Super Secret Sleeper Agent! "American Ultra"

American Ultra (2015)

Rated R

Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Connie Britton, Topher Grace, John Leguizamo, Walton Goggins, Bill Pullman

Directed by Nima Nourizadeh

The Story:

Mike (Eisenberg) is a stoner who works a dead-end job at the local convenience store while drawing his graphic novel about an ape with super-powers. His girlfriend, Phoebe (Stewart) seems to love him a great deal, but he fears he's going to lose her because he can't seem to get past the phobia of leaving their dreary little existence. Then one fateful evening, a woman (Britton) says some words to him and it unlocks memories and skills that transform Mike into the ultimate secret sleeper agent killer for the CIA. These skills might just help him survive an assassination attempt by the CIA to get rid of him once and for all.

So, watching this movie and it all seemed vaguely familiar. Then I put my finger on it, this is pretty much the tv show, Chuck.

Fair enough. I enjoyed that show.

Sleeper agent assassin who is an amazing killing machine. That they put him into the body of Jesse Eisenberg makes the situation more ironic.

However, it's a pretty fun movie.

Although, if you cannot stand Eisenberg (you know who you are) this movie would probably grate on you for the entire duration. It's also a nice chance to see Stewart doing something other than moping around and longing for vampires.

Topher Grace is hilariously evil as the CIA operative who demands Mike's death, and sends scores of agents into this town to kill him. All that was missing was the twirling of a villainous moustache.

A very fun script by Max Landis and great direction by Nima Nourizadeh makes this one a much more enjoyable experience than Nima's last effort, Project X,  had been.

Overall a pretty fun viewing experience and with a few tweaks (possibly including recasting Eisenberg and Stewart who have little chemistry together) this could have been even better.

Final Grade: B-

Friday Archives... "Push"

Push (2009)

Rated PG-13

Starring Dakota Fanning, Chris Evans, Camilla Belle, Corey Stoll, Cliff Curtis, Ming-Na Wen, Djimon Hounsou

Directed by Paul McGuigan

The Story:

In a world where people with abilities are utilized as weapons, The Division is looking to create a drug that will enhance these abilities. Until today, all test subjects died when they received the drug. However, Kira (Belle) is the first patient to survive, and she has escaped. Now being tracked by Henry Carver (Hounsou) and his cohorts, her only hope seems to be a young girl (Fanning) who can see the future and Nick (Evans), a telekinetic who she can't remember.

I think I last this film in 2009, so watching it again was almost like watching it again for the first time.

I remembered little bits and pieces, but that's like watching a trailer for a movie, and then seeing that part played out in the movie itself. A little deja vu, but nothing that ruins the experience overall.

Had this movie starred anyone other than Chris Evans, I likely would not have watched it the first time, and since I own it, apparently I liked it enough to pick it up from Blockbuster in the previously viewed movie sale.

Sidenote: I miss being able to pick up used DVDs at Blockbuster for a good deal.  ::sigh::

So this takes place back when Evans had already been Johnny Storm, wasn't yet Captain America and seemed to be taking parts in movies that had a superhero feel to it.

The man has been typecast, but I'm grateful for it, because he plays the parts very well.

Amusingly as we watched the film last night, it was fun to see how many actors would go on to the Marvel Universe in the future.  Apparently, they were just testing the waters for it on this film.

Taking place in Hong Kong, the city itself gives the movie a gritty, crazy comic book feel.

The special effects themselves aren't too bad, and really for a modest budget B movie, this film succeeds on that level.

Worth a look if you missed it the first go-round, or if you vaguely remember it from 7 years ago.

Final Grade: B-/C+ range

Not The Michael Jackson or NASA Experience I Was Hoping For..."Moonwalkers"

Moonwalkers (2015)

Rated R

Starring Rupert Grint, Ron Perlman, Robert Sheehan

Directed by Antoine Bardou-Jacquet

The Story:

Just in case the upcoming Apollo moon landing doesn't work, the government wants to have a backup plan. They send CIA Agent Kidman (Perlman) to offer a ton of money to director Stanley Kubrick to stage the whole thing. However Kidman runs into Jonny (Grint) who pretends to be Kubrick's manager, and then convinces his friend (Sheehan) to pretend to be Kubrick so they can get their hands on the cash.

What should have been a ripe satire or even a gripping joy ride to one of the oldest, and greatest conspiracy theories of all times is dead on arrival.

I gave it the full 20 minutes.

I was pressed to eject it out much sooner.

It's a shame because they nailed the opening credits to be some cross between Monty Python and Yellow Submarine.

After that though, Perlman's delusions of being in Vietnam and seeing the enemy everywhere he looked added nothing to the proceedings.

The quick sequence in Diamonds Are Forever poking fun at the moon landing is a much better alternative to watch than this.

Then again, so is just about anything.

Final Grade: D

I'm Always Up For A "Heist" Film

Heist (2015)

Rated R

Starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Gina Carano, Dave Bautista, Robert DeNiro, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Morris Chestnut, Kate Bosworth, D.B. Sweeney, Stephen Sepher

Directed by Scott Mann

The Story:

Vaughn (Morgan) needs a ton of money to save his little girl. So he goes to see his old boss, The Pope (DeNiro) who feels bad, but not bad enough to compromise on his principles to never give money to charity. Vaughn then turns to Cox (Bautista) who works at the casino and they hatch a plan to rob the casino. When the driver bails on them, the criminals end up hijacking a bus and taking the passengers hostage. Now it's a high stakes game of cat and mouse as they must elude the authorities and The Pope's men for a clean getaway.

Okay, so if you're going to make a heist film and call it Heist, it better be good.

From my point of view, it was.

: )

Your mileage may vary of course, but I quite liked this one from start to finish.

It starts with a strong cast, and there isn't much of a problem with that in this film. DeNiro can do the tough mob boss in his sleep, but he puts just enough heart and remorse to his character that you can understand why he makes the decisions that he does as the film moves forward.

Morgan is the emotional anchor and focal point of the film. Faced with the prospect of losing his daughter, he is determined to do whatever it takes, by any means necessary. Bautista doesn't get to do much acting like he did in Guardians of the Galaxy, here he mostly yells and spits a lot.

While this would be typecasting or typical of most WWE wrestlers turned actors, Dave has already shown much potential and heart as an actor and it will be interesting to see where he goes from here.

That said, he will grate on your nerves in this film, and that is both intentional, and necessary, to the overall narrative.

As you'll notice by the cast listed above, they all have numerous parts which all play pivotal roles in the film.

But remember, this is a heist film, so any plot twists and turns that you're expecting, or not expecting, are best enjoyed as spoiler-free as possible.

A few tweaks here and there, this movie could have been in contention for best of the year honors.

That said, it's a solid movie and I'd be willing to own it or watch it again in the future.

Final Grade: B

Let's Get Ready to Rumble..."The Condemned 2"

The Condemned 2 (2015)

Rated R

Starring Randy Orton, Eric Roberts

Directed by Roel Reine

The Story:

Will Tanner (Orton) is a bounty hunter. When a fugitive winds up dead, Tanner winds up in court and he is lucky to not be sent to prison. However, the fugitive's brother wants revenge, and in a high stake gambling match that pits Tanner against his old crew in a fight to the death, Will has little choice but to fight, or die!

Almost a decade ago, WWE Studios released The Condemned. The premise: 10 felons are left alone on an island and fight to the death. To the winner-freedom. And it's all televised across the world and it's a ratings smash!

I'm sure one of these years when Survivor's ratings are tanking, they will employ this strategy.

WWE  continues to pave the way!

:)

Randy Orton once again gets to be the star, having already been in the 12 Rounds franchise.

I think he needs to take a crack at The Marine in order to headline all of WWEs franchises. :)

Anyway, he does a fine and believable job. Eric Roberts tags along and has some fun as the dad who is hard on his son, but would do anything to help him.

All in all, the premise is actually pretty good, and WWE Studios continues to crank out modest hits that aren't too bad at all.

Nice to help bridge the gap into the movies for the wrestlers as they wind down their in-ring and prepare for life after the squared circle.

It's worked out pretty well for a lot of them, 1 of which will be in tomorrow's review.

Final Grade: C+

Love Can Be Dangerous..."Hit By Lightning"

Hit By Lightning (2014)

Rated R

Starring Jon Cryer, Will Sasso, Stephanie Szostak, Jed Rees

Written and Directed by Ricky Blitt

The Story:

Ricky (Cryer) and Seth (Sasso) are best friends since forever, but now that they are the only two men who are still bachelors from their high school graduating class, Ricky is entering panic mode. He joins a dating site and meets Danita (Szostak). She's perfect in every way, Ricky is in love, and the feeling appears to be mutual. There's just one little problem: Danita's abusive husband (Rees). If Ricky will just kill him, then Danita and Ricky can be together forever.

That's right, it's a noir thriller played for laughs, and for the most part, it works well enough.

It's not a parody of noir films, it plays the situation straight, and Seth even remarks that they've seen this movie before, and he cites examples. But Ricky is his best friend, so Seth is in on the plan to help his buddy be happy, even if it includes murder.

Cryer works perfectly as the nerdy guy who can't believe his luck to land a supermodel, or at least a lady who is clearly out of his league. The cast generates quite a bit of chemistry together and helps elevate this one to being better than just an average film.

Not bad for first time director Blitt. He continues to be a strong writer, with much of his dialogue and situations really make the movie enjoyable.

Plus, he'll forever get a pass in our household for giving us The Ringer. :)

Final Grade: C+

Always Be Prepared..."Scouts Guide To The Zombie Apocalypse"

Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (2015)

Rated R

Starring Tye Sheridan, Logan Miller, Joey Morgan, Sarah Dumont, David Koechner, Halston Sage, Cloris Leachman

Directed by Christopher Landon

The Story:

Ben and Carter ( Sheridan & Miller) feel they are too old for the Scouts, but they agree to go on one last camping trip with their friend Augie (Morgan) and their Scout Leader (Koechner). However when they are invited to a party by Carter's sister (Sage) they decide they will sneak away to the party that night. Of course, this happens the same day as a massive zombie virus infects the town, and leaves pretty much the three kids, alone, against the marauding assault of the undead. Good thing they have their scout training to fall back on!

From the killer opening, this movie will have you waiting to see what happens next all the way through to the end.

The horror-comedy is fast becoming my favorite genre of film to watch, because when they are good, they are really quite special. Especially the zom-coms.

However, when they are bad, they can be atrocious.

Thankfully, Scouts Guide falls into the really good category. Great cast, clever dialogue and wonderful action sequences make it a humorous jump fest at every turn.

While Tye Sheridan is the star of the film, it's Logan Miller who steals pretty much the entire movie out from everyone.

David Koechner has a great turn as the Scout Master who is repeatedly defeated throughout the movie, but something about being a Scout just won't let him quit.

Then of course, if you ever wondered what Cloris Leachman as a zombie might be like, look no further.

I'll also add that humans are not the only beings that get zomibified in this movie.

:)

If you were on the fence about seeing this one, get off that fence and give it a spin. I think you'll be glad you did.

Final Grade: Solid B

Time To Turn In My Nerd Card... "Firefly"

Firefly (2002)

Created by Joss Whedon

Starring Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Morena Baccarin, Adam Baldwin, Jewel Staite, Summer Glau, Ron Glass, Sean Maher,

The Story:

In the distant future, Captain Mal Reynolds (Fillion) and his ragtag crew take on any and all paying jobs while trying to stay out of the hair of warring factions and authorities bent on catching them.

That's all I'm going to write for the plot, because really, that's all that matters at this point. People that read this are going to be of one of two camps:

I love Firefly.

What's Firefly?

This hybrid western/science fiction crossover is the answer to many fans question of "what show was cancelled too soon?" or "if you could bring back any one television show?" or...

Well, you get the idea.

Fox has a history of cutting short anything that's new and doesn't attract earth-shattering numbers to keep viewers interest.

They also have a tendency to keep animated shows on the air long after they've ceased being consistently funny, or in some cases, ever being funny to begin with.

But at least they compensate their voice actors handsomely, right?

But wait, I'm getting distracted with Fox and their bad business decisions

Let's get back to why we're here today, nearly 15 years after cancelling Firefly, I finally sat down and watched the first episode.

Should I mention I saw the movie Serenity a few years ago with no Firefly experience whatsoever? The movie was alright, nothing great, but it wasn't a waste of time.

Guess what?

I saw Firefly the other night, with only my experience of having seen these characters before in Serenity a few years ago. The show was alright, nothing great, but it wasn't a waste of time.

Now I know why Fox killed it.

That first episode really did nothing for me.

I even gathered the family around to watch with me.

As the show continued, I looked around and most heads were buried in sketch books as they doodled something other than a character from Firefly.

I think I may have been guilty of checking my email and Facebook a few times as well.

There, I said it.

Firefly was okay. Nothing great.

Would I come back and watch the other 13 episodes?

Maybe someday.

Not in any real hurry.

If Netflix were to announce that it's being pulled at the end of the month, I would shrug my shoulders and go " oh well " versus rushing out to binge watch the show and see if it got any better.

Plenty of other things to try out.

And like I said, I saw Serenity. I know how the saga ends, if you will.

So there's not a whole lot of likelihood that the show is going to get THAT much better in the next few episodes.

Sorry for all the browncoats out there that loved this show, I just don't get the hype.

I am however, sorry for your loss.

Currently streaming on Netflix as of this writing.

Final Grade: C+

Running On Empty..."The Transporter: Refueled"

The Transporter: Refueled (2015)

Rated PG-13

Starring Ed Skrein, Ray Stevenson, Loan Chabanol, Gabriella Wright, Tatiana Pajkovic, Wenxia Yu, Radivoje Bukvic

Directed by Camille Delamarre

The Story:

Frank Martin (Skrein) is getting set to spend some time with his dad (Stevenson) when he is hired by a quartet of lovely ladies and winds up the driver for a bank heist. Now he must help them all to survive a vengeful Russian kingpin (Bukvic) who wants his money back, and the girls...dead!

Pfft.

This isn't Frank Martin. Frank Martin was Jason Statham. This is Martin-lite, because Skrein is decidedly less charismatic than Statham in the role.

I would have preferred that Martin be retired, and introduce a whole new Transporter. That would have been something, because at least you could shrug your shoulders and say, well, at least it's a new character.

But no, apparently Frank Martin is going to be the new James Bond and just get recast every time they want to move forward with a new actor.

Assuming they go forward with more sequels with Skrein behind the wheel, the guy has got to loosen up a bit. He brings no joy or soul to the role at all.

Wooden seems about right.

If not for Stevenson, who seems to relish any and all film roles he ever has regardless of how large or small, there would be no soul or joy to this film at all. He saves it from being a waste of time to put on the scrap heap.

Choose wisely on how to proceed with the franchise, because you're off to a very shaky start.

Final Grade: C

Your Review, Should You Choose To Read It..."Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation"

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (2015)

Rated PG-13

Starring Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Jeremy Renner, Ving Rhames, Rebecca Ferguson, Sean Harris, Alec Baldwin

Written and Directed by Christopher McQuarrie

The Story:

CIA Director Hunley (Baldwin) convinces the Senate to disband the Impossible Mission force because they are reckless and are doing more harm than good. While this is happening, Ethan Hunt (Cruise) realizes that there is a sinister agency known as The Syndicate out to destroy the IM Force. He is now alone, but calls in those he trusts the most (Pegg, Rhames) to help him track the mysterious Isla Faust (Ferguson) and stop the Syndicate once and for all.

Over the past few years, the Mission Impossible movies have been getting better and better.

I prefer this series to the Bourne franchise, and I hate to say it, but even Bond is beginning to take a backseat to the IMF.

Sacrilege, I know.

I think a lot of it may be in the handling of the spies themselves.

Whereas Bourne and Bond are unstoppable machines that can pretty much do anything unassisted (gadgets notwithstanding), Hunt relies on the teammates to help him overcome the odds and win the day.

This allows others to shine in the series and make Cruise look good, but vulnerable as our main character.

Twists and turns abound, and these movies take on an air of con-man/heist film in addition to being a spy thriller.

That works for me.

The teamwork required to pull off the elaborate ruse is always a joy, and the addition to Pegg as comic relief has elevated this series nicely.

I enjoyed Ghost Protocol, but I may have to give a tip of the hate to Rogue Nation for being the best of the series.

Like the Fast and Furious franchise, the Mission Impossible series is simply getting better with each installment.

Looking forward to # 6

Final Grade: B+

Feeling A Little "Lovesick" ? Well, Get Over It!

Lovesick (2014)

Not Rated

Starring Matt LeBlanc, Ali Larter, Adam Rodriguez, Ashley Williams, Rebecca Jones

Directed by Luke Matheny

The Story:

Charlie Darby (LeBlanc) is a great guy. Loves his job, loves his friends, but with women, he's not so great. Because once he falls in love, a crippling paranoid psychosis takes over and he gets insanely jealous. He's decided that he's done with women, and naturally, he meets Molly (Larter). Can he finally break his demons, or is he destined for eternal bachelorhood?

The curse of Friends continues.

The cast has gone on to do other things since the show went off the air, but most have failed to capture our attention and hearts in anything since that time.

Gone is lovable Joey as LeBlanc plays a more down to earth guy in this film, but then he snaps when it comes to love.

Overly jealous, but the movie plays that hand too early by letting his best friend (Rodriguez) tell us that he was diagnosed as a psychotic recently.

So out goes the unlucky-in-love story as they must show that the guy is chemically imbalanced.

Larter and LeBlanc don't really generate a whole lot of chemistry together, so at the end of the day, so it boils down to a lot of wasted talent and potential.

There's too many good romantic comedies out there to waste your time on this one.

Your mileage of course can vary.

Found out after my disc arrived that this one is also available to stream on Amazon Prime for those with memberships.

Final Grade: D+

Spice Up Your Valentine's Day..."Sleeping With Other People"

Sleeping With Other People (2015)

Rated R

Starring Jason Sudeikis, Alison Brie, Adam Scott, Amanda Peet,

Written and Directed by Leslye Headland

The Story:

Jake (Sudeikis) meets Lainey (Brie) in college. She has come to the dorms to lose her virginity to Matthew (Scott). Except he's not home, and Jake tells her that Matt is quite the tool. The two bond and then the two virgins become none. Fast forward a dozen-ish years, and the two bump into one another. It's been one bad relationship after another for each of them, but they hit it off and become best of friends. But as we all know, men and women can't just be friends and the clock starts ticking...

I really wanted to like this one more than I did.

Think of it like When Harry Met Sally, except Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan talk about sex for 90 minutes and barrage you with language that makes a sailor stop and say "hey now, hold on a second!".

And yes, I'm a vile hypocrite because I don't mind it as much in some movies as I do in others. If you can take the language out and the jokes are still funny, you're on to something.

If you remove the language and there is no joke, then you've got a problem.

And therein lies my main problem with the film.

I've reviewed one of Ms. Headland's films before: Bachelorette . And I said many of the same things there.

She loves to talk about sex and get great actors to spew forth her dialogue.

This one is more amusing than that film, but that owes way more to Sudeikis' ability to deliver lines like this so well, he's phoning it in at this point. That said, the chemistry and likeability of both Sudeikis and Brie help elevate the overall proceedings. Replace either with another actor, and this review might have gone a whole different direction.

Kudos also to Adam Scott who comes back for more in this film as the slimey Matt who is ruining Lainey's life. He is one of Headland's favorites, and he usually also makes the most of whatever he is given.

I'm seeing improvements in Headland's body of work, but I think it's time for her to leave the bedroom behind and see if there is more to life than a good @#$%.

Or if not, at least be funnier about it.

Final Grade: C+

You Weren't Expecting A Trilogy..."12 Rounds 3: Lockdown"

12 Rounds 3: Lockdown

Rated

Starring Dean Ambrose, Roger R. Cross, Daniel Cudmore, Lochlyn Monroe, Ty Olsson

Directed by Stephen Reynolds

The Story:

Detective Shaw (Ambrose) returns to work after recovering from a gunshot wound. On his first day back, he receives evidence that shows that his former partner and several other cops in his precinct are dirty. When the building goes into lockdown, it's Shaw all alone against a band of rogue cops out to silence him.

Dean Ambrose (Jonathan Good) takes over the 12 Rounds franchise for WWE Studios.

All things considered, that's a pretty big deal since he is following in John Cena and Randy Orton's footsteps, and both have been the top dog in the WWE at one point or another.

Ambrose is on his way, but before he gets to the top of that mountain, he's going to conquer the world of movies first.

And he actually does a pretty good job.

His persona in the ring is a little more stabilized in the movie, but not much. The other difference, whereas the other installments had the hero running to fulfill 12 different tasks or DIE!, this sequel is so named because all Shaw has in his gun to stop the bad guys are...

12 rounds!

If there is any real disservice done in this film, it's WWE Studios not bringing in any "name or face" actors who can help elevate the film.

If a hero is only as good as his villain(s), Ambrose isn't given a whole lot to work with, though they try their best to provide an "Assault on Precinct Die Hard" mashup.

For a low-budget action romp, it's not bad though, and Ambrose could easily transition to the screen ala Rowdy Roddy Piper when he decides to hang up the boots for good (or the next time he is out of commission thanks to an injury).

Final Grade: C+

Some Stories Are Better Left Untold..."Pan"

Pan (2015)

Rated PG

Starring Levi Miller, Hugh Jackman, Garrett Hedlund, Rooney Mara, Adeel Akhtar

Directed by Joe Wright

The Story:

A young orphan named Peter (Miller) is whisked away by a flying pirate ship during the height of World War II in Britain. He arrives in Neverland and meets the evil Blackbeard (Jackman) who is forcing all of these "lost boys" to mine for Pixium. He meets a fellow captive named Hook (Hedlund) and they escape Blackbeard's clutches and the adventure is on.

Who am I kidding?

I don't even want to write up a summary for this one.

It's a prequel to Peter Pan.

And it's boring.

End of review.

:)

Nah, I can't make it that easy, can I?

It has great production values, with both World War II era Britain looking great and the Neverland sets are beautiful.

But man, I was bored from almost the beginning. I think I even dozed off at least twice waiting for something to happen.

However, it's when all of the slaves under Blackbeard's thumb break into a rousing rendition of Smells Like Teen Spirit that I lost all hope in this movie amounting to anything but a big budgeted spectacle.

Even Jackman can't save this one, though he gamely tries. Much like Chappie, it's too little, too late in a overlong story that could have used some judicious editing.

Seriously, who thought a 2 hour adventure on the boy who would be Pan would be a great idea?

I'm sure Disney will bring their live action tale to life in a few years, and maybe that will help remove this one from my memory.

We'll see.

Unimpressed, but I'll give them props for making something so boring look so nice.

Final Grade: D+

The Things They'll Do For A Beer..."Kidnapping Mr. Heineken"

Kidnapping Mr. Heineken (2015)

Rated R

Starring Jim Sturgess, Sam Worthington, Ryan Kwanten, Mark van Eeuwen, Thomas Cocquerel, Anthony Hopkins

Directed by Daniel Alfredson

The Story:

In 1982, 5 men who are down on their luck and looking to better their life decide to turn to crime to make a buck. Their objective: kidnap Freddy Heineken (Hopkins) and demand a king's ransom.

This is that story.

The problem is, the story is rather bland, all things considered.

The crew decides they have to have money to make their kidnapping look legitimate, so they rob a bank.

Then they spend that money getting everything ready for the kidnapping.

Then they kidnap Mr. Heineken.

Then they sit back and wait for the money, but it never comes.

Then panic and paranoia set in.

Now, this works with a movie like Ruthless People because they add laughs and you get to see what's happening from the point of view of the kidnappers, the police, the victim, etc.

This movie gives you the point of view of the kidnappers.

Never do we see what law enforcement is up to during the entire process.

There is basically no tension or no other narrative attempt to make you feel like the criminals are getting away with it, or are being this close to getting caught aside from whatever the kidnappers may say or do reacting to something the viewer is never really privy to.

Hopkins screen time is all too brief as he attempts to get into the heads of his kidnappers.

The kidnappers themselves are rather a bland mixed bag of talent with little to do but yell and get worried a lot.

There is a nifty story buried in the movie, but the execution only gives you part of it.

Currently streaming on Netflix as of this writing.

Final Grade: C

You May Not "Love, Rosie"... But You'll Probably Like Her

Love, Rosie (2014)

Rated R

Starring Lily Collins, Sam Claflin

Directed by Christian Ditter

The Story:

Alex (Claflin) and Rosie (Collins) are best friends. Have been for years. One night, Alex finally kisses Rosie, but doesn't get the reaction he was hoping for. Fast forward through the years and watch as these two who should have always been together slowly begin to realize what mistakes they've made in their relationship. Is it too late for these two?

Don't take my lack of listing any other actors as a snub on their efforts.

However, this film centers around Alex and Rosie, and Collins and Claflin do their level best to make you like them both and empathize with their situations so very well.

I'd liken Claflin to "the next Hugh Grant"  as his portrayal mirrors much of the great work that Grant has done over the years, especially in the romantic comedy genre.

Otherwise, not too familiar with either of their work, which means yes, I'm one of the few people on Earth yet to see The Hunger Games.

Maybe someday.

And no, I've never read the book upon which the movie is based, so I cannot comment about the differences between the book or the movie.

Of course there are going to be differences, books and movies are different mediums.

;)

So if you're in need of a romantic comedy this upcoming Valentine's season, if you've not seen this one yet, it's a good place to start.

Final Grade: B-

China's # 1 Export: Jackie Chan! "Dragon Blade"

Dragon Blade

Rated R

Starring Jackie Chan, John Cusack, Adrien Brody

Written and Directed by Daniel Lee

The Story:

Tiberius (Brody) is heading to conquer the Silk Road in China. Huo An (Chan) gathers his brothers in arms to prepare to defend themselves. They end up receiving assistance from General Lucius (Chan) and his legion that defected from Rome to escape Tiberius' madness. Together, this band of warriors are all that stands between freedom and a world under Tiberius' mad rule.

So let's begin with the old standby, "based on a true story". Because it is.

Sometimes that story may be as simple as once upon a time, some Romans and Chinese met one another...

But that's still a good place to base this story on, though there was a bit more to it than that. There may not have been the full scale battle that's going to unfold here, but at least you know it's not totally making up the idea that the Chinese and Romans ever met one another.

Pretty cool concept, really.

Yep, Chinese cinema is alive and well, and you're looking at the number one export from Chinese cinema last year.

While it may look like a budget/straight to video affair from our side of the spectrum, it's really quite the lavish film with pretty good production values and a lot of effort to make this period piece shine.

From the reports I read, it was the # 1 film in all of China last year, and one billion people can't be totally wrong, right? :)

Seriously though, it's a pretty good "sand and sandals" period piece that allows the Roman legions to fight alongside Chan's Chinese freedom fighters.

Cusack turns in a fine performance, and Brody was hired to chew the scenery and twirl his evil villainous moustache.

Which he does, even without the benefit of having a moustache.

Nothing you can't do without, but if you're a fan of Chan and his films, definitely worth a peek.

Final Grade: C+

Is There Space In Your House For A "War Room" ?

War Room

Rated PG

Starring Karen Abercrombie, Priscilla Shirer, T.C. Stallings

Directed by Alex Kendrick

The Story:

Elizabeth (Shirer) and Tony (Stallings) have it all. Or so it seems. Appearances can be deceiving, and their marriage is falling apart. When Elizabeth meets Clara (Abercrombie), Clara shows her how she fought for her husband, instead of with him: through prayer. Elizabeth creates her "War Room" and begins praying for her husband and their family. Her attitude begins to change. Will it be enough to change their relationship, or is it doomed to fail?

Yep, it's a film about prayer, which will turn off a majority of viewers from even wanting to see the film, and that's fine. Not every film is for every person, however the Kendricks have a way of preaching the gospel that is both genuine and it doesn't overwhelm you by beating you over the head with the message.

The saying "preaching to the choir" exists for a reason, though, and for those that believe, this should be a really enjoyable movie.

Overall, whether you believe or not, this shows that if you can change your heart, you can effectively change the hearts of others.

Whether that's Divine Intervention or not, again, it's in the eye of the beholder, but what a wonderful concept to know that you really do have that much power.

The Kendricks continue to grow their ministry through film, and while I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as Courageous, it's still a really good film. I'm really looking forward to seeing what they put out next.

My main complaint is the one running joke throughout the movie about the wife's feet is rather mean-spirited. However, it does show how much Tony's heart will change by the end of the film, so there is a point to it.

Final Grade: B

I Really Don't Get All The Fuss... "Sicario"

Sicario (2015)

Rated R

Starring Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, Benicio Del Toro

Directed by Denis Villeneuve

The Story:

Kate (Blunt) is a great member of the FBI hostage situation team. So impressive, Matt Graver (Brolin) wants her to join his anti-drug task force. She volunteers and rides next to the mysterious Alejandro (Del Toro). However, when they begin to do whatever it takes to get the bad guys, Kate begins to have a crisis of conscience. How far should we go to win the war on drugs against the cartels?

Okay, seriously, I don't get all the hype about how great this movie is, or more importantly, how great Blunt's performance in this movie is.

She does about 2 things in this movie:

1) Smokes
2) Whines quite a bit about not doing things by the book.

Repeat ad nauseam.

You want her as a hard as nails character in an action thriller? Go watch Edge of Tomorrow again. That movie was pretty darn entertaining.

Her character seems much like an afterthought about how can we show a cool war on the cartels...oh, I know, get a new person on the team and show what they do through her eyes and the conflict and tension it brings.

She was actually my least favorite of the three main characters in this film.

Josh Brolin did a better performance as the man who is trying to make a difference, regardless of what it takes to do it, and if they have to bend, break or flat out pretend the rule doesn't exist, so be it.

However it's Del Toro who makes the most of his role as a consultant who is much more than meets the eye and is not to be trifled with.

He steals the movie from everyone in any scene he is in, and is really the star of the film.

So if anyone in the film got robbed for an award from this film, you're looking at the wrong gender.

Final Grade: C+

Special Guest Reviews: "Kung Fu Panda 3 "

Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016)

Rated PG

Starring Jack Black, Bryan Cranston, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu, Kate Hudson, J.K. Simmons, David Cross, James Hong

Directed by Alessandro Carloni, Jennifer Yuh

The Story:

Po (Black) reunites with his long lost father (Cranston) and they journey to where the rest of the Pandas are located.  However, while he is away, a new villain, Kai (Simmons) begins defeating the Kung Fu masters. Po must teach the new pandas how to do the Fu in order to save his friends, and the world!

Kung Fu Panda was released in 2008 to much commercial and critical success.

In 2011, Kung Fu Panda 2 came out and did the unusual and unthinkable: it was the sequel that was better than the original.  It matched the humor of the original, but this time it brought some emotional heart to the festivities.

I never bothered with either for years, until I finally watched both last year. Hmmm. I guess I should've thrown some reviews on the site! ;)

So with the release of Part 3, I sent the experts on all thing Panda into the theater to do my dirty work for me.

Here then are some of their thoughts on the movie:

First we'll start with the biggest fan of  Kung Fu Panda in the house -

There was a very good plot. A great balance between the action and the humor.  It didn't let me down with the franchise and go out on a low note.  I'd give it an A!

Next kid:

Amazing.  I give it an A!

How about # 3?

I think it was very funny, not too serious and not all action. I really liked what the movie did with both of Po's dads. I give it an A!

As for the oldest that saw the movie on Friday:

 So far the best film I've seen all year. It didn't exceed the the greatness of Part 2, but it may very well have equaled it. Definitely an A.

And the opinion of the youngest:

It was great. There were two sad parts that made me cry sad tears. I was glad I got to see it.

Apparently it was so good, the oldest had to go see it on Sunday to see if it was indeed truly as good as everyone said.

Her text: It was phenomenal. She elaborated later that it was by far the prettiest of all three movies and the animation was just spectacular. Then her comments seemed to echo just about everyone else, not quite as good as Part 2, but really, really, really good nonetheless.

Overall final grade (for now):  Looks like the A's have it. Sounds like a contender for Best of the Year if I know what's good for me.

The real grade will be revealed when it comes out on Netflix or for sale later this year.

;)