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 January 9, 2015

TAKEN 3
Rated: PG-13
Stars: Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Forest Whitaker
Plot: An ex-Government Operative must stay on the run until he can clear his name from crime he didn't commit.
Trailer

Clint Says: Wait for the DVD

One can only hope that this will be the final installment in the TAKEN franchise. The first film was great, the second was a carbon copy of the first, and while this one actually has a different plot, it has the same feel, action and dialogue as the first two.

It does have a couple of interesting twists and turns, but it also has several eye-rolling moments that take away from the excitement of the film. It's tough to be in suspense when you know that no matter how many adversaries the main character is facing, he's still going to be okay.

The ending to this trilogy could have been a lot worse than this offering, and for that I guess we should be somewhat thankful, but it is still an average flick at best.



SELMA
Rated: PG-13
Stars: David Oyelowo, Tom Wilkinson, Carmen Ejogo
Plot: Martin Luther King, Jr. protests to get African Americans the right to vote by marching from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.
Trailer

Clint Says: Drop everything and go see this movie now

It's hard to believe that the event portrayed in this film happened only 50 years ago. It's also incredible to watch David Oyelowo become Martin Luther King, Jr. He walks like him, he talks like him, and his resemblance is nearly spot on.

This may be one of the more uncomfortable films I've ever endured. The entire time I wanted to ear-tug the opposition into the corner and slap some sense into them. I wanted to scream at the screen and say, "how can you possibly think that it is okay to treat another human that way?" I sat there embarrassed like you do when your ignorant cousin twice-removed starts spouting off racist remarks at Thanksgiving dinner.

This is a powerful film that everyone should see. On the one hand, it's great to see just how far we've come in the last 50 years, but it's also important for the younger generations to see it so that they can understand the struggle that happened not so very long ago.

There are several times when the movie bogs down, and there are only a few times when it really gets dramatic, but there is a quite power throughout the film that keeps you engaged.

This film got in just under the wire for the 2015 awards season, expect it to make some noise at The Golden Globes, The Critics' Choice Awards and The Academy Awards.



INHERENT VICE
Rated: R
Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Katherine Waterston, Josh Brolin
Plot: A Los Angeles P.I. investigates the disappearance of a former girlfriend and her lover.
Trailer

Clint Says: Wait for the DVD

This is one of those movies where the trailer is way better than the film, and the trailer makes it look like you will be seeing an entirely different movie than you actually end up seeing.

Clocking in at just shy of 2 1/2 hours, INHERENT VICE is a slow-moving, odd, quirky and nearly useless film. While Joaquin Phoenix does an incredible job in his role, I found myself several times trying to figure out why this movie was even made. It's not terribly entertaining, it isn't a ground-breaking piece of cinematic history, and as a mystery movie it is mediocre at best.

If you are interested in seeing this film you'd be much better off just watching the very well done trailer and then spending your money on something else.

DVD Review for April 29, 2014

LABOR DAY
PG-13
Stars: Kate Winslet, Josh Brolin
Plot: An escaped convict hides in the house of a single mother and her son for a long weekend hoping to elude the police and make a break for the border.
Trailer

Clint Says: Rent it if you have nothing better to do

It's easy to see why this movie was released in theaters in January. It really has nothing to offer the audience for the first 90 minutes of the movie. Josh Brolin plays a compelling anti-hero, but the script doesn't give him much with which to work. LABOR DAY is full of contrived suspense and the fact that the main characters fall madly into lifelong love over the course of a long weekend makes the This-Feels-Fake Meter move a lot.

If you're looking for a slow-moving, slightly suspenseful love story you may like this movie, but chances are you'll just be disappointed and wanting a large slice of homemade peach pie.



THE LEGEND OF HERCULES
PG-13
Stars: Kellan Lutz, Gaia Weiss
Plot: The story of Hercules from shunned child to strong demi-god.
Trailer

Clint Says: If you have to see this, make someone else rent it

Can somebody please make a great movie of the story Hercules? This movie misses the mark in every way possible. First off, he's a demi-god with super-human powers and he only uses them twice. What!? Second, there are plot holes you could drive a truck through. Third, the graphics (which most of this movie is done in CGI) look like they were done in 1998. Fourth, the 3D version uses gimmicky 3D tricks to make the movie look more intense, but audiences are over that now. Finally, I thought that dialogue was important to a movie, I guess the execs on this film disagree with me.

The only audience that will find this movie enjoyable are males between 17 and 22. Everyone else shouldn't bother.


GIMME SHELTER
PG-13
Stars: Vanessa Hudgens, Rosario Dawson, Brendan Fraser
Plot: A teen girl grows up between an abusive mom and a neglectful foster care system. When she finds herself pregnant she goes against everyone's advise and decides to keep her baby.
Trailer

Clint Says: Buy this DVD

This, based on a true story film, is very difficult to watch, but it is amazing and powerful. Hollywood critics are panning this movie, but audiences love it. Hudgens and Dawson both give the best performances of their careers. If this movie weren't so anti-Hollywood in the decisions made by the main character I believe it would have been released in December and been up for several awards.

Movies like this should be supported by all of us, but just know that it is a tough film with a tough subject matter.



DEVIL'S DUE
R
Stars: Allison Miller, Zach Gilford
Plot: An expecting newlywed couple begins to expect dark things may have happened the night they can't remember from their honeymoon.
Trailer

Clint Says: Don't even bother

This movie is a complete waste of time. Even people that love all horror flicks thought this one was stupid.  If you want to see the best thing this movie had to offer, watch this video of the devil baby prank they did to market this film.

Movie Review for January 31, 2014

LABOR DAY
Rated PG-13
Stars: Kate Winslet, Josh Brolin
Plot: An escaped convict hides in the home of a shut-in mom and her teen son. While the police search for him, he and the mom fall in love.
Trailer

Clint Says: Wait for the DVD

It's easy to see why this movie was released in January. It really has nothing to offer the audience for the first 90 minutes of the movie. Josh Brolin plays a compelling anti-hero, but the script doesn't give him much with which to work. LABOR DAY is full of contrived suspense and the fact that the main characters fall madly into lifelong love over the course of a long weekend makes the This-Feels-Fake Meter move a lot.

If you're looking for a slow-moving, slightly suspenseful love story you may like this movie, but chances are you'll walk out disappointed and wanting a large slice of homemade peach pie.


THAT AWKWARD MOMENT
Rated R
Stars: Zac Efron, Michael B. Jordan, Miles Teller
Plot: Three friends make a pact to stay out of deep relationships until one of them is ready to move forward.
Trailer

Clint Says: Wait for the DVD

THAT AWKWARD MOMENT is basically one big awkward moment because it's a romantic comedy for guys. It follows the same tried and true formula for RomComs, but is full of raunchy jokes and typical 20-something guy behavior. The movie has a few good laughs and a couple of horrifically awkward moments, but there isn't an audience that is going to like this movie in it's entirety.