Ghost Shark

     I watched this one for many reasons.  Mostly because of my obsession with all things shark but I also wanted to know how a Ghost Shark would work.  The answer is, pretty much like Pet Sematary.  Badly wounded shark swims into sacred cave and dies then is reborn with a thirst for vengeance.  The idea of a Ghost Shark is not the unbelievable part of this film.   Believability goes out the window when you realize that (Spoiler Alert) any water will do.      
     Even with a concept approaching ridiculousness, Ghost Shark provides some pretty creative kills.  It is also full of the mandatory Jaws references.  In this case ripping lines straight from the classic film.  The shark effects are pretty decent here with the ghost looking better than the actual shark.  Still, Ghost Shark lacks the sense of fun that Sharknado had.  It is ok as a time killer but would do better paired with similar fare like Shark Night, Bait, or the aforementioned Sharknado.

The Call

I had not intended to watch this movie.  I was there when the movie was being watched and decided to give it a try.  The reason I was going to give it a miss is the fact that I am continually disappointed with Halle Berry's work.  I think her earlier work leads me to get my hopes up too high.  The second strike this movie had was it's association with WWE films.  How good could it be right?  The answer is pretty good actually.  This story of a kidnapped young woman and the 911 operator trying to find her provides a good deal of suspense.  The film is a tight game of cat and mouse which leaves you constantly wondering how is the villain going to get away now and how can the police possibly find him.  Abigail Breslin does a wonderful job as the frightened and tormented victim.  As good as the film is though, the message of the climax is a bit muddled.  It seems like the message is about women's empowerment but honestly left the viewers asking "why would they do that?".  The only other nit I would pick involves the villains motivation.  What is it?  It is never explained why he does what he does.  In some films this ambiguity would add to the tension but here an explanation would be nice.  Over all I would recommend this one on a night when you are bored and looking for something different.

The Wolverine

A considerable improvement over X-Men Origins: Wolverine, The Wolverine is set sometime after X-Men: The Last Stand and finds a Physically and emotionally vulnerable Logan hiding from himself and struggling with his nature and past choices.  During his soul search, the reluctant hero finds himself in a very John McClane "wrong place, wrong time" situation.  While some of the themes are represented, this was not the samurai Wolverine movie I was hoping for.  Slow to start, once it gets going The Wolverine delivers a film that is true to the character.  Wolverine is a man at odds with himself.  He is constantly working to hold on to his humanity while nearly everyone and everything is pushing him closer to his breaking point where his animalistic nature will win out.  That is well represented here.  Fans of Hong Kong action films will fall in love with the train sequence. The fight scenes are exactly what you would expect, well choreographed and fast paced.  Of the six films featuring Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, this is certainly the best.  I must give credit to the filmmakers for using some lesser known villains here as well.  If you are in the mood to see Wolverine doing what Wolverine does then this is the movie for you.

Silver Linings Playbook

O.K. so I know every critic and wanna be critic has gone on and on about Silver Linings Playbook, but it really is an amazing film. The kind of amazing that has me re-thinking my outlook on life. And underneath everything is the best love story since Pretty in Pink. I know most of my friends aren't into the "mainstream films" but man you guys gotta watch this one. Incredible performances and a great story that I think will ring oddly familiar with a lot of you the way it did with me.

Star Trek: Into Darkness

I am not sure what to say about Star Trek: Into Darkness mostly because giving anything away would be doing a disservice to those who have not seen it. It continues in the tradition of its predecessor in giving us new takes on beloved characters. The action and emotion are cranked up and then the knob ripped off. All I can tell you is that you need to see this film. Admittedly I was already excited for it and had been looking forward to it since just after my first viewing of the 2009 re-boot but even a casual fan is going to love this. And for the hardcore among you there are plenty of easter eggs and references. I cannot recommend Into Darkness highly enough.

Fast 6

I am always wary of a new installment in the Fast and the Furious series. I always expect just more of the same fast cars chasing each other and crashing. I am always pleasantly surprised each time Julie A. Scharff insists on seeing these films on the theater. Today was no exception. Fast 6 (or whatever they are officially calling it) was great. Does it have a lot of fast cars chasing and crashing? YES. It is on the surface just a fun summertime popcorn action movie. There is nothing wrong with that. But if you look deeper there is much more going on. The makers of this movie brought some real emotion and humor and tied together 6 films that seemingly have little in common except for the cast. With an opening credits sequence that recalls the 5 previous installments and several references sprinkled in as well as a plot that brings them all into 1 cohesive story. Fast 6 is full of holy shit moments and a WTF!? ending that will leave you in shock well after the credits roll. Vin Diesel plays the whole part with a look in his eyes that says he is having the time of his life making this movie even during the most serious scenes. When the people involved in creating the film are that excited about it, it is hard for the audience not to get caught up in that excitement. The film manages to keep things fresh and still give the movie going public exactly what it wants to see. I went in semi-reluctant to pay theater prices for this one and by the end I was impressed. Kudos to director Justin Lin and the entire cast.

Beautiful Creatures

I know I was not the intended audience, but I must say I really enjoyed Beautiful Creatures. It had an interesting premise and the characters and story were able to hold my attention unlike some other popular films based on teen oriented novels. It didn't hurt that Emma Thompson was in it either.

Sharknado

Sharknado is a film that would make Roger Corman proud. I mean that in the best possible way. Sure it is cheesy (as all SYFY originals are) but underneath the cheese is a pretty solid natural disaster movie like The Posiedon Adventure or The Perfect Storm. The film is less about a swirling cloud of sharks than it is about people dealing with a worst case scenario weather situation. It remains fun with plenty of nods to everyone's favorite big fish story but manages to put the characters into some harrowing situations that make you wonder how they will get out of them. The effects are what you would expect from SYFY but for me they did not distract from the story. If you enjoyed Shark Night or Bait then I think you will have fun with Sharknado.

The Lone Ranger

When I was a boy, my favorite toy (besides my ride on Winnie the Pooh) was a "stuffed animal" in the shape of The Lone Ranger. The old t.v. version with the blue shirt and red bandanna. For this reason I was very excited to see the latest film version of this legend. I was NOT disappointed. I encourage you all to ignore the bad reviews and go enjoy a good old fashioned western adventure. This movie was a lot of fun with some really great performances. I was hooked from the opening scene. I love the way they framed the story. It is something I never would have thought of. I realize the idea of the white hatted good guy versus the black hatted bad guy is a bit outdated in this world we live in but damn was it refreshing. The villains of the film and their motivations could be compared to a lot of modern day villains but don't try to over think it. There are many fun moments in the film as well. The best of which was mentioned by Mike Watt in his review. For a little while I felt like a little boy again. So forget what you've heard and just go have fun for a couple of hours. it is something people so rarely do these days.

Fun Size

So, Fun Size. I did not realize going in that this was a Nickelodeon film. I just remember seeing a trailer for it and thinking it looked fun. I was not wrong. It had a very Adventures in Babysitting vibe. Not so much in plot but in the feel. Johnny Knoxville turns a weird and funny performance which makes up for his appearance in the dreadful The Last Stand. The young cast which includes Victoria Justice and Osric Chau (kevin tran from supernatural) really know what they are doin and seem likely to make that tough transition from teen stars to kore adult roles. I would say if you are up for a little silly wholesome fun then definitely check out Fun Size.

World War Z

World War Z--By the time this film came along, I was tired of zombie films. I felt the genre had been overdone. I mean, why keep making zombie movies when there is a considerable lack of good werewolf movies out there? Then I saw the trailer and i thought well that might be worth a look. Adding to the hype was all the talk about how horrible the film would be because it was different from the book. I won't discuss the differences too much as i have not yet finished the book. I will say that while I understand the studio feeling a need for a linear story with a single protagonist in order to insure mass appeal, I am not sure I agree with it. Films like Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction and Robert Altman's Short Cuts did a wonderful job of stringing together multiple stories into a single narrative. I chose to look at it the way I do comic book films with the book existing in one universe and the film in another. With a team that included J. Michael Straczynski, Damon Lindelof and Drew Goddard handling the adaptation there is little to worry about. World War Z provides a tight story that is as much a mystery as it is suspense or horror. It is not your typical "shoot as many of them as you can before they kill us all" type of zombie movie. If the film itself is not typical then neither are it's main characters. I mean of course the zombies. These undead are not slow or stupid like the zombies we grew up with. Their eyes hold a hint of intelligence almost like a memory of their humanity trying to break through. Brad Pitt provides one of his best performances of recent years and the supporting players are excellent as well. David Morse could have used more screen time in my opinion but I only say that because I am a fan. The film has a great look with some wonderful set pieces. The filmmakers did a terrific job of conveying the look and desperation of a world falling apart. It is hard to admit as a grown man but a couple of times I jumped in my seat. This movie really pulls you in and makes you feel the anxiety, desperation and terror of the characters. In the end though, as much as i liked this movie, I would rather see hollywood turn it's attention to my furry favorite the werewolf and let the zombies rest in peace.

Evil Dead (re-make)

Evil Dead. I had high hopes for this one. Once upon a time I was anit-remake. The past decade or so has turned out a few that weren't so bad so I started to change my view and give them a chance. Evil Dead is the kind of film that makes thinkng i was right in the first place with my position that re-makes are useless. Maybe I am too jaded because I grew up on horror films. Maybe the horrible experience of qatching Evil Dead is my fault because I went in expecting something new and fresh. What I got was the same old stuff we have been getting in horror films for years. The characters all fit into their littke cookie cutter molds nicely but fail to make you care what happens to any of them. The film also lacks scares. There is plenty of gore but no actual scares. World War Z was scarier than Evil Dead. When the most interesting part of your movie happens post credits, you have a problem. Maybe the filmmakers expected me to be impressed because their hero was a woman. Again, this is old hat. The point of re-making something, in my opinion, is to do it better or at least update it for the changing times. Evil Dead does neither of these. Save your money movie watchers and stick with Sam Raimi's classic.

Chasing Amy

My thoughts after re-watching this one.
One of the greatest love stories ever told. In the same class as Pretty in Pink (which we all know is truly the greatest love story)

The Reef

Most of you have guessed by now how I felt about The Reef. If it could be compared to an album it would be Spinal Tap's Shark Sandwich. I think we all remember the two word review for that one. I will say that there were a couple of good points. The camera work is pretty good. At times I did feel like i was right there in the water and could feel myself rolling on the swells. The shark shots are totally real except for one brief shot that looks either cgi or like someone holding a cardboard shark in front of a blue background. The main problem with this movie that mentions a shark in it's synopsis is the lack of shark. There is not even a fin for 80-85% of the movie. When the shark does show up it is minding it's own business totally uninterested in these floating people. There were only one or two moments during the film where I felt the characters were in peril. The rest of the time they were just wet and I was wondering if their bits and pieces were shriveling up like prunes.

This is the End

Finally got to see This is the End. It was pretty decent but not as hilarious as the trailer would have one believe (isn't that always the case?). Watching a great cast play exaggerated versions of themselves and riff on each other is always fun. James Franco is quirky and weird as always but Michael Cera steals the show. It is definitely worth a watch as long as your expectations are sort of in the middle. I am ready now for the next apocalyptic comedy to come along The World's End from Edgar Wright starring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Martin Freeman.

Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox

Flashpoint was one of those seminal events in comics that people will be talking about twenty years from now. It completely changed the DC Universe and its characters, Set up the "New 52", and provided a jumping on point for newcomers and returning fans who had maybe drifted away from DC or comics in general. It also happens to be my all time favorite event in comics. It is the only time I made it a point to pick up all of the collections and read the entire story rather than just following events in the books i was already reading. "Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox" attempts to take five collections worth of story which amounts to at least fifteen miniseries' and condense it into an eighty minute animated movie. Holy Cow did they do an amazing job! I was already a fan of DC's animated films but this one is a home run. They have managed to strip the story down to the bare necessities without losing anything. The deeper, and in some cases more intriguing, elements are hinted at. Giving the viewer a taste of the wonder that lies in the books. i will admit that there are some things I would have liked to see explored further but as I said it is a very deep story rich with unknown and D list characters who are given purpose in Flashpoint's twisted timeline. I can only hope that DC has plans to explore this universe in further movies. The voice cast is incredible featuring C. Thomas Howell as villain Professor Zoom, Kevin McKidd as the alternate Batman, everyone's favorite Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern/Hal Jordan and a surprising turn by Cary Elwes as Aquaman. The art and animation are splendid, recreating the comics beautifully. As a bonus, the 2-disc edition DVD from Wal-mart has two bonus cartoons featuring The Flash. I would call this a must watch for comic fans as well as a must read. This story made me a fan of The Flash where in the past i had no interest in learning about him at all.

Bullet to the Head

Bullet To The Head is a return to the mismatched buddy cop action films of the 80's. The only difference is that one of these men is not a cop and they are clearly not buddies. Sylvester Stallone shakes off the Expendables schtick and makes a real movie. Directed by Walter Hill Who is responsible for some great films over the years, Bullet To The Head is everything you would expect. Plenty of fights, both gun and hand to hand, a conspiracy reaching to the highest levels and of course two men who would normally be trying to kill each other forced to work together. Stallone plays a hit man whose partner has been murdered with Sung Kang as a D.C. cop on the same situation. Since they are looking for the same people naturally they team up. The real treat here is Jason Momoa of Game of Thrones and Conan fame. As the villain, he provides the proper level of menace while also being one of the few actors who makes a believable match for Stallone in a fight. At the end of the day, I found this to be an enjoyable film that reminded me of the movies I grew up with.

G.I Joe: Retaliation

I grew up with G.I. Joe. I read the comics before I was even into comics. I loved the cartoon and I wanted to get all of the action figures. I even had a little file box where I kept the cards I clipped from the back of the packages. So imagine my disappointment when I saw G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. That film made me hate Channing Tatum because he had single handedly done what all of cobra could not. He had killed G.I. Joe. Since Rise of Cobra was released, I have seen Channing Tatum in some other films where he delivered decent and often entertaining performances so I decided to give the second G.I. Joe film a try. G.I. Joe: Retaliation is able to forgo the origin and back story and get right to the action. While the chemistry and camaraderie between Tatum and newcomer Dwayne Johnson is good and even amusing, that is all this film has going for it. With so much material to draw from I don't understand how the filmmakers could keep getting it so wrong. The story is barely there even with so much potential to draw from current events. Seminal characters are treated as throwaways and disposed of like empty beer cans. Characters from the first film are nowhere to be found. I think I will be sticking with the comics from now on. At least they are telling compelling stories.