What to watch: The Maze Runner (2014)

With the recent surge of Young Adult novels being turned into movies, it seems producers are throwing every idea at a wall and seeing what sticks. It looks like The Maze Runner has stuck. 

A solid plot is really what drove this story because aside from Will Poulter as Gally, the actors portrayals weren't very inspired. The story was interesting and managed to keep me entertained and while the visuals weren't the best of the year, they do hold up against other visual films this year. All the maze sequences were so big in scale that this aspect alone warrants a trip to the theater. 

This movie is obviously for a younger audience but with the amount of action, suspense and some profanity it seems the studios also tried to market this towards an older audience. Doing that can sometimes translate poorly especially with the profanity because it makes it feel forced and fake but I'm glad to say this film didn't suffer from that. 

The characters have very little development since the movie mostly focuses on them as a community so sadly they feel very interchangeable thus causing detachment and ultimately little to no caring of the minor or side characters and their demise. Another flaw is the pacing since somewhere towards the middle it felt like I'd been watching for well over an hour and it'd only been about 40 minutes. 

I can nitpick at this movie all I want since it wasn't perfect but I won't deny that I enjoyed it. Would i recommend seeing it? Absolutely, like I said before the visuals and Maze scenes would be best enjoyed on the big screen so I'd say see it in theaters if it's still available in your area, but I wouldn't pay full price. It's a good solid young adult novel turned summer blockbuster and the end of this film left me considering seeing the sequel. 

Rating: Matinee (see it in theaters but don't pay full price) 

Trailer Talk: Insurgent Trailer

In the first ever Trailer Talk we'll be discussing The Divergent Series: Insurgent...here are my thoughts. 

Overly dramatic, cliche and a blatant rip off of The Hunger Games? Some might find it unfair but I think this looks terrible. It feels like this movie is just trying way to hard to compete with The Hunger Games, more specifically MockingJay. With a full cast of rising stars It seemed like every frame of this trailer was trying to reveal a new character to get people to say "whoa he/she is in this too!" And the overall feel of the trailer is almost parallel to MockingJay! Now I'm not some Hunger Games fanboy by a long shot so that's not the end of my complaints because this trailer is oozing with YA cliches like "you have to fight yourself" or "you're the chosen one so you have to be the martyr" tropes. Obviously I'm not the key demographic here but I honestly don't have to be as long as the film is decent enough but this just looks like a clusterfuck and a cash grab to me. All that being said I haven't seen the actual movie of course so I can't completely cast this aside so we'll have to see when this is released. Although I don't know if I could sit through the first which I was hoping to never have to do. Now remember anything and everything I've said here today are strictly my opinion and I'm glad to discuss this and maybe even change my mind. What did you think of the Insurgent Trailer? 

What to watch: Horrible Bosses 2

Since it was announced that Horrible Bosses would get a sequel I've been on the fence. I enjoyed the first and the casting of Chris Pine and Christoph Waltz had me optimistic, but I always had that voice in the back of my head that kept saying this could very much go in the wrong direction. 

Horrible Bosses 2 is mediocre at best, with adequate writing and a recycled plot it seems it's only saving grace is the chemistry between the cast. Bateman Sudeikis and Day all return as our leads and their antics are carried over pretty well from the first. Waltz delivers a bland performance that is very forgettable. While Chris Pine really shined and really tied the cast together pretty well. 

I did find myself laughing throughout but it was mostly situational comedy and the back and forth between these characters. This didn't feel like an all around fun movie since all of this fun can be had on some sitcom so the film itself felt weak and dismissible. At the same time the movie did seem self aware and didn't take itself too seriously so it wasn't boring and I don't regret seeing it. 

I do enjoy these actors working together but I can't say I'd like to see a third film although I'm sure the production process has already started somewhere in some Hollywood office. This movie is nothing special and yet I was not bored so if it's available for rent or on tv I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to watch it. 

Rating: Rental 

New segment "Trailer Talk" coming soon.

With January and February coming up we'll have a lot less movies coming out that will garner interest but we will start getting more trailers for the upcoming films of 2015! Next year is looking to be one of the biggest years in movie history with Star Wars, Marvel and many other huge movies. I'd like to start doing something called #TrailerTalk. I'll be watching and discussing all new and fairly new trailers and giving my opinion and thoughts on said trailers. I'm looking forward to this and I hope many people check this out. 

Mad Max: Fury Road New Poster and Official Trailer

New poster 

A new official trailer that really showcases the cinematography and art style which look fantastic. This almost looks like a musical and that I'd be lying if said I wouldn't love a musical mad max. 

What to watch: The One I Love (2014)

The One I Love is a Comedy/Drama/Romance but this film is like nothing I've ever seen before. It is available on Netflix and from reading the plot summary we're only given a brief explanation as to what the movie is about....but this is way way more than just that.

From the beginning this movie feels like a lot of other Romance Dramas in that we see a couple struggling to rekindle their once passionate relationship, all that soon takes a turn for the unexpected when they decide to have a retreat that will help them rediscover themselves. That's all the details i'll be giving on the film because this is a great movie to go in to knowing as little as possible.

The plot is interesting and different while the performances are real and emotional. The chemistry between the leads is great and we're also treated to some beautiful cinematography and a charming atmospheric score that fits very well into the world which is fun and romantic while still holding a sense of mystery that is felt throughout the movie.

Many troubling topics are also covered in the relationship department here, our characters are confronted with many problems that might be very familiar to some viewers that are in similar situations so there's a strong sense of relatability that gives this film another level of complexity to an already wonderful movie.

Should you see this? If anything I've said so far sounds interesting than I can't recommend this enough but this is in fact a romantic drama so it obviously won't be for everyone. I personally enjoyed this movie quite a lot and think it was an unexpected surprise.

Rating: Full Price (check it out on Netflix streaming.)

San Andreas - Official Teaser Trailer [HD]

The first trailer for San Andreas, the disaster film starring Dwayne Johnson is here and it looks....well about as decent as you'd expect it to. Should be a decent disaster movie with great visuals and having The Rock star in this should be a plus. 

The latest look at Dwayne Johnson in San Andreas

I know a lot of people were upset that the upcoming disaster film San Andreas wasn't what they were hoping but I'm still very excited. 

Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson is set to star in this disaster film as a fire rescue helicopter pilot who must travel across California to save his daughter played by Alexandra Daddario amidst a catastrophic earthquake and wild fires. The film is expected May 29th 2015 but not much promotion outside of a few photos have been given. 

What to watch: Modern movies with exceptional Soundtracks

There are many classic films with unforgettable scores like Jaws, Star Wars  and many others but I've gathered here a group of movies made within the last five years that I think have exceptional soundtracks. In no particular order 

Tron Legacy (2010)

In Daft Punk's film scoring debut some might argue that the mesmerizing electronic infused classical score is the best part of the film. 

The Social Network (2009)

David Fincher has struck gold since he's decided to almost exclusively collaborate with NIN frontman Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. The duo have since made several award winning and nominated film scores but I think their first is the most influential and wonderfully crafted works. 

Drive (2011)

The stylish and eclectic film that can only come from the mind of Nicolas Winding Refn is perfectly merged with the musical style of Cliff Martinez. The film is very different and is one of those that you either hate or love but you'd find it hard to find someone who isn't a fan of this 80's synth inspired soundtrack. 

Oblivion (2012) 

I was a very big fan of this underrated SciFi and one of the things that stood out the most for me was the music and its role in establishing and building an atmosphere that felt futuristic and what I can only describe as "clean". Cliff Martinez of M83 fame is known for his wildly popular style of electronic music and his experience shows in this films score. I highly recommend listening to this movies title theme "oblivion" by M83. 

Inception (2010)

For such an innovative and groundbreaking film it is only appropriate that you have an equally innovative soundtrack. Hans Zimmer created not just music but a sound, a sound that would become a trend that other films and composers would try and recreate time and time again. This piece of music will be looked back on as the start of an era and that era is completely dominated by Zimmer. 

So those have been some films and soundtracks with a modern feel that I think are outstanding and deserve recognition. While I'm sure some of these many of you will be familiar I hope you enjoyed a piece of music you maybe had not heard. 

Principal photography wraps for Ant-Man according to Peyton Reed

The director tweeted that principal photography is now done. 

It seems like just yesterday Edgar Wright was still attached to the project so it's good to see the marvel movie is moving along production wise. 

Robert Orci steps down as director of Star Trek 3.

I always felt that Orci was more of a placeholder for the directors position for the third installment in the Star Trek franchise. Today many sources confirm that Roberto Orci has in fact been releaved of his position as Director. It is still unknown if Orci will still serve as head writer but for now Variety.com reports that he'll still be producing the film.

From variety

 "The details behind Orci’s exit from the project are unknown, but Paramount and Skydance Productions have to act quickly to secure another helmer, as the film is dated to bow sometime in 2016.

Orci is still producing the pic with Abrams, Patrick McKay and John D. Payne working on the most recent draft of the script."

See the full story and more at Variety.com HERE.
Also the folks over at Indiewire.com and many other sources are reporting that Edgar Wright is on the short list to replace Orci as director and this news is pretty exciting.

see the full story for that HERE.

What to watch: The Giver (2014)

The Giver is an adaptation of the Lois Lowry young adult novel of the same name. This film felt very reminiscent of recent movies like Enders Game and The Hunger Games but I have to admit I did enjoy this quite a bit and it is a well made children's movie. Some of you might be wondering why I consider this a kid's movie and that is because this is a movie that children can watch and put some thought into, it has philosophical message that's easy to comprehend and discuss, which is perfect for a young audience. 

The movie starts off in black and white which sort of gives away what was a major twist in the book but I don't see how this movie could've been made without spoiling this. Some might argue that the acting is pretty bad in the first act but it's apparent that the acting was purposefully bad to portray the soulless feel of the community. The actors were basically playing robots who have no free will and live in a world that works like an engine with every part doing it's job and nothing more. 

The story is strong and while the performances weren't great I can excuse that to the fact that these characters don't have a lot of well....character. They're emotionless therefore the actors and actresses don't have much to work with. Once I finished watching this I was satisfied with what I was given. The story was left open since it is an ongoing novel and honestly, I'm looking forward to a sequel. This movie might not be amazing but it's definitely not something you should skip. I enjoyed it and I think you would to. 

Rating: Rental 

Marvel confirms Benedict Cumberbatch will play Doctor Strange

Marvel has released a couple things today but in their biggest reveal of the day we get confirmation that actor Benedict Cumberbatch will in fact play the sorcerer supreme Doctor Strange!

Many sources had this speculation but now it's official. The full story can be found at Marvel.com 

Terminator Genisys Movie - Official Trailer

Arnold is looking to cement his comeback with his return to the Terminator franchise.

News from the Bond 24 announcement this morning.

Sadly I fell asleep before 2 am last night so I wasn't awake for the Bond 24 live stream and announcement this morning which was at 5 am in my time. Here's what I gathered from the Official Bond Twitter for those of you who haven't seen it. 

An official Title and Teaser poster 

With the poster came an official date of release. 

A look at what the world's greatest secret agent will be driving. Aston Martin DB10 which is a monster of a car with a nice coating of elegance. 

We also got a look at some of the new characters that will be introduced. 

Christoph Waltz is playing "Oberhauser" who is bond's skiing instructor but in sure there's more to the character than that.

Confirmation has also been given on whether Dave Bautista will be playing a villain/henchman type role. He'll be playing Mr.Hinx

All this news is very exciting and I'm huge fan of the direction that the bond films are headed in. I can't wait for mor news on the matter.