Movie Reviews For November 20, 2015: THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 2, THE NIGHT BEFORE, SECRET IN THEIR EYES, and BY THE SEA

THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 2
Rated: PG-13
Release Date: November 20, 2015
Director: Francis Lawrence
Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Donald Sutherland, Liam Hemsworth
Plot: Katniss and the rebels devise a plan to take down the Capitol and President Snow
Trailer

Clint Says: Drop everything and go see this movie now

Simply put, this film is outstanding. It is a perfect ending to an incredible franchise. I walked out of the theater with so many emotions. I was happy because the movie was so good. I was sad because there are several very emotional and intense scenes that will wreck you and leave you raw. And I felt loss knowing that this will be the last time I will get to experience something new from this world.

While the acting throughout the series has been great, in this movie the actors went to another level of greatness. There is a possibility that we might see Josh Hutcherson up for a few awards.

MOCKINGJAY Part 2 will leave you breathless. For nearly the entire 2 1/2 hours you finally think you are going to be able to catch your breath for a moment then something else happens making you jump out of your chair and holding your breath even longer.

Grab your friends and head to the theaters now. Then, once you've all recovered, go do it again.

One word of warning. It is imperative that you see Part 1 before seeing Part 2. If you haven't seen it you will be completely lost from the first scene. The move starts where Part 1 left off almost as if it is just a jump cut to the next scene.





THE NIGHT BEFORE
Rated: R
Release Date: November 20, 2015
Director: Jonathan Levine
Stars: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anthony Mackie
Plot: Three buddies spend Christmas Eve looking for an epic Christmas party.
Trailer

Clint Says: Save some money and see a matinee

This is one of those films where you know going into it you are going to see stupid, raunchy humor throughout, hilarious cameos, and a heartwarming finish. It's also a film that affords you the luxury of being able to turn your brain off for 90 minutes.

There is nothing about this movie that is great. There is nothing about this movie that makes it worth seeing in theaters. It's stupid, childish, obnoxious and annoying. That said, if you are looking for a fun, brainless, laugh-out-loud night with friends this movie will not disappoint.

While it isn't the best work for most of the actors, I must say that this is probably Miley Cyrus's greatest moment to date.




SECRET IN THEIR EYES
Rated: PG-13
Release Date: November 20, 2015
Director: Billy Ray
Stars: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts
Plot: A group of investigators' lives are changed when the daughter of one of their own is murdered
Trailer

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

If you are in the mood for a well done, suspenseful thriller this week then you need to see this movie. The acting is great, the plot is incredible, and the twists are stunning.

The only thing that really bothered me about this movie was that it switches back and forth between 2001 and 2015, but the characters are the same, so sometimes it is confusing as to which year we are in.Other than that, this is a film that will sit in your brain for days.

Julia Roberts plays the slightly creepy, plain Jane cop very well, and her turning point scene will wreck you. There may be a couple of award nominations in her future. The rest of the cast does a fine job, but Roberts is the stand out.




BY THE SEA
Rated: R
Release Date: November 20, 2015
Director: Angelina Jolie
Stars: Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt
Plot: An estranged couple tries to rekindle their relationship in a French, sea-side hotel
Trailer

Clint Says: Don't even bother

I have to give Angelina Jolie credit for being ambitious. She wrote, directed and starred in BY THE SEA and she did it all in an interesting throwback homage to the glamour films of the 60's and 70's. That said, this film is horrible.

There are three things I really can't stand in movies. One is a slow-moving plot in a 2-plus hour long movie, another is a highly anticipated reveal that turns out to be a complete letdown, and another is Brad Pitt eating. This film strikes out in all three categories.

It is dreadfully slow and boring. The film could have easily been edited down by 45 minutes and still accomplished the same thing. We spend more that two hours catching glimpses of the horrific event that has caused this couple so much strife for so long only to find out in the last 10 minutes that the horrific event, while tragic, is something that millions of people go through every year and are able to carry on with their lives in an all, but normal fashion. It's actually quite offensive to those people that have dealt with the same thing. And finally, Brad Pitt's eating is nauseating. How anyone can watch him scoop, and chomp and smack and stuff like that is beyond me.

I honestly can't see how anyone could walk out of the theater after seeing this movie and be able to say that it was a good film.

DVD Review For January 27, 2015

FURY
Rated: R
Stars: Brad Pitt, Logan Lerman, Shia LeBeouf, Michael Pena
Plot: Five brave soldiers take their tank behind enemy lines to do their part to help win World War II.
Trailer

Clint Says: Rent this if you like war movies, buy this if you love war movies

If you are a war movie fan this is a masterpiece. The action is intense, non-stop and brutal. For you, I would recommend buying this and watching it on the biggest screen with the loudest sound system possible.

For those of you looking for a great film that happens to be about war, you'll be left wanting. While it is a phenomenal story of five men facing insurmountable odds and the acting is superb, the depth of character just isn't there. We catch tiny glimpses into what makes each of these men who they are, but it's not enough for the audience to be fully invested in their lives.

The plot is very simplistic, which in this case is fine, because the movie is so intense I doubt we could handle much more.

As far as straight up war movies go, this may be one of the best ones ever made.




THE BOOK OF LIFE
Rated: PG
Stars: Diego Luna, Zoe Saldana, Channing Tatum
Plot: Two men battle for the love of one woman while the masters of death have a wager on the outcome.
Trailer

Clint Says: It's worth seeing once

This is a fascinating film. If you only look at the plot it's an average movie at best, but because of the unique animation style and the cultural aspect of the film it makes it worth seeing.

The Day Of The Dead imagery throughout the film is spectacular and the glimpse into the Hispanic culture relating to one of their most important holidays is fascinating. I was intrigued by this movie, but I realized the cultural significance of it when I observed a family of Hispanic descent after seeing the film. The adults were all wiping away tears of joy and the children were bouncing with excitement.

The soundtrack of the film is also unique and very good. Most of the songs are either current hits or very popular songs remade into music that fits the theme of the movie. Trust me, you've never heard Mumford and Sons like this.

Surprisingly, given the subject matter of the film, there are very few scenes that I would consider scary for the younger kids. It's not squeaky clean, but if your child can handle a little bit of tension and drama they will enjoy this film.




THE JUDGE
Rated: R
Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Robert Duvall
Plot: A big-time lawyer returns to his home town and his estranged father, a judge, who is accused of murder.
Trailer

Clint Says: See this film as soon as possible

This film is powerful, intense and emotional. Downey Jr. and Duvall give masterful performances that are award-worthy and probably just shy of Oscar nominations.

It is almost 2 1/2 hours long and there are parts where it feels like it's dragging, but overall it's paced well.

This is much less a courtroom drama than it is a story of family, loss and reconciliation. It's by no means a fun, popcorn flick. It will break your heart and make you want to try harder with your own family.




BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP
Rated: R
Stars: Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth, Mark Strong
Plot: A woman wakes everyday without remembering anything from her past, but she begins to realize that the people around her may not be who they claim to be
Trailer

Clint Says: Rent it when you get around to it

Nicole Kidman does an outstanding job of playing a person that can't remember anything one day to the next. She pulls off the "terrified of the unknown" malady in a very convincing fashion. Unfortunately, the plot is rather slow-moving and easily predictable.

It feels like the director realized he didn't have a lot to work with story-wise to make a thrilling film, so he added a bunch of jump-out-of-the-closet-and-say-boo moments to get the audiences' collective heart rate up. It feels really contrived and lazy.

Without Kidman's fine performance this movie probably would have bordered on unwatchable. Thankfully, she makes it tolerable enough to at least give it a watch once.

Movie Review For October 17. 2014

FURY
Rated: R
Stars: Brad Pitt, Logan Lerman, Shia LeBeouf, Michael Pena
Plot: Five brave soldiers take their tank behind enemy lines to do their part to help win World War II.
Trailer

Clint Says: Save some money and see a matinee unless you love war movies then see it now

If you are a war movie fan this is a masterpiece. The action is intense, non-stop and brutal. For you, I would recommend paying the extra money to see this on the biggest screen with the loudest sound system possible.

For those of you looking for a great film that happens to be about war, you'll be left wanting. While it is a phenomenal story of five men facing insurmountable odds and the acting is superb, the depth of character just isn't there. We catch tiny glimpses into what makes each of these men who they are, but it's not enough for the audience to be fully invested in their lives.

The plot is very simplistic, which in this case is fine, because the movie is so intense I doubt we could handle much more.

As far as straight up war movies go, this may be one of the best ones ever made.



THE BEST OF ME
Rated: PG-13
Stars: Michelle Monaghan, James Marsden, Luke Bracey, Liana Liberato
Plot: Two people that used to be lovers, but haven't seen each other in 20 years, are brought together again and try to reconnect through their complicated relationship.
Trailer

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

This is yet another eye-rolling train wreck brought to you by Nicholas Sparks. The plot is mostly boring, the acting is mediocre at best, and, no spoilers here, but the ending is such a ridiculously impossible stretch it is even unbelievable for his die-hard fans.

The only good thing about this movie is Gerald McRaney. He is brilliant as always. I feel bad for him that he go suckered into this flick. He will probably just have to consider it a stain on his otherwise incredible career.

I understand why these movies are popular. It's a formula that works, you don't have to expend too much energy in thinking about anything in the movie, there is some great eye candy, and there is always a beautiful love story that lets us escape into what-might-have-been land. That said, this formula is so tired and so cookie-cutter that it doesn't allow the plot or the characters any leeway to make it somewhat interesting, thought-provoking, or even slightly different from the other Nicholas Sparks films.

For the most part, you know what you are getting when you walk in to see this movie, unfortunately what you are getting isn't any good.



THE BOOK OF LIFE
Rated: PG
Stars: Diego Luna, Zoe Saldana, Channing Tatum
Plot: Two men battle for the love of one woman while the masters of death have a wager on the outcome.
Trailer

Clint Says: Save some money and see a matinee

This is a fascinating film. If you only look at the plot it's an average movie at best, but because of the unique animation style and the cultural aspect of the film it makes it worth seeing.

The Day Of The Dead imagery throughout the film is spectacular and the glimpse into the Hispanic culture relating to one of their most important holidays is fascinating. I was intrigued by this movie, but I realized the cultural significance of it when I observed a family of Hispanic descent after seeing the film. The adults were all wiping away tears of joy and the children were bouncing with excitement.

The soundtrack of the film is also unique and very good. Most of the songs are either current hits or very popular songs remade into music that fits the theme of the movie. Trust me, you've never heard Mumford and Sons like this.

Surprisingly, given the subject matter of the film, there are very few scenes that I would consider scary for the younger kids. It's not squeaky clean, but if your child can handle a little bit of tension and drama they will enjoy this film.



MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN
Rated: R
Stars: Adam Sandler, Jennifer Garner, Ansel Elgort, Kaitlyn Dever
Plot: A biting commentary on how our lives have changed because of technology.
Trailer

Clint Says: Avoid this movie unless you are the parents of tweens or teens

This movie is sick, twisted, demented, disgusting, perverted and very close to real life. If you are the parent of a teen or tween you need to go see this movie. It's a horrible, horrible movie to sit through, but the subject matter is spot on with what teens are doing now and how they deal with situations. Just know that the money you spend on a ticket is not for entertainment, but to help you better understand and connect with your kids.

This is the kind of movie that I wish John Hughes was still around and could have directed. It has the potential to be an incredible film, but it falls flat.

Rarely do you see people walk out of a theater because a movie is so bad. I saw about half a dozen people leave during the screening for this film. Two of which were a mom and her tween son. She couldn't get him out of there fast enough with all of the nastiness up on the screen.