I watch crappy movies so you don't have to.

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

DVD Review for August 5, 2014

DIVERGENT
Rated - PG-13
Stars: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Cate Winslet
Plot: Post-war Chicago's inhabitants are divided into five groups, each assigned with a specific task to help the others. Tris, a Divergent that doesn't fit into the system, finds herself on the run from a sinister government that wants all Divergents dead.
Trailer

Clint Says: Buy this DVD



DIVERGENT is a perfect example of a good book being made into a very good movie. I would put it on par with THE HUNGER GAMES and significantly better than THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: CITY OF BONES. It has great moments of suspense and intensity, the world building is top notch, and Tris's arc is played out very well.

If I had to say anything bad about the movie it's that Peter, Will and Al look so similar, if you didn't read the book you may have trouble telling them apart. Also, there are a couple of plot holes that will drive detail-oriented viewers crazy.

Fans of the book will really enjoy the movie as will fans of the dystopian young adult genre. Adults should not skip this movie thinking it's just another teen movie, it is definitely worth a watch.

FUN FACT: Be on the lookout for a Veronica Roth cameo. She shows up as a Dauntless.



NEED FOR SPEED
Rated - PG-13
Stars: Aaron Paul, Dominic Cooper, Imogen Poots
Plot: A small town racer gets himself into the biggest underground, illegal street race of the year to avenge the death of his friend and take down his rival.
Trailer

Clint Says: A very good rental


I was pleasantly surprised by NEED FOR SPEED. As far as car movies go, (and they are almost always horrible), this one was one of the best. Aaron Paul does a great job, Jesse Pinkman fans will not be disappointed.
 
Incredibly, according to Aaron Paul, this movie is 100% camera caught, meaning no CGI or green screen technology was used. If that is the case, kudos to the director because some of the racing scenes are almost too amazing to believe.
 
One warning on this movie: Watch your speed after seeing it. You'll want to tear up the asphalt like never before.




OCULUS
Rated - R
Stars: Karen Gillan, Brenton Thwaites
Plot: A woman tries to overturn her brother's murder conviction by claiming a possessed mirror creates evil twins.
Trailer


Clint Says: Rent this if you can handle the scary


I was pleasantly surprised that this was a horror movie that was actually scary. It does do the usual scare tactics that most horror films use, but this film has an interesting plot and a cast that is able to carry it off in a way that isn't cheesy.

This is a great popcorn flick that will have you avoiding mirrors for a while.



GOD'S NOT DEAD
Rated - PG
Stars: Kevin Sorbo, Shane Harper
Plot: A philosophy student challenges his professor's way of thinking about God.

Clint Says: Rent it, it will challenge you


This is the little movie that could. When it was released in theaters it had a very small marketing budget, but word of mouth quickly spread that this was a movie worth seeing. In fact, it was in the top 10 weekly grossing films for several weeks in a row. 

Critics hated this film and fans loved it. That tells me one thing, it's worth a watch. It's not the greatest movie ever made, but the content will challenge you, and it's isn't so cheesy that you'll be pulled out of the story.

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