Movie Reviews For September 25, 2015: HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2, THE INTERN, and THE GREEN INFERNO

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2
Rated: PG
Release Date: September 25, 2015
Director: Genndy Tartakovsky
Stars: Adam Sandler, Selena Gomez, Andy Samberg
Plot: Dracula is intent on keeping his family at the hotel by teaching his half-human grandson how to be a monster
Trailer

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

This is one of the rare franchises where the second film is as good, possibly even better than the first. The story is quite similar, but the jokes are fresh and it is compelling for both adults and children.

I took my five year old daughter and she loved it. There were many moments where she was laughing out loud, and very few moments where she was fidgeting in her chair. I was interested in the film all the way through as well. I found it funny and endearing.

There are a couple of scenes that may be a bit much for the younger kids so beware of that going into it. Aside from that, this is a great movie for a whole family outing.




THE INTERN
Rated: PG-13
Release Date: September 25, 2015
Director: Nancy Meyers
Stars: Robert De Niro, Anne Hathaway, Rene Russo
Plot: A retired widower takes an internship at a successful internet start-up and brings some of his old school wisdom to the tech age.
Trailer

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

I was shocked at how much I liked this film. It was significantly funnier than I thought it would be, and there were very few cliche Hollywood moments. In fact, it was so funny that we missed a good dozen lines because we were all laughing so hard.

Anne Hathaway and Robert De Niro have a wonderful chemistry that will warm your heart. It's also nice to see De Niro playing a role that goes against his type. I can't recall the last time I saw him acting awkward or having a lack of confidence in a movie.

This film will give you an emotional roller coaster ride. As I said, it is hysterically funny, but it is also sad, heartwarming and triumphant. Bring tissues to wipe the tears out of your eyes as you cry and the snot off of your nose when you snort laugh.

This may be one of the best comedies of the year.




THE GREEN INFERNO
Rated: R
Release Date: September 25, 2015
Director: Eli Roth
Stars: Lorenza Izzo, Ariel Levy, Aaron Burns
Plot: A group of environmentalists on a mission to help save the rain forests are captured by Amazonian cannibals.
Trailer

Clint Says: Don't even bother

Oh, what could have been. This film had all of the opportunity in the world to be a spectacularly scary horror flick. Instead, it is a spectacular fail.

The actin is atrocious, the plot it ridiculous, it's way too long, it's not even remotely scary, it's full of massive plot holes and moments of convenience, and the audience is given no real reason to care about any of the characters.

This movie is extremely violent and gory, but most of that looks completely fake. And some of the violence doesn't even make sense.

The only thing even remotely decent about this flick is that it has a few moments that are somewhat suspenseful, but even those moments aren't really scary.

We've almost made it to October, save your money for a horror flick that is actually worth seeing.

DVD Review For February 10, 2015

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: Rent this DVD as soon as you can

This is a perfectly creeptastic film. 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.




ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY
Rated: PG
Stars: Steve Carell, Jennifer Garner
Plot: A family learns to stick together through one of the worst days ever
Trailer

Clint Says: Rent this DVD when you can get around to it

This is a fine film. It's not bad, it's not great, there is nothing spectacular about it, and there is nothing horrific either. It's a fun, family-friendly movie that the kids will enjoy and parents will be entertained enough to keep you happy for the duration.

It feels a bit like Carell and Garner went through the motions while filming, and there are several moments in the movie that could have been expanded upon to give us more depth of character. In the end though, the movie delivers exactly what you would expect out of a film like this.

You won't walk away with any life-changing epiphanies, but it will be a nice afternoon with your family.




LAGGIES
Rated: R
Stars: Keira Knightley, Chloe Grace Moretz, Sam Rockwell
Plot: A post-college woman, going through a quarter-life crisis, hides from responsibility in the house of a young girl
Trailer

Clint Says: Rent this as soon as you can

This is a great film. It's an interesting commentary on the part of the late-twenties generation that refuses to grow up and move on past their time in high school and college.

Sam Rockwell is spectacular in his role as a single dad trying to raise an unruly teen girl. Keira Knightley is refreshing in her role as someone that doesn't have all of her stuff together. And Chloe Grace Moretz proves once again that she is one of the greatest teen actors of our time.

The plot isn't mind-blowing, but the performances are worth watching.

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.