Movie Reviews For October 2, 2015: THE MARTIAN, THE WALK and SICARIO

THE MARTIAN
Rated: PG-13
Release Date: October 2, 2015
Director: Ridley Scott
Stars: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels, Chiwetel Ejiofor
Plot: A man must figure out how to survive alone on Mars after he is accidentally left behind
Trailer

Clint Says: Wait until after opening weekend, but see this in theaters

Clocking in at just shy of 2 1/2 hours, THE MARTIAN is surprisingly fast-paced and doesn't feel long at all. This is a fascinating and compelling film that will draw you in and captivate you from the opening minutes until the end credits roll.

The cinematography and effect are spectacular. In fact, this may be a decent contender for some of the technical awards coming up. However, I don't see this movie getting nominations for things like best picture, best actor or director. I can't really put my finger on it, but I was expecting this film to be more than it was. I think it was missing an emotional element that could have taken it from a great movie to an Oscar front-runner.

THE MARTIAN is definitely worth the price of a theater ticket, but it isn't a film that is going to wow you like GRAVITY did.




THE WALK
Rated: PG
Release Date: October 2, 2015
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Stars: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Charlotte Le Bon, Ben Kingsley
Plot: In 1974 a French man travels to New York City to try to secretly, and illegally, walk a high-wire between the World Trade Center towers.
Trailer

Clint Says: Drop everything and go see this movie now

This film is spectacularly fun and insanely intense. I spent a good 45 minutes of the film grabbing the arm rests on my seat as tight as I could for fear of falling off the buildings. In fact, the sheer epicness of the tight rope scenes may be even better than what we witnessed while watching GRAVITY. And while EVEREST was intense, this movie makes EVEREST look like a mole hill.

Like EVEREST and GRAVITY, THE WALK is a movie that must be seen in IMAX 3D. If you wait for the DVD you'll miss the whole point of the grandness and depth of the film.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt does a marvelous job in his role, so much so that there may be a few award nomination in his future. I doubt he will win any of them, but the nominations may be there. It will be up for, and win, many technical awards.

Tickets to THE WALK should come with an oxygen tank, mask and blood pressure medication. If you only see a couple of films a year, this should be one of them.




SICARIO
Rated: R
Release Date: October 2, 2015
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Stars: Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, Benicio Del Toro
Plot: An FBI agent is recruited to a black ops operation with the goal of cutting off the head of the Mexican drug cartel
Trailer

Clint Says: Save some money and see a matinee

This film had the potential to be something unique and interesting. Instead, it took the road almost always traveled by Hollywood and it became nothing more than your typical drug movie shoot-em-up.

Beyond that it took Emily Blunt's character and went completely off the rails. She is described as an agent that "has been kicking down doors since day one", meaning that she is kick-butt in the field. Unfortunately, the director decided that it would be a great idea for her to completely forget her training and fall apart having to rely on the stronger and smarter men throughout.

I will say that the film is interesting an compelling even though it is cliche and annoying, but it's not good enough to spend the big bucks at the theater.

Movie Review For July 10, 2015: MINIONS, THE GALLOWS, SELF/LESS, and AMY

MINIONS
Rated: PG
Stars: Sandra Bullock, Pierre Coffin
Plot: The minions go on a quest to find a villain to serve. A quest that leads them to VillianCon and Scarlett Overkill.
Trailer

Clint Says: Wait until after opening weekend, but see this in theaters

Out of the three films in the DESPICABLE ME world this one comes in third. It's very funny and entertaining, but it is also very violent and scary. I wouldn't take anyone under age five to see this movie, nor would I take anyone with a fear of clowns.

I really enjoyed MINIONS as an adult, but I also heard several children around age eight acting like it was the best film ever made. That said, this will almost certainly be another huge blockbuster.

I was highly impressed at the writing and directing seeing as though much of the dialogue is gibberish, but the audience still understands what is happening. Also, kudos to Co-Director Pierre Coffin who is the voice of all of the minions.

There aren't a lot of great family-friendly flicks hitting theaters this summer. In light of that, this one would be a good one to see in theaters. Just make sure the younger ones can handle it.

NOTE: Make sure you stay through all of the credits. There is some great stuff worth waiting for at the end.




THE GALLOWS
Rated: R
Stars: Reese Mishler, Pfeifer Brown, Ryan Shoos, Cassidy Gifford
Plot: Students try to bring back a play in which a student died while performing several years earlier, but an evil presence has other ideas.
Trailer

Clint Says: Save some money and see a matinee

Shockingly, I was pleasantly surprised by this horror flick. It is by no means a great film, but the story is fairly interesting, and the twist is one you will never see coming.

The downside is that this is another "found footage" film, and with this one they barely even attempt to give a reason for why they are carrying cameras around the whole time. And if you think for more than three seconds about the reason why they are having to use the cameras, you will realize it is a plot hole the size of Texas.

THE GALLOWS isn't an overly scary film, but the scares that are there are almost all legitimate, (with one hilarious exception). That said, this film will make for a fun date night full of suspense and chills.




SELF/LESS
Rated: PG-13
Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Natalie Martinez, Ben Kingsley, Matthew Goode
Plot: A wealthy man is offered a high-tech version on immortality, but there are unintended side effects
Trailer

Clint Says: Save some money and see a matinee

This is a pretty good, thought-provoking thriller. It's a bit slow and predictable, but the premise is interesting, and the conflict is compelling.

Ryan Reynolds does a good job playing multiple characters, and his supporting cast keeps the story moving at a reasonable pace.

There are a couple of plot holes and moments of convenience, but they are all fairly minor. You should still be able to suspend disbelief and have an enjoyable time with this intriguing film.




AMY
Rated: R
Stars: Amy Winehouse
Plot: A documentary on the rise, fall, and death of Amy Winehouse
Trailer

Clint Says: Wait until after opening weekend, but see this in theaters

This is quite possibly the most heart-breaking and disturbing documentary I've ever seen. You literally watch a young girl work and drink herself to death. It's also a film that will make you angry. I imagine just about 100% of the people that see this movie will walk out of the theater wanting to strangle Amy's mom, dad, and husband.

This documentary is a case study in bad parenting and enabling by people that would do anything to stay on the gravy train.

The film is done well with a lot of unique footage. And the way the director weaves Amy's lyrics and songs throughout the story is a thing of beauty itself.

If you are a fan of Amy, or simply a fan of great musical talent, you should see this movie.

Movie Review For December 12, 2014

EXODUS: GODS AND KINGS
Rated: PG-13
Stars: Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton, Ben Kingsley
Plot: The story of the battle between Moses and Ramses for the lives of the Hebrew slaves.
Trailer

Clint Says: Wait for the DVD

When one hears that a film is being made about the life of Moses and his tumultuous relationship with Ramses, one would think that the film would include significant coverage of the plagues, the parting of the sea and the bringing down of the Ten Commandments. While all of these events are technically covered in this movie, they are a small fraction of the 2-plus hours of otherwise dull movie.

The film does have a few interesting moments, but overall it just skims the surface of the biblical story, and, on several occasions, skips major plot points leaving the view to have to fill in the blanks for themselves.

Director Ridley Scott takes several liberties with the story which will, no doubt, upset a portion of the movie-goers, but it's not so far off the beaten path from the original story that the average movie-goer will find fault with it.

I will say that the effects of the plagues and sea are incredible for the small amount of time we get to see them, but it's not worth spending the money to see this on the big screen. You'll get the same effect watching it at home.




TOP FIVE
Rated: R
Stars: Chris Rock, Rosario Dawson, Gabrielle Union, Kevin Hart
Plot: An alcoholic comedian spends the day with a reporter trying to explain why he wants to be a serious actor.
Trailer

Clint Says: Wait for the DVD and let someone else rent it.

This is supposed to be a comedy, right? I saw the movie and I'm still not sure if it was supposed to be a comedy or not. There was not a single audible laugh from anyone in the theater when I saw this movie. That's not an exaggeration. Not one single laugh.

The film is an awkward mix of fiction and what is supposed to be reality. For example, Chris Rock's character is at a strip club for his bachelor party with Adam Sandler, Whoopi Goldberg and Jerry Seinfeld all of whom are playing themselves.

You can tell that a lot of this movie was allowed to be improvised, but it's not great improvisation. A lot of it feels off or choppy.

I'm a big Chris Rock fan, but this movie misses the mark on many levels. Don't waste your time or your money.

Movie Review for September 26, 2014

THE EQUALIZER
Rated: R
Stars: Denzel Washington, Marton Csokas, Chloe Grace Moretz,
Plot: A retired FBI agent is pulled back into the game of taking out bad guys when he meets a girl in a lot of trouble.
Trailer

Clint Says: Wait until after opening weekend, but see this in theaters

Denzel does it again with another well done performance in a movie that is predictable, but still highly entertaining. His understated demeanor and his ability to portray a tough calm while dealing with high-stress situations make this movie much better than it would have been with a lesser actor.

The film is a bit slow in places, but it doesn't bog down too much. The compelling nature of the story and the characters keep the audience interested even in the down times.

My only real beef with this movie is the climactic scene, in which we see the big showdown between Denzel and the bad guys. It's like a grown up, killer version of HOME ALONE. And the death scene for one of the main bad guys reminded me of Paul Reuben's death scene in BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER.

That aside, this is a fun flick that will have you cheering for Denzel from start to finish.



THE BOXTROLLS
Rated: PG
Stars: Ben Kingsley, Isaac Hempstead Wright, Elle Fanning
Plot: A young boy and girl try to convince their town that the trolls that live below are not vicious monsters, but an evil exterminator stands in their way.
Trailer

Clint Says: Don't even bother

This is one of the worst movies I've seen in years. It could possibly be the worst film I've seen this year, and it may even crack my top 10 bad movies of all time.

I will say one positive thing about it. The stop motion animation is incredible and if you stick around through the first half of the credits you'll actually get to see some of that in action.

I'm really not sure who is going to like this movie. It will be terrifying for younger kids, it's too simple for adults to enjoy, it's too artsy for typical moviegoers, it's too commercial for artsy movie lovers, and teenagers won't go because it looks like a kids' film.

I can't even begin to tell you how creepy and weird the town exterminator is. I'll probably have bad dreams about him. I can't imagine what he would do to the thoughts of a six year old.

Much of this movie has to do with cheese, so I will stick with that theme here. The plot has more holes that Swiss cheese, it stinks worse than Munster, and it's cheesier than a seven cheese tortellini.

Basically, this movie is not Gouda. (If you thought this review was bad, go see the movie. You'll nominate this for a Pulitzer).