Feeling Sorry For Those "Left Behind"

Left Behind (2014)

PG-13

Starring Nicholas Cage, Chad Michael Murray, Lea Thompson, Cassi Thomson

Directed by Vic Armstrong

The Story:

Ray (Cage) is an airline pilot. Sometime during his flight across country, half of the passengers and crew on his plane simply disappear! Meanwhile, across the globe, the same phenomenon is happening, kids are vanishing and so are people. Cars are crashing, planes are crashing. I assume boats crash too.

What's happening?

Duh, it's The Rapture!

Perhaps if the rest of the people had listened to their Christian friends and family, they wouldn't be wandering around in a panic like they are now.

:D

Seriously though, as many atheists that claim they know the Bible backward and forward better than a Christian, it takes an alarming amount of time for the people left behind to actually put 2 and 2 together.

This was a movie back in 2000 starring Kirk Cameron as journalist Buck Williams. His character is now played by Chad Michael Murray, and he gets bumped back to the sidelines for Cage's character.  Based on the best selling book series of the same name, it will be interesting to see if this moves forward as a series.  They had tried before with direct to dvd efforts with less than impressive results.

I was expecting it to be horribly unwatchable, but it was engaging enough to keep my attention.

Cage gives a restrained performance as the pilot, so there's that.

Final Grade: C

Words Of Wisdome From "A Madea Christmas"

A Madea Christmas (2013)

Rated PG-13

Starring Tyler Perry, Larry the Cable Guy, Chad Michael Murray, Tika Sumpter

Written and Directed by Tyler Perry

The Story:

Madea (Perry) has to drive a friends to visit her daughter for Christmas. In the town, they want to hold a Christmas celebration, but money is tight.  Of course, in a web of lies, it's only a matter of time until all of the truths are revealed. 

It is a similar Tyler Perry formula of hiding secrets from family and revelations at the end.

Wrapped up in a Christmas formula with the inclusion of Madea, you've got the makings of a comedy instead of a drama.

Adding Larry the Cable Guy actually brings more humor to the story and things actually pick up once his character arrives.

Of course, when you follow the formula, you know that a happy ending is destined to happen, but that's okay.

This ending fits well, and is satisfying.

If you've enjoyed the other Madea movies, you should have no problems with this one either.


Final Grade: C/C+

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: This could be one to revisit next year, or down the road. We'll see.

Neanderthal Love... "Cavemen"

Cavemen (2013)

Rated R

Starring Skylar Astin, Camilla Belle, Chad Michael Murray

Written and Directed by Herschel Faber

The Story:

Dean (Astin) and his buddies all like to party in their loft. Facing eviction, they are going to go out in style. Dean's romantic life is not coming together like all of his pals, and his best friend Tess (Belle) is that perfect girl right under his nose.

I bet you can't guess where this is heading, can you?

So, for those of you who read yesterday's review, this is falls into the same category.

Thankfully there are a few differences:

1) The running time: under 90 minutes.
2) The humor is a bit more romantic comedy friendly even though the movie is trying for an R rated comedy.

Not to say that it's perfect, far from it.

There's some scenes that don't really work. Not funny enough. Kind of dragging the storyline at other times.

Most of it is saved by the chemistry between Astin and Belle. He helped make the chemistry in Pitch Perfect, and he brings the charming everyman appeal to this one as well.


Final Grade: C

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Nothing in here worth coming back for seconds.  It was barely tolerable enough for one full viewing.

The Twelve Reviews of Christmas...Day Four: "Christmas Cupid"

It's never too late... or is it?

The Story:

Sloane (Christina Milian) is a go-getter at a PR firm, but her golden goose is cooked when her star client, Caitlin (Ashley Benson) dies.  However, in true A Christmas Carol fashion, Caitlan comes back to haunt Sloane, and take her on a trip through Christmases past, present and future where she shows Sloane what is truly important in her life.

Can Sloane change her ways in time to win back her true love, Patrick (Chad Michel Murray) ?

Yes, another version of A Christmas Carol.

However, this time it switches to a romantic comedy idea courtesy of ABC Family back in 2010.

I don't think we saw this one until 2011, or maybe last year, but it became a hit in the household, and has been watched many, many times since, especially by a few of the kids who absolutely adore this movie.

Thankfully, I liked the version too, so I'm always happy to have a Holiday movie playing as long as it is one that I enjoy.

This one easily fits the bill, taking the standard Dickens tale and focusing on Sloane's love life versus Scrooge's miserly ways to show how Sloane crushed guy after guy by putting her job before her heart.

Blasphemy, I know.

:)

Anyway, it's a cute little movie and it is streamable on Netflix as of this writing, and probably playing on ABC Family sometime this month as well, and also available on the ABC Family website as well.

Final Grade: B+

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Watched it probably half a dozen times, maybe more.  Finally bought it this season, packaged with three other ABC Family Holiday hits! :)