AFTER EARTH - DVD REVIEW

(2013)  100 Minutes,  PG-13


Mike's Review:  This is one of those movies I wanted to see at the theater but just didn't have time so now that it is out on DVD I finally had some time to watch it.  All-in-all it was a pretty decent movie, I have like Jaden Smith in everything I have seen him in but it feels like he keeps playing the same type of character over and over again.  This movie had some good effects and the story was pretty good, it was more of a father and son coming together movie then a hard core sci-fi type of movie. It will keep you entertained.

Best Scene: The ending

Mike's Rating: Matinee or DVD

Dad's Review:  Will Smith plays Cypher, father to Kital Raige, played by Jaden Smith, (Will’s real son) in this movie which takes place a millennium from now when Earth is supposedly no longer habitable. Cypher is Head of a Ranger Force riding in a Space Ship which crashes on planet Earth. The ship breaks up upon impact with sections spread around. The Emergency Beacon they need to signal for help is in a section 100 kilometers from where Cypher and Kital land. Cypher is seriously injured so Kital must embark on a dangerous journey to get to the Emergency Beacon to set it off to get help to save his father’s life.

It is an entertaining movie which gives much sound advice on controlling ones fears of the unknown and how to function in very bad situations.

Best scene: Hugs father at end.

Dad’s Rating:   Worth seeing as I did recently on DVD at least.

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1,500 VIEWS!

by the by movie reviews has now had over 1,500 views!  We have grown from our beginning reviews only getting 6 to 8 views to now we average 40 to 50 views per review.  That's saying something.  A huge thank you to all! 

ESCAPE PLAN

(2013) 115 Minutes, Rated R

Mike's Review:  It feels like its been awhile sense I've seen a decent movie with a good believable story and realistic action and Escape Plan delivers on all of that.  It was good seeing Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger together again, they seem to play off each other well and didn't go to overboard with the one liners and over the top crazy action and fight scenes. I know this movie will be added to my collection of movies to be seen again because it was just a fun, entertaining movie, and that's the kind of movie I enjoy watching.

Best Scene: You hit like a vegetarian.

Mike's Rating: Worth the price of the ticket.

Bean's Review:  It is enjoyable to see Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger together again.  Stallone plays a professional expert in escaping from prisons.  His partner in this lucrative business is played well be Vincent D’Onofrio, who ends up being the “bad guy”.  Schwarzenegger is the prisoner in an “escape-proof” prison, the “Tomb”.  Although a bit too long and the development of Stallone’s character needed improvement, a very entertaining movie nonetheless. 

The performance of Jim Caviezel, as the sadistic, greedy, bully warden of the Tomb is nicely creepy.

Also, a nice twist at the end of the movie.

 

Best Scene: when Schwarzenegger’s character and Faran Tahir’s character smile for the camera

Bean's Rating: Matinee ticket.

RUNNER RUNNER

(2013) 91 Minutes, Rated R

Mike's Review:  When I first saw the trailer for this movie I was pretty psyched to see it, my first impression was that it was going to be another type of card movie similar to "Rounders" (1998) but with more of a slick tech twist.  Then it finally came out and I started to hear the rumors and all the bad reviews it was getting. But I stuck to my original impression and still wanted to see it. Going into this movie all admit my expectations were kind of low, and maybe that was a good thing, because I left the theater thinking it was better than I thought it was going to be...and I actually enjoyed watching it.

This movie won't win any awards and it really didn't offer anything new to the genre, but it was still entertaining and kept my attention.  Justin Timberlake I thought did a decent job acting, and I knew Ben Affleck would be pretty good as well. My only complaint was how tame the movie was compared to other movies with this type of 'setting up the good guy-good guy turning it around' movies.  What I mean is that it was rated R but it could have very easily gotten away with a PG-13 rating.  Maybe that would have helped it bring in more money at the box office. 

Best Scene: I liked how it all wrapped up in the ending. You knew it was going to happen, you just didn't know how it was going to happen.

Mike's Rating: Matinee.  Good enough to see on the big screen, just not at full price.

Bean's Review:  This movie was better than I initially expected, as it began a bit slow-ho-hum.  However, the storyline picked-up and it got the viewer involved.  Justin Timberlake’s character is a gambler, but not an “addict”.  His addiction is the “chase” and the need to please his unconscionable and evil boss, a part played well by Ben Affleck, at almost the cost of Timberlake’s character’s soul.

Although the plot was a bit thin in places and it seemed almost too easy for Timberlake’s character to double-cross his boss, it was an entertaining movie.

As my co-reviewer has stated, “Justin Timberlake is a better actor than singer”.

Best Scene: where Affleck’s character “scares” the two Costa Rican officials at the crocodile pit

 

Bean's Rating: Matinee ticket.


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GRAVITY

 (2013) 91 Minutes, Rated PG-13

Mike's Note:  Here is another First review from a new 'guest reviewer', A.C.! He has had many comments on other movies that have been reviewed on this blog, and its nice to see a fan and avid movie goer want to add one of his own reviews to by the by movie reviews.   We hope he keeps his reviews coming! Thanks A.C.!

Also on a side note, this review makes the 40th movie to be reviewed in the 6 months we have been up and running! 

A.C.’s Review:  'Gravity' is the new Sandra Bullock and George Clooney movie detailing a  mission to upgrade the Hubble telescope that ends in disaster when a chain reaction of colliding satellites destroys the space shuttle stranding Dr. Ryan Stone and Astronaut Kowalski in space. Their only hope is to get to the Soyuz escape capsule at International Space Station before the satellite debris circles the globe and destroys the station as well. 
 

This was a highly enjoyable film for many reasons. It takes advantage of a setting rarely seen in movies—high Earth orbit.  I usually prefer movies with a “cast of thousands” but this is the best use of a two person movie I have ever seen. The sense of wonder and danger of space is completely brought to life when it is usually glossed over in most sci-fi movies. In fact you might label this more a drama than a sci-fi movie as it is pretty realistic though some suspension of disbelief is required at the ease of which Sandra is able to operate a variety of foreign spacecraft.

Much has been made of the visuals of this movie depicting the environs of space and the slowly spinning Earth below. The hype is not exaggerated and every penny spent on this movie is apparent in the screen. Much is CGI but it’s the best use of CGI in that you don’t realize its CGI (unlike the opening of 'MAN OF STEEL' on KRYPTON where it’s immediately apparent that it’s a total CGI/Green Screen construct). With that said, there is lot of press where the director is pimping out for it to be seen in 3D…that it was “meant to be seen in 3D”. Not necessary! He knows the film will make more money if people buy 3D tickets thus increasing his next director’s fee LOL). Though 2D showing are rare this is absolutely wonderful when viewed in 2D as well.

A.C.’s Rating:  Worth full admission price. Do NOT wait for the DVD. It’s a movie truly meant for the big screen.

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