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.
