going to need them.

Rating: A+

Title: When the Game Stands Tall
Starring: Jim Caviezel, Alexander Ludwig, Matthew Daddario

Thoughts: This is the true story of the high school football team who hold the longest winning streak in high school football history, winning 151 games in a row. The first game the movie shows is the game that broke that streak.

I love inspirational sports movies. We Are Marshall, Remember the Titans, A League of their Own...I cry every time I watch those movies, so I was excited to watch this movie. Then, as the previews on the DVD played, I got a little worried. This was produced, or at least distributed, by Affirm, a Christian company that also distributed the Kirk Cameron movie Fireproof. Because of a difference in opinions and beliefs, I cannot stand Kirk Cameron or his movies, so I was a little worried that this movie would be a little too Christian intensive for me.

Well, I was pleasantly surprised. It is not nearly as preachy as I was afraid it would be; in fact, it veers into that territory early on, but quickly moves on to the actual football-playing. So I ended up enjoying it a lot more than I expected to.

The young actors in the cast really shine here. We have Alexander Ludwig of Hunger Games fame, whom I love. And Matthew Daddario, who will be playing Alec Lightwood on the Shadowhunters TV show next year! (Sidenote: he really IS attractive. Good casting.) And Jessie Usher will be playing Will Smith's son in Independence Day: Resurgence next year.

If you enjoy emotional sports movies like I do, I definitely recommend this one!

Rating: B+

Title: Ant-Man
Starring: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stoll

Thoughts: YAASS. You should know by now that I am a HUGE Marvel fangirl. So of course I was going to see Ant-Man in theaters.

Paul Rudd was a brilliant casting choice for Scott Lang. As usual, he's hilarious, but he can also pull off the drama and action when he needs to. Really, I have absolutely no complaints for any part of the cast. They are all perfect for their roles.

I think some people are/were apprehensive about this movie. But let me just say this: if you've liked the other Marvel movies, you will love this one, as well. It's paced well, the comic timing is on point (especially Michael Pena, MAN that guy has good timing), and it's got a lot of heart. I almost cried at one point.

I will also say that this is a fairly self-contained installment, but it does have significant implications on the larger MCU as a whole. And on that note, make very sure that you stick around for both the mid-credits and post-credits scene, because they are both important to the universe as we move forward!

Rating: A+

Title: Kingsman: The Secret Service
Starring: Taron Egerton, Colin Firth, Samuel L. Jackson

Thoughts: My parents saw this a long time ago, so I was so excited to finally see it when it came out on DVD. And I LOVED it just as much as I thought I would.

I knew that Twitter had gone gaga for it earlier this year, but I hadn't experienced the hype for myself. But it's so great! The plot is fun, the action is fantastic, and who wouldn't love Colin Farrell as a gentleman/secret agent? And Taron Egerton? That boy needs to score more movie roles, because he is fine.

What is really great about Kingsman is the way it plays off of old spy movies, especially James Bond. There's a moment near the end that seems to directly parody the James Bond movies, and it is so fun.

I honestly have nothing bad to say about this movie. Is it perfect? Probably not, but I couldn't name a single flaw. If you enjoy comic books, violent action and spy flicks, you would love this movie.

Rating: A

Title: Descendants
Starring: Dove Cameron, Cameron Boyce,  Booboo Stewart, Kristin Chenoweth

Thoughts: This is one Disney Channel movie that I've been anticipating for a long time. The prequel novel, The Isle of the Lost by Melissa de la Cruz, was released earlier this year. I haven't read it, but I might have to pick it up now.

It was just really fun. The premise follows a group of villain's children who are invited to the school for hero's kids in order to grant them a second chance, an opportunity to not follow in their parents' footsteps. We meet Mal (daughter of Maleficent), Evie (daughter of Evil Queen), Carlos (son of Cruella), and Jay (son of Jafar). But when they're invited to leave the Isle of the Lost, Maleficent orders them to seize the Fairy Godmother's wand for her purposes, so the villains can take over the kingdom again. But do the villains' kids really want to be bad?

It's just so cute. I love these actors. Most of the kids are Disney Channel kids from other shows: Dove stars on Liv & Maddie, and Cameron is a star on Jessie. But Booboo Stewart is Seth from the Twilight Saga, and he is just adorable. And Kristin Chenoweth as Maleficent? It's so perfect for the Disney Channel. She is just the right mixture of malice and hammy showtunes.

The characters are fun, and there are so many side characters and references from other Disney movies. And while the movie wraps up the story nicely, there is plenty of room for a sequel. I know that Melissa de la Cruz is planning a second Descendants novel for next year, and there is an animated series starting soon. So I think it'll be fun to follow these characters in the year to come and see where the story goes from here! 

Rating: B+

Title: Home
Starring: Jim Parsons, Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez, Steve Martin

Thoughts: Ever since JLo sang her Home song on American Idol this spring, I've been dying to see this. Her performance of the song alone made me cry, so I had high hopes for the movie.

IT'S SO CUTE. Jim Parsons is hilarious as Oh, the Boov. And Rihanna is surprisingly adorable as Gratuity "Tip" Tucci, the young girl trying to find her mom. There's plenty of humor and a lot of emotion. I manage to keep it together until almost the end, and then the floodgates opened.

The music was perfect for the movie, and I loved the Boov so much. Not much to say here; just go watch it. You won't regret it.

Rating: A

Title: Midnight Madness
Starring: David Naughton, Stephen Furst, Michael J. Fox

Thoughts: This is a movie I'd never heard of, but one of my mom's coworkers loaned it to us because she thought we'd like it. And dude, if you've never heard of this movie either, go check it out. Right now. I'll wait.

This is the story of an elaborate game that five teams of college students are playing overnight. The idea is that the teams are given a clue that they have to solve which will lead to a location, and there they will find another clue, until they reach the finish line.

This is Michael J. Fox's first movie role, and he is so young and adorable! The other actors are great, too. This was released in 1980, but don't be put off by the '70's feel. It's especially bad at the beginning, but it's not as apparent throughout the rest of the movie. And man, it is just FUN. There's a cameo by Paul Reubens (Pee-Wee Herman), and it's fun to try to solve the clues along with the teams. And the race to the finish line is so epic and awesome. So go watch this movie if you're looking for a good time!

Rating: A-

Tell me: what movies have YOU seen lately? What are you planning on seeing very soon? And what trailers are you the most excited about? Let me know in the comments below!

Film Fridays! -- July 17, 2015

*movie titles link to IMDB pages*

Reviews

Because we finally started Orange is the New Black, I ended up only watching one movie this week, so let's get right into it!

Title: The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Starring: Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Dev Patel

Thoughts: My mom and I watched The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel a few months ago, and absolutely fell in love with it. The premise is that several elderly British people find this long-term hotel in Jaipur, India, that caters specifically to the elderly. Sp we've been anxiously awaiting for this sequel to release on DVD so we could see it, and it finally came out this week!

The first movie was a sleeper hit, but this sequel got less enthusiastic reviews. And I now can see why.

The first movie was full of beautiful, touching moments, and every member of the ensemble cast got their own chunk of the story. It had its sad moments, but it was full of joy and finding meaning in your life, even in your golden years.

The sequel also had its merits; there were a few touching moments and plenty of laughs. And even though they probably weren't necessary, the dance scenes gave me so much happiness; I will never turn down an opportunity to see Dev Patel dance. (That boy is so goofy looking, but he is downright sexy when he dances. Don't ask me why.) But the story is much more of mess here. More characters are introduced, which leaves less time for other original characters. Plot threads are introduced and never fully explored, and a few are left hanging all together at the end. Though I had cried in the first movie, it left with me hope and satisfaction; the sequel left me wondering where the rest of the movie was.

I still enjoyed it. It's impossible not to love the adorably awkward Bill Nighy try to start a new relationship with Dame Judi Dench. But it just didn't give me the warm fuzzies like the first film did.

Rating: B-

Releases

In addition to The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, several more movies came out on DVD this week. On Tuesday, July 7th, the following movie came out on DVD and Blu-ray: 

Title: Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2

Starring: Kevin James, Raini Rodriguez

Title: The Longest Ride

Starring: Britt Robertson, Scott Eastwood

Title: It Follows

Starring: Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist

Title: Ex Machina

Starring: Alicia Vikander, Domhnall Gleeson,

 Oscar Isaac

And two movies are releasing to theaters! 

Title: Ant-Man

Starring: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stoll

Title: Trainwreck

Starring: Amy Schumer, Bill Hader

What am I most excited for? ANT-MAN. Obviously. It's an MCU movie, come on! I probably won't make it out to see it this weekend, but I'm still VERY interested to see how it does in the box office. The industry thought Guardians of the Galaxy was going to be a long-shot, and we all saw how that turned out. I would venture to say that Ant-Man is even more of a stretch for box office gold, but I'm hoping that the turn out is good. So if you're a Marvel fan, go see it! 

What I'll Be Watching

I can't imagine that we won't watch at least either It Follows or Ex Machina this weekend. Maybe even both. We'll just have to see. 

Coming off the heels of Comic-Con this last week, we've got a TON of new comic book movie trailers to watch. So many, in fact, that I actually made a separate post all about them! So click here to watch the trailers and read my thoughts, then comment below in either post and let me know what you think! 

Tell me: what movies have YOU seen lately? What are you planning on seeing very soon? And what trailers are you the most excited about? Let me know in the comments below!

Film Fridays! -- July 10, 2015

*movie titles link to IMDB pages*

Reviews

I know last week I said that I probably wouldn't be watching any movies. But it turns out, I lied! I actually watched three movies this week, so let's get into my mini-reviews! (Also from now on, I'll be rating movies on an A-F scale rather than stars. Books will still be given a star rating!)

Title: Teen Beach 2
Starring: Ross Lynch, Maia Mitchell, Grace Phipps

Thoughts: Even up until just a couple of years ago, I used to watch the Disney Channel all the time, especially when there was just nothing on. Nowadays I turn to things like Food Network or HGTV, or even just some movie that I've seen a million times. I rarely watch the Disney Channel anymore.

The exceptions are Girl Meets World (a must for Boy Meets World fans), and occasionally a Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM).

Teen Beach Movie was one of those exceptions and I loved it so much more than I expected. So when the sequel was released, of course I had to watch it! Our two leads, Ross and Maia, are just adorable together. The movie is just a ton of fun; song and dance numbers, fun riffs on 60's beach movies, and a lovely beachy setting. In the original, Brody and Mack got sucked into the world of their favorite 60's beach movie, Wet Side Story. (Har har.) In this sequel, the two leads from the movie have been changed by their interactions with Brody and Mack and find their way into the real world, which could have disastrous results for the movie!

I loved the journey our characters take. It's way deeper than you would expect from a DCOM these days. And oddly enough, I cried near the end. Yeah. I'm a huge softie. Overall, if you enjoy fun, fluffy DCOMs, and especially if you loved the first movie, I recommend you see this sequel!

Rating: A-



Title: Project Almanac

Starring: Jonny Weston, Sofia Black-D'Elia, Sam Lerner

Thoughts: I wanted to like this movie much more than I did.

Our protagonist David has just been accepted into MIT, but has not received the full scholarship he needs to make it work financially. In his endeavors to find another scholarship, he stumbles upon an old camcorder of his Dad's that inexplicably shows him, 18-year-old David, at his own 7th birthday. This leads him to find the plans and makings of a time machine in his basement, so he and his scientifically-minded friends put themselves to work in building it.

There were definitely parts of the movie I enjoyed immensely. Once they've got the time machine up and running, they (David, his friends, his sister, and his crush) immediately jump into using it for their own benefits. One guy redoes his pop quiz presentation over and over again until he aces it; they learn the winning lotto numbers and use them to win a huge sum of money; they attend Lollapalooza with backstage passes that were sold on ebay after the fact for $5. It's so much fun, and there are plenty of laughs. And the development of the romance between David and Jessie makes you root for them the whole way. Unfortunately, that's also where things start to go haywire.

Without giving too many spoilers, it was the conflict of the movie that started to screw things up for me. Time travel movies are often confusing in their logic, and Project Almanac definitely fell prey to that flaw. Once things start to show their inconsistencies, the movie loses its momentum for me. I still enjoyed the movie, especially the first half, but the second half seemed to spiral out of control a bit. There were really interesting concepts that weren't fully explored, and other concepts seemed to contradict themselves.

Also, I just really don't understand what happened to David's dad. Watch the movie for yourself and tell me if you figured it out.

Rating: C

Title: Need for Speed
Starring: Aaron Paul, Dominic Cooper, Imogen Poots

Thoughts: This movie got terrible ratings when it was released. And so, I put off watching it for a long time. That was a mistake.

This is an adaptation of the popular racing video game franchise of the same title. The plot and characters, however, are entirely original, so I'm not exactly sure how it can be based on the games, when the only things they share are car races and police chases. Then again, I've never played the games, so who am I to say it doesn't compute?

Barring the adaptation talk, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. Yes, it draws comparisons to the Fast & Furious franchise (which I LOVE with a passion), but the main thing the two share is fast cars. So I'm comfortable saying that I don't see why you can't enjoy both.

We follow our main character Tobey on a quest for revenge against the rival racer who caused the death of his friend. The movie is full of awesome driving sequences, fun banter between friends, and even a nice bit of romance. I was hooked from the beginning, and never bored.

And I must say that after watching this movie, I need more Aaron Paul in my life. His voice is so not what I expected from that face, but I definitely swoon a little when he talks. And when he gets that serious look in his blue, blue eyes. My mom and I recently decided to binge-watch Breaking Bad after we finish this season of OITNB. I am ten times more excited about it now.

Would this movie ever win any awards? No. In general, it's pretty over-the-top and the acting isn't always on point. But if you're looking for a fun, action-filled racing movie with a dash of heart, you should definitely check it out.

Rating: B+

Releases

This was a really slow week for DVD releases. On Tuesday, July 7th, the following movie came out on DVD and Blu-ray: 

Title: Woman in Gold

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Helen Mirren

And three movies are releasing to theaters! 

Title: Minions

Starring: Sandra Bullock, Jon Hamm

Title: The Gallows

Starring: Reese Mishler, Pfeifer Brown

Title: Self/less
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Ben Kingsley

What am I most excited for out of all this week's releases? MINIONS. I mean, come on. Who doesn't love those adorable little yellow guys? I swear they only speak in either foreign languages ("Mi bellas") or fruits ("Banana! Papaya!"). They're the best.

What I'll Be Watching

Honestly, we still haven't started Orange is the New Black, but that will be happening this week. I may see if my mom wants to see The Gallows this weekend, because we're huge horror movie buffs and we love seeing them in theaters, even if my dad doesn't come with us. I'll probably watch Kingsman sometime this week, as well. My parents have seen it, but I haven't yet, and I've heard such great things about it.  

On the new trailer front, the trailer for the Goosebumps movie was just dropped yesterday! I read a lot of Goosebumps when I was younger, so it's fun to see it come to life. It does look like it's going to be pretty family friendly; they're definitely playing up the laughs in the trailer to make it less scary for younger kids. It definitely looks fun. Does it look like it's living up to my childhood? Maybe not. But I'm interested to see what the full, finished product looks like! 

Tell me: what movies have YOU seen lately? What are you planning on seeing very soon? And what trailers are you the most excited about? Let me know in the comments below!

Film Fridays! -- July 3, 2015

Welcome to a new weekly feature here on my blog! I have long been considering starting up a second blog for all of the other stuff I love, like movies and music and concerts and stage shows. But honestly, I couldn't find the time or the energy to do a whole second blog AND continue being caught up on this blog. So instead, I just decided to bring my love of movies to my bookish blog, and use Fridays as a brief break from all the bookish talk! (That was a lot of B words in one sentence. Whew!)

So begins Film Fridays! Here's what you can expect from me in a Film Fridays post: 

• Reviews -- I'll let you know what (if any) movies I've watched in the past week, and I'll write mini-reviews for each one to let you know what I thought. If I watch a book-to-movie adaptation, I will still write a full review for it, and it will be linked in this post, as well!
• Releases -- I'll let you know what movies came out on DVD each week (DVDs are released on Tuesdays), and what movies are being in released in theaters (movies are released to theaters on Wednesdays or, usually, Fridays.) 
• What I'll Be Watching -- I'll let you know what movies I plan on watching in the next week, either on DVD or at the theaters. I'll also use this space to share any trailers that have recently dropped for upcoming movies, and give you opinions on the trailer. 

If any of that sounds like something you'd be interested in, please be sure to stop by every Friday for a new Film Fridays post! But enough explaining now; let's get right into the first edition! 

Reviews

I hate to disappoint on this, my first Film Friday, but I haven't actually watched any movies in the past week. I know, I know! I've just been very wrapped up in TV recently. Between both Big Brother and So You Think You Can Dance starting, and The Bachelorette getting super dramatic, I've been very invested in reality television lately, so that usually only leaves me and my mom the weekends to watch movies. But last weekend, we started watching Empire, and by watching two episodes a day, we finished the first season in less than a week. (Sidenote: if you're skeptical about Empire, try it out. If you're not hooked after the second episode, then it might not be for you. But it is SO good, and the music is fantastic.) 

BUT, I will be writing my film reviews for the big screen adaptations of The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Austenland this week, so look for those links here next week for sure! 

Releases

This was a relatively slow week for DVD releases. On Tuesday, June 30th, the following movies came out on DVD and Blu-ray:

Title: Get Hard

Starring: Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart

Title: While We're Young

Starring: Ben Stiller, Naomi Watts, Adam Driver, Amanda Seyfried

However, two huge movies released to theaters this week, and both released on Wednesday, July 1st: 

Title: Magic Mike XXL

Starring: Channing Tatum, Joe Manganiello, Matt Bomer

Title: Terminator Genisys

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Emilia Clarke, Jason Clarke, Jai Courtney

What am I most excited for out of all this week's releases? MAGIC MIKE XXL. I saw the first movie with my mom in theaters when it came out, so we're both extremely excited for the sequel. Especially because we both adore every guy in it. 

What I'll Be Watching

To be perfectly honest, I might not get to watch any movies in the next week, either. Unless we're just feeling super gung-ho about a certain movie in particular. Sometimes we get like that. But my main priority will be the 3rd season of Orange is the New Black. It's been out for almost a month, and because of our vacation in Florida, I didn't get to start it yet. Then we had to catch up on PLL when we came back, and then we jumped into Empire because the whole season was On Demand, and we wanted to catch it before it left. 

So it's OITNB time! If I watch any movies this week, it'll probably be Teen Beach 2. Because yeah, I loved the first one. My favorite recent Disney Channel Original Movie. 

However! The first trailer for Creed just dropped this week. Creed is the return of Rocky Balboa as he agrees to coach Apollo Creed's son, being played by Michael B. Jordan. (Yay!) What I love about this trailer is that it looks like a movie about Creed's son first and foremost, instead of a movie about Rocky coaching him. Rocky is there, but Creed is the main character. This trailer got me way more excited than I was before!

Tell me: what movies have YOU seen lately? What are you planning on seeing very soon? And what trailers are you the most excited about? Let me know in the comments below!