DVD Review For March 24, 2015

THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES
Rated: PG-13
Stars: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellan, Richard Armitage, Luke Evans
Plot: Bilbo and Gandalf must work together to try to save Middle-Earth from the greed of its varied inhabitants.
Trailer

Clint Says: Rent this when you have the time

Director Peter Jackson finishes strong with the final installment in THE HOBBIT trilogy. It's not the best film of the bunch, but it is satisfying enough that fans of the series will walk away feeling fulfilled.

I will say that it feels like there is something missing from this movie. To be quite honest I can't figure it out, but I think it's the lack of character depth. This is essentially a 2 1/2 hour CGI battle movie and I would have liked a bit more story out of it.

The action is spectacular, the creatures are fascinating and the quest is compelling. And, without giving anything away, the finale of this film ties in beautifully to the beginning of THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy.

It's the end of an era, so enjoy this one.




INTO THE WOODS
Rated: PG
Stars: Anna Kendrick, Emily Blunt, James Corden, Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp, Chris Pine
Plot: A baker and his wife encounter several other fairy tale figures as they try to complete a task for a witch.
Trailer

Clint Says: Rent this soon

I saw this musical on stage several years ago and absolutely loved it. When I heard that Disney was making it into a film I was a bit nervous that the story would get too sanitized from the original to really have any impact. Thankfully, I was wrong.

Disney did a spectacular job at making this a musical palatable for children, (although I probably wouldn't take anyone under age 8), yet still intense and dramatic for the adults. The screen version is also significantly funnier than I remember the stage performance to be.

One big mark against this film is its length. There is a point where it feels like the movie ends, but then it goes on for about an hour after that. They probably could have accomplished the same thing by editing the last hour down to about 20 minutes.

Chris Pine steals the show and his song "Agony" is the highlight of the entire film. Meryl Streep does a fine job, although I didn't consider it to be award-worthy. If I had my choice of award nominations for this movie I would give the nod to Daniel Huttlestone who plays Jack. (He also plays Gavroche in Les Mis). He is mesmerizing once again.

Fans of the musical will notice missing and new songs in this version, but I think you will like this version all the same.




UNBROKEN
Rated: PG-13
Stars: Jack O'Connell, Takamasa Ishihara, Domhnall Gleeson
Plot: A former Olympian gets stranded at sea during World War II then becomes a prisoner of war inside Japan for several years.
Trailer

Clint Says: Rent this after you've seen the other movies out this week

This movie could have been something special, but it never gets there. I wasn't made to care for the main character any more than the other POWs, nor did I really hate his enemies. The character development was weak at best and in many cases non-existent. We blow through the main character's childhood and Olympic career so fast that we miss anything that might have been compelling about him.

Jolie uses flashbacks during the first third of the film which are powerful and well done, but then they just stop. For the last two thirds of the film we get nothing. I think the movie could have been a lot more powerful if she had kept those flashbacks going as a way to show his resolve and something to give him hope.

This is not a bad film at all, in fact it is pretty good, it just isn't great. And a movie like this needs to be great.

Movie Review For December 19, 2014

THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES
Rated: PG-13
Stars: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellan, Richard Armitage, Luke Evans
Plot: Bilbo and Gandalf must work together to try to save Middle-Earth from the greed of its varied inhabitants.
Trailer

Clint Says: Save some money and see a matinee

Director Peter Jackson finishes strong with the final installment in THE HOBBIT trilogy. It's not the best film of the bunch, but it is satisfying enough that fans of the series will walk away feeling fulfilled.

I will say that it feels like there is something missing from this movie. To be quite honest I can't figure it out, but I think it's the lack of character depth. This is essentially a 2 1/2 hour CGI battle movie and I would have liked a bit more story out of it.

The action is spectacular, the creatures are fascinating and the quest is compelling. And, without giving anything away, the finale of this film ties in beautifully to the beginning of THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy.

It's the end of an era, so go enjoy this one.




NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB
Rated: PG
Stars: Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Dan Stevens, Rebel Wilson
Plot: Larry and his museum friends must travel to London to find out why their magic is coming to an end
Trailer

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

It's surprising that this franchise is now releasing its third film and all three of them are great movies. One would expect there to be a dud in the bunch by now, but not in this case.

The effects are fun, the jokes are funny and the story will keep audiences of all ages engaged and entertained. (It may be a bit too intense for the under-five crowd, but everyone else will be fine).

Even though it is set, mostly, in London, we really don't get to see their culture. As with the other films, most of the movie takes place inside the museum. So if you're going to see London you'll be disappointed.

For those of you that were fans of the three old night security guys from the first film, you will be happy to know that they return in this one and they are just as funny as ever.

This is the last on-screen performance by Robin Williams and Mickey Rooney, which is sad, but it's a wonderful film in which to see them off.




ANNIE
Rated: PG
Stars: Quvenzhane Wallis, Jamie Foxx, Cameron Diaz, Rose Byrne
Plot: A young orphan and a wealthy businessman create an unlikely alliance that leads to a deeper relationship
Trailer

Clint Says: Save some money and see a matinee

This is one of those films that if you don't find yourself dancing in your seat you may need to check your pulse. It's a fun, entertaining film that is great for the whole family.

It's interesting that the movie executives decided to go with big-name talent over lesser-know actors that are trained singers. The music is a bit weak in the film, but strangely, it doesn't really matter. The acting is great and there are several funny moments where they break the fourth wall and poke fun at the whole idea of musicals.

The story is engaging and fast-paced, but it's almost a little too fast-paced. The movie seems to go from Annie's hopeless situation to happily ever after in the blink of an eye.

Quvenzhane Wallis has proven to be one of Hollywood's great child actors, and it wouldn't surprise me at all to see her get several major award nominations for this role.

Gather up the whole family and enjoy a sing-along with the rest of the theater.



WILD
Rated: R
Stars: Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern
Plot: A woman endures a long hike to try to rediscover who she is
Trailer

Clint Says: Wait for the DVD

I know there is a lot of awards buzz surrounding this film, but I found it to be an okay movie at best. It has several compelling moments and Witherspoon does a wonderful job in her role, but there is only so much you can do with a movie about someone walking 1,100 miles.

The film starts slow and drags on for a while, then, just about the time the movie starts to get really good, it's over. And the ending of the movie feels like it would have made a more compelling chunk of the movie rather than the one paragraph of narration jammed in to try to tie the whole package up with a nice bow.

Typically, I don't like to do this, but I feel that a lot of movie-goers may be shocked at the content of this film. It is Rated R for a very good reason. WILD is full of sex, nudity, drug use and adult language. I'm not sure that most audiences will realize the adult nature of this film until they are already in the theater.

There is nothing in this film that makes it worth seeing in theaters. You'll be fine waiting for the DVD.

DVD Review for April 8, 2014

THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG
Rated PG-13
Stars: Ian McKellan, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage
Plot: Bilbo finds a mysterious ring while he continues his quest to reclaim the Dwarves' homeland from the dragon, Smaug.
Trailer

Clint Says: Buy this movie as soon as possible

If you saw the first movie in this series and gave up on it that is understandable. It was slow-moving and not up to the standards we have come to expect from director Peter Jackson. THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG is a return to excellence. I would suggest you give this series another chance.

While I will readily admit that there are several moments in this film that remind me of work, (namely a bunch of people having board meetings and then walking around in single-file lines), this film has a lot more action than the first and Smaug is amazing. It is completely worth sitting through the slower parts to get to the big dragon at the end.



AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY
Rated R
Stars: Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Dermot Mulroney
Plot: A dysfunctional, estranged family is brought back together by a family crisis.
Trailer

Clint Says: Wait for it to show up on TV

This movie can be summed up in one sentence: A group of over-qualified actors overacting.

I know that Meryl Streep was nominated for an Oscar for this film, but I'm convinced that Streep could play a corpse and still get a nod from the Academy.

This movie really isn't worth your time.



GRUDGE MATCH
Rated PG-13
Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Robert De Niro, Kevin Hart, Kim Basinger
Plot: Two old, has-been prize fighters must put aside their life-long grudge for one last fight.
Trailer

Clint Says: Let someone else rent it

The only thing good about this movie is Kevin Hart and Alan Arkin, they are hysterical. The rest of the movie is, unfortunately, just as lame as it sounds...two old guys that hate each other gearing up for one last fight. Oh, and there's a girl involved, too.

If you see this movie, you'll find yourself cringing and saying to Stallone and De Niro, "please stop, you're both too old for roles like this."



JUSTIN BIEBER: BELIEVE
Rated PG
Stars: Justin Bieber
Plot: A documentary on the pop star's rise to fame.
Trailer

Clint Says: I don't need to say anything. Beliebers will buy it, the rest will ignore it

Really, there is nothing to say about this. I could say it was the worst film ever made and the Beliebers would still buy up every last copy.

I will tell you this though, if you aren't a Belieber, this movie isn't good enough to make you change your mind. If you want to see a well done, pop star documentary, rent ONE DIRECTION: THIS IS US.