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 April 28, 2015: PADDINGTON, THE WEDDING RINGER, INHERENT VICE, THE BOY NEXT DOOR, THE GAMBLER

PADDINGTON
Rated: PG
Stars: Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Nicole Kidman
Plot: A young, lonely bear is discovered at Paddington Station and given a place to stay by the Brown family.
Trailer

Clint Says: Buy this DVD for your elementary school kids

Technically speaking, PADDINGTON is astounding. The level of effects used to bring the bear to life and the mastery of those effects are evident in this film. That being said, the overall movie is okay at best.

The film has some beautiful set design and costumes, but it doesn't make up for the fact that the story is fairly bland and slow-moving. This is a kid's movie through and through so I know they couldn't ramp up the drama and action too much, but a little bit more would have been fine.

I fear that this movie is a bit too complicated for the under 5 audience to grasp and anyone over 10 is going to spend a good portion of the movie bored. But the elementary school crowd will really enjoy PADDINGTON.




THE WEDDING RINGER
Rated: R
Stars: Kevin Hart, Josh Gad, Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting
Plot: A groom in need of a best man turns to a service that offers fake friendships...for a price.
Trailer

Clint Says: Rent this movie this weekend

I was completely shocked as to how much I enjoyed this film. Kevin Hart is really funny, but he has a tendency to wear me out with his humor. However, in this film, Josh Gad balances out Hart perfectly making for a stellar comedy duo.

The story is unique and the hi-jinks will keep you laughing all the way through. And while the guffaws are aplenty, it's also a heartwarming story with enough of a deeper message to make it more than a simple bromance flick, but not so deep that it loses it's comedic edge.

This is a great flick for a night out with the guys, or a fun date. And fans of LOST, be ready to run to the bathroom as soon as the credits roll, because the very last line of the movie is going to make you laugh so hard you'll almost pee your pants.




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 a free stream on Netflix

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.




THE BOY NEXT DOOR
Rated: R
Stars: Jennifer Lopez, Ryan Guzman, Kristin Chenoweth
Plot: A high school teacher is stalked by one of her new students after a night that shouldn't have happened
Trailer

Clint Says: Wait for a free stream on Netflix

This is one of those movies that is about an inch deep, but it's still a fun date movie. There is zero thinking required, the ending is absurdly cliche, and what little mystery there is is elementary at best. That said, there is enough suspense and chills to make it fun.

Jennifer Lopez is exactly what you have seen before in all of her other movies, not bad, not great. Ryan Guzman plays the lovable psycho well, and Kristin Chenoweth is her usual nails-on-the-chalkboard self. Why anyone casts her in anything I will never understand.

I will say that the trailer is somewhat misleading. Yes, she does sleep with one of her students, but he's also almost 20 years old. (I'm not saying what she did is right, I'm simply pointing out that the trailer makes it look like statutory rape, but it isn't.)

It's the kind of movie you'll forget you saw a couple of months from now, but you won't feel like you wasted 90 minutes of your life while watching it.




THE GAMBLER
Rated: R
Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Jessica Lange, John Goodman, Brie Larson
Plot: A university professor with a gambling addiction has one week to pay back a quarter of a million dollars to loan sharks.
Trailer

Clint Says: Don't even bother

THE GAMBLER is full of spectacular acting in a spectacularly bad flick. This is one of those films where I feel like I saw a completely different movie than most of the critics. I've seen many of them raving about this film, but I just don't get it.

When the film begins it dumps us in the middle of the story, which I am fine with and many time enjoy, but THE GAMBLER doesn't give us any flashbacks or back story to fill in the gaps. At no point are we shown why he has the addiction in the first place, nor do we ever see any motivation the main character has to do the things he does.

The romance feels weird and forced, John Goodman is a creeptastic, human version of Jabba The Hutt, and the editor must have been on vacation for most of the editing because there are many scenes that drag on endlessly for no reason.

This movie got so long, boring and annoying that near the end I was hoping the main character would get hit by a bus and the credits would roll. (You'll recognize the scene I'm referring to if you are unlucky enough to have to sit through this mess).

Wahlberg and Lange both give performances that are incredible to watch, unfortunately the story is total crap.

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 January 16, 2015

AMERICAN SNIPER
Rated: R
Stars: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller
Plot: The story of America's most lethal sniper in history.
Trailer

Clint Says: Drop everything and go see this movie now

If you liked ZERO DARK THIRTY you will love AMERICAN SNIPER. This film is so brutally intense, yet so personal and vulnerable that you will walk out of the theater feeling like you knew the real Chris Kyle.

The violence and war scenes in this film are not sugar-coated nor are they "Hollywoodized" either. If you've seen documentaries with actual footage of battles in the Gulf War you'll see that this matches up well.

Bradley Cooper does a magnificent job portraying Kyle and his demons as well as his heart for helping others. Sienna Miller is near perfect in her role as a military wife.

This is a very powerful film that will stay with you long after you leave the theater.




BLACKHAT
Rated: R
Stars: Chris Hemsworth, Viola Davis, Wei Tang
Plot: A convicted computer genius is released on the condition of helping the government catch a cyber terrorist.
Trailer

Clint Says: Wait for the DVD

For a high-stakes, high-tech thriller, this film is really slow. I was expecting so much more from a plot that includes cyber-terrorism, nuclear reactors and Thor.

It's an okay film, but the slow pace, the shaky camera, and the several eye-rolling why-on-earth-would-they-do-this-instead-of-that moments make for a really long two-plus hours in the theater.

I sat next to a teenage computer whiz kid for this screening and afterwards he told me he thought it was okay. He thought it was laughable (as did I) that the main character is a world-class hacker, but he only types about 30 words a minute. When your prime audience thinks the movie is "okay" your film is in trouble.

I will say one very positive thing though. There is a scene that was so shockingly unexpected that the entire audience gasped as one. I haven't experienced anything like that in an action flick for a long time. (That said, it's an eye-rolling, convenient reason why they are put in the situation for said amazing scene).

Save your theater money on this one, there's a lot of 2015 left to go.




PADDINGTON
Rated: PG
Stars: Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Nicole Kidman
Plot: A young, lonely bear is discovered at Paddington Station and given a place to stay by the Brown family.
Trailer

Clint Says: Save some money and see a matinee

Technically speaking, PADDINGTON is astounding. The level of effects used to bring the bear to life and the mastery of those effects are evident in this film. That being said, the overall movie is okay at best.

The film has some beautiful set design and costumes, but it doesn't make up for the fact that the story is fairly bland and slow-moving. This is a kid's movie through and through so I know they couldn't ramp up the drama and action too much, but a little bit more would have been fine.

I fear that this movie will be a bit too complicated for the under 5 audience to grasp and anyone over 10 is going to spend a good portion of the movie bored. Only time will tell if there are enough 5 to 10 year olds out there willing to see this movie to make it profitable.

There will be several movies for kids released this year, some of which look to be outstanding. You may want to take a pass on this one and save your money for something you know your kids will like.



THE WEDDING RINGER
Rated: R
Stars: Kevin Hart, Josh Gad, Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting
Plot: A groom in need of a best man turns to a service that offers fake friendships...for a price.
Trailer

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

I was completely shocked as to how much I enjoyed this film. Kevin Hart is really funny, but he has a tendency to wear me out with his humor. However, in this film, Josh Gad balances out Hart perfectly making for a stellar comedy duo.

The story is unique and the hi-jinks will keep you laughing all the way through. And while the guffaws are aplenty, it's also a heartwarming story with enough of a deeper message to make it more than a simple bromance flick, but not so deep that it loses it's comedic edge.

This is a great flick for a night out with the guys, or a fun date. And fans of LOST, be ready to run to the bathroom as soon as the credits roll, because the very last line of the movie is going to make you laugh so hard you'll almost pee your pants.

Movie Review For October 31, 2014

NIGHTCRAWLER
Rated: R
Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Bill Paxton
Plot: A man becomes a crime journalist, but takes it too far trying to make a name for himself
Trailer

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

This is a perfectly creeptastic film for Halloween weekend. It's not necessarily scary as much as it is creepy.

Gyllenhaal plays a psychotic, anti-social, yet driven man so well in this film that audiences will be mesmerized by his performance. His character is so disturbing you'll feel like you need a shower after watching this movie.

The biting commentary on our society with its 24-hour news cycle, the need to have the wildest news first, and the phenomenon of people more interested in filming a situation rather than jumping in to help is expertly portrayed in this movie.

If you are looking for a creepy thriller that isn't too scary, this is a great choice.




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: Wait for the DVD

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 when it comes out on DVD.