Movie Review For July 1, 2015: MAGIC MIKE XXL and TERMINATOR: GENISYS

MAGIC MIKE XXL

Rated: R

Stars: Channing Tatum, Joe Manganiello, Matt Bomer, Amber Heard

Plot: A group of male strippers go on one last road trip...to a stripper convention.

Trailer

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

Have you ever seen a movie with a barely-there plot, painful dialogue, amateur editing, actors that just mail in their roles, and pathetic directing? Well, if you haven't, go check out MAGIC MIKE XXL and you'll see all of that and more. 

This movie looks and feels like they knew that no matter how bad the movie is they would still make money off of it. They are probably right, but it's a shame that they didn't even try to make a good movie. 

I saw this movie with two lovely ladies, one of them loved the first one and hated this one. The other was totally fine with this being a crap flick as long as she got a good dose of abs. I just wanted the pain to end.

Also, I feel that I should give some sort of a heads up on this movie...This is not Hollywood glamorized sexy, smooth dancing guys. This is hard core, grind-it-out, strip club stripping. 

There is one, and only one, good reason to see this movie. If you do you will never look at Michael Strahan the same. 

TERMINATOR: GENYSIS

Rated: PG-13

Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Emilia Clarke, Jason Clarke, Jai Courtney

Plot: John Connor sends a soldier back in time to protect his mother from a new Terminator, but the game changes when he gets there

Trailer

Clint Says: Save some money and see a matinee

This is a movie that should have never been made. They should have left this franchise alone. That said, GENYSIS isn't all that bad of a movie. It's a pretty fun popcorn flick that has enough suspense and intrigue to keep the casual movie-goer engaged and happy. 

There is nothing spectacular in this film that makes it worth spending the money to see it in theaters,  so unless you are just looking for a fun, turn-the-brain-off night out then you'd be better off just waiting for the DVD. 

For fans of the original films this one will annoy you on several levels. Many of which are related to the main characters. It's probably best if you just pretend this movie never existed. 

Movie Review For May 1, 2015: AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON, THE WATER DIVINER

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON
Rated: PG-13
Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olsen, James Spader, Paul Bettany, Aaron Taylor-Johnson
Plot: The Avengers must work together to stop one of Tony Stark's creations that has decided the world must be destroyed
Trailer

Clint Says: Drop everything and go see this movie now

And the crowd said, "AMEN!"

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON is two hours and 21 minutes of total awesomeness. It is fast-paced, high-stakes, and intriguing story-telling at its comic-book finest.

Director Joss Whedon should be given a lot of credit for allowing the cast to have the range they needed to explore and develop their characters even more. Because of that we get some of the best scenes we have ever had the privilege to witness in the MARVEL universe.

This movie is hysterically funny, way more so than any of the other MARVEL films, with the exception of GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, but it is also deep and at times will pull at your heartstrings.

There is a freedom and a depth to this movie that we've yet to see in any other comic book flick that may even lead to its eventual nomination for awards other than just the technical stuff. It is fun and spectacular from beginning to end.

I don't say this often because the price of going to the movies is so ridiculous, but this is the movie you need to see in IMAX or RPX and in 3D. It's worth the money. This is easily the best popcorn flick of 2015 so far and it's going to take some serious doing to knock it from the top spot.




THE WATER DIVINER
Rated: R
Stars: Russell Crowe, Olga Kurylenko, Jai Courtney
Plot: A grieving father travels from Australia to Turkey to find the remains of his sons killed in the same battle during World War I, but he soon finds out that one of them may still be alive
Trailer

Clint Says: Wait for the DVD

This is an interesting film because it is a fascinating story that is heartbreaking and compelling yet it is brutally boring in its execution. It is an Australian film that has made its way to the US. Maybe they find this style of movie-making much more palatable down under, but for US audiences it feels slow, drawn out and dialogue heavy.

Russell Crowe is incredible and believable in his role, but it's not enough to overcome the nearly two hours of dullness on screen.

This film won three Australian Academy Awards including Best Picture, but it's not even worthy of a nomination here. It is worth seeing at some point if you like post World War period pieces, but it won't be a life-changing or even much of a moving experience for you.