Movie Review For July 31, 2015: VACATION, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - ROGUE NATION, and THE END OF THE TOUR

VACATION
Rated: R
Directors: John Francis Daley, Jonathan M. Goldstein
Stars: Ed Helms, Christina Applegate, Skyler Gisondo, and Steele Stebbins
Plot: Rusty Griswold decides to give his family a Wally World vacation like he had as a child.
Trailer

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

In the past year we have seen two all-time classic comedies release a sequel decades later. First, we had DUMB AND DUMBER TO which was really well done, now we have VACATION, and it is awesome!

It is rude, crude, gross, riotously funny and it stands up well to the original film in this franchise. There are a few moments that feel like tired rehash of the first film, but for the most part, this is an original film with it's own story and comedic value.

Ed Helms does a fine job, but this is some of Christina Applegate's best work. Chris Hemsworth and Steele Stebbins steal the show. Both are stomach-pain funny. Charlie Day also makes a very funny appearance.

Ironically, the only part of the film that felt forced and out of place to the story were the scenes with Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo. Goofball humor from a 70 year old man just looks like a 70 year old man that has motor skill issues.

As long as you can handle the raunchiness of the jokes and the ummmm...size of little Chris Hemsworth, (which does make an appearance), this is a movie that is well worth theater prices for all of the laughs it has to offer.




MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - ROGUE NATION
Rated: PG-13
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Stars: Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg
Plot: The IMF team must figure out a way to destroy The Syndicate, a group that wants to destroy IMF.
Trailer

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

It is impressive and fun to see this franchise continue to give us great popcorn flicks. It's also impressive to see the incredible stunt work Tom Cruise is still doing.

This movie has everything you want in a summer action flick. It's got a decent plot, high intrigue, interesting twists, edge-of-your-seat suspense, explosions, car chases and fighting. The effects are well done and the acting is above average as compared to your typical action movie.

The only downside is that this movie feels long and then is wraps up super quick. It doesn't feel like the pacing is off until the last 20 minutes of the movie, but by then you're completely engaged in the story so it won't affect your viewing enjoyment too much.

If you are looking for a good, fun action flick this weekend. MI5 is a great choice.




THE END OF THE TOUR
Rated: R
Director: James Ponsoldt
Stars: Jason Segel, Jessie Eisenberg
Plot: The story of an on-tour interview between ROLLING STONE writer David Lipsky and critically acclaimed author David Foster Wallace after his release of INFINITE JEST.
Trailer

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

If you told me Hollywood was going to make a movie about two guys having a five day long conversation and make it entertaining I would bet my house against it. But that is what they did and it works.

This is a very thinky, introspective and loquacious film. (I'm only using these big words because the film is full of them. It might be a good idea to offer a dictionary with every ticket sold). I felt myself wanting more as the film went on. Not in a way that I felt the film was lacking, but in a way where I wanted to find out more about them on my own.

This is a very good film, but I'm not really sure what audiences would enjoy it. I'm sure that fans of David Foster Wallace will, but beyond that I can't see this film gaining traction. I think that had there been more at stake for the characters it could have been a better movie that would be more attractive to larger audiences. As it is, this film will do only slightly better than your typical art house flick.

DVD Review For October 7, 2014

A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST
Rated: R
Stars: Seth MacFarlane, Charlize Theron, Liam Neeson
Plot: A meek farmer must stand up to a rough cowboy to fight for the woman he loves
Trailer

Clint Says: Don't even bother

If you are in the mood for a completely mindless, boring, useless flick full of juvenile humor this film will still disappoint you. I can't stress enough how bad this movie is. Seth MacFarlane wrote, directed, produced and starred in it, and apparently he didn't have anyone around him willing to tell him "no".

MacFarlane must have compromising pictures of Liam Neeson and Charlize Theron or they owe him a huge debt. Those are the only plausible explanations as to why they would be in a horrific train-wreck of a movie like this.

On the plus side, I will admit that there are a couple of good laughs in this flick, but only a couple. And having to sit through almost two hours of clichéd crap for two or three laughs is painful at best.

The best thing about A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST is that it is so bad there is zero chance we will have to see Seth MacFarlane screwing up the OSCARS again.

EDGE OF TOMORROW

Rated: PG-13

Stars: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt
Plot: A soldier finds himself repeating the same day, a day the aliens destroyed humanity. But he uses his special ability to get trained in a way to destroy the enemy.
Trailer

Clint Says: Rent this DVD this week

If you like sci-fi action flicks EDGE OF TOMORROW will completely satisfy your craving. It has aliens, explosions, cool weapons, people that don't get what's happening, a pretty boy that has no clue how to do anything and a super-awesome, kick butt woman that has to turn the pretty boy into a hardened soldier so he can save the world.

I found the movie to be mostly original in its story, with the exception of the one-alien-to-rule-them-all thing that so many sci-fi movies use as a crutch to make sure the humans can finally win. But aside from that it was an enjoyable action flick with a 50 FIRST DATES style love story thrown in to give the audience a little break from the action.

I would recommend seeing this on as big a TV screen as possible with the best sound available. So if that means finding someone with an awesome man cave, start planning now.



MILLION DOLLAR ARM
Rated: PG
Stars: John Hamm, Suraj Sharma, Madhur Mittal
Plot: A down-on-his-luck sports agent tries to right his career by creating a reality show in India to find cricket players and turn them into Major League Baseball pitchers.
Trailer

Clint Says: It's worth watching once

MILLION DOLLAR ARM is a fine film. It has an interesting story and beautiful imagery that is worth seeing, but it's not worth spending the money to own the DVD.

This film is family-friendly, so if you are looking for a movie for the crew you won't be disappointed in this.

John Hamm gives a fine performance and Alan Arkin is a show stealer as usual. It's a great feel-good, inspirational story that is worth seeing once.

Movie Review for June 6, 2014

THE FAULT IN OUR STARS
Rated: PG-13
Stars: Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Nat Wolff
Plot: Two teens with cancer fall in love and learn how to live a beautiful, if short, life.
Trailer

Clint Says: Drop everything and go see this movie now...and take tissues

Not only is TFIOS the best movie of the year so far, (I told you MALEFICENT wouldn't hold the title very long), it has a great chance of holding that title when the year finally comes to a close. It is a master-class work by the entire cast and crew. 

Fans of the book by the same name will not be even the slightest bit disappointed by the film adaptation. It is rare to see a movie that so closely follows the book. I liken it to the first HARRY POTTER film where almost every bit of the book was portrayed on the big screen, and in a way that was very true to the book.

Shailene Woodley gives an Oscar-worthy performance and Ansel Elgort is charming throughout. Woodley and Elgort are perfectly cast as Hazel and Augustus, and even the hard-core YA fans aren't going to have a problem with the they-are-brother-and-sister-in-DIVERGENT-but-lovers-in-TFIOS-how-weird thing.

For those of you out there who say, "ugh, I don't want to see some cancer death movie," don't be so quick to judge. In THE HUNGER GAMES kids killed kids, yes, but that wasn't what it was about. In TFIOS, teens are dying from cancer, but the story is about them living, and loving, to the fullest that they can in the short infinity they are given.

I have seen TFIOS twice, something I rarely do simply because I see so many movies that I only have time to see ones that I REALLY love more than once. The second time through I was able to really see the layers that make this film so enjoyable.

A few weeks ago I had the honor of hosting the DEMAND OUR STARS event at War Memorial in Nashville with John Green, Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Nat Wolff and 2,000 screaming TFIOS fans. You can see the recap of that event here. We also got to interview all four of them on Mix 92.9 the following day. You can hear that interview here, or see it here.

They are all very down-to-earth, genuinely good people that were able to come together and make a truly stellar film.



EDGE OF TOMORROW
Rated: PG-13
Stars: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt
Plot: A soldier finds himself repeating the same day, a day the aliens destroyed humanity. But he uses his special ability to get trained in a way to destroy the enemy.
Trailer

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

If you like sci-fi action flicks EDGE OF TOMORROW will completely satisfy your craving. It has aliens, explosions, cool weapons, people that don't get what's happening, a pretty boy that has no clue how to do anything and a super-awesome, kick butt woman that has to turn the pretty boy into a hardened soldier so he can save the world.

I found the movie to be mostly original in its story, with the exception of the one-alien-to-rule-them-all thing that so many sci-fi movies use as a crutch to make sure the humans can finally win. But aside from that it was an enjoyable action flick with a 50 FIRST DATES style love story thrown in to give the audience a little break from the action.

I would recommend paying the extra money to see this in a bigger theater with the huge sound system, but if you don't want to blow $20 on a movie for one ticket, seeing it in 2D will still get the job done.
By the way, these tough soldiers are going to lose big time to the teen girl army at the box office this weekend.